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Game Camera questions - batteries and locks
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted
Do you guys use the lithium or the alkaline and how long do the batteries last?. Not going to take video or multiple shots per trigger. Do they last a month? two months? three months?

I went ahead and bought the security boxes was wondering if you guys buy the "python" cables or just went to Home Depot and made up your own cables. Is it worth the hassle to DIY and if so what did you all do/use?

Thanks!


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
We use a lot of these cameras in Africa, and battery wise it depends more on the camera rather than the battery type.

Some seem to eat batteries as if there is no tomorrow, others seem to last for ever.

I am sorry I cannot remember which is which.


www.accuratereloading.com
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Posts: 68981 | Location: Dubai, UAE | Registered: 08 January 1998Reply With Quote
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Picture of Kyler Hamann
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I haven't seen enough advantage with the lithiums to use them instead of the alkalines. Maybe it makes a significant difference in cold temperatures, I don't know.
I've heard camera type makes a huge difference in battery life. My only experience is with Reconyx (awesome customer service!) and I can get roughly 50K photos out of a set of alkaline Duracells.
Lots of night photos of course burn batteries quicker. The biggest single cause for wasting my batteries is when I have a camera in a place that is frequented by cattle. A little herd will show up, hang around water for 30 minutes, ear and tail flicking their way to several hundred pictures before leaving.
I built my own tight fitting heavy steel security boxes because I had the equipment handy, but for most people the camera company versions are probably great. Mine are painted to match the local oaks and they're really hard to spot.
I REALLY like the python locks. You can get several that use the same key. Buy longer than you think you'll need, especially if you're going around tree trunks.
There is a learning curve between hiding the camera and filling a card with photos of leaves and limbs blowing in front of the camera. If you don't need to hid them from human thieves it will really help.
One trick I learned the hard way when attaching to several limbs of a bush (instead of a tree trunk) is to hang a large rock from one of the limbs near the camera with twine. This slows down the movement of the camera swaying in the wind and can greatly reduce the number of false triggers.


___________________________
www.boaring.com
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Posts: 2514 | Location: Central Coast of CA | Registered: 10 January 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Cougarz
posted Hide Post
I'm certainly no expert with game cameras compared to a lot of guys, so take this for what it's worth.

I use lithium because they last longer and aren't effected by the cold like alkaline batteries can be.

I only keep a game camera out for maybe four or five months max in the mountains where I hunt. I pick them up before the snow closes the access to the area. The target animals would have migrated down out of the snow anyway.

I just use whatever cable lock or whatever I can find to secure them. A couple have a metal bear box that protects them, some don't. I really haven't had much trouble with it because it's only a remote chance anyone would go there and I try to place them in not so obvious places.
  


Roger
___________________________
I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2814 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
I have tried alkaline and lithium.
The key to battery life seems to be the quality of the battery yiy buy, expecially with the lithiums.
I saw a 'deal' on buying 50 lithiums that were rated at 5500 mili amp hours each. After they arrived I time tested them and found that they were closer to 350 mili amp hour capacity. It seems that some manufacturers still label their units that do not meet stated capacity as full capacity units then sell them at a discount. If the ones I buoght were supposed to have the full 5500 capacity, they would work for two full seasons. Mine do not.
Just sharing a word of caution. BTW: I bought them from a Chinese place


Bob Nisbet
DRSS & 348 Lever Winchester Lover
Temporarily Displaced Texan
If there's no food on your plate when dinner is done, you didn't get enough to eat.
 
Posts: 830 | Location: Texas and Alabama | Registered: 07 January 2009Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
I don't use boxes or locks I buy cheap cameras I get a couple months out of alkalines.

It all depends on where you are placing them.

My big loss is from bears chomping them.
 
Posts: 19669 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
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So it sounds like two months shouldn't be a problem for lithium batteries.


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Follow-up question,

I assume it's a big No, No to use those screw holes on the boxes to secure the camera to a tree in a Nat'l Forest.


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
Follow-up question,

I assume it's a big No, No to use those screw holes on the boxes to secure the camera to a tree in a Nat'l Forest.


You assume right
 
Posts: 19669 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
So it sounds like two months shouldn't be a problem for lithium batteries.


Length of time means absolutely nothing. What does matter is the number of pictures a camera takes.
Stated another way, a camera that takes 10 pictures a day will have batteries that last longer than a camera that takes 500 pictures a day.

I find the quality lithium batteries last longer than the alkaline batteries .

I run about 30 cameras all year around .
 
Posts: 12120 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Larry,

I am looking for a typical estimate even though it is hard to calculate.

My camera's are going to be 5 hours from my home. So I need some idea that if I place them two months before the hunt - do I need to make a trip in 30 days?

As difficult as is to estimate, there is always some duration that can be estimated.

It's likely more than a week and less than a year, right?.

Sounds like it's probably more than a month and less than six months.

I'll pose these questions to the group.

Regardless of the number of pictures or videos
taken:

How many times have you ever had lithium
batteries on trail cameras placed during the
summer go dead in two months?

If yes - were you taking videos.

