X7Ds are in - Transferred from QDMA Forums

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by bbarrett
how do you combine the codes?
I got the 15%.. havent found the extra 5% one..
==================================
They give it to you automatically if you sign up free to be a member ofTeam Buck Eye Cam
http://shop.buckeyecam.com/store/home.php?cat=

Software updates are on BEC website. 1.8 for base and 1.5 for cameras. Will be updating mine next week so I have know idea what's new. If someone updates sooner please share.

I just updated 4 of my X7D cams and PC base software....didn't notice anything new/different and nothing obvious jumped out yet??
I have been waiting for the cam updates - hoping that many of the advertised features are available soon.

It was a long weekend and a lot of work, but I got my base mast upgraded. I bought the mast sections from the Mast Company. They are sleeved on one end as you can see from the pic:

I drilled 1/4" holes in the sleeved section so I could stiffen the mast by bolting the sections together.
Here is the before and after:

I ended up not using one of the 4' sections because I was getting so much bending before I got the guy wires on that I was afraid it would snap.
I now have 2 yagis above the pines. One is for the Orion network and the other for the X7D.
Guess I'm gonna need to buy another X7D!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
I now have 2 yagis above the pines. One is for the Orion network and the other for the X7D.
Guess I'm gonna need to buy another X7D!
==================================
That looks good, I would have just cut down the pines(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
My cameras and base arrived today so I've been playing with them a bit this evening.
I have some questions for anyone who has been messing with the X7D's.
What indications does the signal indicator in the camera itself have? Mine always just says "good". Of course they are just in the back yard. Does it ever say excellent, OK, Bad, low?
What is the fasted pic transfer time you have seen? I'm only getting 1.5 kb/s usually less from 70 feet away. (Standard antennas) I know I'll have to tweak things in the field when I use the stronger base antenna.
How much internal memory do these things have? I'm afraid that if it's taking 5 minutes to transfer a pic I could run out of memory if the cam is on a food plot on an active night. I did cut the resolution back to 1 Mp and it helps.
On the bright side I can remote desktop into the laptop hooked to the base using Splashtop and control the system from my home computer and even my I Phone. So I think I'm good on accessing the system from anywhere in the world.

Actually, we have a signed timber contract. They with be thinning our more pines within the next 20 months. I decided that even with the pines thinned, I needed a better signal.
Unfortunately, I missed the sale, so I'll just wait for the next one.
I haven't actually taken my X7D any distance from the base, but the Orion reports Good, Fair, Poor, and No Comm. It has a signal meter on both the PC base software as well as the camera. Hopefully they will add the signal meter to the X7D pc base soon.
I can't speak to the X7D, but the Orion can hold about 200 full resolutions pictures in internal memory. I would presume the X7D has more memory since memory follows Moore's law the X7D needs it with higher resolution.

On another note, I've modified my battery trending software. It can now read and process the X7D log files.
I also made another modification. Because solar panels typically charge the battery during the day and the battery levels reported at night more accurately represent the actual condition of the battery, the original version only used nighttime battery levels. This new modification allows me to specify which battery level reports to use, Nighttime, Daytime, or Both on a per camera basis.
The reason I did this was for two reasons. The Both setting is appropriate for cameras that don't use solar panels since the battery status reports reflect the actual condition of the battery at all times. I use the Daytime setting for an unusually setup I have with my repeater. It actually charges at nighttime rather than daytime.
Thanks,
Jack

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
That looks good, I would have just cut down the pines(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
My cameras and base arrived today so I've been playing with them a bit this evening.
I have some questions for anyone who has been messing with the X7D's.
What indications does the signal indicator in the camera itself have? Mine always just says "good". Of course they are just in the back yard. Does it ever say excellent, OK, Bad, low?
What is the fasted pic transfer time you have seen? I'm only getting 1.5 kb/s usually less from 70 feet away. (Standard antennas) I know I'll have to tweak things in the field when I use the stronger base antenna.
How much internal memory do these things have? I'm afraid that if it's taking 5 minutes to transfer a pic I could run out of memory if the cam is on a food plot on an active night. I did cut the resolution back to 1 Mp and it helps.
On the bright side I can remote desktop into the laptop hooked to the base using Splashtop and control the system from my home computer and even my I Phone. So I think I'm good on accessing the system from anywhere in the world.
==================================
I understand the thread is long (many posts and pages) but go back a few pages.
Some of your questions, can be answered in posts I've made.
Maybe I was rambling and you tuned me out (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
I've detailed my best and worst transfer speeds and the distances involved.
Also, internal memory is SMALL (i.e. 20 pics). And to make matters worse, I can't get the unit to utilize the SD card either.
However, I haven't checked my cams after updating to the newest software.

Jack,
I may be bugging you for info someday. I have a place I would love to get a camera but no way it's happening without a hop or 2. For now I'm just playing with the basics.
Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by BlazinPond
I understand the thread is long (many posts and pages) but go back a few pages.
==================================
You know I thought I saw something about that and did a quick scan. Should have scanned better.
I didn't hook up the high gain antenna yet to try that. I'm heading to the farm tomorrow and I'll set it up there.
Have to stop and get a uninterruptible power supply for the old laptop and I'm set. (famous last words). Sometimes we loose electric for more than the laptop battery would hold up.
I can already see that if this works out 2 cams are not enough.

 

[yoderjac]

Time to get this back up ttt...

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by BlazinPond
Time to get this back up ttt...
==================================
I was avoiding it(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
I got my system up and running great. When I got home it seems my new internet provider has a firewall I can't get through and I can't work that problem out remotely.
I'm hoping to have lots of pictures on the remote computer when I get back. Also hoping to work out my remote access bug.

Great to hear!
I hope to get to my farm later tonight and have a ton of antler pics on my computer (not connected to internet).
One more X7D cam to put out on a tree as well.
Post some pics up after the weekend! (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

Well I have been reading way to much on these X7D cams... And you guys caused me to "pull the trigger" I hope I get the quality of pics as I'm used to... I think this is a cool way to play with cameras. I placed an order for 4 cameras and all the rigging to go with panels, batteries, metal enclosures, cell base, pc base, yagi, and omni ant... You get my drift... I think I should be mad at you guys for causing me to spending so much money but I'm so excited, but have to wait for them to build the cell base... Ya 6 grand!!!

mlowe, I don't think you'll regret it. Quality of pics is great, but just like any other cam you'll still have to sift through bad pics due to fog or sunlight or what not, it's trial and error. I don't think quality of pics is the best feature...the main reason to buy a x7d is the remote access. I can sit at work and see what's going on at my property 24/7. Pretty cool. Definitely expensive but not much different in cost of a Reconyx and customer service is excellent. I will say that I had to send 3 cams back for issues. I had battery back short out and corrode due to moisture which is probably more prominent in the South. I've learned of ways to lessen the chance of this happening like using dehydration packs, putting the battery pack in a inclined position or angled position, and avoid putting it in direct sun or facing South/Southwest. So, moral of the story, there's a learning curve to setting them up with your computers and house/cabin, and you could have issues with the cams but they are less likely to occur IMO as time goes on and as Buckeye works out the kinks (which Jack gave us fair warning that this would happen--as with any new hardware it always seems there are issues to begin with--just think of the Iphone 4).

I've decided to back-off the X7D for a while. I have one at camp with a PC base that I'm using for security. I have had no issues with it so far, but it is in a protected environment very close to the PC base with perpetual power.
The firmware/software updates with improved features have been dribbling out pretty slowly. My long term plan is still to place on unit with an antenna tower on the pipeline near the center of my property set up as a router with perpetual power. I'll then put additional cameras close in around it using it as a relay. I'll then redeploy my longer distant Orion cameras from that area to further out locations.
I've decided to delay this allowing the X7D to mature. Instead I'll be putting the money into a new wildlife management device this year. It is pretty expensive, but I think it will significantly increase my population survey capabilities. More on this as things develop...

I have some questions still...
1) Will the camera hold pictures at high resolution, and transmit at a lower resolution pictures to email? (if so can see this being a time saver for the cell base unit)
2) At 5 kbps is REALLY slow how long will it take to send maximum resolution picture? (PC and Cell base) I understand if your signal strength makes a big difference...
3) When running in PC base mode if the PC is shut down will the cameras buffer the pics until communications are restored to the PC?
4) Can the multiple cameras talk to the PC base and cell base all at once or is it one at a time?
5) Does memory stick speed matter Eg: class 1-10 (10 is the fastest according to the web)
I know if I just wait till they arrive I will see.... But I can't wait to know!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by mlowe
I have some questions still...
1) Will the camera hold pictures at high resolution, and transmit at a lower resolution pictures to email? (if so can see this being a time saver for the cell base unit)
2) At 5 kbps is REALLY slow how long will it take to send maximum resolution picture? (PC and Cell base) I understand if your signal strength makes a big difference...
3) When running in PC base mode if the PC is shut down will the cameras buffer the pics until communications are restored to the PC?
4) Can the multiple cameras talk to the PC base and cell base all at once or is it one at a time?
5) Does memory stick speed matter Eg: class 1-10 (10 is the fastest according to the web)
I know if I just wait till they arrive I will see.... But I can't wait to know!
==================================
The X7D is similar to the Orion, but I have not had enough hands-on with the X7D, so I'll let others address it specifically. I'll take a crack at these with respect to the Orion series.
1) No. Unlike the low end camera, full resolution (or whatever resolution the user specifies) are transmitted. So, the pictures you receive have everything you need for analysis. Once transmitted, I don't believe the pictures are retained.
2) BuckeyeCam uses a pretty good compression algorithm. The 3MP Orion pics are in the 250-500 KB range. This helps a lot. Transmit time is a funciton of signal levels. In most cases, my 3MB pics take around a minute.
3) Yes. The Orion can buffer several hundred full resolution pictures. When that memory fills, it stops taking pictures until memory is freed by transmitting existing pictures to the base. The X7D is higher resolution but I think someone reported that it has less memory for this. I have confirmed that with BEC.
4) Yes. There is a fairly sophisticated communications scheme. However, the number of cameras that can transmit simultaneously is limited in practical terms. I typically see two cameras transmitting to my PC base simultaneously. Other cameras simple buffer pictures until the base is free. If you had more cameras transmitting simultaneously, the transmit time for each would be increased.
5) Not really. Memory cards are used for firmware updates, not picture storage. The Orion does have a standalone (Apollo) mode where the SD card is used. Since the pictures are buffered in fast internal memory, SD card speed is unimportant. The Orion does have a feature that allows you to dump pictures from internal memory to the SD card manually. This is useful if the base PC goes down for a long period making the base unavailable and pictures stack up. If you allow them to all transmit, you can drain the battery. Dumping them to an SD card manually allows you to avoid this problem and still get the pics.
Again, I'll allow others to talk about how these answers apply or don't specifically to the X7D.
Thanks,
Jack

 

[yoderjac]

I can see how Jack is weary of the new X7Ds. All I can say is that it's changed my hunting experience and trail cam experience. It's the best "hunting item" I've ever purchased. It's just so cool to be able to view all my pictures from work or wherever. I can sit down at dinner with a friend that likes hunting, we start talking deer (as the sun is going down outside the restaurant) and while my wife and her friend are talking girl talk, I show my friend live-time pictures of deer on my property. Other than being "cool" from the standpoint of being able to check them anywhere without having to visit your camera, you don't have to "worry" about what's on cam this week if you wait a week or two to check your cams. The picture quality is outstanding. OK maybe there is a better quality picture out there, but I have 6 Reconyx and do not feel the picture quality of the Reconyx is any better than the Buckeye. IMO if you were going to go Reconyx or Buckeye, for a little more money I think it's absurd to not go Buckeye.
Simply put this camera does everything I want it to. And I only have mine set for the smallest memory 1 MP. Not to mention you can control the settings from your labtop and check battery status and that batteries last a LONG time especially when used in conjunction with solar.
I've also seen more wildlife other than deer and other happenings on the farm than I've caught with any other camera. My picture screening process has reduced tremendously as I can look at pics immediately without having to wait for a card to load and sift through them. Just too many pluses for me. I can't compare to the previous models of Buckeye and I'm sure Orion is better as I believe it's meant to be longer range. But for someone who's had them for about 7 months, I'm loving every minute of them.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
I can see how Jack is weary of the new X7Ds.
==================================
I would characterize myself as weary of the X7Ds. I'm fairly confident that BEC will mature these to become a top notch product. They are still in my plans. I've just decided to delay that plan to allow the software/firmware to mature and to give me an opportunity to tryout some new technology.

