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Solar Powering Your Game Camera
#3586410
09/19/12 08:16 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732
TxTechsan
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732 |
Anyone doing this? Most cameras are 6v or 12v and I want to wire up a solar charger on mine. If you are doing it which cameras work well on solar?
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TxTechsan]
#3586418
09/19/12 08:19 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,695
grout-scout
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,695 |
I have Moultrie cameras and use their 12 solar battery combo. It's been hooked up for 2 years and it's worked great the whole time. It's not cheap but it's alot cheaper than 6 D batteries would have been in that time span.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TxTechsan]
#3586419
09/19/12 08:19 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,630
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,630 |
I have some stealthcams. I have the 12 volt battery pack.
I put a cheapo solar pannel on it, seemed to work for a while but then started acting up. Not sure what happened to it.
I just wired the pannel and camera to the battery, not sure if that was the right way to do it or not.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TxTechsan]
#3586423
09/19/12 08:21 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,137
8Point
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,137 |
I put Solar panels on the aux. battery boxes for stealth cams. They seems to be working good so far.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: redchevy]
#3586471
09/19/12 08:45 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732
TxTechsan
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732 |
I have some stealthcams. I have the 12 volt battery pack.
I put a cheapo solar pannel on it, seemed to work for a while but then started acting up. Not sure what happened to it.
I just wired the pannel and camera to the battery, not sure if that was the right way to do it or not. ^^^This is what I am wanting to do and wanting to know if it will be okay for the camera. I don't see why not if the voltage is the same????
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TxTechsan]
#3587349
09/20/12 02:00 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 23,929
TreeBass
Old Weller
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Old Weller
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 23,929 |
I wire my wgi's straight to a solar panel and battery, been going for 3 years now without issues
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TreeBass]
#3587444
09/20/12 02:25 AM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 288
fishonmyline
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 288 |
All of our cameras have solar panels. Been doing it for a few years.
I don't smoke ,so I can't say but I highly doubt it. I do know a loud fart works! I think they like the smell plus I guess they think it's a buck grunt. _________________________
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: fishonmyline]
#3587488
09/20/12 02:35 AM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,987
artrios60
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,987 |
All of our Primos TCs have solar chargers on battery kits. been trouble free for a couple years. Except for the horse that thought it was an apple
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: artrios60]
#3587616
09/20/12 03:10 AM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 174
tlh3842
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 174 |
For those of yall that wire it to the camera, do yall just attach the wires straight to where the batteries go?
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: tlh3842]
#3587824
09/20/12 04:17 AM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 198
HoosierDaddy3
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 198 |
My Hunten has a aux power port that my panel is plugged in to. Camera uses a sealed lead acid Battery which I like better than recharging aa batteries.7000 pictures this fall so far and no issues.
I'd be a vegitarian too if bacon grew on trees.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: HoosierDaddy3]
#3587896
09/20/12 04:45 AM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 351
TexasPI
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 351 |
Starting to get a little gun shy about using aux battery with solar panels on my game cams. I have now lost a Stealth, a Bushnell and a Primos TC 46 while using the external setup. After contacting each manufacturer before using the external, I was advised (by all) that I had to leave the batteries in the camera. I was concerned that since I was just using standard (non rechargeable) batteries, sending a constant current from the external battery / solar panel setup through the regular batteries in the camera might cause an issue. In all three cases (over the past 3 years), I ended up with the regular batteries massively leaking acid and ruining the cameras. I suspect that with the external battery / solar panel sending the constant power to batteries that aren't meant to be charged, the end result was the ruptured batteries. I should note, that in all 3 cases, I had been running the external setups for several months without any problems before the batteries leaked and ruined the cameras. Unfortunately, none of the cameras were still in warranty.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TexasPI]
#3587942
09/20/12 05:06 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 165
Hollow Point
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 165 |
Just make sure to have rechargable batteries in the cameras.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: Hollow Point]
#3588029
09/20/12 10:44 AM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 588
Mohawg
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 588 |
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: Mohawg]
#3588246
09/20/12 01:04 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 389
Hill Country Stalker
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 389 |
why do you need to have batteries in the camera with an aux setup?
BUCK
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TreeBass]
#3588315
09/20/12 01:25 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732
TxTechsan
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,732 |
I wire my wgi's straight to a solar panel and battery, been going for 3 years now without issues Treebass do you have regular batteries in your cameras like some of the others have mentioned?
