john volkman
5 year old buck +
cell home, caps etc all scheduled for late may-june
Cuddeback's Cuddelink
- Thread starter Peplin Creek
- Start date
john volkman
5 year old buck +
default should be IR
--The standard Dual Flash module has 28 red LED's and 28 black LED's and you select either one by menu choice.
--The Power House black flash has 56 black LED's only.
--The Power House red flash has 56 red LED's only.
So you have to change modules in order to change flash wavelength when you're using either the red or black Power House module. It only takes a minute or two to change modules so it isn't any big deal.
Could you check the properties on a few of the recent transmitted photos to see at what voltage the report switched from "OK" to "LOW"? I'm just curious what the roll-over point is on the 9 volt systems.
Thanks
12pointer
5 year old buck +
Fred,
When setting a dual flash to either IR or black flash, it looks like there are three separate variables that can be configured.... N/ I LED, N/ V LED, and N/ L LED. If using Cuddelink than N/ V LED is not an option. Can a choice for daytime LED choice be set, in a case where you know it will be overcast for several days, or is only N/ I LED and N/ L LED have the ability to be set?
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
- Location
- Zone 4b - Central Wisconsin
Care to post some pictures?
12point
5 year old buck +
I was thinking the same thing. I dont know how to check properties, I'll try to figure that out.
When to take a night photo or a day photo is something that the camera determines, not us. Cuddeback cameras meter the light reaching the CMOS before each picture to calculate what the exposure settings should be. If the metering system determines that the light intensity is at or above (brighter than) the level that calculates to an exposure setting of 1/40th second shutter speed at ISO 1600 it will take a day color photo. If the metered light intensity is below that level it will take a night flash photo. The camera has no concept of day or night and only thinks in terms of light levels and which mode it is going to shoot in. So basically your choice of wavelength for night shots is in reality a command to the camera of what wavelength of flash to use when it's too dark for a color photo whether that's at night or during some unusually dark period of time during the day. We can give it one command and one command only for flash wavelength and the camera will decide from there when it wants to use it. They're independent minded little cusses! :)
That's OK 12point. I looked up thread a few days to your last post of some pics and got this info:
The picture you posted taken on 3/10/2018 reported your battery voltage at 7.211 volts @ 50% level and the picture taken on 3/16/2018 (123 pictures later) reported 7.209 volts @ 50% level. I would bet a buck or two that the roll-over from "OK" to "LOW" is 7.2 volts. The question now is how far down (to what voltage) can you draw a 9 volt system before it goes belly up? Typically a 6 volt system craps out at around 5.0 volts but I don't have the foggiest idea on a 9 volt system.
Here's just a few quick examples from the Standard and Power House black modules. Not much luck with critters so far so I apologize for the subjects.
This is with the standard black flash on the Dual Flash module in IR Mode = "Close"...
And this is with the Power House black module also in IR Mode = "Close"...
This is with the Power House black module with IR Mode = "Far" setting (Cuddeback default). This is basically an under-exposure mode that in this case kicks the shutter speed up to 1/50th second and puts a serious hurt on the motion blur. Downside is the subdued, flat processing which most users don't mind as it doesn't effect the pictures's usefulness...
This is the above picture with some processing added (low-key). I generally do something like this to polish up images I like, but it certainly isn't necessary...
And this one also in IR Mode = "Far" to show how well the metering system reacts to close-in critters. The SS jumps up to 1/160th second to compensate which shows how well the Power House black module can do on tight trails where high shutter speeds are at a premium...
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
- Location
- Zone 4b - Central Wisconsin
FredG thanks for the comparison. Looks like really distance and motion blur are improved with that unit. I wonder, if any, the effect it would have on battery life.
Mark Cuddeback
Yearling... With promise
This is Mark Cuddeback. The Power House technology is better for battery life as its puts a smaller drain on the batteries. Power House stores battery energy in super caps (think of supers caps as a small battery). The super caps are used to power the LEDs. The result is more light with less load on the batteries. Plus image quality does not degrade as the batteries age. We expected this to cost an extra $50 per camera, but we were pleasently surprised when the cost increase is only $15 per camera. It is well worth the extra money.
Mark Cuddeback
Yearling... With promise
A flash capacitor is high voltage and low capacitance, say 300 volts and 0.0003 farads and is ideal to drive a xenon strobe tube (white flash). A flash capacitor sends a very brief pulse to the strobe tube (about 1/1000 of a second).
A super capacitor is low voltage and high capacitance, say 10 volts and 1 farad and is ideal to drive IR LEDs. The super caps can deliver high current to the LEDs for 1/2 second or more. Along with some creative electronics these capacitors allow the camera to put out 3x as much power as could be delivered from batteries alone. Our technology was creative enough that we were granted a US patent.
A super capacitor is low voltage and high capacitance, say 10 volts and 1 farad and is ideal to drive IR LEDs. The super caps can deliver high current to the LEDs for 1/2 second or more. Along with some creative electronics these capacitors allow the camera to put out 3x as much power as could be delivered from batteries alone. Our technology was creative enough that we were granted a US patent.
