Tactacam Rechargeable Battery Question

[BayouCat]

Green screen knows things, so... will the newer internal Tactacam rechargeable battery packs substitute for a solar panel battery that is starting to crap out? I picked up one of these packs from Walmart the other day and now might actually need it since one of my Tactacam cameras seems to not have enough juice to produce a flash at night. Sometimes it works fine, but here recently all night pictures are completely dark.

I'm also open to hearing ideas of building an external battery pack with solar panel, too. Open to suggestions as to what products are good and which ones to stay away from.

I'm not running batteries in any of my cameras. Only cameras and solar panels (with internal battery). Looking for something that will last a long time and be little to no maintenance since my deer woods are 5+ hours away.

[BrianL]

Was it a Tactacam solar panel? Their solar panels are around $60 and has internal battery

[bsills]

We use elusive wildlife reaktor solar panels and they work good.

[BayouCat]

Was it a Tactacam solar panel? Their solar panels are around $60 and has internal battery

Yes, that is what I have now but I'm pretty sure the internal battery is failing. Would installing the rechargeable battery pack inside the camera charge/recharge by the solar panel (even if the internal battery of the panel is junk)?

[DallasCoon12]

I’m 99% sure the answer is no. I haven’t tried that exact scenario yet

[Twist]

According to the website they will charge the Tactacam battery packs but not rechargeable AA batteries. This is going by the info for the current solar panel model and assuming the problem is your internal batteries and not the panel itself.

[BrianL]

I don't think it will. Pretty sure all the charge would go to the solar panel internal battery before going to the lithium battery pack. Worth a try I guess, but since the battery pack and solar panel are about the same price so I would get a new solar panel

[Tbull9]

You can get a cord on Amazon and hook a 12v deer feeder battery to it. I just built a box and screwed it to the tree by the camera for the battery. This has worked well for me.

[axisbuck]

Have you tried fully charging the solar panel w USB-C input cord? Ive had one with similar issue brought it home used the cord and charged it and its been out working well ever since.

[BayouCat]

Have you tried fully charging the solar panel w USB-C input cord? Ive had one with similar issue brought it home used the cord and charged it and its been out working well ever since.

I will try this and see if it helps.

I don't think it will. Pretty sure all the charge would go to the solar panel internal battery before going to the lithium battery pack. Worth a try I guess, but since the battery pack and solar panel are about the same price so I would get a new solar panel

I already have the battery pack and am trying to get out of buying another solar panel lol. May just have to get one anyways.

[Twist]

If you already have the battery pack, just charge it up and try it. If you notice the battery strength start dropping when you check the app, it's not working. If it stays at 100%, it should be.

[SaintBlaise]

Here's my experience with Tactacam that could help. I have 3 Tactacam's set up. They all run on the solar panel from Tactacam...link below. On 2 of my cameras, this is the only battery source. They take around 50 pictures daily and the battery power stays at 100% for the last year. The last camera with solar panel, I didn't look at any of the settings I just brought it out to the feeder. Well, once we set it up at the end of the day it would not power on. I didn't know if I had a wiring problem or the solar panel charge was not charged. After a late trip to town, I bought and installed AA batteries and the unit powered on. This unit has been set up for a month and the power is steady at 100%. This means that it is running on solar because the batteries would we dead by now.

Last year I spoke to the rep at Herd360, he wanted me to buy a big *** panel (link below). He said if you are taking a ton of pictures and videos, you need a strong solar panel and said you will have problems with the internal battery back. Well, I returned his panel because I had no clue how I could hang it in my feeder pen since it is a 12"x12". I think your issue is the battery pack, it won't support the demand of pictures you are requesting. I'd say buy the first panel below. This is hunting, there is no way to save money.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/reveal-external-solar-panel-ext-v1-1651625?store=2258&cid=Google-Shopping-Sustain&gad_source=1

https://www.herd360.com/products/solar-power-pack-spp1025

[SmTx]

We use elusive wildlife reaktor solar panels and they work good.

I said the same when they were getting bashed in here and now we have replaced all of ours due to failure

I have the new Tactacam solar panels and they’re with a larger battery capacity

[Twist]

I said the same when they were getting bashed in here and now we have replaced all of ours due to failure

I have the new Tactacam solar panels and they’re with a larger battery capacity

I unplugged all our Elusive Wildlife panels after THIS happened to my father's camera about 18 months ago. It got moisture into it due to a storm, sent a shot back into the camera and blew it to pieces. We had some of the older panels though and that was the first problem we had with them.

I switched our cameras over the the battery packs, but I added a Tactacam panel to mine a couple weeks ago. My camera was taking so many pics that is was lucky to last 3 weeks and a lot of the times would even last two full weeks.

[bsills]

I said the same when they were getting bashed in here and now we have replaced all of ours due to failure

I have the new Tactacam solar panels and they’re with a larger battery capacity

Appreciate the advice. I have had several failures just figured all did, and had several that worked for years. Ill try out the Tactacam ones now.