How long do your Camera batteries/solar last?

[MadMadHoosier]

Does Cuddebacks sell the extra batteries separately?

They do. I usually buy from farmsteadoutdoors.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

They do. I usually buy from farmsteadoutdoors.

Thanks! I was originally planning on waiting for the larger solar panel to be released, but it sounds like they might have limited stock anyways. This might be a good thing to try.

 

[yoderjac]

I

Thanks! I was originally planning on waiting for the larger solar panel to be released, but it sounds like they might have limited stock anyways. This might be a good thing to try.

Solar is not tough. I've been buying raw panels up to about 60 watt depending on my application and then adding a PWM or MPPT controller to charge an external battery. I use the panels the camera seller offers for simple terminal cams, but for routing cams, I DIY it. Of course, if your system doesn't let you control the routing, you may not know which cams need how much power available and that may change over time. Once I found out what connectors they were using, I just bought the connectors from Digikey and built my own cables.

Your system may be different, but this works well for me.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckdeer1]

I wonder if any other systems will work on Browning?

 

[Tree Spud]

I have switched from Bushnell to Browning Spec ops. I run videos and used to get 2 months on the Bushnells. On the Brownings i change the batteries once every 6 months. The new Spec Ops only take 6 - AA so will see how well they last.

 

[yoderjac]

I wonder if any other systems will work on Browning?

If you have an external battery port, it should not matter what the camera is. You just need to know the voltage it wants to see. You can then provide an battery of whatever AH you want with that voltage. The key from a camera standpoint is matching the connector they use. Now, from the solar panel perspective, things may be more difficult. It would be ideal to have a charge controller that would directly charge the battery from the controller. Most controllers are 12 volt but I found some 6 volt controllers which is what my cams use. Otherwise you would need to step down the voltage from the controller which is more complicated.

Some cameras may have a port for a solar panel rather than an external battery. That is not the same as having an external battery port. On my cameras, it is the same port on the outside of the cam. Inside, you can jumper it to the charging circuit for using a solar panel supplied by the camera vendor for that camera. Or, you can jumper it directly to the camera bypassing the charging circuit for using an external battery. Not all cams are the same in this respect. Some may not have both. I don't have a browning, so I don't know what they have.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[356]

I complete a J camera conversion to solar and am using AA rechargeables on three, with a 4D on one and a G-camera on solar as the "home" unit. I have one J unit that is struggling to keep the AAs charged (something I noticed when relocating cameras) so I am moving it to a sunnier location. However, the solar panel batteries in the PW3600s seem to be working well and keeping everything running in light timber, and the AA rechargeable are backup only.

My experience is not as long as many, but my G-camera on solar is at 120 days in semi-shade and it is doing great, and the J-cameras, which used to require new batteries about every 60 days are good.

I am also running three SpyPoint Link-S LTE solar cameras and they seem to be doing every well...180s days and never under 90%...these are not over feed, so they do not get a massive number of pictures. So far, I am pleased with both systems. and both have their place. My plan is to retire all non-cuddeback or cell cameras and be 100% solar next season

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I have switched from Bushnell to Browning Spec ops. I run videos and used to get 2 months on the Bushnells. On the Brownings i change the batteries once every 6 months. The new Spec Ops only take 6 - AA so will see how well they last.

The non-cellular brownings get pretty astonishing battery life. I think one of them I have out has filled a couple 16 gb cards with video on the same 6 Lithiums I put in a year ago.