Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Troubleshoot A Wildlife Camera

The cameras are mounted at a trail location---usually on a tree---and capture images.








Wildlife cameras can be used to capture images of animals in their natural environment. Flash and infrared functions allow for night shots. The cameras are mounted at a trail location---usually on a tree---and capture images based on movement or with time-lapse techniques. They run on batteries and use memory cards that can be simply removed. Potential problems with the cameras can be related to positioning, weather, poor images and power. Problems like these can be prevented or corrected by following some troubleshooting steps.


Instructions








1. Replace the batteries more often in cold weather conditions. Cold weather affects battery performance and life. Heat can affect the infrared sensor, so remount the camera in the shade if you run into sensing problems.


2. Position the camera so that the lens isn't pointed into the sun if images are unsatisfactory. Be aware that the sun's trajectory changes through the season. You may have to remount the camera as time goes by. When mounting the camera, be sure to position it on a solid tree, as too light a limb will make the camera move in the wind and cause images to be blurred. Limbs that appear solid may not be during storms.


3. Point the wildlife camera up or down a trail, but not across the trail.The animals will stay in the camera's range for a longer period and you'll get a better selection of images to choose from. Just be sure to insert a high-capacity memory card, so you can increase the number of pictures taken per movement, too, or reduce the time-lapse settings.

Tags: capture images, cameras mounted, cameras mounted trail, location---usually tree---and, location---usually tree---and capture, mounted trail, mounted trail location---usually