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: Hill Country Stalker]
#3588362
09/20/12 01:38 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200
dawaba
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200 |
why do you need to have batteries in the camera with an aux setup? You need the rechargeable battery to "store" the trickle charge from the solar panel. Basically, the panel tops off the battery during the daytime sun, then the battery powers your camera while it takes pictures all night long. And you DO need rechargeable batteries, not alkaline or carbon-manganese. If you live on or near your lease and can change out batteries weekly, I probably wouldn't bother with a solar hookup. If your lease is too far to go weekly, I would definately go solar. BTW, you don't need to buy a charging unit from the camera manufacturer, but I would if your camera already has a port for same. If your camera isn't set up for a charger, you can drill a small hole in the bottom of the unit and run a wire with aligator clips inside and clip on to the battery lugs. But be aware that such a modification would likely nullify any warranty on the camera.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple.....and wrong." H. L. Mencken
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: dawaba]
#3588381
09/20/12 01:43 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,741
passthru
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,741 |
I only buy cameras that take four 1.5 volt batteries so I can do this. It has worked out well for me for years.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: 8Point]
#3588383
09/20/12 01:44 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,641
DiverTexas
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,641 |
I put Solar panels on the aux. battery boxes for stealth cams. They seems to be working good so far. This^^^
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: DiverTexas]
#3588460
09/20/12 02:13 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,453
dfwroadkill
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,453 |
I have several of the Moultries. For most models I have not needed the internal batteries installed as the Moultrie solar panel/battery combo takes care of that. However, on some of their new models you cannot open the door and remove the SD card without unplugging the external power. So, if you are using the external power option, you either have to have the internal batteries installed or reprogram each time you remove the card. I wish Moultrie hadn't done that...
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: grout-scout]
#3589777
09/20/12 10:06 PM
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 360
ILikeRugers2
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 360 |
I have Moultrie cameras and use their 12 solar battery combo. It's been hooked up for 2 years and it's worked great the whole time. It's not cheap but it's alot cheaper than 6 D batteries would have been in that time span. +1
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: ILikeRugers2]
#3590110
09/21/12 12:02 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 99
crease_flounder
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 99 |
I use the Primos TC 46 and you can plug the solar panel directly into the port on the bottom of the camera if you use rechargables. Spoke to the folks at Primo's before I did it and they said it was designed for that purpose. Easiest setup that I know of since there are no externals except for the solar panel and wire. The only real trouble I've had with this set up is that some creature keeps unplugging the charger and chewing the connector off. Using flex conduit helps, but is not 100% effective. One of the cameras that has not been chewed on has been going for a 2 years or so.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: crease_flounder]
#3590442
09/21/12 01:35 AM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 351
TexasPI
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 351 |
The very reason that I contacted the manufacturers before using the ext batt / panel was to determine if I needed to leave the internal batteries in, and if so, do they need to be rechargeable batteries. Stealth, Bushnell and Primos all advised me that I had to have the internal batteries installed, and that they did NOT need to be rechargeable. They explained that when the external battery setup is plugged into the bottom of the unit, the internal batteries are bypassed (if this is really the case, then why do the internal batteries need to be in there?!!).
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: TexasPI]
#3590981
09/21/12 03:53 AM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 21,617
pegasaurus
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 21,617 |
I use the Moultrie solar and they are worth it. I have a Wildview IR camera on it with no batteries for the past month and it works great. The Moultrie M-80 has been on a panel for 6 months and the internal are still at 100%. Well with the money and savings in batteries. Especially on the Wildview. That thing eats the C cell bats in 1 - 2 weeks.
Funny thing about getting older: Your eyesight starts getting weaker but your ability to see through people's BS gets much better.
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: pegasaurus]
#3598512
09/24/12 02:51 AM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,806
MathMan
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,806 |
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Re: Solar Powering Your Game Camera
[Re: MathMan]
#3598598
09/24/12 03:12 AM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 63
MBS1669
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 63 |
I have a stealth cam with the 12volt battery and solar panel. Been using it for 3 months and battery is still full. I have my camera taking 2 pics with a 30 sec delay. So I average about 1300pics every 2 week's. I say its a good investment.
EAT EM UP!!
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