Covert 8mp black flash

[Spurhunter]

I just ordered one. Can someone post pics from theirs or point me in the direction. Want to see what to expect.

 

[DMD]

Here are a few pics from my Covert MP6 from last year:

 

[Spurhunter]

Thanks Pastor!

 

[cbhunter]

I just started running a covert extreme black 60 and although I like it, so far, I'm not impressed with the battery life. it takes 12 batteries and I have had it out for just over 2 weeks, it has took somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 pics and the battery meter is on %50. I have a bushnell trophy cam that has been out since august, took around 2000 pictures and the battery meter is still sitiing on %100. big difference but I definitely love the black flash option on the covert, I guess you cant have it all! lol

 

[cbhunter]

oh and the bushnell only takes 8 batteries!

 

[TheLBLman]

I just started running a covert extreme black 60 and although I like it, so far, I'm not impressed with the battery life. it takes 12 batteries and I have had it out for just over 2 weeks, it has took somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 pics and the battery meter is on %50.

It's possible your batteries could have been "not up to par". I've purchased new batteries that were defective.

Even though your battery meter is on about 50%, it may stay about there for months, and your cam may continue to operate as expected. Some battery meters are more sensitive and drop quicker than others, even though the batteries might be near full capacity.

With the Covert Extreme Black 60, I usually get over 6 months battery life (have one that's been out now for over a year on the same batteries) using Duracell Coppertops. But most of the time, I'm either loading them with either Lithium batteries (getting over a year of battery life) or rechargeables, which I simply "exchange" periodically without worrying about them running out of juice. IMO, you'll get your overall best satisfaction and value by using either rechargeable batteries, lithiums, and/or both. Nothing is more reliable in cold weather than the lithiums, while cold weather can adversely effect the alkaline batteries (like Duracell coppertops).

I do "feel your pain" about the 12 batteries. More recently, I've been experimenting with a couple Browning Dark Ops cams, and one of the things I really like about them is their only requiring 6 AA batteries. Kinda nice to buy a 12-pack of lithiums from Sam's, and then that fully loads up two cams, hopefully each good for about a year.

 

[Mr. Hawk]

I am still running the same set of batteries on my covert's from 2 years ago, amazing battery life. I use 12 batteries, usually regular energizer or duracells.

 

[cbhunter]

I am still running the same set of batteries on my covert's from 2 years ago, amazing battery life. I use 12 batteries, usually regular energizer or duracells.

Wow, maybe I am jumping to conclusions when I say my battery life is %50. . . . . .time will tell, that's for sure! :tu:

 

[TheLBLman]

I am still running the same set of batteries on my covert's from 2 years ago, amazing battery life. I use 12 batteries, usually regular energizer or duracells.

As to just how long a particular set of batteries will last in a Covert Black 60, it has much to do with your cam settings, and how you're using the cam. If you set the cam to take 3 pics as often as every 10 seconds, you're going to deplete your batteries in a fraction the time they would last compared to a setting of 2 pics as often as every 1 minute.

Also, the Covert cellular cam is basically just a Black 60 with a sim card. With the cellular version, trying both a 2013 model and a 2014 model, both cellular cams literally "ate" batteries. My best guess is battery life in the cellular version is reduced by at least 50% over the non-cellular versions. The need to more frequently change batteries defeated some of the purpose (for me) of using a cellular cam.

 

[DMD]

My experience, Coverts i have had do not have s good a battery life as bushnells. They have Good battery life, but not as good as bushnell.

 

[TheLBLman]

My experience, Coverts i have had do not have s good a battery life as bushnells. They have Good battery life, but not as good as bushnell.

This may be in part because the Coverts may be taking higher megapixel pics, more often, and have a stronger flash. The flash is where most of the battery consumption goes.