What is the longest length of time you have
left a camera in the field and returned to find
it still operating with no change of the
batteries?


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Aspen Hill Adventures
posted Hide Post
I have several cameras out year round on my property. I generally use energizer AA's and they last nearly a year. I just went through my cards, roughly 5000 photos and only one camera needed new batteries.

None of my cameras are high dollar cams either, all under $100 a piece. Some are three-four years old.


~Ann





 
Posts: 19590 | Location: The LOST Nation | Registered: 27 March 2001Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
If you don't want to mess with batteries look for the solar powered versions.

https://www.spypoint.com/en/pr...duct-solar-dark.html


___________________

Just Remember, We ALL Told You So.
 
Posts: 22442 | Location: Occupying Little Minds Rent Free | Registered: 04 October 2012Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
Larry,

I am looking for a typical estimate even though it is hard to calculate.

My camera's are going to be 5 hours from my home. So I need some idea that if I place them two months before the hunt - do I need to make a trip in 30 days?

As difficult as is to estimate, there is always some duration that can be estimated.

It's likely more than a week and less than a year, right?.

Sounds like it's probably more than a month and less than six months.

I'll pose these questions to the group.

Regardless of the number of pictures or videos
taken:

How many times have you ever had lithium
batteries on trail cameras placed during the
summer go dead in two months?

If yes - were you taking videos.

What is the longest length of time you have
left a camera in the field and returned to find
it still operating with no change of the
batteries?


Mike:

Again, the volume of pictures will directly impact battery life. In addition, the various settings will impact battery life. Pictures that are more detailed take more battery life than less detailed pictures. The delay between pictures has a massive impact as well. When I first started, I had NO delay between pictures. I may get 3-5 pictures which were all part of the exact same step a deer took. Also, night pictures take up more battery life.

One thing that has made a massive difference to my use are the supplemental battery packs. Also, solar panels.

To answer your specific questions:

1- I have had lithium batteries go dead in less than 2 weeks many times before I figured out what I needed to do with the settings. I may have had over 15,000 pictures on the cards.

2- I have had 4 cameras where the lithium batteries have lasted the better part of a year. These were not the high traffic areas.

I have been running cameras constantly for 3 years now. On an average day, I get between 1700 & 2000 pictures.
 
Posts: 12120 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Opus1,

For the 35 cameras that you have had operating did you ever operate off of batteries?

What was your recollection of battery life?

The above posts remind me of the time I was asked to facilitate a discussion regarding the building of a certain type of mfg plant.

The engineers and project managers refused to give an estimate of how long it would take to the Executive Committee.

Q1 - How long does it take?
A1 - No way to tell. Impossible. Too many variables.

Q2 - Could you build it in 10 years?
A2 - Of course, it would never take that long

Q3 - Could you build it in a year?
A3 - Highly unlikely

Q4 - Could you build it in 18 months?
A4 - Maybe, but it would be so small it would be inefficient.

Q5 - What is minimum efficient scale for this type of plant?
A5 - About 6000 units a month

Q6 - What is optimal efficient scale?
A6 - About 9000 units a month

Q7 - Have you ever built one of those ~ 9000 units?
A7 - Oh yes, we have built 5 of them.

Q8 - What as the shortest and the longest duration?
A8 - 22 months and 39 months

Statement - So it is reasonable to say that barring unforeseen circumstances or unusual capacity requirements that is likely this plant could be built in 27-45 months and 36 months is not an unreasonable planning duration.

Response - Yeah that's about right.


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Larry - Thank you for the responses. Our posts crossed in the ether.

Ann - Thank you for the responses. Very helpful.


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
Mike just as Larry stated, it is not the battery type that dictates longevity, it is how many pictures/video length you program into the camera. Depending on the manufacturer, you can adjust the picture size (quality), number of pictures per event, video length, combo picture plus video, and the time between events. If one animal loiters in the area, you can take hundreds of picture if the camera does not have a pause between events. But if you set a pause for 3-5 minutes, hundreds of pictures is then reduced down to a few and battery life is preserved. Also, if the animals are more nocturnal, then the IR emitters use more battery.

Before we largely switched over to rechargeable battery packs and solar, AA batteries would easily last four months when set up properly. However, it is not a good idea to leave a camera in the woods for weeks on end without checking on it as they can and do disappear - even with armored housings and cable locks (amazing how many people walk around with cable cutters) So take a pocked full of replacement batteries and a new SD card when you check on them just to be safe.


___________________

Just Remember, We ALL Told You So.
 
Posts: 22442 | Location: Occupying Little Minds Rent Free | Registered: 04 October 2012Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
Mike:

Given the distance you have to travel, you might want to look at one of the cameras that sent the pictures to you. I am currently running 28 of those. They are fantastic.
 
Posts: 12120 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Opus1 - thanks.

Larry - unfortunately I think those cameras require a cell signal which is likely non-existent in the area I will be putting the cameras.


Mike

Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10159 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I use Energizer AA alkaline and get several thousand pictures through the cold NY months on my Moultrie M880.

Too many variables to consider for each kind of cam to say how long they will last. Single shot or burst, video or not, day or night, time delay between shots, set up looking down a trail or perpendicular.

