TRAIL CAMERAS

[eyecrosser2000]

I have one of the less-expensive, no frills trail cameras and have just recently been having a problem with the camera registering "shots", but having the developed film come up empty. Most times my pictures are of deer, woods, birds, etc., but sometimes there is just no picure returned. I suspect that now that the weather has turned colder, I may have a battery power problem--probably enough juice to record on the display, but not enough to fire the camera or flash.

Has anybody had any experiences like this? Do you have any suggestions for extending battery life? My camera uses 8 AA batteries.

Thanks.

[Fisher Dave]

The only thing you can do to help your batteries is keep them warm. Your batteries will lose voltage, not charge as it gets colder.

A trick I do on robotic duck decoys may work for you. Take one of the chemical hand warmers (Hot hands®, etc) and put it against your battery case .. this will help keep the batteries warm. In your case (long periods of time) you may be able to figure out something with electric socks or something.

Voltage drain is likely your problem, but camera malfunction might be an issue also in the colder weather.

Good Luck

[MN Mike]

I bought one of these cameras at Cabelas in late summer and had quite a bit of trouble with it until I pulled out the clear plastic strip where the film wound after taking a picture. It was getting bound up and thinking it was at the end of the film when acutally it had just begun. Wasted a few 24 exposuer films before I fixed it. If you look at the neg. you will probably see that they were never exposed to begin with probably meaning the film rewound before it got to the end.

It was a stealth cam.

Mike