Lessons Learned: Trail Cam Batteries

[ranchdog]

With the Scout Gaurds or Bushnell Trophy Cams the AA Lithium might cost more but I have had one out since 7/27/09 on the same set of batteries.

I try to always check the voltage on new batteries. I have found a new to be bad from time to time. Not always but sometimes.

[krisw]

I bought rechargable 12v to go with the StealthCam cameras i have. Dont recall ever changing the batteries at any point during the yr. Usually have it out from august till march or so. Just depends on when i dont feel like going back to swap the cards out.

[planomustang]

Voltage is voltage the type battery makes no difference as long as it has the proper voltage.

True, voltage is voltage. The difference between battery brands is how well they can maintain their voltage. The ability of a battery to maintain a minimum level of voltage depends on the loads and duty cycles the battery is subjected to. Some brands will hold up better than others, as you vary the loads and duty cycles.

Your experiment subjected the test batteries to a single load, in a single duty cycle. I am not surprised that the battery with the most initial charge out lasted the others.

Try a similar experiment, where you cycle the lights on and off, in two second intervals. I bet you don't get the same results.

Remember, you usually get what you pay for. The less you pay usually means less quality assurance in the manufacturing side. The cheapy Walmart battery may have been out of spec, with its higher initial voltage.

Cameras are delicate electronics. Do you want to risk subjecting them to a power overload, with over powered batteries? Thank goodness for voltmeters

Randy

[planomustang]

I bought rechargable 12v to go with the StealthCam cameras i have. Dont recall ever changing the batteries at any point during the yr. Usually have it out from august till march or so. Just depends on when i dont feel like going back to swap the cards out.

A couple of years ago, I bought a StealthCam for about $120 (I don't remember the model). It immediately got named "Battery Eater". It would run the batteries down in less than a week, no matter how many pictures it took.

I bought the 12v rechargable battery, and now the camera will run for a month. Odd thing is that it will run for a month, no matter how many pictures it takes. I had it taking 1500 pics a week of hogs, once.

I have decided that the problem is probably an overactive motion sensor, since that is the only part of the cam that draws power, independent of the number of pictures it takes. I probably should have returned that camera , but it does take really good pictures.

rk