1. Camera takes continuous pictures of no subject of interest
A camera is triggered by the sudden change of the ambient temperature. When placed in an environment where there is motion associated with tree limbs adjacent to the sensors or where there is high heat source in front of the camera, the camera can be “falsely” triggered constantly even no subjects appear. Setting a camera up above water also can cause false trigger because the reflection of the heat from the surface will subtly change the surrounding temperature.
Tips: Try not to place the camera close to tree limbs. Or remove the limbs, twigs, and leaves from the outreach of the sensors. If in rare situation you cannot avoid the limbs, you can turn off the side Prep Sensors by setting it off in the menu. By doing this you may lose some sensing angles.
Also, try not to aim the camera at the sun or place it in an area with high heat source nearby. The ideal direction is North or South. Try not to place the camera above water or other reflective objects such as mirrors or glasses.
2. Why the pink piece in front of the lens keeps moving back and forth under TEST mode?
The tiny pink piece is the IR (infrared) filter that moves back and forth according to the light condition detected by the light meter. In the daytime or the bright environment, the filter stays right in front of the lens to block the infrared from entering into the lens. In the night time or the dark environment, the filter moves aside to allow flash light to enter into the lens. When placed inside the house, because the walls reflect and diffuse the bulb light and the sunlight, the amount of the light going into the lens fluctuates, therefore causing the filter to kick back and forth. This is normal. When placed outside, because the sunlight spreads evenly and changes gradually, the amount of the light going into the lens remains consistently. The filter shall stay in front of the lens until the dusk arrives.
3. What kind of battery should I use?
You may use either alkaline or lithium batteries in the camera. However, we highly recommend you use lithium ones and follow the tips below.
a) Take all batteries out if the camera is not used and stored on the shelf.
b) Replace batteries when they are low. If your camera is a cellular one, replace the batteries shortly after the camera quits sending pictures.
c) Alkaline batteries are prone to leak acid over the course of the use. To avoid the risk, use lithium batteries. Though more expensive, lithium batteries last much longer than alkaline ones and perform much better in cold weather.
4. Is it good always setting the sensor level HIGH?
Not necessary. The High setting suits indoors and environments with little interference, while the Normal/Low suits outdoors and environments with more interference. Temperature also affects the sensitivity. The High setting is suitable when the ambient temperature is warm, and the Low setting is helpful in cold weather.
5. Do I have to always set the sided Prep Sensors on?
The default setting is on. The two side prep PIR sensors provide wider sensing angle and detect more potential triggers. In some situations, you only want to monitor a narrow spot. Too many irrelevant triggers by the side sensors outside of that spot will keep the camera on and off, which wastes the battery power unnecessarily. Or in some other situations you have difficulty removing the interfering tree branches, or avoiding the sunlight. If so, you have the option to turn off the side sensors.
6. What does the Serial No. parameter in the menu work for?
Normally, you may have more than one cameras deployed in different places of the field. After you exchanged the SD cards and later on checked them on your computer in the cabin, it is not unlikely you may get lost where those pictures were taken. The Serial No. parameter setting can ease your anxiety. You can use the combination of 4 digits and/or alphabets to code the location and record it in the photos (e.g. YSP1 stands for Yellow Stone Park site one). This will help you to identify the location when reviewing the photos off-site.
7. Why is my change to the parameter not saved?
Make sure that you have PRESSED OK to save the changes that you make during the menu setup of the camera. If you forget to PRESS OK to save these settings, the camera will revert back to the default settings.
8. What do I do if I forgot my password?
Please contact our customer service. Your proof of purchase is required to reset your password.
9. Why cannot my computer read the SD card?
Our camera supports SD card from 8MB to 16GB. Any SD cards above 2G are called SDHC (High Capacity) card. Some old computers cannot read SDHC card directly. You need to buy from any retail store a card reader to read the SDHC card on your computer.
10. The LCD display doesn't stay up when switched to ON position. Is it normal?
The LCD display only powers up when in the TEST position, which allows the user to set up the camera or playback the pictures. When in the ON position, the display is supposed to be black. You will not notice anything when the camera is triggered and takes a picture. That's how the camera is designed and it is normal. You may verify it by switching to TEST and reviewing the images on the display.