By the way, Pastorbmp, you'd best make a trip to Sam's and purchase a bunch of lithium batteries for that new cellular cam you ordered. :mrgreen:

 

[landman]

I got 9 of them last summer
no problems

 

[DMD]

My experience, Coverts i have had do not have s good a battery life as bushnells. They have Good battery life, but not as good as bushnell.

This may be in part because the Coverts may be taking higher megapixel pics, more often, and have a stronger flash. The flash is where most of the battery consumption goes.

I don't think that would be right - a least not the stronger flash. It bushnell flash is way more range than the Covert MP6s I have. I'm not sure about the mega pixels of the Bushnells. BUT - bushnells are red flash and coverts are black flash - that might play into the equation.


By the way, Pastorbmp, you'd best make a trip to Sam's and purchase a bunch of lithium batteries for that new cellular cam you ordered. :mrgreen:

I'd say you are right about that!!! I have loaded up on Trail Cams this year....so I will be making a big contribution to the Energizer employees this year!!! W :lol: Wes, what kind of battery life can I expect on the Covert cellular cam?

 

[cbhunter]

I am still running the same set of batteries on my covert's from 2 years ago, amazing battery life. I use 12 batteries, usually regular energizer or duracells.

As to just how long a particular set of batteries will last in a Covert Black 60, it has much to do with your cam settings, and how you're using the cam. If you set the cam to take 3 pics as often as every 10 seconds, you're going to deplete your batteries in a fraction the time they would last compared to a setting of 2 pics as often as every 1 minute.

Also, the Covert cellular cam is basically just a Black 60 with a sim card. With the cellular version, trying both a 2013 model and a 2014 model, both cellular cams literally "ate" batteries. My best guess is battery life in the cellular version is reduced by at least 50% over the non-cellular versions. The need to more frequently change batteries defeated some of the purpose (for me) of using a cellular cam.

I keep mine set on 1 pic at a time and 30 seconds apart. of course I do have it on 12 mp

 

[TheLBLman]

Wes, what kind of battery life can I expect on the Covert cellular cam?

I can only say a lot less.

The two units I tried were unreliable as cellular cams. At least with one of them, the problem may have been with AT&T rather than the cam, but regardless of who or what was the problem(s), had 4 bars of AT&T service where was trying to use them, and am absolutely positive the problem wasn't a lack of cell service. They worked great at times, totally failed other times, some of the time because the alkaline batteries didn't last but a few weeks when I was expecting months. I don't think I used up the battery life on the lithium batteries before I stopped using the cams, but while using lithiums, was only a 2 to 3-month testing period.

This is why I said on another thread, I plan to wait another year for them to get the bugs worked out before I attempt using cellular cams again. Others have had much better success with them, and I hope you have no problems with yours. Maybe they've now got those bugs worked out.

Couple other things you probably already realize, but they will not transmit high-resolution pics. I believe both the 2013 & 2014 models were only transmitting 1.3 mp images (even though the cam was able to take 12.0 mp images). Also, you can only transmit something like a maximum of 1 pic a minute. So you may be forfeiting some pics you might have gotten with a non-cellular cam, in that you might choose to have a non-cellular taking 3 pics up to every 10 seconds compared to your cell cam programmed for 1 pic per 60 seconds.

Have you ever had a "runaway" trigger, where your cam goes off as often as it possibly can? I've had this problem with some Bushnells, but the only Covert I ever experienced it was with one of their cellular models. Like you are now, I found the idea of getting my pics instantly transmitted to my cell phone very appealing, and still do. I just want it to work more as I expected than as I experienced. I'll be trying again, next year.

At present, I cannot justify the cost of the Reconyx cell cams or the Buckeye cams. But if money were no object, I'd set up a "base station" with Buckeye cams while the other brands are working out their flaws. In the meantime, I'm mainly using the Covert Extreme Black 60's non-cellular cams. For the money and my purposes, they have been hard to beat.

 

[DMD]

Thanks Wes. I be finding out all about them. Guess I may invest in some lithium batteries for the cellular cam. I havd always used alkaline with pretty good results.