WGI micro 8 and 10 mp cams

WVhunter747 · 12-29-2011, 10:10 AM

Wondering if anyone is using the Micro 8 red or pulse 10 cams by Wildgame Innovations. I just purchased these cams and am wondering what kind of pic/videos to expect from them.. If anyone would post some pics or videos that would great i will post some once i check the micro 8, pulse 10 hasn't arrived yet. Thanks

WVhunter747 · 12-29-2011, 05:31 PM

Figure i'm not the first to bring this up for the WGI cameras..
i am thinking of wiring 4-6, 6 volt lantern batteries in parallel and connecting them to the external power connection on the cameras. has anyone done this and if so how much extra life was obtained? Im sure i can find find a waterproof food container at walmart to place batteries in.
Just roughing figures, AA 2200 mAh 8 batteries 17600 mAh. 6 volt lantern battery 13000 mAh, so 4 batteries gives 52000 mAh. That should be about 3x longer battery life. Six lantern batteries would approx. 5x longer life versus using AA batteries.

Am i crazy??? Not wanting to buy the WGI external battery system. I can homebrew something for less than a third of price (Ham radio guys are Cheap)..

Input welcome..

littlearrow · 12-29-2011, 06:57 PM

WVHunter747: I'm not familiar with your camera, but if it has an external port, just cut the transformer off an old attari power supply or go to an electronics shop an purchase the proper plug. The centre of the barrel plug is positive. The positive wire may have either a white, grey or dotted tracer. Checking with a meter for continuity will also show this. For quick reference I mark this wire near the end where you connect to the battery with white tape and put a "+" on it. Do not reverse the wires or you will damage some component in the external system. The camera will still work with the internal batteries. I have used this on the early version of Wild View EZ Cam and on the SpyPoint IRB. The results are very impressive. I was able to use my cameras in very cold weather down to a minus 30 degree Fahrenheit due to the large storage capacity of the battery. I used the 200 series Energizer 12 volt as these cameras have a 12 volt port. The inner electrical circuit has a resistor reducing voltage to 6 volt. As a test battery, I took the one out of my ride on lawnmower, fully charged it before hooking it up. If using a 12 volt, do not let it get below around 5.5 volt before recharging. I carry a digital meter with me when checking my cameras. This works like putting a higher cranking amp battery in a vehicle. The vehicle will start easier in cold weather due to extra batttery storage capacity. I cut a piece of plywood the size of the battery base an placed this under the battery. If the battery had to be removed, it would not be frozen to the ground. The plywood could be picked up in the spring if it couldn't be removed at the time. Doing this, your battery wouldn't get damaged.
If your camera only allows six volt like the Bushnell, then you would have to either use a six volt battery or contact someone in electronics to explain what to use to reduce your 12 volt battery input to six volt before connecting to the camera.
Your idea of lantern batteries will also work. Just wire them in parallal (positive to positive, negative to negative). This will maintain a 6 volt system. Wiring in series (negative to positive) would increase the voltage by adding the voltage of each battery. Two six volt batteries wired this way would equal 12 volt and 4 batteries as you mentioned would equal 24 volt. The only draw back on using the batteries you suggest: when the voltage drops they cannot be recharged. The batteries you suggest would be a lot easier to transport. These come in the square and rectangle style. I would think the rectangle would last longer because they are larger.

WVhunter747 · 12-30-2011, 05:00 AM

littlearrow,
I could use rechargeable type batteries and a solar panel to make a self contained unit. i am only interested in prolonging battery life at the moment, charging system can come later. Yes the WGI cameras are a 6 volt system. Figured it has been done, curious to if the extra battery life is enough to make it worth it. hopefully have the battery system assembled in the next day.

littlearrow · 12-30-2011, 06:06 AM

WVhunter747:If you are in an area where the ambient temperature stays above freezing (+32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celcius) you should have a fair chance of your batteries working. Any battery will cease to put out full voltage as the temperature drops. As an example, check your flashlight, then put it out over night. The flashlight will get dimmer, the colder it gets. Now bring the flashlight back in and warm it up to room temperature. The flashlight regains much of its voltage out put.
One thing working in your favor; the majority of the trail cameras go into a sleep mode to save power when not being triggered by animal movement. Another thing to watch for, the normal batteries one uses in the cameras, when the voltage of any one battery drops to 1.0 to 1.2 volt, the camera will not function properly or not at all. This will happen with an external battery but you will not be able to go that low. When I had the 12 volt system set up, my cameras would start doing strange things as my voltage got below 5.5 volts (video flicker, time or date changing, colored lines in pictures etc.) Good luck.

WVhunter747 · 12-30-2011, 10:37 AM

thanks for the suggestions..

WVhunter747 · 12-31-2011, 03:47 AM

Here's some video from the camera...

littlearrow · 12-31-2011, 05:50 AM

Nice videos. Thanks for sharing.