Altronix WAYPOINT7 Outdoor-Rated 12/24VDC Power Supply with Battery Backup
Overview
The Altronix WAYPOINT7 is a field-hardened, 6-amp power supply designed for security installations that can't afford downtime — perimeter cameras, access control panels, and outdoor edge devices that need both conditioned power and battery standby in a single lockable enclosure. Running from 115VAC/60Hz mains, the WAYPOINT7 delivers either 12VDC or 24VDC selectable output at up to 6A continuous, housed in a NEMA 4/4X (IP66-11) enclosure built to handle direct water spray, dust ingress, and corrosive environments. If you're speccing power for outdoor or industrial-adjacent locations — covered parking structures, loading docks, perimeter fence lines, cold-storage facilities — this is the class of supply to evaluate against your load budget.
Altronix power supplies have long been a staple in the physical security channel. Browse the full Altronix catalog for companion distribution modules, relay boards, and enclosures that pair with the WAYPOINT7 in multi-device installations.
Key Features
- Selectable 12VDC or 24VDC Output: A single jumper or switch selection covers both legacy 12V cameras and newer 24V access control hardware. You're not buying two separate supplies to support a mixed-voltage installation — one WAYPOINT7 handles both device classes, though not simultaneously at different voltages.
- 6A Continuous Output: At 12VDC, that's 72W available to distribute across multiple devices. Enough headroom to power several IP cameras or a combination of camera plus door controller without hitting thermal derating on the supply.
- NEMA 4/4X Enclosure (IP66-11): NEMA 4X is the specification that matters in corrosive environments — the X rating means the enclosure resists salt spray and oxidizing atmospheres, not just rain. Coastal deployments, food processing areas, car wash facilities — anywhere a standard NEMA 4 enclosure would corrode through within a few seasons.
- Dual Battery Capacity — 7AH/12VDC (1 or 2): The enclosure accommodates one or two 7AH sealed lead-acid batteries. Two batteries doubles your standby runtime — critical for access control panels that need to release/secure doors even during extended utility outages. Size your battery count to your local code requirements for egress panel hold time.
- -40°C to 60°C Operating Range: Genuine cold-weather capability. This operating floor matches what you'd encounter in an unheated northern warehouse, a rooftop installation in a continental climate, or a parking structure that sees genuine winter temperatures. Many competing supplies derate at 0°C; the WAYPOINT7 stays in spec down to -40°C.
- 115VAC / 60Hz Input at 1.9A Draw: Modest mains draw — a standard 15A breaker circuit can support multiple WAYPOINT7 units without panel capacity concerns. Plan your branch circuits accordingly when deploying in multiples across a larger site.
- Storage Temperature to -40°C / 70°C: Units can be warehoused or staged in unheated storage without concern for cold-soak damage — relevant for contractors staging equipment in job trailers through a winter installation season.
Integration & Compatibility
The WAYPOINT7 fits into any security power supply architecture where a localized, enclosure-mounted power source is preferred over a centralized rack supply with long home-run wiring runs. Its dual-voltage output makes it compatible with the broadest range of surveillance and access control equipment — 12VDC for most IP camera modules and edge devices, 24VDC for many electric locks and control panels.
When planning your PoE switch and local power strategy for outdoor enclosures, the WAYPOINT7 pairs naturally with Altronix's own distribution boards for multi-output branch wiring inside a secondary enclosure. Its NEMA 4/4X housing also means it can mount directly in the field near the devices it powers, shortening low-voltage runs and reducing voltage drop — a meaningful factor at 12VDC over any real cable distance.
Battery backup planning: confirm your load current against the 7AH cell capacity and your required standby hours. At a 1A load, a single 7AH battery provides approximately 5–6 hours of standby (accounting for discharge efficiency). Two batteries roughly double that. Coordinate with your AHJ on minimum UPS hold times for life-safety-adjacent systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the WAYPOINT7 output both 12VDC and 24VDC simultaneously?
A: No. The output voltage is selectable — either 12VDC or 24VDC — not both at the same time. If you need both voltages in one location, plan for a second supply or a step-down module on the 24V output.
Q: What battery type and size does the WAYPOINT7 accept?
A: The WAYPOINT7 accepts 7AH/12VDC sealed lead-acid batteries, with space for one or two units inside the enclosure. Using two batteries doubles your available standby capacity.
Q: Is the WAYPOINT7 suitable for outdoor installation without an additional housing?
A: Yes. The NEMA 4/4X (IP66-11) enclosure is rated for direct water spray, dust, and corrosive environments, making it suitable for direct outdoor mounting without a separate weatherproof housing.
Q: What is the minimum operating temperature for the WAYPOINT7?
A: The WAYPOINT7 operates from -40°C to 60°C, making it appropriate for cold-climate outdoor installations including unheated structures and northern perimeter deployments.
Q: How many devices can the WAYPOINT7 power at 12VDC?
A: The 6A output at 12VDC provides 72W of available power. The number of devices depends on individual draw — a typical IP camera pulling 5–10W allows for 7–14 cameras at full load, though real-world derating and cable losses should be factored into your design.
Q: Does the WAYPOINT7 require a dedicated circuit?
A: The WAYPOINT7 draws 1.9A from a 115VAC/60Hz mains source — well within a standard 15A breaker circuit. Multiple units can share a branch circuit, subject to total load calculations and local electrical code.
The WAYPOINT7 addresses the most common failure point I see on outdoor perimeter installs: an inadequate power enclosure that corrodes or fails to hold battery backup through a real outage. The NEMA 4X rating — not just 4 — is the detail that separates this unit for coastal or industrial sites where oxidizing atmospheres eat through standard steel enclosures within a few years. At 6A output and dual 7AH battery capacity, the WAYPOINT7 is sized for a small cluster of field devices rather than a single endpoint, which is how most integrators actually want to deploy distributed power.
Technical Highlights:
- NEMA 4/4X (IP66-11) Enclosure: The 4X rating means corrosion resistance beyond basic weatherproofing — salt spray, chemical-adjacent atmospheres, and repeated washdown won't degrade the housing. This is a meaningful spec upgrade over NEMA 4-only enclosures in harsh outdoor environments.
- Dual 7AH Battery Support: Two batteries at 7AH each gives you meaningful standby depth. At a 1A device load, expect 5–6 hours per battery accounting for discharge efficiency — two units pushes that toward 10–12 hours, which covers most utility outage scenarios and satisfies many AHJ requirements for access control panel hold time.
- -40°C Operating Floor: This is a genuine cold-climate spec. Installations in unheated northern structures — outdoor utility enclosures, parking decks, refrigerated warehouse perimeters — won't push this unit out of its operating range even in deep winter conditions.
Deployment Considerations:
- At 12VDC, voltage drop over cable runs becomes a real design constraint. The WAYPOINT7's field-mount form factor is an advantage here — place it close to the device cluster to keep runs short and drop minimal.
- The output is selectable between 12VDC and 24VDC but not simultaneous at both voltages. If your field enclosure has a mixed 12V/24V load, either use separate supplies per voltage or run a step-down converter off the 24V rail — don't assume you can split the output.
For perimeter camera clusters at a cold-climate distribution center or a coastal facility with corrosive air — where both battery standby and enclosure longevity are non-negotiable — the WAYPOINT7 is the right specification. It's not the choice for a simple indoor single-device application where a smaller, cheaper supply would suffice.
