Post by WVHunter129 on Aug 18, 2006 13:13:00 GMT -5
Didn't know where else to post this since the Trial Cam board is a photo gallery topic and the other topic is about homebrewed digital cameras. So I posted it here.
A little dairy of getting my Moultrie game cam setup for this season. I should of had it out a lot sooner, but oh well better late than never.
August 8, 2006
As most of you know I give a thumbs up to the Moultrie digital camera that Wal-Mart sells for $98. I purchased one back in the spring and have been wanting to get it out for some time now. I ran it through a test in the back yard aimed at the dogs. Got several pictures from it and was pretty satisfied. Yea I know, it isn't a Cuddeback or Wildeye (not sure of the brand), but for a man on a budget the Moultrie will do the job for me. I fell in love with the Moultrie last year after seeing the one my brother in law bought.
A lot of people give Moultrie a bad review, but I honestly think they are expecting more out of the camera thinking it should be as good as the more expensive models. Now I know that sometimes a bad batch may come off the assembly line, but I honestly think a lot of the problems some people encounter are operator error. From what I have read from other satisfied Moultrie users the manufacture support has no problem with returns to them for problems. Most of the people who have returned a camera for a problem have received new ones.
Well one of the reasons that it isn't out yet was one...I wanted a steel box to put the camera in...I got one...thanks to a friend I know!...second and after I got the box, I wanted to mount the solar panel for the rechargeable battery...and third get the Master Lock Python cable.
Now all of this has been put together and I have a pretty good installation setup. I have it outside here at the house trying it out again. Making sure that the battery stays charged.
One thing I did do to the camera...which probably has voided the warranty...I drilled two small holes in the camera back near the battery housing and placed two rubber grommets to run the positive and negative leads for the solar panel through. Also, after hooking it up yesterday evening I brought it in today and pulled the battery and the lithium battery...basically a complete computer reset of the camera. It appears to be working fine with no problems this evening.
The one thing that I haven't gotten yet is two 256 mb SD cards for the camera. I went to Wal-Mart on Monday...the Lexmark SD cards were on sale, but there was only one left and it had been out of the package so I didn't get it. I am going to keep my eyes open at Wal-Mart and see if they get anymore in soon. But for the time being I will let the camera store the images until I get the card or cards.
I am planning on taking it out to my hunting club this weekend, maybe sooner if I get a chance. I know of an area where I have seen a few nice bucks in the past two years and I pretty much know the routes they travel. So as soon as I get the thing out in the woods and start getting pictures I will start posting.
==============================================
August 12, 2006
Well, I thought I would upload some pictures of my camera box setup, so here they are:
This is looking at the front of the camera installed and strapped to the tree.
Here is a look at the top of the camera showing the solar panel bolted to the top of the camera box.
Here is a side view of the camera.
Here is the opposite side where you can see the ratchet strap and the Python cable from MasterLock.
Front of camera with the lower door of the camera box unlocked and opened to show the whole camera.
This shows the disconnect that I made in the solar panel cable so I can remove the camera. Also it shows where I ran the two leads into the back of the camera. I drilled two holes and put rubber grommets in the casing and ran the black and red wires through to the inside of the camera.
Here is the empty box with only the solar panel cable in it.
Here is the top of the camera box showing the solar panel, Python cable and the wood wedge. I know everyone has heard guys say that you might need to put something behind the camera to aim it more to the ground. Well this is what they are talking about, a wedge between the tree and the camera or camera box that will angle the camera down some.
Going today to put the camera out in the woods. Hope to be sharing pictures in a few weeks.
==============================================
August 12, 2006 update:
Well, I said that I was going to get the camera out. On Saturday the 12th of August I did just that.
My son and I went to our club and I placed the camera in an area that I have seen many deer and I hope is promising again this year. The area selected is a travel route where I have noticed deer traveling everytime I have been in that area. I missed a 6 point buck year before last with the bow in this area. I also saw what I call a main beam spike that same year. I called him a main beam spike cause he had everything a 6 point would of had except the points. His spread seemed to be about 14 inches, he just didn't have any tines! Then last year in this spot I took a nice 6 point buck during rifle season.
In the photo shown here I am standing at the camera getting a GPS reading. Notice the camera is only about waist height. The photo was taken with my sons cellphone. I have the camera mounted facing a northernly direction. At this time of the day, around 5:30 PM or so, when I mounted the camera the sun was to my back. Here is the picture:
And here is a photo of the camera setup with me away from it.
I plan on going back this Saturday to see if I may have any pictures on the camera and I also hope to have a SD card to put it the camera.
==============================================
August 15, 2006
Well it has been 3 days since I put the camera out in the woods. I am itching to go and see if I got any pic's yet, but I keep telling myself to wait. But, I am anxious to see if I am getting any pictures. Especially since I don't have anything set out at the camera to draw them to it or make them stop at it. I guess I will have to get a mineral, salt or apple block and set out.
Not going to use any feeders this year to attrack deer to the camera area. It appears that the mass crop will be good again this year. While putting the camera out on Saturday we found some hickory nuts and some acorns laying on the ground.
