8, 12, or 16 AA batteries.

[Mr.Bro]

OK I might be the next to the last regular here to go to cellular. My question?
I know when my 1 of my 8 battery trail cams start going down i lose everything pretty quick.
If I go to a 12 or even 16 battery cell cameras . Will i lose everything just as quick as my 8 battery trail cams?
Seams like a gamble if one bad battery spoils the whole bunch. Or will the others batteries "catch up" and keep on sending pics?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I'd get a volt meter and test them all. We do this after and before every deer season. If they get below 6A, we throw away or dedicate to kid's toys. 1 bad lithium can cause camera failure

 

[BSK]

If you're using lithium, all lithium batteries act the same. They're fine until they're not. They drop off a cliff VERY quickly. If a cameras battery meter reads below 90%, the camera will be dead before I check it again the next week.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Thanks guys. I understand the battery drop offs and all.
I want to know with 12 or 16 batteries will i lose everything just cause 1 battery starts going down? Or will the multiple other batteries keep it working for a meaningful period of time and number of pics and videos.

 

[BSK]

No idea. I've not run into that problem. When I check individual batteries in an 8 or 12 battery camera, they are generally all within +/- 0.2 volts of each other. And when a lithium AA get down around 1.6, it's about to fall off the cliff and die.

 

[DMD]

OK I might be the next to the last regular here to go to cellular. My question?
I know when my 1 of my 8 battery trail cams start going down i lose everything pretty quick.
If I go to a 12 or even 16 battery cell cameras . Will i lose everything just as quick as my 8 battery trail cams?
Seams like a gamble if one bad battery spoils the whole bunch. Or will the others batteries "catch up" and keep on sending pics?

Look into the solar panels with built in lithium battery. I've been testing them this "off-season" and so far, I've been really happy with them. No more need for AA batteries.

 

[BSK]

Look into the solar panels with built in lithium battery. I've been testing them this "off-season" and so far, I've been really happy with them. No more need for AA batteries.

If you don't have a bunch of cameras, that's a super idea.

 

[backyardtndeer]

My stealth cams don't go dead suddenly from being mid way unless it's extreme cold.

I went to a 5000mah solpak on my stealthcam revolver. It takes 16 batteries. So far the solar setup has been working great. The solar panel is connected to a lithium ion battery pack. You still keep batteries in the camera but the level on them never changes, the one i had in mine were kind of low. I may add a couple more of the solar setups, will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[tpgarrett21]

me and my buddy made battery boxes off of YouTube for our tactacams and they last a ridiculously long time, made them from Plano ammo cans. one goes dead, go switch the battery with one we've charged up and ready to go, easy peasy.

 

[BSK]

Very interesting fixes guys. Thanks for posting.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I want to know with 12 or 16 batteries will i lose everything just cause 1 battery starts going down? Or will the multiple other batteries keep it working for a meaningful period of time and number of pics and videos

If you install all new batteries at the same time, they should all draw down the same. Very unlikely to get just one to go down by itself. I test mike with a meter usually after swapping, and I can't remember there ever being any significant difference between 8 batteries. That said if one went dead, sure it could lower the overall output enough for the camera to die regardless of how many batteries the camera is using.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Thanks.
I guess I'm the only one who has had 1 out of 8 get low enough to stop everything after 100 or so videos.
Going to 12 or 16 batteries ups the odds of it happening.
Thanks all for your input.

 

[BSK]

Thanks.
I guess I'm the only one who has had 1 out of 8 get low enough to stop everything after 100 or so videos.
Going to 12 or 16 batteries ups the odds of it happening.
Thanks all for your input.

Wow, I would not be happy with that! I have 8-battery cameras that collect 350 videos a week, more than half at night, and the batteries still last 4-6 months.