I don't blame you jack especially since you have more bec experience than anyone here...if anyone would no best you would. Doesn't take away fact I love mine but still I agree I'm sure they have a little ways to go to perfect.

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
I don't blame you jack especially since you have more bec experience than anyone here...if anyone would no best you would. Doesn't take away fact I love mine but still I agree I'm sure they have a little ways to go to perfect.
==================================
You are absolutely right. Even though they still need maturing, they are not even in the same class with most of the stuff out there. I have found the experiences you and others have posted to be very useful and informative. I've had lots of PMs and emails about these. I've tried to answer what I can, but I have pointed most of them to you and others on this thread with more hands-on experience.
My post was not intended to discourage anyone from going this route. Most folks who are used to using low-end cams will, like you, find these a hands down improvement as-is. I'm coming from an Orion series which has had years to mature and is pretty much bullet-proof.
Nothing I've posted should take away from anything you or others with these have posted about their experience.

Thanks again for the info!

Right now my main problem is lack of sleep.
I'm having trouble sleeping lately and wake up at 12 am, 3 am and 5 am most days (I think they call it buck fever). Of course the first thing I think about is what deer are on the property. Immediately I grab my iPhone next to my bed and look through pics for 20 minutes. Not healthy but addictive.
I'm very happy with the units though and have had 0 issues other than initially when I had to send two back which were immediately replaced (customer service is awesome). I would have 0 reservations about getting more cams or recommending someone purchasing X7Ds.

I'll call Buckeye tomorrow but thought I'd throw this out to see if anyone has run into this problem.
My PC base won't come up. When I start the XD7 software it opens like normal and then Just bounces back and forth between
1. Waiting for PC Base to be connected and
2. Initializing the PCbase
Just goes from one to the other.
Event log shows:
EV:Opening connection to base.
IN:Trying 9600
It tries 9600 ten times and starts the process over.
I'm working remotely here which makes it tough but I have rebooted the remote PC several times and started XD7 software over only to get the same thing.
Hey Jack,
Got any used Orions you want to let go(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
I'll call Buckeye tomorrow but thought I'd throw this out to see if anyone has run into this problem.
My PC base won't come up. When I start the XD7 software it opens like normal and then Just bounces back and forth between
1. Waiting for PC Base to be connected and
2. Initializing the PCbase
Just goes from one to the other.
Event log shows:
EV:Opening connection to base.
IN:Trying 9600
It tries 9600 ten times and starts the process over.
I'm working remotely here which makes it tough but I have rebooted the remote PC several times and started XD7 software over only to get the same thing.
Hey Jack,
Got any used Orions you want to let go(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
==================================
Bill,
Drop me a PM in 10 years or so, I'll probably be willing to sell some Orions. (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
Although I have not seen this problem, if you were working with an Orion I'd suggest disconnecting the USB and removing power to reset it. I believe it also has a reset button you can push with a pen.
The X7D modem does not have an external power connection. I don't recall seeing a reset button on it. It draws its power from the USB. I presume that if you are rebooting the PC, it is removing power from the USB output during the boot. This would be equivalent to removing power.
Let us know what BEC says...
Thanks,
Jack

Billb6, I've had that happen a few times...on my particular computer there's two ports to put in the PC base cable. If you seem to get a delay or no response from the PC base/registration then what I've done is relocate the cable to the other port that fits that same cable. Then it starts right up. Try that and see if it works.
I also had an issue with two cams that would power up but simply wouldn't recognize the base for registration. It could have been two of my earlier cams that I purchased. Regardless, BEC sent me a Sandisk with a firmware update and directions which worked great. Now I've had no issues. I'm still loving my cams. I'm of the belief that you might have a few hiccups along the way but once you get them positioned correctly and everything set up, there's not too much maintenance other than checking pics and maintaining battery levels at operational. I've spending much less time on these cams than I ever did with Reconyx as far as checking cams and pulling card...a real time saver. And, I've had 3 out of 6 Reconyx cams go bad that I had to send back so no cam is without flaw.

Scrim, Jack,
Thanks for the suggestions.
I can't switch the usb plug to another location at this point. I'm way off site. Like currently 1000 miles.
Buckeye's thoughts, suggestions
bad antenna or antenna connection
Windows did an update that the PC base didn't like
The PC base went bad
the USB port went bad
So far I have copied my configsys file, uninstalled and reinstalled the PC Base software then pasted the configsys file back in (to keep the camera ID stuff intact)
No dice.
Then I uninstalled and reinstalled the USB ports with windows device manager to so called "reboot" them.
No dice.
Last attempt I just did a system restore to a date I know the camera was working. Figured if a windows update killed it, this would put it back.
No Dice.
All this remotely over an I Phone.
At this point I think I'm out of commission until I get back on site. I have some friends and my brother that are going to be there on and off in the next few weeks but I don't know if I can explain it.
The USB port switch they can handle (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
Personally I think the base is shot.
It's going to a few weeks before I can, but I keep you posted.

Hi Guys,
I too have been "fawning" over the buckeye cams for about 5 or 6 years.
I almost pulled the trigger on a 10 camera Orion system last year - but decided to wait for the "new" and improved version (now called the X7D) that was going to come out soon.
I am now sitting on a 10 camera X7D quote and am ready to buy...but am now getting a "bit of heartburn" based upon the periodic hiccups and the learning curve of the new system.
Three questions for the group:
In your opinion(s) -
1) Should I jump in now or wait a bit?
2) Should I scale back and initially do a smaller 2 or 3 camera package (rather than 10) and build upon this later as the system gets more refined?
3) Should I reconsider the X7D and go with the orion?
Thanks,
Mike H

 

[yoderjac]

Here is my two cents for what it is worth:
- RF transmission is not child's play. Vegetation and terrain can be problematic. Even with the Orion system with the higher power radios, I have to use repeater cameras and antenna towers. My property is less than one square mile but it is rolling terrain with lots of pines which are very challenging for RF transmission at 900 mhz. So, if you are going to push the limits for distance, that is some weight on the side of Orion.
- With 10 cameras, I presume you are using these as management tools, not just doing ad hoc scouting. How important is it to you to have your cameras operational 24/7/365? Do you have time to work through issues as the X7D matures?
- I'm confident that BuckeyeCam will eventually harden the X7D system and add the missing functionality. Will it ever be hardened to the level of Orion? I'm not ready to go that far yet. They reduced both form factor and price while improving resolution. The only thing that seems to be sacrificed is transmission distance. This covers some of the cost reduction, but does it account for all of it?
- Do you need the higher resolution (5MP verses 3MP)? If so, that is weight for the X7D.
I can't tell you what you should do, but I can tell you what I am doing. I built out my network slowly adding a few cams a year. I'm now running 11 Orions. I have purchased one X7D and base. I'm using it for a close-in security application, and have not yet tested the RF capability at distance. I have the luxury to wait since I have a good network already. My hope it to add some X7Ds along a pipeline with a single tower on high ground sporting an X7D used as a repeater for the other cameras.
Recently I decided to start testing thermal imaging as an alternative wildlife management tool and delay my purchase of X7D to allow the product to mature. I regularly watch this thread and assess the situation.
If you are considering the Orion, you might want to review my thread if you haven't already: <http://www.qrgc-forums.org/QRGC_Foru...l-Cameras.aspx
Good luck with whatever you decide,
Jack

Bill, it could very well be the cable and different port, mine does the exact same thing.
I would still get one even if I lived remotely, but it is nice having one on site where you live. I've wondering how some are operating them away...not that they don't work great, they do...but some of my sites I get so many pics that the battery goes and needs to be recharged, something you can't do remotely.
To the last poster, I would definitely get them. You don't necessarily have to get 10 right off the bat, maybe start with 2 or 3 unless you're getting a considerable price break. I'd definitely wait to get any number of them until they have one of their 15% discounts. I can't comment on Orion vs. X7D.
Like I've said I've enjoyed mine soooo much. Definitely what I've been waiting for. I would have gotten the Orion had the X7D not come out, but went with the X7D since they were less expensive. Sounds from limited knowledge I have about the Orion that they work longer distance perhaps so there are certain situations I'm sure where Orion is best.
NYPlotter helped me a lot as well as Jack, I'm sure you can contact either of them for help...Jack with Orions and NYPlotter with the X7Ds.
For some one who has a house in the middle of the property and direct line access to each camera (which is ideal) I'm having zero issues other than having to send back 2 out of 12 cams which were replaced within a week. And that's one of the biggest advantages of BEC: Customer service. Email them with a problem, they will correct it with 24-48 hours by email either with info. for you to do on the cam or with prepaid postage to send the unit in and be fixed. Mine have gotten fixed within a week or replaced completely. I sound like a spokesperson for BEC but that's how much I enjoy mine. My biggest headache with them is having to recharge batteries, but that's no fault of BEC. I usually have to recharge 1/month which is no biggie...and the reason I do so often is b/c some of my cams have so many deer coming to them since their baited sites, so I might get 300-400 pics a night.
Basically, they are everything I imagined and more. I can understand how some might have issues working remotely as if there's an issue you might get frustrated not being able to fix it from far away, where I can hop on foot and check out my cam since I live on the farm. And if you ever have issues they can be fixed easily, so really I don't see any reason not to pull the trigger. But again, I don't see why to go with 10 cams off the bat unless money isn't an issue, otherwise, I'd go with 2-3 or even 5-6. See how you like them. It will take you 1-3 months to really get the hang of it as far as antenna placement for your central station unless using cellular and antennas for each cam.

Thermal imaging Jack? That's cool.
For some reason I think you were once a part of Navy Seal Team 6.

It is still too early for me to pass judgement on the commercial level thermal imaging approach. I know some DNRs are using it, but I presume it is higher end equipment.
Well, I had my first issue with the X7D. When I got to the farm yesterday and checked, the Orion network was running fine, but the X7D software could not see the camera. There was no error indicating a USB issue with the base, but when I would do a battery check it would tell me no communications with the camera.
My camera had been bumped out of position by a rodent a few weeks back, so I pulled out the ladder and decided to check it and reposition it. The charger light was green indicating it had juice and was providing power to the battery. When I hit the button on the X7D it responded immediately. It showed it had 20 pictures on it. So, I decided to reposition it and go back and check the PC base.
The base looked fine. The red power light was on, and there was still no error from the PC base software indicating it could not see the base over the USB. Since the only power source for the base is the USB, I decided to simply disconnect and reconnect the USB to cycle power on the unit. Sure enough, when I plugged it in, everything started working fine.
I'm not sure if this is what others have reported or not. It appears the RF side of the PC base was hung-up but since it could still talk to the computer, the PC base software thought it was fine.
Hummm.....

Guys, I was told today by BEC to expect an update later this week or early next week. The feature I have been waiting for is time-lapse and according to the person I spoke with its included in the next update. Little by little these babies are getting better.
Now I just need to work on installing my 50' Rohn antenna...next year at this point.
Hope all is well with my BuckEye Cam friends.

I too am working on another antenna mast. With my pines growing, I was loosing connection with my most distant Orion. I decided to put up a a box type stand for taking out kids and then put a 30' most on top of it. I have the basic stand built:

I hope to erect the antenna mast on top this coming weekend.
I'm looking forward to seeing what is in the update package for the X7D. I'm disappointed that they don't have and update log like they do for the Orion that shows what changes are in each firmware/software update for the X7D.

 

[yoderjac]

Nice Jack. Let's continue to share pictures of our antenna projects. I was hoping to install mine this year but it's almost hunting season and I have shut the farm down from traffic so it will need to wait until next year. Antenna height is a big key. I figure I can spend all kids of money on camera antennas and extra cameras to stretch things out or I can spend the money to put up a tall Rohn antenna and be done with it.
I agree BEC should list what's in each update. I have provided this feedback several times but so far nothing.