I hope to post some pictures as soon as I get some.
A little dairy of getting my Moultrie game cam setup for this season. I should of had it out a lot sooner, but oh well better late than never.
August 8, 2006
As most of you know I give a thumbs up to the Moultrie digital camera that Wal-Mart sells for $98. I purchased one back in the spring and have been wanting to get it out for some time now. I ran it through a test in the back yard aimed at the dogs. Got several pictures from it and was pretty satisfied. Yea I know, it isn't a Cuddeback or Wildeye (not sure of the brand), but for a man on a budget the Moultrie will do the job for me. I fell in love with the Moultrie last year after seeing the one my brother in law bought.
A lot of people give Moultrie a bad review, but I honestly think they are expecting more out of the camera thinking it should be as good as the more expensive models. Now I know that sometimes a bad batch may come off the assembly line, but I honestly think a lot of the problems some people encounter are operator error. From what I have read from other satisfied Moultrie users the manufacture support has no problem with returns to them for problems. Most of the people who have returned a camera for a problem have received new ones.
Well one of the reasons that it isn't out yet was one...I wanted a steel box to put the camera in...I got one...thanks to a friend I know!...second and after I got the box, I wanted to mount the solar panel for the rechargeable battery...and third get the Master Lock Python cable.
Now all of this has been put together and I have a pretty good installation setup. I have it outside here at the house trying it out again. Making sure that the battery stays charged.
One thing I did do to the camera...which probably has voided the warranty...I drilled two small holes in the camera back near the battery housing and placed two rubber grommets to run the positive and negative leads for the solar panel through. Also, after hooking it up yesterday evening I brought it in today and pulled the battery and the lithium battery...basically a complete computer reset of the camera. It appears to be working fine with no problems this evening.
The one thing that I haven't gotten yet is two 256 mb SD cards for the camera. I went to Wal-Mart on Monday...the Lexmark SD cards were on sale, but there was only one left and it had been out of the package so I didn't get it. I am going to keep my eyes open at Wal-Mart and see if they get anymore in soon. But for the time being I will let the camera store the images until I get the card or cards.
I am planning on taking it out to my hunting club this weekend, maybe sooner if I get a chance. I know of an area where I have seen a few nice bucks in the past two years and I pretty much know the routes they travel. So as soon as I get the thing out in the woods and start getting pictures I will start posting.
==============================================
August 12, 2006
Well, I thought I would upload some pictures of my camera box setup, so here they are:
This is looking at the front of the camera installed and strapped to the tree.
Here is a look at the top of the camera showing the solar panel bolted to the top of the camera box.
Here is a side view of the camera.
Here is the opposite side where you can see the ratchet strap and the Python cable from MasterLock.
Front of camera with the lower door of the camera box unlocked and opened to show the whole camera.
This shows the disconnect that I made in the solar panel cable so I can remove the camera. Also it shows where I ran the two leads into the back of the camera. I drilled two holes and put rubber grommets in the casing and ran the black and red wires through to the inside of the camera.
Here is the empty box with only the solar panel cable in it.
Here is the top of the camera box showing the solar panel, Python cable and the wood wedge. I know everyone has heard guys say that you might need to put something behind the camera to aim it more to the ground. Well this is what they are talking about, a wedge between the tree and the camera or camera box that will angle the camera down some.
Going today to put the camera out in the woods. Hope to be sharing pictures in a few weeks.
==============================================
August 12, 2006 update:
Well, I said that I was going to get the camera out. On Saturday the 12th of August I did just that.
My son and I went to our club and I placed the camera in an area that I have seen many deer and I hope is promising again this year. The area selected is a travel route where I have noticed deer traveling everytime I have been in that area. I missed a 6 point buck year before last with the bow in this area. I also saw what I call a main beam spike that same year. I called him a main beam spike cause he had everything a 6 point would of had except the points. His spread seemed to be about 14 inches, he just didn't have any tines! Then last year in this spot I took a nice 6 point buck during rifle season.
In the photo shown here I am standing at the camera getting a GPS reading. Notice the camera is only about waist height. The photo was taken with my sons cellphone. I have the camera mounted facing a northernly direction. At this time of the day, around 5:30 PM or so, when I mounted the camera the sun was to my back. Here is the picture:
And here is a photo of the camera setup with me away from it.
I plan on going back this Saturday to see if I may have any pictures on the camera and I also hope to have a SD card to put it the camera.
==============================================
August 15, 2006
Well it has been 3 days since I put the camera out in the woods. I am itching to go and see if I got any pic's yet, but I keep telling myself to wait. But, I am anxious to see if I am getting any pictures. Especially since I don't have anything set out at the camera to draw them to it or make them stop at it. I guess I will have to get a mineral, salt or apple block and set out.
Not going to use any feeders this year to attrack deer to the camera area. It appears that the mass crop will be good again this year. While putting the camera out on Saturday we found some hickory nuts and some acorns laying on the ground.
I hope to post some pictures as soon as I get some.
