Possible Fix (Firmware Update) for 2010 Bushnell Trophy Cam XLT

[blackjack]

I have been searching Google on nearly a daily basis to see if/when Bushnell would come out with a Firmware fix for the 2010 Bushnell Trophy Cam XLT whiteout issues. Chasingame had the following link posted on their forum that looks like the first step in the solution:

http://www.chasingame.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=17898&p=125545&hilit=Bushnell+Firmware#p125545

I just read through the readme file and will be heading down to the ranch tomorrow to see if I can get the update installed.

[blackjack]

The direct link to the fix from Bushnell is below:

http://www.bushnell.com/products/trail-cameras/product-support/software-updates/

Just be sure to read through the issues some have been having causing the memory to be erased on their cameras

[Brett A]

Thanks for the information!

[Switchbackstrap]

Thanks for the heads up.

[blackjack]

I've checked my images on my laptop and it appears as though I am in need of the software upgrade.




I like the distance from the night time illumination from the 32 count LED's



...however, the daytime pictures can be "blown out" if the animals are in direct sunlight



...if they aren't in direct sunlight, exposure seems to do a whole lot better





Once I have installed the firmware update, I will show some test image results under bright sunlight (when the exposure problem is worst) before I put them back out in the field.

[Huntindad]

Any news on the camera taking pictures every XX seconds or minutes irregardless of PIR being tripped?

I do agree the night time pictures are nice.

BTW... looking at the properties file for the creation software... what do you see that indicates an upgrade?

[blackjack]

David,

From what I understand, the runaway issue is/was a known problem and the camera would need to be replaced as I think it is a hardware issue moreso than a software issue (which could be resolved with a firmware upgrade)...someone on Chasingame might know better than I do.

I bought 4 of them back in early July and (knock on wood) I have not had the runaway issue on any of them. I know you posted about having this issue before, but I can't remember if you tried setting the camera up in your closet facing the wall overnight to see if it still took runaway pictures???

[Huntindad]

it is still at the lease. I hope to get out there this weekend. If it looks like it is a runaway, I'll test it in the camper closet and probably bring it home.

I was hoping it could be fixed with a firmware upgrade. Think I may call Bushnell to see what they have to say... couldn't hurt...much

[KingsX]

Does it fix the motion blur issue? Mine does this at night did yours?

[blackjack]

Jeremy,

I haven't noticed motion blur being an issue with mine...compared to the I40's (which I have been very pleased with other than the LCD issues), I would say my Trophy Cam's have produced less motion blur. As with any IR camera though, the shutter is having to stay open longer under these low light conditions and you are going to get some blur if your targets are moving.

This is the worst example of motion blur I have seen in the past month and half from the Bushnell Trophy Cams...this coyote was walking down the road at a pretty good clip when the camera snapped his picture.





For reference, this boar was in motion when the same camera took his picture and the blur is not that bad at all.

[blackjack]

it is still at the lease. I hope to get out there this weekend. If it looks like it is a runaway, I'll test it in the camper closet and probably bring it home.

I was hoping it could be fixed with a firmware upgrade. Think I may call Bushnell to see what they have to say... couldn't hurt...much

Before I hauled the camera back home with me, I would bring a laptop along with you to the lease this weekend and have the new firmware version ready to install. You might try searching the runaway issue on Chasingame to see if others who have had that problem found a solution...this new firmware fix is just a day or so old, so nobody has really tested it out yet. I'm going to install it on one of my cameras first, then test it to see how it performs. Just like the I40's, it took a firmware fix to rectify some whiteout problems when they first came out.

[Skinny]

I get the runaway deal like no other. I get tons of blank pics during the day....but not at night. I have set the cam in my room facing up on the night stand and it did not take a single pic. I wanna assume that the heat sensor is way too sensitive and picks up any minute fluxtuation in heat. I have tried all 3 sensitivity settings to no avail. I like the cam, but the blank pics drive me nuts. Good thing it has great battery life and can take a good size sd card.

[Huntindad]

Wade,

yep, I am taking the laptop. Now that I got a fancy dancy EVO(android) phone... I can tether the phone to the laptop to get internet connection. I may download the firmware to see if it helps.

[blackjack]

From Chasingame site about the firmware upgrade and motion blur:

"I bought a 10 with the whiteout and motion ghosting. Did the update last night and played with the camera. Fixed the problem. Trigger time seems to be about what the 09's were. Saved having to wait for the 4+ week turn around time."

Looks like the firmware should make the camera perform quite a bit better...fingers crossed!

[blackjack]

I get the runaway deal like no other. I get tons of blank pics during the day....but not at night. I have set the cam in my room facing up on the night stand and it did not take a single pic. I wanna assume that the heat sensor is way too sensitive and picks up any minute fluxtuation in heat. I have tried all 3 sensitivity settings to no avail. I like the cam, but the blank pics drive me nuts. Good thing it has great battery life and can take a good size sd card.

Shane,

I have one of the Bushnell cams set up overlooking a feeder on open prairie and I've seen quite a few pictures that "appear" to be of nothing during the heat of the day and none at night...I say "appear" because when I look at them a bit closer, I can usually find a small bird on the ground under the feeder in almost half of the pictures...the other half I am assuming the bird flew out of view before the camera could snap a pic. There is no doubt, some of these blank pictures are caused by heat variations or grass blowing in the wind, but I have had the same issues with I40's in the past during the hottest part of the summer. Typically, when the temps start dropping below 95 degrees, I don't see nearly as many false pictures and almost none at all throughout the fall and winter.

As far as the sensitivity settings for the Bushnell, Anthony at Chasingame has done some testing and can't find any difference in sensitivity between the three settings...I'm not sure whether a firmware upgrade will be able to address this, but it might...time will tell! I sure want to like this camera because when the colors are right, the images are very sharp and the battery life is excellent!