So, I just checked BEC's web, and the base software for Windows is now 1.9. The camera software is 1.5.0.
Wasn't the base software 1.8 up until recently?
Anybody try the new software out yet?

I updated to 1.9 last week while at the farm. Nothing noticable changed.
I just got an e-mail from BEC and they said that the new update will be both base and camera. They said it should be out today or tomorrow.
Sounds like a good excuse for me to make a trip to the farm.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by nyplotter
I updated to 1.9 last week while at the farm. Nothing noticable changed.
I just got an e-mail from BEC and they said that the new update will be both base and camera. They said it should be out today or tomorrow.
Sounds like a good excuse for me to make a trip to the farm.
==================================
Thanks nyplotter! Just checked and both updates are now available. Can't wait to make a trip back to my farm this coming weekend!

Nice rabbit picture catch from the X7D. I will be updating mine this weekend as well so I can take advantage of time-lapse. I have a camera overlooking each of my food plots so the ability to auto take pictures at certain times of the day should show me which plots are being used throughout the season.

Scrim,
Is this a problem you reported with your early X7Ds? I decided to apply the update today. I followed the instructions, unzipped the file to and SD card, removed power from the camera, inserted the SD card, and powered up the camera. I got
Powering up!.......
And that is where it sits now. After about 15 minutes with no response, I tried removing power and then the SD card.
Now, no matter what, I just get Powering up!.....
Guess I'm gonna have to send it back for repair...
Thanks,
Jack

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
Scrim,
Is this a problem you reported with your early X7Ds? I decided to apply the update today. I followed the instructions, unzipped the file to and SD card, removed power from the camera, inserted the SD card, and powered up the camera. I got
Powering up!.......
And that is where it sits now. After about 15 minutes with no response, I tried removing power and then the SD card.
Now, no matter what, I just get Powering up!.....
Guess I'm gonna have to send it back for repair...
Thanks,
Jack
==================================
I had the same problem with one of my X7Ds during the update process too this past weekend. I disconnected the power about 10 different times to attempt to power up the unit. I changed batteries and it took right off.
I have successfully upgraded 3 of 4 X7D cams as of tonight. Very easy and straightforward process.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by nyplotter
Nice Jack. Let's continue to share pictures of our antenna projects. I was hoping to install mine this year but it's almost hunting season and I have shut the farm down from traffic so it will need to wait until next year. Antenna height is a big key. I figure I can spend all kids of money on camera antennas and extra cameras to stretch things out or I can spend the money to put up a tall Rohn antenna and be done with it.
I agree BEC should list what's in each update. I have provided this feedback several times but so far nothing.
==================================
OK, I got the antenna up this weekend. I used an antenna mast from the mast company. I divided the antenna mast into three parts. The bottom section consists of two 4' sections of mast assembled, stiffened with bolts, and strapped to a 2x4 that will be used to winch the antenna into place. The middle section has three 4' sections of mast with a guy wire plate between two of the sections. Again, they are stiffened with bolts. The top section is a duplicate of the middle section with the 13db yagi antenna attached at the top.
Here is a picture with the lower and middle sections attached:

This picture shows the final section attached with the antenna. I used the loader to lift the mast high enough so that the antenna was above the ground.

Next I leaned an extension ladder against the loader and extended it to get the antenna mast above 90 degrees with the top sections supported by the ladder. This picture shows the ladder in place before it was extended and before all the guy wires were connected to the structure:

My wife then went to the back side of the structure opposite the tractor. I had ropes tied to the far side guy wires. She then pulled on those ropes to keep the top sections of the antenna mast from bending too much as I winched the mast to a vertical position. I used a hand winch that I had connected to the corner post of the structure closest to the tractor. The other end of the winch cable was connected to the bottom of the 2x4 attached to the lower section. I simply used a bolt and eyelets for the pivot.
Once we had the mast vertical, I screwed the 2x4 of the lower section into the structure and then adjusted all the guy wires taunt.
Here is the result:

Thanks,
Jack

Wow the mad scientist of trail cams.(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
That shooting house could double as a microwave oven in a lightning storm!(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

Well got all my stuff 4 cams and all the gear to go with. PC base, cell base, 5 antennas, and coax... Wow these are sure neat looking units !!! I have been playing when ever I have a chance to understand how to use them before they go out into the field. I can't figure out how you guys are viewing the cameras live. I don't see any thing in the software to allow this. I also can figure out how to put the camera in video mode. I select the video mode but the camera doesn't switch. I am sure its something I doing wrong. I do have 1 issue with 1 of the cameras also it will not switch from day to night but I have been talking to BEC and they think that I will have to send it back. Will know for sure tomorrow!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by foragefarmer
Wow the mad scientist of trail cams.(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
That shooting house could double as a microwave oven in a lightning storm!(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
==================================
Yes! This was a real Rube Goldberg, but it worked! It is up and very stable.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by mlowe
... I can't figure out how you guys are viewing the cameras live. I don't see any thing in the software to allow this. ...!
==================================
&quot;Live&quot; is more of a characterization than a technical term. Folks a not viewing them in true real-time, but in near-real-time. Here is how it works:
The PIR senses motion and triggers the camera to take a picture or video clip. Depending or user set resolution or video clip length, a file is created on the camera. The camera then transfers that file to either a PC base or Cell base. This typically takes seconds to minutes depending o n the size of the file to and the strength of the signal between the camera and the base, and the amount of network activity going on from other cameras at that time.
If you are using a PC base, you can view the picture at the PC as soon as the file arrives. The PC base can also be setup to automatically send the picture to a web site or send it via email over the internet. How long this takes depends on your computer speed, internet speed, and how you have email configured. If you are using a cell base, the cell base uses the cell phone network to send the picture across the internet. Here you also have a time delay associated with the cell phone network.
So, depending on configuration and where you are viewing the pictures, you are typically viewing them within a minutes to tens of minutes after the trigger occurred.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Jack

Jack, how high is that?
Mlowe: I use Buckeye's LiveCam website which is $60 per year. The latest 90 pictures per camera are uploaded...works great. I also use MyPC Software to access my PC Base remotely so I can adjust settings and so forth...again works great.
I was able to update all my cameras and base this weekend. I also just finished setting up my schedules and time-lapse times on cameras that overlook food plots. Very nice setup with a primary setting and 3 more optional schedules.
These cameras just keep getting better.

 

[yoderjac]

The sections are 4' each. I buy them in sets of 10. The instructions say 10 sections give you a 38' antenna because of the overlap on each section. They recommend 3 sets of guy wires for a 38 foot mast.
You can stiffen the mast by drilling the overlaps and bolting them together.
In my case, I'm putting them on top of elevated structures and my guy wires are much closer to the base than they recommend. So, I don't use all 10 sections.
The structure in the picture is on the upper corner of a downward sloping field, so it doesn't need to be too high off the ground. The 4x4 corner posts are 12' tall. I used 8 sections which is about 30'.
So, the antenna is about 42' off the ground in this case.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
Here is a picture with the lower and middle sections attached:

==================================
I want one of these in sight of the road to make the neighbors scratch their heads(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
I'm back on line. I have a friend using the cabin. He said as soon as he touched the USB cable the base unit beeped. Must have been a bad port.

Glad to hear that you are back up and running.

Well, I did some more work on the stand/tower. I got the window treatments installed and everything opened up for hunting season. I also installed the solar panel and re-installed the camera. I went from a 9db antenna to a 13 db antenna and probably added 20' to the height. The signal had steadily declined as my pines grew and I finally lost all contact with the camera. With the new higher power antenna on a taller mast, I now have connectivity again. The signal varies between fair and poor but at least I have connectivity again.
Here is one more picture of the stand with the camera and window treatments installed:

On another note, I had sent Brandon an email last week and just heard back today. He had been on vacation. He was just going to send me a card to re-flash the X7D, but since I did not hear back, I had my wife mail it back today.
Thanks,
Jack

Jack,
I wouldn't hunt out of that box during a thunder storm(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Jack,
I wouldn't hunt out of that box during a thunder storm(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
==================================
Antenna Mast is grounded with heavy gauge wire. Hardwoods just a few yards from the stand (to the left side fo the pic) are actually much taller than the antenna. The pic is deceptive.

I just heard from Brandon. They received the X7D, fixed it, and are shipping it back today! Maybe I'll have it in time to do some distance testing this weekend.

FYI: Another update for the PC base windows (ver. 1.10) software on Buckeye's webpage.
Again, not sure what or why, but I installed and didn't notice anything obvious over the past weekend.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by BlazinPond
FYI: Another update for the PC base windows (ver. 1.10) software on Buckeye's webpage.
Again, not sure what or why, but I installed and didn't notice anything obvious over the past weekend.
==================================
That came out with the latest firmware update a couple weeks back. I believe it has the scheduler added to the camera controls.

Just pulled the trigger on 2 more X7D setups. I'm starting to like having coffee and flipping through my prior evening pictures.
I may need one of those yoder antennas soon.

My X7D was returned and arrived on Friday after I left for the weekend. I'm hoping to do a little testing with it this coming weekend before returning it to the security application. I have an Orion in the center of my property with a tower and and 8db omni antenna on it. I originally used it as a router, but it could not keep up with the demand. Eventually, I installed another tower a couple hundred yards away. The knoll there is a bit higher and I made the tower a bit taller. The big addition was adding the 45 watt solar panel set to it. It can now handle routing all of the other Orions that need routing.
My plan is to eventually replace the Orion on the older repeater setup with an X7D and use it as a router for additional X7Ds I buy in the future. So this weekend, I'll disconnect the Orion, connect the X7D, and check the signal levels.
I have not yet done any testing with battery levels. How are you guys doing with batteries using the BEC solar panels for the X7D? Roughly how long are they lasting both in terms of months as well a number of picture per month?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
I have not yet done any testing with battery levels. How are you guys doing with batteries using the BEC solar panels for the X7D? Roughly how long are they lasting both in terms of months as well a number of picture per month?
==================================
I must not get the number of pictures that you do. I average about 20 pictures a day from each camera. For the past 2 months my battery never reads anything but 100%

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
I must not get the number of pictures that you do. I average about 20 pictures a day from each camera. For the past 2 months my battery never reads anything but 100%
==================================
The number of pictures I get varies with each camera setup and the time of year. I'd say the most I get is a couple hundred picture per camera per week with my Orion's. Cameras with the solar panel that gets full sun and have a reasonable signal level can run for 9-12 months or longer before I need to swap them out with a fully charged battery. Orions with filtered light with low signal levels sometimes need to be swapped in a couple months.
Also, when you check your battery levels, be sure to do it at night. The battery meter is estimating the charge based on voltage level. If the solar panel is active, it alone can provide enough voltage so the meter reads 100%. So, check them at night when you know the solar panel is inactive.
The best way to check your battery level over time is using the log file. Each time a picture is transmitted, the log file gets a report of the battery level. This lets you look at it over time.
Scrim, NYP,
How are batteries doing for you guys?
Thanks,
jack

 

[yoderjac]

Still running strong...batteries last about a month over corn (1000 pics a night), and last 3-5 months on trails. Areas in woods w/o good sun or times when there's cloudy skies for a week need changed more frequently. Still very pleased. I definitely contribute the buck I killed last week to the buckeye cams, couldn't have done it without them knowing that buck was showing at that time the day before. I had him patterned. Would I have known this with a Reconyx? Sure. But I wouldn't have checked the cam but once a week where with buckeye I get emails every day with the pics.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
Still running strong...batteries last about a month over corn (1000 pics a night), and last 3-5 months on trails. Areas in woods w/o good sun or times when there's cloudy skies for a week need changed more frequently. Still very pleased. I definitely contribute the buck I killed last week to the buckeye cams, couldn't have done it without them knowing that buck was showing at that time the day before. I had him patterned. Would I have known this with a Reconyx? Sure. But I wouldn't have checked the cam but once a week where with buckeye I get emails every day with the pics.
==================================
Wow! How many pics are you getting on the cams set on trails? Probably the cams that would be best compared to my Orion cams would be the ones placed on fields with no bait. What size SLA are you using? I did not buy my X7D battery from BEC. I took the box into the local Batteries Plus and bought the largest ah battery that I could physically fit into the box. I have not yet got a chance to look at battery use with it yet because I'm using it for a security app and I can keep the charger connected to it.
NYP, How a your batteries performing?

