RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

I'm new the forum but I just wanted to put my input on the solar panel. I had purchased one not to long ago and it seems to be doing the trick. I placed it where it would get sun from about high noon(had the same concern about east/west, but stealth assured me aslong as the panel has sunlight hitting the pannel, your camera will stay charged). I do have one little gripe about the camera though. My first attempts with the camera had gotten a lot of "rump pics." I have read some of the forums saying to back the camera up and did so, but havent had a chance to return to my property to see the results. As far as batteries, I had brand new lithiums(energizer), so I now it was charged. I was curious if the cam takes to long to charge the flash, or something else I might be missing(i did move the cam back to about 13 ft from center). Curious i any of you have had similar problems and what other cams are like compared to the Stealth. Thanks again[&:]

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

It claims to charge in day light. I measured voltage from the solar panel indoors facing a window (not direct sunlight) and got about 12V. In direct sunlight it was at about 22V. This is with no load. Since the batteries total 7.2V it should in theory be charging even with daylight on a cloudy day. It's more a question of how much charging will take place. The instructions recommend setting camera to 1 shot (not 3) every 10 minutes. I set mine up for 2 shots every 15 minutes. We'll see.

Mine has been up for 23 days in the field with a 256 MB CF card, I'll go out in the next week or so to see how it did with the solar panel.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

It takes about 7-30 seconds to charge the flash, dependong on how low your batteries are. So if you're getting rumps at night, you need to set up the camera so it points down a trail/path rather than across a trail/path. In daylight, I get responses of about 3-5 seconds. Supposedly cuddeback has quicker response times than stealth-cam, but about twice the cost.

As for aiming the solar panel, set it up facing due south. Best angle (from horizontal, ie pointed stright up) depends on time of year and your lattitude -- it will vary between (mid winter) your lattitude plus 23.5 degrees and (mid sunmmer) your lattitude minus 23.5 degrees. So for 31 degrees latitude (where mine is set up), mid winter (Dec 23), the best position would be 55 degrees from horizontal. I figure if it works in mid-winter, the longer days the rest of the year will compensate for it being at a non-ideal angle, so I just leave it at 53 degrees.

http://www.homepower.com/files/pvang...arch=latitudes

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

Thanks for the info on the cams and panel. Included in the message is a nice pic of a buc. I put a little sent down to try and hold them there and it seemed to do the trick. I have my camera set up to take two pics, 2 mins btwn pics. I havent gotten a whole lot of pics, but some good quality ones!! I must say though, I wish the cam would be a little quicker, and more effiecent on batteries(had to use engergizer lithiums because panel got damaged from a branch on a bad storm, lasted about two weeks). I'm going to try it for a few more weeks but am curious how the cuddleback performs. Anyone know, let me know.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

I went this week end to see the camera and it was showing low batt. It work only 6days with ni-mh and the solar panel. May be the ni-mh wasn't charge enough??? and took only 3 pics.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

Maybe when it says low battery, the battery meter is messed up. I have a regular stealth cam and the low battery light screws with me some times.[:@]I will come back after it says low battery, and the light will already be off. Then it would go for another week before it showed it again. Kinda wierd.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

I had a Cuddeback ....good trigger time at first.....even it would slow down after a while......3 to 5 seconds is not bad....most of that is due to target identification and focus time.....my Leaf digital gets about the same trigger speed.....yeah back off a little (say 10 yds.) on the trail and set it at around 45 degree's to trail.....keeps the subject in target area a little longer and more likely to capture the whole animal.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

So you've had good luck with the solar panel? I just got back from my spot and I only got 66 pics in 6 days, then it presumably ran out of power:(. I know it was still charging because I had it out for 30 days and the clock was still working. I measured the voltage out of the solar panel and it was well over 20V. The rechargables were weak (lacking charge and I didn't have the ability to charge them in the field) so I replaced them with fully charged NiMhs I had brought along with me.

When the alkalines ran out (previous configuration), the clock lost time, but I got 188 pics in 7 days with high end alkalines. So at this moment I'm quite disappointed in the solar panel. It gets direct sunlight (no ostructions), I need this to last 6-8 weeks, not 6 days.

I had it set up for 2 pics every 20 minutes. There were some nights where it took 8-12 shots, so maybe that drained it, so now its set for 2 shots and a 55 minute sleep. How is your's set up?

To get the deer near the camera, I just dug a 1 gallon hole in the ground and filled it with deer corn, it lasted about 5 days before all the deer, racoons, birds, and armadillos ate it up. There are six deer in this picture (5 easy to spot, 1 in the far upper left).

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

So how was your's configured (number of shots and sleep time)? Oh, I guess it doesn't matter since it only took 3 pics. I had the same results essentially, it ran only 6 days (66 pics, mostly at night). I could have got that much out of Alkalines (in fact I got 188 in 7 days), or just NiMh's. Its like the solar panel isn't doing much of anything except keeping the clock alive when the batteries die. The "charge" switch is questionable. The charge and on/off switch are a bit cheap, maybe that's presenting a problem? Who knows. Maybe I should send it back.

As for the LOW BATT indicator, ignore it. It doesn't come on when the batteries are low, and when it does come on, it behaves flaky.

I'm pretty close to getting a deep cycle marine lead acid 12V battery ($20 at Academy) and cutting off the $100 solar panel and hooking it up to the battery.

RE: 1.3 stealth cam digital pics
 

Me too Taylor, just waiting for you to give it a try first.[8D]
I was under the impression that the solar panel would keep the batts up indefinately.
If I`m only going to get a week or 2 out of it, I`m saving my $$.