As many of you know, i have been using Stealth Cam I450 and I550 cameras the last few seasons with good success. I love the picture quality, and the powerful flash. I was going through batteries like crazy though and decided the only logical thing to do was buy the external battery pack. So i did, in the fall of this year (June). Well the I450 that i had would recognize it, so i called Stealth and they agreed to replace my camera for free. After i got it back (took a few months ), i realized that they had sent me the newer and better I550 (props to stealth!). This camera worked like a dream throughout the rest of the fall, and took many great pictures of bucks. Well, a couple weeks ago, i went to put it back out and it too failed to recognize the battery. Well, after testing the battery and the power cord to make sure i was getting juice out, i called Stealth again and they agreed to replace my camera once again. Im very satisfied with the Stealth company for sticking by their products and customers and sending me new (or re-furbished) cameras when mine craps out. The part i dont like is the fact that my camera's keep dying on me. Has anybody else had this problem with their Stealth cameras? You would think by 2009 that a company like that should be able to make a product without bugs.
I have an older version of the 1550 (I think, i'm extremely new to trail cameras so i'm still trying to understand them). I'm using it for a reserch project for high school. I haven't had any problems with the camera dying on me, but the time it takes the pictures is extremely delayed. I've checked all of the settings on it and they seem normal, and I'm getting pictures of some things (turkey vultures, people, pets) so I'm not sure why I keep getting pictures of deer and coyote tracks without the actual animals. Hopefully the pictures of thier tracks will be sufficient enough for my project, but it's doubtful.
Ill give you a tip Caitlyn. With Stealth cams, it works best to use it in front of a bait pile or mineral lick. If you DO use it on a trail, angle it so that it is facing DOWN the trail and the deer are walking TOWARDS the camera. Like this:
And this... http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh240/anthony_derks/Sniper%20Cam/ Please tell me that when you click this link, it is not showing that you are logged into my account? I tested it, and it keeps logging me in.
Thanks for the tips =) I talked to my teacher about it, and although he probably won't use that advice until next years group of seniors, I'll keep that in mind. My senior project (comparing the number of hunting licenses sold to the deer population (and the deer's health) and in accordance to Lyme disease cases) has really made me consider getting a trail camera of my own. =)
My first Stealth Cams (the 35mm's) were awsone, never had a problem, so when Stealth Cam made a digital I had to buy it. That thing was CRAP! 3-4 days battery life, 20-30 second trigger speed, and crappy coloring to the photos. I purchased the solar panel in hopes of having better battery life, that bumped me up to about a week. From that point on I swore off Stealth Cam. I have had 2 Cuddeback C3000's and both were amazing when they worked, but they both quit working after a year or so, they both did the same thing...started snapping photos randomly until the batteries died, and then they wouldn't turn back on. Went to Moultries and even though alot of guys love them, I wouldn't use them if they payed me to. Three of the new Moultries, all less than a few weeks old, all having the same problems. Neon green and purple photo colors followed by the LCD displays going black. They would still work, but you couldn't change any settings and you had to know the routine to turn them on. TrailMac.... possibly the most frustrating company I have dealt with. My camera worked perfect for awhile and then would act up and not snap photos. I sent the company several e-mails and never got a reply. I posted about it on the other site and they signed in and said that I had never sent them an e-mail. I e-mailed them back and they told me to send it in. I did and when I got it back my bill was around $60 or $70....just to tell me that I "didn't have one of the switches set right". They took the liberty to replace the "glass" on the front which was nothing more than a piece of clear plastic that was glued to the foam on the inside of the unit. I set the unit out and sure enough, it wasn't taking pictures consistantly...same problem and I triple checked all the switches. I made the mistake of leaving it out during a rainstorm the week that I got it back and apparently they didn't make sure that the new "glass" was sealed as my camera was entirely full of water and was shot. I decided after all these problems to drop the extra cash for the Reconyx and I'm not looking back. This unit performs perfectly every time I put it out and I know that I don't have to worry about it. I had a problem (my own fault for not reading the instructions) with my screen not telling me how many photo's had been taken. I e-mailed the company late on a Saturday night and Sunday morning when I woke up they had e-mailed me back and explained what I was doing wrong
The RC45 and RC55 take great night photos, being that they are standard IR Flash. The RC65 using the "Covert IR Flash" has a shorter flash range, but the recent firmware upgrades have helped that out, and they are now offering a "H.O." option which will give the covert flash a much better range and better picture quality. The H.O. range is as good if not better than the Moultrie I60's and the photos will have more depth to them.
Can you post up some IR night photos and some day photos for me? Im starting to look at cameras again for a 3rd unit.
ack! i'm having more problems with my stealthcam. now all of the pics are purple and white. my friend thinks that the flash is inverted, but i'm not sure how to fix it. and the timing is still off. what should i do?
