- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 3,855
A few weeks ago, I posted about how someone had apparently destroyed one of my cellular trail cams, but had forgotten the SD card which is pretty hard to spot.
I notified the Sheriffs department to file a report. They declined to take the camera or fingerprints. Also never heard from an investigator, so figure they have other more important things to worry about.
Well, it turns out - that's ok - because all the evidence would have only pointed back to me.
Before I tell you this next part, I'm asking for a little mercy here, I didn't handle the camera when it was discovered. It really did appear someone had ripped it apart. I immediately put it and all its contents in a ziploc bag to file a report. I tried not to touch it with my bare hands. After the Sheriffs department declined to take fingerprints, I thought - what the heck - might as well inspect it.
After looking over the camera more clearly, it became obvious - the camera had "exploded" - or more accurately, probably one or more of the batteries. I could only some of them.
You can see from the picture that the camera was hot enough to actually melt the contact points, and one of the batteries is even welded to the battery compartment. It also explains why the SD card wouldn't read - it had severe shock damage (Boy am I glad I didn't pay someone to recover it!)
I contacted Spypoint, who immediately blamed me for putting the batteries in incorrectly.
I told them... Listen - the camera had been working for 10 weeks when this occured. Can a camera work with incorrectly installed batteries?
Lucky the camera also shows the battery level over time. It was at 76% when this occurred. My guess is that the camera shorted out somehow. BUt I really don't know.
After some back and forth, they agreed to replace the camera (Apparently a "I guess I'll have to post these pics on social media to warn everyone" got the message across.
Nevertheless, I wantedto update here just so everyone would be aware that this could happen. At one point I even considered putting one of these in my house to monitor when I was out. NOPE!
I just bought my first Stealth Cam and I really like it so far. Don't think I will ever by another Spypoint.
Anyhow - feeling a little silly for not realizing what happened at the time.
I notified the Sheriffs department to file a report. They declined to take the camera or fingerprints. Also never heard from an investigator, so figure they have other more important things to worry about.
Well, it turns out - that's ok - because all the evidence would have only pointed back to me.
Before I tell you this next part, I'm asking for a little mercy here, I didn't handle the camera when it was discovered. It really did appear someone had ripped it apart. I immediately put it and all its contents in a ziploc bag to file a report. I tried not to touch it with my bare hands. After the Sheriffs department declined to take fingerprints, I thought - what the heck - might as well inspect it.
After looking over the camera more clearly, it became obvious - the camera had "exploded" - or more accurately, probably one or more of the batteries. I could only some of them.
You can see from the picture that the camera was hot enough to actually melt the contact points, and one of the batteries is even welded to the battery compartment. It also explains why the SD card wouldn't read - it had severe shock damage (Boy am I glad I didn't pay someone to recover it!)
I contacted Spypoint, who immediately blamed me for putting the batteries in incorrectly.
I told them... Listen - the camera had been working for 10 weeks when this occured. Can a camera work with incorrectly installed batteries?
Lucky the camera also shows the battery level over time. It was at 76% when this occurred. My guess is that the camera shorted out somehow. BUt I really don't know.
After some back and forth, they agreed to replace the camera (Apparently a "I guess I'll have to post these pics on social media to warn everyone" got the message across.
Nevertheless, I wantedto update here just so everyone would be aware that this could happen. At one point I even considered putting one of these in my house to monitor when I was out. NOPE!
I just bought my first Stealth Cam and I really like it so far. Don't think I will ever by another Spypoint.
Anyhow - feeling a little silly for not realizing what happened at the time.