Cams on trails I get maybe at most 30-40 pics a day but that's the better spots with more action. Some spots I might only get 5 pics/day. Definitely cam census spots/baited spots get the most action. I have started baiting one cam per farm I hunt as it really helps me determine where deer are coming or going. Downside is all the pictures I get. The deer don't mind the camera and are used to my 4'x4' posts with solar and antennas attached to them. I'm moving some of my cameras to another farm I'm hunting and using with a cellular base so I'll let you know how that works out. So, I'll be running a PC base and a cellular base from the same computer for different farms.
I'm doing the same with battery size. I believe it's a 7 amp battery if that sounds right? I get mine at Radioshack and put them on trickle chargers when the juice has expired.

My Orion batteries are 12 ah. I can't remember the ah rating for the X7D, but I think it is at least 12 ah. I'll check this weekend. The 7ah rating of your batteries could account for the shorter duration compared to my 12 ah.

First, I confirmed that the batteries I'm using in my X7D are 12 ah batteries.
Now for the good news and bad news. Let's do the bad news first.
My long-term plan for using X7Ds won't stand. I took the camera out to the central location on my property where I currently have an Orion and an 8 db omni on a tower on a knoll. I get a fair to poor signal with the Orion, but no communications with the base using the X7D with that same antenna and cable. So, if I plan to incorporate the X7Ds into my approach, I'm going to have to find a new spot to build another tower.
Now for the good news. I was able to tryout the new PC base software with the X7D and they have added a feature that I had asked for years ago with the Orion. You can now disable the PIR from the PC base for a set time period. This is a god send for those of us who put these on food plots. With my Orion system one of two things always happens. Either I go to the field to mow, or disk, or something and forget to physically turn off the camera. I then get a host of pictures of me working the field that all get sent back and drain the battery to the point where I have to replace it, or I remember to turn the camera off when I work, but then forget to turn it back on and I spend a week with no pictures.
With the X7D, I can now simply, from the PC base software, disable the PIR for a couple hours while I head out to work. No worries about forgetting to turn it back on. I can do this at the beginning of the day and select a 12 hour timer for all the fields I plan to work that day and forget it!
Thanks,
Jack

Jack,
I went through my logs and they all say 100% also. My solar panels are in full sun so maybe that helps.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Jack,
I went through my logs and they all say 100% also. My solar panels are in full sun so maybe that helps.
==================================
Good to know. That is how my Orion cams work. With panels in full sun I can a couple hundred full 3mp resolution pictures per week and I don't need to change batteries for over a year.
I was a little worried when Scrim said he was getting 30-40 pics a day and the batteries were only lasting 3-4 months. The difference may be the battery size. Are you using the 12 ah batteries like me or the 7 ah like Scrim?

Just checked my new one from Buck Eye. They are 7 ah. Guess when they go bad I'll upgrade.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Just checked my new one from Buck Eye. They are 7 ah. Guess when they go bad I'll upgrade.
==================================
That is good news! If you are getting good performance with 7ah, that means we will get even better performance with 12ah.
Are you sending back full 5mp resolution pics? Do your signal levels show Good or Weak?

I think my plan with the X7Ds right now is to wait. As things are on my property right now, I would have to build a new tower to be an X7D repeater. They will be thinning my pines within a year. I may re-try the X7D using the existing tower and antenna after the thinning is done.
If I eventually have to build another tower to use the X7Ds, I'm thinking about mounting the camera high pointed at a downward angle to reduce the cable length needed. I would probably build another stand like the one I pictured earlier in the thread but about 15 feet off the ground. I was thinking about hanging the camera on the outside of the stand for easy access.
Do any of you guys have experience hanging the X7D high pointing it at a downward angle. Is that effective with the narrow PIR?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
Are you sending back full 5mp resolution pics? Do your signal levels show Good or Weak?
==================================
Yes full 5 mp. figured I'd start with that and go down if needed. My levels show good.
Have not pointed one down yet but I was planning on trying it over a scrape at some point. I figured I'd turn on the flash LED when a pic is taken and walk around under it a bit to aim it.

 

[yoderjac]

That should work fine for a scrape or any point source. Right now I have mine mounted about 15' up for a security application. I use the LED which works great for pointing. However, pointing seems pretty critical. I'm guessing doing this over a field will significantly reduce detection range.
However, now that I think about it, the field it will overlook will normally be planted in Eagle beans, not something low like clover. I have one of my Orions over a similar field at normal height. I can't get pictures in the field because the beans are too thick, so when the beans are growing, I have to point the camera down the road along side the field to get pics. While mounting high angling down will reduce the horizontal area I can cover, I should be able to at least look down into the beans and get usable pictures. When I point my Orion directly into the beans, I get a lot of night time pictures with just eyes glowing and the body of the deer hidden by the beans.
Humm.....

I got two cell bases to run at two different farms I hunt in addition to my farm. It's pretty awesome to wake up and review pics from not one farm but three farms. The cell bases are really amazing. I imagine they're very similar to the Orion base if not the same thing. My cams are nestled in low lying areas as are the bases and I didn't even have to put the antennas very high to get good cellular signal enough to email me pics.
If anyone goes this route let me know I can help walk you through the setup. Buckeye was very helpful as always setting them up. In essence you just copy and paste the Buckeye folder with all its contents and make a new folder for each base, then register the cams after deleting one .exe file which is recreated once each base is registered. Took me 2 days of playing with but got them all setup. I'll make fine twitches on direction of solar panels and cams as necessary, but I'm 90% there with the setup.

Scriim,
That is outstanding. On the cell signal side of the cell base (verses the camera signal side) height is not as much of an issue. The cell frequencies are different and the towers are usually on high ground .
For the camera signal side, height only helps to the extent that it removes blockage between the transmitter and receiver. For example if you are transmitting through mature pines, putting antennas at 20' may actually yield worse results than at 5' because trunks provide less attenuation than the needles which are mostly water. However, if you get both antennas above the top of the pine trees you will get the best signal provided the loss in cable length does not exceed the loss transmitting through the pines.
Thanks,
Jack

Thanks Jack...I know you've taken some extra security measures with your cams...curious what you'd recommend for mine. I've got the metal boxes for the cell base and wireless X7D cams which are very nice and can be locked themselves. How about for securing to tree...one of those snake cables would be the easy choice but I'd imagine they're pretty easy to cut. Any recommendations for what to use...chain? I know you concreted your chain into the ground but I'm using the cell bases on others property so the concrete isn't an option there.
I was looking at the Kryptonite chains/bike locks which seem pretty close to indestructable. I guess my only option would be to put around a tree but would need the chain long enough to put the chain around a big enough tree that someone wouldn't mess with cutting.

Scrim,
It really depends on the level of security you are looking for. When I started out, things were pretty bad. In the first year, we put up a fence and they poached a bunch of young deer and hung their carcases on our fence. They broke in to our barn and stole an ATV. I had a number of low-end cameras stolen. That is what drove the extreme security measures I took.
We are 6 years in now and due to rigorous reporting and prosecutions, poaching and trespass are now the exception, not the rule. So, I have relaxed security measures accordingly.
I use python cables on a lot of my cameras. They can be cut with medium size cable cutters, but I'm only securing them to trees and anyone with a chainsaw can defeat any security that depends on a tree. These are convenient.
Rather than buying them one-by-one, I went to my local Lowes and ordered a dozen of them keyed alike. That way I just carry a single key on my key ring and I can open any of them. My X7D is right at camp and pretty well hidden, so I don't have it locked. It would be hard to get to it without getting caught.
One issue with the Orion is the l locking hole is too small for the diameter of the python cables I'm using. For my cameras without security box, I thread it through the handle. I haven't tried it, but as I recall, the hole in the X7D is larger.
Another option for a cell base is to put it up in a tree. This elevates the receive antenna for the camera network which can help. Presuming you have it balanced well and battery changes are rare, you can use a climbing treestand to access it on the rare occasions where battery changes are necessary. Someone would need to be pretty motivated to take it.
Unlike the low-end cameras, the BEC cams are serialized. You can't simply remove the internal battery to reset the code like the low-end cams. Someone would need to contact ATSI to get the camera reset, and that is asking to get caught. So, the most likely issues are vandalism or opportunistic theft. Even a little security goes a long way toward preventing opportunistic theft.
Thanks,
Jack

Nice Scrim!
I am planing on doing something similar next year. I working on purchasing a 75ac piece the next hill over. If all goes as planned I will run a cell base on this piece along with a few cameras. A while back I was told by BEC that I could funnel one base station and one cell base thru the same software and same LiveCam account. Do you use LiveCam?
Next years list includes the install of a 50' Rohn antenna on the highest point of my property, a cell base for remote properties and several more cameras. It never ends!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
I just bought a yagi and 400-series cable for future use with my X7D. Here are the part numbers:
HG913Y-NF
CA4NMRSF075
If you look them up on the L-Com site, you can see what conectors are used.
I've done lot of ad hoc cable work, but I have found it is best not to do it yourself with the 400 series cable. I had an animal chew through a cable in the field. I mentioned this to Scrim previously. I got all the proper tools and connectors and repaired the cable. I tried several times but could never get the same signal levels as with a factory cable. I eventually gave up repairing and bought a new cable.
Just a thought on DYI when it comes to 400 series cables.
Thanks,
Jack
==================================
Jack, could you please repost the correct cable and connector (for a 20 ft run)? I need to order a few Yagis and cableing for a few of my X7D cams. I intend to go throughL-com's website
Thanks!

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
I am planing on doing something similar next year. I working on purchasing a 75ac piece the next hill over. If all goes as planned I will run a cell base on this piece along with a few cameras. A while back I was told by BEC that I could funnel one base station and one cell base thru the same software and same LiveCam account. Do you use LiveCam?
Next years list includes the install of a 50' Rohn antenna on the highest point of my property, a cell base for remote properties and several more cameras. It never ends!
==================================
I don't use livecam but I'm sure that would work well. I figured why if I don't have to (I can just view all pics on my base computer or email them to friends by setting up their email on the email server in lieu of the livecam). I kind of like the way it's setup anyway now. I basically have a separate &quot;folder&quot; for each base unit. On my computer screen I have each base pulled up (for me that's one PC base and two cell base units). All three download pictures separately and at the same time. I just send them to my email but can also look the pictures up directly on my base computer that my PC base is connected to. I actually like the cell base units better as there seems to be better reception and speed compared to my PC base even with my large directional antenna mounted on my house. That doesn't mean a cell base is for everyone, I guess it really depends on the cell signal in one's area for that particular cellular carrier. As with anything it took a little work to get established (about 2 days to setup and work the kinks out) but now it's working excellent. Again, amazed how cool these systems are and how they work. Customer service is excellent and they helped me immediately when I had to set up these separate cell base units but on the flip side it would be a prudent decision to include instructions for adding more than one cellular base unit in their manual, in my opinion.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by BlazinPond
Jack, could you please repost the correct cable and connector (for a 20 ft run)? I need to order a few Yagis and cableing for a few of my X7D cams. I intend to go throughL-com's website
Thanks!
==================================
Here is the web page with their cables: <http://www.l-com.com/productfamily.aspx?id=6504
You can see the 20'cable part way down the page. There are two connectors on the cable, one for the camera and one for the antenna. Both the Orion and X7D use the same RF connector. The RP-SMA side goes into the camera.
The connector for the other side of the cable depends on what connector your antenna has. I like the N style connectors for the antenna. They are nice and large and very secure. If you are planning on using the 13db antenna that I used ( HG913Y-NF), the cables on this page will work. Note the part number for the antenna ends with &quot;-NF&quot;. This stands for an N-Type connector Female. The cable part numbers on this page all have &quot;NM&quot; in them which stands for N-Type Connector Male.
Some things to consider with these 400 series cables:
These are large diameter (about the size of your finger) low-loss cables. You are not going to get a 90 degree turn on these. They are no fun to use with the Orion series when using a Titan security box. The holes in the box for the cables are not large enough for me to reach in and install the connector. Instead, I have to thread the cable through the box and connect it to the camera outside the box and then squeeze the camera back into the box. It is a tight fit.
I can't speak to the X7D security box issues since I don't have one. I will say that it is very nice to have the antenna connector on top of the X7D. This allow you to go directly into the top of the box without a cable turn. The weight and stiffness of a 400 series cable can make it hard to position the horizontal angle of an Orion where you want it using the standard bracket with no box. You need to leave a lot of slop in length to account for this. I would not expect this to be an issue with the X7D because of the connection location.
Even with physical issue, I still recommend the 400-series cables over the 200-series. With a 200 series cable you will loose about 10 db over 100 feet of cable. With a 400 series cable you will only loose about 4 db over that same 100 feet.