The one thing to avoid is setting up where you end up getting hundreds of pictures of swaying brush - that can eat up batteries in a hurry.

As for security - I use them on some places but unless you are miles from a road if someone really wants it they can just come back with a cordless angle grinder and cut most cables or boxes in minutes or less. If you use a lock that takes a key then I always bury it nearby attached to a colorful zip tie - nothing worse than getting all the way in to the cam to find you left the key at home.


.

"Listen more than you speak, and you will hear more stupid things than you say."
 
Posts: 706 | Location: near Albany, NY | Registered: 06 December 2002Reply With Quote
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Incredibly important point about swaying bushes. One learns that quickly.
 
Posts: 12120 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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I started about 10 years ago with "Primos Truth Cam Ultimate Blackout" cameras. They ate alkaline batteries (4 D-cells) especially in the cold, so I ended up rigging them with exterior gel cells and small photovoltaic panels. They all eventually failed - stopped taking photos, even though the camera would power up OK.

So in the fall of 2018, I bought two Moultrie A-35, for about $70 each. With 8 AA alkaline batteries, I can get several months of life. This is a lot easier than messing around with a separate battery and photovoltaic panel! This spring, I just let them run and I got 2.5 months of life with about 8200 pictures taken in the most active camera before the batteries gave out. For my application, this is ample life, so no reason to go to lithium batteries.

And, yes most of those are of branches and grass swaying in the wind. I doubt that can be eliminated, but a lot of the extra pictures were caused by some new growth that occurred in the spring, with a leaf right in front of the camera.
 
Posts: 723 | Location: Oklahoma | Registered: 27 November 2010Reply With Quote
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Mike,
You should be fine for a couple months with new batteries of either type unless the camera's are watching a super busy area.
As mentioned here, swaying bushes can ruin your set by emptying your batteries and/or filling your memory card. Sometimes the camera itself moving or other unexpected things can trip the sensors often.
Since it's such a long drive to check the cameras, and you're planning to leave them quite a while without checking them, it would be good check them after first placing them as a quick test. A day or so test would be nice, but even a few hours would be better than nothing to make sure it's working okay and something weird isn't giving you false triggers.
Kyler


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Posts: 2514 | Location: Central Coast of CA | Registered: 10 January 2002Reply With Quote
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I found one of my cameras a couple of weeks ago that had been up two years and a few months. It took pics for two years. The last thousand or so pics was of a weed that had grown up in front of the sensor; every little breeze caused a picture to be taken.

You should be fine for a couple of months with any reputable camera. Make sure you cut anything that would trigger a picture in a slight breeze. Make sure you have the camera in a metal box if you have alot of bear in the area. Don't place the camera too high. Waist high is plenty high enough.

God Bless, Louis
 
Posts: 1381 | Location: Mountains of North Carolina | Registered: 14 January 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
I started about 10 years ago with "Primos Truth Cam Ultimate Blackout" cameras. They ate alkaline batteries (4 D-cells) especially in the cold,


The newer the camera the less power they use.
 
Posts: 19669 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
The last thousand or so pics was of a weed that had grown up in front of the sensor; every little breeze caused a picture to be taken


I hate that when it happens
 
Posts: 19669 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
We use a lot of these cameras in Africa, and battery wise it depends more on the camera rather than the battery type.

Some seem to eat batteries as if there is no tomorrow, others seem to last for ever.

I am sorry I cannot remember which is which.


I think this is true...cause last week I just had the craziest experience with a trail cam / batteries.

Last fall (Sept 26th, 2019) I put up a cam for elk / moose at about 7,000 feet elevation. I never got around to getting back to that camera until last week. To my utter shock, the camera was still working. I have pics from last fall, all through winter, the spring, and right up to the day I changed the card / batteries. I was completely blown away...979 pics in total were on the camera...with some really cool shots throughout the 10 months I left it there.

It is a Browning Trail Cam...and I can't say for certain what batteries I was using to be honest.


Aaron Neilson
Global Hunting Resources
303-619-2872: Cell
globalhunts@aol.com
www.huntghr.com

 
Posts: 4888 | Location: Boise, Idaho | Registered: 05 March 2009Reply With Quote
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quote:
Last fall (Sept 26th, 2019) I put up a cam for elk / moose at about 7,000 feet elevation.


I like to keep mine closer to the ground when looking for those animals! rotflmo Wink


Roger
___________________________
I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along.

*we band of 45-70ers*
 
Posts: 2814 | Location: Washington (wetside) | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Cougarz:
quote:
Last fall (Sept 26th, 2019) I put up a cam for elk / moose at about 7,000 feet elevation.


I like to keep mine closer to the ground when looking for those animals! rotflmo Wink


Ya...I learned my lesson that's for sure! But the bird's eye view was awesome! rotflmo


Aaron Neilson
Global Hunting Resources
303-619-2872: Cell
globalhunts@aol.com
www.huntghr.com

 
Posts: 4888 | Location: Boise, Idaho | Registered: 05 March 2009Reply With Quote
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