Permanent Trail Cam Power

[IkemanTX]

If it was me, I would place the box higher up on the tree so that any reflection from the solar panel isn't at, or below, eye level.

My typical set up is with the camera at about 12 feet up, and I will be placing the solar panel about 3 feet above that. This is just set up in the back yard to see how hard I can push the battery pack and the solar panel still keep it charged. Being in the back yard, a few hundred videos a day will push the solar pack MUCH harder than any spot I might set it.

If it can come even close to maintaining function through a week or two of these conditions, it won’t have ANY problem on some random trail, white oak, scrape, rub line, or pear tree.


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[Pedernal]

Your battery-solar box looks great!

[IkemanTX]

Permanent Trail Cam Power

Well, I have left the camera on max settings in the back yard for 72 hours. We have 2 dogs that are constantly back there, and one of them is a GSP that runs continuous laps around the yard. That has run the camera harder than any public land camera setup I could ever dream to set up. Over 800 videos recorded in ultra mode in just 72 hours with zero internal batteries.

My goal with this test was to see how long it would take of intense usage for the battery in the box to be depleted… assuming the solar panel wouldn’t keep up with demand like this. I was proven wrong…. The panel is more than capable of keeping up with the toughest of demands in full sun. With the excellent low light performance of this panel, I could be in dense canopy forest and still trickle charge the normal draw of one of my typical public land cameras.

72 hours, 800+ videos, and the nominal voltage of the battery pack (with solar panel covered so as not to cheat) was 12.7v….. almost 100% charged for a 10S NiMh pack.

Honestly, I am blown away with the performance of these units. I honestly thought I would be down around 10 volts by now with how hard the camera is running.


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[IkemanTX]

I finally deployed my battery only packs in the field with a couple cameras this past week. I never did get around to sponge painting them, so hopefully being over a mile from the parking lot, and being mounted high, will keep them from being found.

The BMS board drained a surprising amount of power in the 6 months since I built the packs, so I will most likely re-design the packs to not include the BMS. I can run a BMS at home while charging and avoid the constant draw. All I would need is to run a balance lead connector in addition to the 12v cord.



One of the solar packs failed on me, but the other is going strong. I found 2 of the cells in the failed one were dead, I don’t know if that is damage from my soldering or what. I will have to order another set of NIMH batteries and assemble that one again. I think I will skip the buck converter on that one, to pull its power draw out of the equation. Im pretty sure the camera can handle the higher voltage from the raw solar panel connection, because some guys run solar panels straight into their cameras anyways. Besides, the panel only runs 1.5 watts anyways.


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[Throwin Darts]

I buy these for $59 off Amazon. Solar with a built in battery. Battery never comes off 100%. Plug and play

[IkemanTX]

I buy these for $59 off Amazon. Solar with a built in battery. Battery never comes off 100%. Plug and play

Way too large and easy to see on public land, my cameras would be seen from a hundred yards away. If I was on private, though, I would pick something like that up in a heartbeat.


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[huntingfanatic]

I buy these for $59 off Amazon. Solar with a built in battery. Battery never comes off 100%. Plug and play

I use these on all my reveals. Always shows 100% power. Haven’t ever failed me. Like you said plug and play