 

[yoderjac]

Extremely helpfull....thanks again!

One more thing, I do see they have a &quot;Flex&quot; series for 400 series cable. I'm sure the specs are the same as far as signal loss goes, but it may handle turns better. I have not tried it yet but probably will with my next cable order.

Jack 'ol buddy, our trusty buckeye expert...with the cell bases which I think are similar to the Orion's they come with two omnidirectional antennas.
One one of my cell bases I attached the antennas at eye level and strapped them with straps to the trees, pointing at 45 degrees in one direction and the same in the other direction. I have really good signal with that one. However, with the second base I'm having poor signal.
What's the best way to get the best signal from the omnidirectiona antennas? Is attaching the antennas this way to the trees reducing their effectiveness?
i.e. would I get better signal mounting them separate on a post as high as possible?
Second question, if I need to upgrade antennas should I go with the higher dbi directional antenna on buckeyes site or the biggest omni directional antenna for the base which I think on their site is only 8 dbi?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
Jack 'ol buddy, our trusty buckeye expert...with the cell bases which I think are similar to the Orion's they come with two omnidirectional antennas.
One one of my cell bases I attached the antennas at eye level and strapped them with straps to the trees, pointing at 45 degrees in one direction and the same in the other direction. I have really good signal with that one. However, with the second base I'm having poor signal.
What's the best way to get the best signal from the omnidirectiona antennas? Is attaching the antennas this way to the trees reducing their effectiveness?
i.e. would I get better signal mounting them separate on a post as high as possible?
Second question, if I need to upgrade antennas should I go with the higher dbi directional antenna on buckeyes site or the biggest omni directional antenna for the base which I think on their site is only 8 dbi?
==================================
Scrim,
which side of the base are you talking about, the cell side or the camera side?
Thanks,
Jack

Jack, it's be the base/cellular side antenna, as I have the cams right near the base on this particular cam so it's not an issue with the cam communicating with the base/signal to base is &quot;good&quot;.
FYI: Stupid me, I just read the manual and troubleshooting section where it said to make sure antennas are as vertical as possible, I have mine attached to tree so they are sort of at 45 degree angles. It also says to have cell and cam antennas as far apart as possible from eachother where I have them directly next to each other.
Could that be part of my issue? If I correct those issues and still having problems would switching to the higher powered omni or directional antennas help and which one would be best?

Jack: What was that website you got your equipment/antennas from? Also any clue what attachment end I would need to fit on the end of the antenna cable to attach to the cellular side of the cell base?

I'm pumped....they shipped my X7D, pcbase, and solar panel out today! I'll be setting it up this weekend!

You'll love it...let us know if you have any questions...they might take you a little bit of time to figure out but once they're up they work pretty well. There's also a learning curve to them as far as playing with antennas and battery levels that can get frustrating especially during deer season when you want to stay out of an area where your cam is but you might need to go in and fix during the season. But...overall it's worth it.

I added 2 more XD-7's to the line up this past weekend. Well actually one.
Using the 6dbi directional mini yagi I've got a camera .46 miles from the base and I'm getting &quot;Good&quot; signal strength (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
For the record the antenna that came on the camera read good also. But I'm getting 4.5 to 5 KB/s transfer with the yagi.
The next cam wouldn't get any signal after about 150 yards away from the base. Even took it to the location of one that is running well and got zero. Rebooted it , Removed it from the base and reinstalled it. same deal. I'm going to send it in for some testing.
Question, sorry if it's been addressed. Has anyone tried to route one camera to another and then on to the base with the XD7's yet? I tried but the steps in the manual did not match or do what they were supposed to on the camera side. Maybe a software upgrade that is in the future.
one other side note. I love the 4X4 route. Mount the camera, battery box and solar panel where ever I want it. My deer on the other hand hate them(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED) I have all my cams buried in cedar trees now.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
I'm pumped....they shipped my X7D, pcbase, and solar panel out today! I'll be setting it up this weekend!
==================================
Welcome to the club. Something tells me they will be shipping you more XD7's in the near future.
Their like Dorito's you can't just have one.(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
Are you putting them in a remote location or at your house?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
I added 2 more XD-7's to the line up this past weekend. Well actually one.
Question, sorry if it's been addressed. Has anyone tried to route one camera to another and then on to the base with the XD7's yet? I tried but the steps in the manual did not match or do what they were supposed to on the camera side. Maybe a software upgrade that is in the future.
==================================
Hey Bill,
Go to the further away cam and go through the menu settings until you can access the camera you wish to piggy back off. I set one of my cams up this way a few months back and apologize, but I can't recall the specific procedure. Regardless, it was rather easy! Bottom line, you can't do this from the pc base, you have to do it from the furthest away cam.
Hope this helps

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by BlazinPond
Hey Bill,
Go to the further away cam and go through the menu settings until you can access the camera you wish to piggy back off. I set one of my cams up this way a few months back and apologize, but I can't recall the specific procedure. Regardless, it was rather easy! Bottom line, you can't do this from the pc base, you have to do it from the furthest away cam.
Hope this helps
==================================
Your saying to do it through the camera that you want to send pictures to another camera?
I did that &quot;kinda&quot; it would see the other camera but I couldn't figure out how to tell it to route to that camera.
By the way it was on the one that couldn't see them base past 150 yards so it's probably good I couldn't route it that way. I think there is something wrong with it.

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
Jack, it's be the base/cellular side antenna, as I have the cams right near the base on this particular cam so it's not an issue with the cam communicating with the base/signal to base is &quot;good&quot;.
FYI: Stupid me, I just read the manual and troubleshooting section where it said to make sure antennas are as vertical as possible, I have mine attached to tree so they are sort of at 45 degree angles. It also says to have cell and cam antennas as far apart as possible from eachother where I have them directly next to each other.
Could that be part of my issue? If I correct those issues and still having problems would switching to the higher powered omni or directional antennas help and which one would be best?
==================================
Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
Jack: What was that website you got your equipment/antennas from? Also any clue what attachment end I would need to fit on the end of the antenna cable to attach to the cellular side of the cell base?
==================================
Scrim,
Sorry, this was opening week of archery and I took the week off to hunt so I haven't spent much time on the Internet. (No luck hunting).
You should orient your antennas as they recommend. Depending on polarization, changing the orientation can have a significant impact. As for separation, 3 feet of physical space should give you well over 20db of isolation.
I've been using L-Com for my antennas and cables. I believe BuckeyeCam was reselling their Hyperlink antennas for the Orion series. I was just avoiding the middle man markup.
I don't have a cell base, so I don't know what connector they are using. They use a Reverse Polarity SMA connector for the antenna on the cameras. Is it different for the cell side of the cell base?
The first thing you would have to do is figure out what frequency they are using on the Verizon network for sending pictures. I think they use 800 mhz for voice and 1.9 ghz for EVDO in most places, but I'm not 100% sure about that. I have not looked into how they connect to the Verizon network. You would then buy a yagi that covers that frequency range and point it at the cell tower.
If I had the time, I could probably figure all this out, but you might be better off dealing with BuckeyeCam. They are charging a bit of a premium for the antennas and cables they sell, but they are also providing you the expertise to make sure you get the right stuff. In you case, it is probably worth the premium. In areas where I have already plowed the ground, I'm happy to share my expertise with others. The cell side is not different conceptually from the camera RF side, but I have not done the due diligence on specific antennas, connectors, etc;
Thanks,
Jack

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Your saying to do it through the camera that you want to send pictures to another camera?
I did that &quot;kinda&quot; it would see the other camera but I couldn't figure out how to tell it to route to that camera.
By the way it was on the one that couldn't see them base past 150 yards so it's probably good I couldn't route it that way. I think there is something wrong with it.
==================================
If you have line-of-site to the base and can not get a signal beyond 150 yards, something is definitely wrong.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Welcome to the club. Something tells me they will be shipping you more XD7's in the near future.
Their like Dorito's you can't just have one.(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)
Are you putting them in a remote location or at your house?
==================================
Yep, definitely more in my future.....just spreading out the expense a little bit. Right now I plan getting 3......2 for plots and one to watch the house when we go to Florida this winter. The furthest one will be a 1/2 mile from the house.

I'm hoping someone can help me out with the setup of my x7D. For some reason, the camera and pc base aren't communicating. On the Base control panel, I'm getting a message that says &quot;updating settings&quot;, and nothing is happening. I removed the program and reinstalled it, and still can't connect and get the same message. Any ideas?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
I'm hoping someone can help me out with the setup of my x7D. For some reason, the camera and pc base aren't communicating. On the Base control panel, I'm getting a message that says &quot;updating settings&quot;, and nothing is happening. I removed the program and reinstalled it, and still can't connect and get the same message. Any ideas?
==================================
Not sure about this one. My base was acting up once and all I had to do was unplug the USB and plug it in another port.
Doesn't sound like the same problem. I PM'd you a cell phone number to try.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
I'm hoping someone can help me out with the setup of my x7D. For some reason, the camera and pc base aren't communicating. On the Base control panel, I'm getting a message that says &quot;updating settings&quot;, and nothing is happening. I removed the program and reinstalled it, and still can't connect and get the same message. Any ideas?
==================================
Start off by eliminating any RF issues. Place the Camera next to the base. Make sure it registers properly and all of the basic communications features work. If they don't you have an issue with either the camera or the PC or PC base.
If this does work, you issue is likely RF. Keep in mind that lots of things can attenuate the signal. Depending on the construction of your house, you may get some attenuation. If you have not already done so, consider putting your PC base antenna outside.

Thanks for the advice guys. I uninstalled the base, then reinstalled. I also used the other USB port. Whatever the issue was, it's gone. I deployed the camera by the corn plot which is about 1/3 of a mile away. I wasn't able to communicate with the camera in the family room(old house with almost 2' thick walls). I moved everything upstairs by the window and all is well.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
I wasn't able to communicate with the camera in the family room(old house with almost 2' thick walls). I moved everything upstairs by the window and all is well.
==================================
I'm voting with Jack on this one. An external antenna will do wonders. Certainly increased my transfer speeds.
Go back a few pages, Jack gave a great lesson (with pics) on what the signal of different antennas looks like.

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
I'm voting with Jack on this one. An external antenna will do wonders. Certainly increased my transfer speeds.
Go back a few pages, Jack gave a great lesson (with pics) on what the signal of different antennas looks like.
==================================
Moving the antenna outside may or may not improve the signal. It really depends on the construction. Wood is usually not a big issue at these frequencies. Some metal in certain configurations can be an issue.
I don't find transfer rates a big issue in general. It can become can become an issue with batteries if you don't have good light on a solar panel. Weak signals can mean an increase in power usage is needed to transfer the same amount of data. The whole thing is a matter of balance. Setting lower resolution with longer delays between pictures generally reduces the amount of data (and therefore power) need over a fixed time period. As long as your solar panel is making nearly as much or more energy available each day than the camera is consuming, batteries will run for a long, long time. Signal levels, programming, and hours per day and intensity of sun on the solar panel all play into the equation. If you are happy with how long your batteries are lasting, it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you have battery issues or if you frequently loose communications with a camera, then look at making adjustments.
I occasionally and temporarily loose communications with many of my Orion cameras depending on weather and season, but these outages don't last long and restore themselves with no action on my part. Only when I was loosing communications with a particular camera on a regular basis did I take steps to build the new tower seen earlier in this thread.

Gents,
I got my camera back from BEC several weeks ago since the firmware update attempt locked up the camera. It had the latest firmware already installed. I set the camera up and walk tested it. Everything was working great.
I was at the farm hunting last weekend. I happened to check the X7D which is on an entry gate, and noticed it missed my arrival. I did a battery check and had a connection with the camera. I noticed that the latest firmware update had a capability that I had requested for the Orion, the ability to disable to PIR for a specified time period. This is great when you have a camera on a field and plan to do some kind of field maintenance, you can disable to camera before heading afield and don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the PIR back on when you are done.
At any rate, I thought maybe somehow I accidentally turned off the PIR. So, I used the enable PIR function. The camera would still not trigger on the PIR. I also tried setting the PIR sensitivity down to 90 and then back to 100. The camera accepted the commands but it made no difference. Finally I did a soft reboot of the camera from the PC.
After the hunt, I left for dinner and then returned. When I checked the X7D, it still did not capture either event. Next, I compared the manual picture I took to older pictures that were PIR triggered. I wanted to see if an animal bumped the camera pointing the PIR in a slightly different direction. Fixed items in the scenes lined up perfectly between the old and new pictures, so an animal bumping the camera was excluded.
The next morning I tested it again and as expected there was no change. So, I got the ladder out and did a hard reboot of the camera by removing the power cable from the battery box and then reconnecting it.
That resolved the issue completely.
QUESTIONS:
Has anyone else experienced this either before or after the latest firmware update? I'm suspecting the latest firmware/software update since I have never had this happen before the update, and the update includes code to disable the PIR, but it could be coincidence.
If you are using the latest firmware/software and your pictures stop but the camera is otherwise responding normally and can even take manual pictures, you may want to check for this issue.
I plan to report this to BEC, but I wanted to check to see if others had experienced it first.
Thanks,
Jack

Jack,
That is interesting. I may have that issue but wont know for sure until i get back this weekend. I flash upgraded all my cameras about 3 weeks ago and moved one. I had to run back to the house because I forgot screws to mount the solar panel. When I did I noticed a bunch of pics of me coming through. I rebooted the camera turned the PIR off and went to finish the job.
In 3 weeks I have not gotten 1 picture that I did not manually take or take with the elapsed time setting.
Everything through the PC responds fine.
Hmm
Again wont know for a week with certainty but I have been suspicious something was up.
Bill
On a side note though all my pic counts are down. I attributed that to the acorn drop.

I reported the issue to Brandon at BEC today. They acknowledged the report and said to let them know if it occurs again, but did not indicate it was a known issue.

Yep, been there done that. I've had this issue with 3 cams. Stopped taking pics on a baited site where I knew I probably was getting pics, so I'd take a manual pic and sure enough there were deer there even when cam was set on 100% sensitivity. I rebooted/restarted cam and it resolved the issue. I wonder why it happens, still. But it did fix it.
Curious if anyone else has had this issue as well: I tried out a smaller mp image and went to the smallest which I believe was 0.3 mp or something like that. The picture itself was more grainy as expected and the picture was also smaller (small measurement). I didn't like the image quality so went back to 1 mp which I had been running all along, but the pic size stays the same not the normal size that I was used to which was quite bigger and easier to see images. Anyone had this issue? I checked my display resolution on my computer and that isn't the issue.

Scrim,
Did this issue just start after upgrading to the latest firmware/software or did you have it with the older firmware/software?
Thanks,
Jack

Absolutely this issue was happening with the latest firmware, not with the one I used prior.
One other error I wanted to share, is that some cams I have upgraded the new firmware update, yet on the software it still says that some of those cams aren't updated (&quot;firmware out of date&quot;).

Thanks! I would report the issue with as much detail as you can to BEC. More reports will focus them on the issue. I did however pass a link to this thread to Brandon.

I found out why that one camera had no signal to the base. The male pin on the antenna connector (camera Side) pushed out so no contact was being made when the antenna was screwed on.
I did this my self when hooking up the cable from the Yagi antenna. I remember it going on hard. That was because I was damaging it. I'll be sure to have them lined up straight in the future.
All in all I have to give BEC excellent grades on customer service. They had it fixed and back in my hands in a week, free of charge.
Scrim,
Didn't you run into this also?

 

[yoderjac]

Bill, I did run into this issue on two of the cams. I don't feel I pressed too hard, but it's possible. I'm assuming the pin that goes into the cam (the male part) is crimped below in the box of the cam...hopefully they're being crimped well. That sort of relates to the biggest issue I've had which is the plastic parts/hexagonal nuts being loose upon receipt on some of the cams. On one cam this caused me to spin a cable which I believe dislocated from the control board on the cam. I'm not sure if they're loosening during shipment or what, but since they pack them so well I'm not sure. I haven't gotten mine fixed yet, have 3 cams that need repair I've just been so busy hunting and preparing for hunting.

Scrim,
I have not taken one apart to see if that contact is a crimp style or solder cup. Heck it could be a through hole pressed onto a flexible circuit.
But I do know with this style connector the termination method is not what holds it in place. The contact is either molded into the insert or it is a one time press in. In either case once it is pushed out the insert cracks and the whole connector has to be replaced.
I need to disassemble one of these things. Just don't know what that does to any warranty work.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
Thanks! I would report the issue with as much detail as you can to BEC. More reports will focus them on the issue. I did however pass a link to this thread to Brandon.
==================================
Well, it happened again this weekend. It was working on Thursday when I arrived at the farm, but got no pictures when I left. It got no pictures when I returned on Friday.
Interesting, cycling the power did not immediately resolve the issues this time. I had to get on a ladder and wave my hand in front of the unit to get it to trigger. After that, it triggered fine at normal distances.
Something ain't right...
This time I sent both the log, my actions, and the pictures into BEC.

Jack,
Just got in. Im going to take a walk in the morning and see if my suspect triggers.
I'll post back what I find.

Me Too.
Took my walk this AM and went by the camera then straight up to it. No pictures. And there is a new scrape a few yards in front of it that produced no pics over the last 3 weeks.
I did as Jack recommended &quot;manual Unplug&quot; and it took pictures of me leaving. We'll see long term.
I'll drop an e-mail to Brandon at BEC later today also.
I agree something is screwy

Ups is delivering my second x7d tomorrow....you guys are making me nervous!

Nothing to worry about outdoorstrm...nothing that can't be fixed, and they will fix it, customer service great. Just part of the &quot;kinks&quot; Jack warned us about.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
Ups is delivering my second x7d tomorrow....you guys are making me nervous!
==================================
I never observed this for many months of operation without this issue prior to the most recent firmware/software update. I don't recall others reporting this issue before the update either. So, I'm fairly certain this is not a hardware issue.

I'm a believer also. I've had nothing great service from these guys.

Hey there guys ... Although I'm new to this forum, I've actually been reading it for months as a reference and problem solving guide. I think its a fair statement to say that the &quot;user manual&quot; that comes with the XD7 is wholly inadequate; without the insights that have been shared here on this board, I probably would have given up by now. I currently have 3 cams up and running on my family's ranch just west of Katy, TX (not far from Houston). I was out installing my 4th cam over the weekend. I'd already registered it and when I got it set up properly in the field with a new antenna mast, solar charger for the battery pack, etc., I got a strange message I've never seen before: &quot;Initializing Radio Module.&quot; I let the cam be for a few hours, but the message was still there and there was no communication to the PC base. I even tried re-registering the camera, thinking I could just start over again (I de-registered the cam from the PC base and also tried to de-register the cam), but nothing I did could get around the &quot;Initializing Radio Module&quot; message. Has anyone encountered this problem before? If so, I'd greatly appreciate any insights on how to work around this problem so I can get my cam up and working!

Out of a dozen cams I've never seen that message and I surely thought I'd seen it all with them. I'd call or email BEC and see what's going on. You could try to reinstall the most recent firmware again. Instead of unregistering it through the software, try unregistering it manually; if I remember correctly you can do this by pressing power and next at the same time and then pressing enter.

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
Gents,
I got my camera back from BEC several weeks ago since the firmware update attempt locked up the camera. It had the latest firmware already installed. I set the camera up and walk tested it. Everything was working great.
I was at the farm hunting last weekend. I happened to check the X7D which is on an entry gate, and noticed it missed my arrival. I did a battery check and had a connection with the camera. I noticed that the latest firmware update had a capability that I had requested for the Orion, the ability to disable to PIR for a specified time period. This is great when you have a camera on a field and plan to do some kind of field maintenance, you can disable to camera before heading afield and don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the PIR back on when you are done.
At any rate, I thought maybe somehow I accidentally turned off the PIR. So, I used the enable PIR function. The camera would still not trigger on the PIR. I also tried setting the PIR sensitivity down to 90 and then back to 100. The camera accepted the commands but it made no difference. Finally I did a soft reboot of the camera from the PC.
After the hunt, I left for dinner and then returned. When I checked the X7D, it still did not capture either event. Next, I compared the manual picture I took to older pictures that were PIR triggered. I wanted to see if an animal bumped the camera pointing the PIR in a slightly different direction. Fixed items in the scenes lined up perfectly between the old and new pictures, so an animal bumping the camera was excluded.
The next morning I tested it again and as expected there was no change. So, I got the ladder out and did a hard reboot of the camera by removing the power cable from the battery box and then reconnecting it.
That resolved the issue completely.
QUESTIONS:
Has anyone else experienced this either before or after the latest firmware update? I'm suspecting the latest firmware/software update since I have never had this happen before the update, and the update includes code to disable the PIR, but it could be coincidence.
If you are using the latest firmware/software and your pictures stop but the camera is otherwise responding normally and can even take manual pictures, you may want to check for this issue.
I plan to report this to BEC, but I wanted to check to see if others had experienced it first.
Thanks,
Jack
==================================
Jack, i did as well. I noticed no pics on my cam and i knew that i should have. Sounds identical to your situation. Frustrating...
However, all is good now.

for sure something is up. I hung a new camera today in the driveway. I had never turned the PIR sensor off. I have to wave at it to make it go off. Just drove an F-250 by it twice and nothing...
I have a message into BEC. Something tells me Jack already has them working on it.
Is there a way to uninstall the latest software upgrade on the camera?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
for sure something is up. I hung a new camera today in the driveway. I had never turned the PIR sensor off. I have to wave at it to make it go off. Just drove an F-250 by it twice and nothing...
I have a message into BEC. Something tells me Jack already has them working on it.
Is there a way to uninstall the latest software upgrade on the camera?
==================================
Not sure they get it just yet based on some emails I received. They need to see that is happening to others. The last email I got from them asked me to send my camera back to them. I think this means they still think it is a problem with individual cameras, not the update.
If you are having this problem, report it!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by yoderj@cox.net
If you are having this problem, report it!
==================================
Gotcha,
I left a message earlier but I just followed up with a detailed e-mail.
I've found in the past that a phone call gets quicker responces.
Bill

Jack
it may be an individual camera thing. I'm not sure. BEC just sent me a down grade to the software. I downgraded the driveway cam. It is triggering now but only at about 15 feet and in. Going to let it sit over night and see if reverts back to no trigger.
To late in the day for me to go to a camera in the field and not spook deer so I'll try the downgrade on one of those tomorrow and keep everyone posted.

I installed my new camera on Monday and everything worked fine Monday and Tuesday night....lots of pics on my destination plot. Now, nothing last night. I suspect I'm having the same issue. If no pictures tonight, I'll do a hard reboot tomorrow and notify BEC.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Billb66
Jack
it may be an individual camera thing. I'm not sure. BEC just sent me a down grade to the software. I downgraded the driveway cam. It is triggering now but only at about 15 feet and in. Going to let it sit over night and see if reverts back to no trigger.
To late in the day for me to go to a camera in the field and not spook deer so I'll try the downgrade on one of those tomorrow and keep everyone posted.
==================================
Well, mine seems to have hung again, so I'll be sending it back again.

Hey Guys, let us know what happens!
I'm sitting on the sidelines waiting to order.....hoping for a sale in a few weeks(INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

I don't &quot;think&quot; I've had any issues with triggering. Of course it's hard to know unless you purposely pass a spot or &quot;know&quot; deer are moving by. I'm sending in about 4 out of 12 cameras in a few weeks once my Dad and Uncle get a buck (if they do). My biggest issue, curious if anyone else is having it, is if I relocate a camera, and unscrew the antenna male and female ends, the male end comes out with the female end (basically the pointy in end comes out of the camera end). It's frustrating b/c once that happens it can't be used as I get no signal. That's happened to two cams I believe of mine. Then I have one cam taking daylight pics and night time pics but the night time pics are all black. I guess that would mean the LED flash isn't working? Last problem that I've explained already on my fourth cam is a lot of my cams about half of them, are or were loose when I received them (the hexagonal plastic nuts at base and external of cam). Being loose, when I attached one of power cables on, the receiving end on the cam spun and knocked loose an internal wire--now that cam won't power up. The two cams with the antenna issue also are stuck on &quot;power up&quot; mode. They don't do anything or won't proceed for me to reregister or anything. I can't manually unregister cam and base won't recognize them.
I still have confidence in the cameras and they've helped me kill an early season buck, but for the money I wish I wasn't having so many problems. I do feel they'll get fixed and know they'll stand behind the cams but sometimes I wish I had gone with the Orions although I wonder if Buckeye will ever not carry them.
By the way, Jack, can one use Orion cams in conjunction with X7Ds/same base or do you have to have a new base? I'm thinking future cams I might just go with the Orion...what are your thoughts? $300 more for the Orion vs. the X7D.

 

[yoderjac]

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
I don't &quot;think&quot; I've had any issues with triggering. Of course it's hard to know unless you purposely pass a spot or &quot;know&quot; deer are moving by. I'm sending in about 4 out of 12 cameras in a few weeks once my Dad and Uncle get a buck (if they do). My biggest issue, curious if anyone else is having it, is if I relocate a camera, and unscrew the antenna male and female ends, the male end comes out with the female end (basically the pointy in end comes out of the camera end). It's frustrating b/c once that happens it can't be used as I get no signal. That's happened to two cams I believe of mine. Then I have one cam taking daylight pics and night time pics but the night time pics are all black. I guess that would mean the LED flash isn't working? Last problem that I've explained already on my fourth cam is a lot of my cams about half of them, are or were loose when I received them (the hexagonal plastic nuts at base and external of cam). Being loose, when I attached one of power cables on, the receiving end on the cam spun and knocked loose an internal wire--now that cam won't power up. The two cams with the antenna issue also are stuck on &quot;power up&quot; mode. They don't do anything or won't proceed for me to reregister or anything. I can't manually unregister cam and base won't recognize them.
I still have confidence in the cameras and they've helped me kill an early season buck, but for the money I wish I wasn't having so many problems. I do feel they'll get fixed and know they'll stand behind the cams but sometimes I wish I had gone with the Orions although I wonder if Buckeye will ever not carry them.
By the way, Jack, can one use Orion cams in conjunction with X7Ds/same base or do you have to have a new base? I'm thinking future cams I might just go with the Orion...what are your thoughts? $300 more for the Orion vs. the X7D.
==================================
I'm not sure I would have noticed this as quickly in a normal field situation. The reason I noticed it so quickly was because it was on an entry gate monitoring vehicles entering. The issue may not be simply a firmware issue. I noticed a new quirk this week.
When I got to the property and checked the cam, it got no picture of my car entering. However, it got a picture of my buddy's truck that entered about 10 minutes before I got there. By the way, the picture delay is set to 5 seconds. I was so involved with hunting, that I decided to just let the camera alone and deal with it another day. Several other vehicles entered that afternoon and I got pictures of none of them. So, I assumed it was the same lockup problem. When I checked the camera this morning, I noticed it had another picture. It got a picture of a neighbor walking through the gate to hunt. Just a man, not a vehicle. Then later in the morning I watched my buddy drive a truck through the gate. I checked the cam, and it did not trigger on the truck. I'm not sure what is going on with it.
The X7D uses a different radio and slightly different frequencies than the Orion. This means you need a base for each. The good news is that since the frequencies are slightly different, you can use both at the same time without them interfering with each other. I'm running 11 orions on and Orion PC base and 1 X7D on an X7D PC base.
Thanks,
Jack

I may or may not have jumped the gun when I said I'm having issues with my 2nd x7d. I drove the ranger by it 2 days ago and it took my picture, but still no pictures of deer in the plot. It's possible they're taking a different route in because I find it very hard to believe they quit hitting the plot altogether after hammering it for weeks. I'm going to do another driveby just to make sure it triggers.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by outdoorstom
I may or may not have jumped the gun when I said I'm having issues with my 2nd x7d. I drove the ranger by it 2 days ago and it took my picture, but still no pictures of deer in the plot. It's possible they're taking a different route in because I find it very hard to believe they quit hitting the plot altogether after hammering it for weeks. I'm going to do another driveby just to make sure it triggers.
==================================
Depends on how close you were to the cam. I have one that now only triggers at 10 foot and under.
Sorry no updates. Decided I'm not spreading scent to pull cameras in November.
I'll yank them after rifle season

I still like the cameras but had I known I'd have issues I probably would have gone with the Orions for just a little bit more money.
WARNING: I'd recommend everyone with an X7D with an antenna already attached to not remove the antenna once in place. What has happened with 8 out of 10 of my cams is that when removing antenna the female end on the mini Yagi picks up the male end of the X7D antenna connection on the camera itself. I'm presuming this male end is crimped to a wire internally or soldered. When the male end is picked up by the female end it can't just be put back in the camera...b/c it's now not crimped or soldered and transmission no longer works unless the camera is right by the base (as with a cell base for instance where you can put the cam right by (within a few feet) of the cell base).
You might ask why I'd remove the antenna when it's already on the cam and the reason has been to relocate a cam it was just easier for me to separate the cam from antenna. I'm not sure if somehow the female and male end corroded causing it to fuse so hard that it picked the male end up or if the male end wasn't crimped or soldered tight enough or strong enough or what, but bottomline it's forcing me to send back most of my cams to get this fixed. Just an FYI for anyone with a cam.
Curious Jack if the Orion has similar connections as the X7D for the antenna and have you ever detached your antenna and have you had any issues with picking up the male end. I've also had the opposite situation occur on one cam where the antenna female end was picked up by the male end on the cam.
Part of the &quot;art&quot; of using these cams is find where they work well. This could be figuring out where you're not getting fog at night so you get clear pics, good location to pickup deer pics, etc. Once one has &quot;the spot&quot; they want to put the cam without having to move it and finding good solar power, etc. then chances of this happening are lessened if one feels they need to remove the antenna to move the cam.
As mentioned before also had one cam where the hexagonal plastic nut at the bottom of the cam was loose and when I put power cable on I overtightened causing it to, what I believe, dislodge any wires that are internal and power the cam...causing the cam not to power up.
One cam I've also had the screws on the inside corrode or rust. I haven't had any issues with the cam related to the corrosion but am sure it's not a good thing and could mean moisture getting in.
Am wondering long term if it would be good to put cams in a plastic casing like a rubber maid container to protect the outer shell of cam from rain although I imagine that could also create a small greenhouse which might also be bad for cam.

 

[yoderjac]

Scrim,
I have not had any connection issues with the Orion. They don't come with a rubber ducky, they come with a 3-db yagi and a short cable. The only issue I have had is when I use a 400 series cable with a titan box. My fingers and too big to put the camera in the box and then attach the cables through the slot. Instead, I have to thread the cables through the slots, connect them to the camera, and then slide the camera back into the box. It is a tight fit and you can stress the connector when using a 400 series cable.
All cameras will have issues with environmental conditions. It is something I just live with. You can mitigate them to some degree by site selection and positioning, but you have to balance that with putting them where you need them from a deer perspective.
I am not nearly as impressed with the physical construction of the X7D as I am the Orion. Seems to me that they were attempting to drive down cost. If moisture is getting into your camera, it is an issue BEC should deal with as I see it.
All,
I have not had time to send my X7D back yet as it is muzzleloader season here. However, I'm learning more about the issue. I'm less convinced this is a firmware issue now, but it still could be.
When I noticed the camera missed me driving through the gate the other day, I didn't do anything. I've been coming and going to the property for the last few days. I did nothing to the X7D, just let it run. When I was on the computer checking Orion pics the other day, I noticed the X7D had taken more pictures. I had not removed power or anything. When I looked at the pictures, I found that the camera seems to simply have periods where it does not trigger. It then has periods when it triggers normally.
We are not talking about some marginal situation. This is vehicles coming through a gate on the road. They are very &quot;hot&quot; targets moving at a few miles per hour that are being missed.
For instance, my buddy is staying at the farm this week. He left through the gate to get lunch this morning and then returned a few hours later in his Honda Pilot. About 20 minutes after he returned, I came down through the gate in my Hyundai Santa Fe. There was no picture of him leaving but it got him returning. It did not get me arriving.
When it is working, it seems to work fine capturing men walking through the gate. During the periods when it is not detecting, I don't know if the PIR is simply not operating or if the detection range is reduced to a few feet like Bill describes.
I'll keep folks informed as thing progress.
Thanks,
Jack

Ok, I'm sending mine back next week. Here is the latest. I don't think the unit is turning off the PIR. I think the detection distance is bouncing all around. When I got to the property yesterday, it did not catch me. I got on a ladder and did a wave test a foot or two in front of the camera. It triggered. I then walked and drove and ATV through the gate and got no picture. It did not get my car leaving for dinner or returning. Then this morning, my buddy left the farm and it caught his truck leaving.
It seems like there is something wrong with the PIR adaptation now that the weather is colder. Perhaps the firmware update was just a coincidence. We will see what BEC says.
Thanks,
Jack

I have had a similar issue I had 1 of my kids go in front of the camera and the computer said no pictures... But when I restarted the software the pictures arrived or started to come in??? This might but a pc based issue not the cameras! I waited and 18 pictures came in when the camera reported none while running on the pc base... Maybe just try to reboot the PC and fire the software up. It got things back on board again here!

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by mlowe
I have had a similar issue I had 1 of my kids go in front of the camera and the computer said no pictures... But when I restarted the software the pictures arrived or started to come in??? This might but a pc based issue not the cameras! I waited and 18 pictures came in when the camera reported none while running on the pc base... Maybe just try to reboot the PC and fire the software up. It got things back on board again here!
==================================
In my case, it is clearly a PIR issue. I have complete communications with the camera from the PC base and can tell it to take a picture manually. It does and sends it back to the PC base. So, mine is not a communications or PC software issue.

Jack,
I have to agree with the thought of a PIR issue. The one I put on the driveway went from taking pics at 10 feet and in, to 0 feet in a few days. A hard reboot reset it to taking pics at 10 feet but it reverted to no pics very quickly.
Finally pulled 3 suspect cams. I was going to set them up in the yard and see if I could get a better diagnosis. Now I just think I'll send them to BEC for eval.

Jack, any word from BEC about why this happened and how it will be corrected?

I have not heard anything yet. My wife mailed mine back last week and said it should arrive at BEC last Friday. I don't yet have confirmation that they received it. It is holiday time though...

 

[yoderjac]

who is paying for all of the shipping back and forth??
I was close to buying these.. but given the distance from my farm to home and the increase in glitches reported... I am now less excited..
thanks
Bryan

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by bbarrett
who is paying for all of the shipping back and forth?
==================================
Hey Bryan,
So far I've only shipped one back. Have 3 waiting. I paid from my end and they paid to return it to me. Although I did not ask for reimbursement.
Kinda wish I went with the Orion system now. But I have not lost hope that this system will get the kinks worked out. So far the customer service I have received is excellent. That's hard to find these days.
I keep rethinking sending mine back or setting them up in the yard. Now I think I'm going to set them up in the yard and get a full report of what each one does and doesn't do before sending them in.
I hear ya on the long distance. My first 2 cameras were working flawlessly for 2 months. I really enjoyed coffee and pictures in the morning. Now I'm down to 1 working camera until? It's time to frost seed some more switch grass.

Yes, if you want reliability, I'd go for the Orion or wait and see if the X7D matures. The Orion is older technology but is bullet proof. Time will tell if the X7D issues are firmware related and will eventually be resolved or if they are hardware issues. I'm not ready to endorse the X7D yet.
I paid the shipping to BEC and they will pay the shipping back to me. This is my second return of the X7D. The first time it completely locked up when I tried to update the firmware. Since I got it back with the new firmware, I've had this PIR issue.
I did ship an Orion back one time. I opened it in a rain storm with an umbrella positioned over it so I could change the battery. When I turned my back, the wind blew the umbrella off and it got drenched. I dried it out but was afraid to apply power for fear of burning something out. I sent it back and they tested it and said it was fine. Sure enough it has been working like a charm for years since. I also paid the shipping to them and they paid to ship it back to me.
Thanks,
Jack

Im still watching this thread with interest......at this moment, I'm really pleased that I did not rush and pull the trigger on several. please keep the updates coming!

Same here I was going to pull the trigger but after reading this on going thread I think I will wait and sit on the sideline for a while and keep what I have.

If there was ever a company with a reputation that would tempt me to be an early adopter it is BuckeyeCam. Having said that, I always recommend waiting for a camera to be out for 9-12 months before buying one. You can no longer do that with the low-end cams. They rush stuff to market so fast now that once a camera has been out long enough to get a handle on failure rate, they stop producing it and move on to the next model.
I was concerned when I saw that BEC was both lowering the cost and increasing the capability (except for radio range) with the X7D. After confirming that the Orion and X7D can be operated simultaneously from a single PC, I decided to buy a single X7D just to do some testing.
I too was on the verge of pulling the trigger on a couple more units when I ran into the PIR issue. Right now, I'm in a holding pattern... With a network of 11 Orion cams all running flawlessly for years, I'm not forced to act. So, at this point, I'm waiting and watching...

Yoder
The reason I don't want the Orion is in my thought process is that in 5 years they will pull the plug on the Orion and I will have a ton of money in old technology and no way to keep it running. Yes they will be able to fix what I have but I would need to look for used ones to add to my inventory.

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by Plant175
Yoder
The reason I don't want the Orion is in my thought process is that in 5 years they will pull the plug on the Orion and I will have a ton of money in old technology and no way to keep it running. Yes they will be able to fix what I have but I would need to look for used ones to add to my inventory.
==================================
That is a reasonable concern. BuckeyeCam has told me that they have no current plans to phase out the Orion, but like anything, eventually they will. The question is when.
If the X7D was compatible with the Orion, I think that would happen sooner. Unlike most camera companies, BEC seems to depend a lot more on repeat business from the same customers. They serve a higher end of the market and I can't see them abandoning that installed base of users.
The X7D, even presuming all the kinks are worked out, is not a replacement for many users due to the shorter distance radios they are using. Instead, I think it was an attempt to expand slightly lower into the market with the lower price.
I would expect that BEC will need to find a way to move a significant percentage of their installed base on to another camera before abandoning the Orion. However, the Orion has been out for almost 5 years now and your concern is legitimate.
Thanks,
Jack

I don't blame anyone for waiting. I don't regret jumping the gun in buying them but I will say that I have about 10 cameras or so and by the time I'm done I will have shipped back 8 of them I believe. I also wish I had bought the Orion's but my biggest concern was whether the Orion would be discontinued.

Well, I got an email today that BEC shipped me a package. I presumed it was may camera. Since I had not heard back about the status, I dropped them an email and asked about the issue.
Sean responded and said that it was a code bug in the firmware as I originally suspected and should be fixed in release: 1.8.4.
This is very good news for all of us owners. Hardware issues can be very problematic. Firmware issues are much less of a long term issue.
I'll report back once I have the camera in hand and deployed again. I'm out of town hunting now, so I won't get it deployed until next weekend anyway.
The fact that this turned out to to be a coding bug not a PIR hardware issue helps restore my confidence in the X7D. I'm not quite ready to give it my endorsement yet, but this is a significant step in the right direction.

Jack,
That's good news I haven't shipped my 3 back yet. Maybe I'll just wait and see if the upgrade fixes them.

Looks like this was a big whoops. I see the new firmware 1.8.4 is listed as a Beta on the site. I'm guessing the PIR goof was such a problem that they didn't want to wait to fully test 1.8.4 before releasing it. Either that or labeling it Beta is a way of saying God bless you before the next sneeze. (INTERNAL IMAGE LIKE EMOTICON REMOVED)

Hi there! I'm so glad to view your post. Also, want to know more about this. I like to introduced our camera that can be used wildlife. For further information, visit this site;
Quote:
==================================
Sandra, if you want to creat a separate post and discuss your cameras options/capabilities , that's fine. But no dumping advertising links into threads....Thx.
==================================

 

[yoderjac]

I've got one returned cam up and running and it's work as normal (for now). Hopefully it will continue to do so.
I do want to share something new for me but not for some like Jack. Jack posted some links a while back to a long range antenna and corresponding cables to go with it. Man do they work. I believe the one I got through L-com is 13 dbi and compared to the mini Yagi that transmits pics at 2 kb/s the new antennas is transmitting pictures at 5.2 kb/s. I believe BEC sells the same antenna and cables for twice the price, so if you haven't already consider going to L-com.
Here's the links:
http://www.l-com.com/item.aspx?id=22766
http://www.l-com.com/item.aspx?id=22364
You can also purchase mini yagis here at a much lower price than BEC.
Again, not my idea, this is nothing new that Jack hasn't posted but I needed some new antennas and these guys are worth it.
Jack, is the 13 dbi antenna pretty much the largest over the counter antenna you can get?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
...
Jack, is the 13 dbi antenna pretty much the largest over the counter antenna you can get?
==================================
They sell a 14 db yagi but it is over twice the price and unless you have some speciality application, 1 db is not worth the added cost.
You can buy a dish for about $325 that will give you 18db: <http://www.l-com.com/item.aspx?id=32451
Keep in mind that the higher the gain, the smaller the beam width and thus the more critical pointing is.
The 13db antenna hits the sweet spot between performance and cost.
One quick caution:
I work with RF communications all the time with my job. It is easy to screw up and order the wrong connectors or wrong cable if you are not familiar with this stuff. While you can save some money ordering antennas and cables directly from L-Com or other sources, you are largely on your own when it comes to ensuring everything mates up. When you buy them from BEC, you will pay a premium, but you will have no worries when it comes to makings sure everything mates.
Thanks,
Jack

...I see what you are saying Jack but its not like there's really that many different connections you need with x7d...pretty much the links to connections above from l-com at half the cost...seems like a no brainer to me unless one is ordering from a different site than l-com, and doesn't know what to order. Otherwise you are just paying BEC for the same product. I dont believe BEC make the antennas and cables they cell anyway do they? Thought they just resold them from their distributor.

Jack if someone has no choice but to ping to a camera, what's the proper use of antennas. If you have a directional antenna pointing to a pinged camera acting as receiver cam what antenna do you put on the receiving camera? I was thinking a directional antenna on one cam pointing to the pinged cam which also has a directional antenna pointing to your cell or pc base but I wasn't sure if having a directional antenna on the pinged cam would act as a bad receiving cam. Confused.
I've got a cam in the woods and best transmission I get is 0.5 kb/s which isn't great. Would I be better off leaving as is or pinging to a cam that would be in line of site with base?

Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
...I see what you are saying Jack but its not like there's really that many different connections you need with x7d...pretty much the links to connections above from l-com at half the cost...seems like a no brainer to me unless one is ordering from a different site than l-com, and doesn't know what to order. Otherwise you are just paying BEC for the same product. I dont believe BEC make the antennas and cables they cell anyway do they? Thought they just resold them from their distributor.
==================================
Scrim,
I did the work for you. I gave you the specific part numbers for the cable and antennas so they would all mate up. If you had just gone to the L-Com site, would would find bunches of options for cable types and connectors. The series you need depends on the cable length. 200 series cable has more loss per foot than 400 series.
So, if someone has the same application as you, they can certainly order the same part numbers from L-Com and save money. (You are correct, BEC does not make any of the antennas or cables and it would not surprise me if they are using L-Com as a source). However, if the application is not the same and the end user does not know the difference between an SMA and an RPSMA, figuring out exactly what to buy from L-Com can be problematic.
Your next post below is a good example. You can call BEC and tell them what you are trying to do and they can tell you what to buy. If you have the wherewithal to translate the BEC product to the correct L-Com parts, you can save some money, but if you screw-up, you are on your own to fix it.
Quote:
==================================
Originally Posted by scrimshaw33
Jack if someone has no choice but to ping to a camera, what's the proper use of antennas. If you have a directional antenna pointing to a pinged camera acting as receiver cam what antenna do you put on the receiving camera? I was thinking a directional antenna on one cam pointing to the pinged cam which also has a directional antenna pointing to your cell or pc base but I wasn't sure if having a directional antenna on the pinged cam would act as a bad receiving cam. Confused.
I've got a cam in the woods and best transmission I get is 0.5 kb/s which isn't great. Would I be better off leaving as is or pinging to a cam that would be in line of site with base?
==================================
I'm not sure what you mean by a &quot;pinged&quot; camera. Are you talking about using a camera as a repeater? If so, it really depends on your exact configuration. We talked in a previous post about antenna gain. With a yagi, power is generally moved from one horizontal side of the antenna to the other. The higher the gain, the narrower the beam-width. You can think of the higher gain antenna as being more focused. The omnidirectional antennas we talk about is actually a bit of a misnomer. With these, are omnidirectional in the horizontal direction only. They move power from the vertical direction above and below the antenna. You can think of the antenna pattern for these as being a donut verses a horizontal &quot;V&quot; for a yagi. This is a bit of an oversimplification, but it is fine for purposes of this discussion.
The type of antenna that will work best depends on the placement of the cameras. For example, if you are using a single camera as a repeater and placing several other cameras around it at any angle, an omni-directional antenna placed high above obstructions works well. On the other hand, if you plan to cascade several cameras as repeaters in a zig-zag pattern, you may be able to use a low or medium gain yagi.
A camera used as a repeater uses the same camera to talk to terminal cameras as it does to talk to the PC base. So, whatever antenna you use, it must have a beam-width that covers both the base and any terminal cameras. The L-Com site has antenna patterns listed for most of the antennas.
If you mean something else by &quot;pinged&quot; let me know and I'll try again.
Thanks,
Jack

Jack, I know you did the work for me/us, which is why I explained in the post that you had originally posted it...was just resurfacing it since I had got them and they work great at half the cost. Everyone likes to save money.
Completely agree with you, you can't take away the fact that BEC I'm sure is a wealth of knowledge if you call them and ask what you need. However, my only point was that if you have the X7D which most people participating in this thread do and need a higher gain antenna then the links to antenna and cables will work. I guess to me it would seem there's not too many combinations of antennas you'd have to figure out to purchase anything from l-com...whether you want the 13 dbi antenna or just a mini-yagi, etc. There's only so many choices. Not taking anything away from BEC, just wanted to repost what you had already posted and if people want to save money then those combinations would probably work well for the X7D.
But as I said in the original post, all I was doing was reposting the links that you had done the research for to find what did work in the hopes that others who wanted to save some money might find them useful in case they needed them and weren't able to sift through this lengthy thread to find them.
Thanks for your help as always.

Thanks Jack regarding info. about Pinged cameras even though that's the wrong term. I got the term from the screen on the BEC where it says pinged to base or pinged to other cams, etc. But yes you hit the nail on the head and figured out I was referring to a repeater cam.