When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
01-02-2005, 09:41 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Longwood FL
Posts: 143
When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
I wanted to use either a 6Volt lantern battery or the standard (8)AA batteries.
My camera Goes thru 8AA batteries in about a week. At $5 every time I had to replace them I knew there had to be a better way. Then one day while changing out dead batteries I noticed something. After I put in the first 4 batteries the camera initialized and advanced the film. I took a closer look and realized the first 4 power the camera and the last 4 power the motion sensor. Once I realized both devices run on 6 volts I got the idea to made an external battery source. After testing my theory that a lantern battery would work with gator clips. I was ready to intall a plug for the external battery.
I started by dissembling the unit. I took out the camera and then took out the battery/circut board unit.
When I saw the tiny passive infared sensor I was impressed with how small it was.
The smaller of the two circuit board had the motion sensors sensitivity adjust on it. It is the little orange piece at the top that accepts a Phillips screw driver. I left this alone since my test with the 6volt battery showed it could pick me up from across my living room 20'+.
After looking around I found a spot I could mount the female side of the power connector. I used a speaker plug because it was the lowest profile plug I could mount easily. I mounted it near the infrared sensor but made sure it was not in the way. I also noticed a weird pattern on the inside of the infrared sensors lens. I guess it helps filter out the squirrels.
I then found the positive and negative terminals on the circuit board and soldered up the wires to the plug.
After reassimbling the unit I powered it up with the 6Volt battery and set it to test mode. It works as expected and I should have a much longer battery life.
I also am thinking I could use rechargeable batteries and rig up a solar panel to charge them during the day. I don't know if it could keep them permanently charged up but I know it would extend the battery life.
If you get the bright idea to try this don't blame me if it does not work. I'm not an electrician, I just drank way to much Mountain Dew last night.
My camera Goes thru 8AA batteries in about a week. At $5 every time I had to replace them I knew there had to be a better way. Then one day while changing out dead batteries I noticed something. After I put in the first 4 batteries the camera initialized and advanced the film. I took a closer look and realized the first 4 power the camera and the last 4 power the motion sensor. Once I realized both devices run on 6 volts I got the idea to made an external battery source. After testing my theory that a lantern battery would work with gator clips. I was ready to intall a plug for the external battery.
I started by dissembling the unit. I took out the camera and then took out the battery/circut board unit.
When I saw the tiny passive infared sensor I was impressed with how small it was.
The smaller of the two circuit board had the motion sensors sensitivity adjust on it. It is the little orange piece at the top that accepts a Phillips screw driver. I left this alone since my test with the 6volt battery showed it could pick me up from across my living room 20'+.
After looking around I found a spot I could mount the female side of the power connector. I used a speaker plug because it was the lowest profile plug I could mount easily. I mounted it near the infrared sensor but made sure it was not in the way. I also noticed a weird pattern on the inside of the infrared sensors lens. I guess it helps filter out the squirrels.
I then found the positive and negative terminals on the circuit board and soldered up the wires to the plug.
After reassimbling the unit I powered it up with the 6Volt battery and set it to test mode. It works as expected and I should have a much longer battery life.
I also am thinking I could use rechargeable batteries and rig up a solar panel to charge them during the day. I don't know if it could keep them permanently charged up but I know it would extend the battery life.
If you get the bright idea to try this don't blame me if it does not work. I'm not an electrician, I just drank way to much Mountain Dew last night.
01-02-2005, 10:06 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Longwood FL
Posts: 143
RE: When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
ORIGINAL: moose1915
were you that kid in grade school that took everything apart to see how it worked?
were you that kid in grade school that took everything apart to see how it worked?
01-02-2005, 07:15 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Longwood FL
Posts: 143
RE: When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
ORIGINAL: ir655
Boy you have way too much time on your hand!
Boy you have way too much time on your hand!
Well today I hooked the modded camera back up to it's tree. Then I went down my path to hunt for the afternoon and with the new battery it managed to detect me and take my picture. Yes that is what it is support to do but the cool part is I normally walk down the same path and it has never gone off before. With a good strong battery it is much more sensitive. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not yet. I hope I don't end up with a whole roll of quail and turkeys.
01-02-2005, 08:32 PM
#8
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: minnesota USA
Posts: 411
RE: When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
glad ta know you== ya just saved me lots of money in battery costs-i schooled in microprocessers/microcomputers and motown is not far off with his tractor battery but a 6 volt battery can be hard locate and normally cost more---but a 12volt battery with a resistor to knock the volts down to 6 and use the heat generated by the resistor to warm the battery so it can charge from the solar panel is flippin brillant
if ya got any wind use a wind generater
way ta use your noodle dude
================================================== =======
nessesity--the mother of all inventions
if ya got any wind use a wind generaterway ta use your noodle dude
================================================== =======
nessesity--the mother of all inventions
01-02-2005, 09:00 PM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: minnesota USA
Posts: 411
RE: When I'm hunting I think of things to try.
ya know anything about "ohms" law or electronics ?
if ya do i can show ya on paper how it would work
as far as the location it would sit under the battery=because=heat rises
==== insulating battery to trap heat from resistor ====could be achived with a marine battery box and insulation that could be buried and locked underground
have you ever felt the heat from a car amp?
thats why they have heat dissipation fins like a motorcycle engine =
they get hot
ps a battery will not take a charge until its warm so when you start your car after being out side in subzero cold you are doing it no favors by turning off your lights, heater blower or anything else electrical AFTER it starts
THE OPPOSITE is true turn ON your lights AFTER your car is running =turn on everything= this causes electrons to cycle thru the battery and back which warms the battery and allows it to take a charge
if ya do i can show ya on paper how it would work
as far as the location it would sit under the battery=because=heat rises
==== insulating battery to trap heat from resistor ====could be achived with a marine battery box and insulation that could be buried and locked underground
have you ever felt the heat from a car amp?
thats why they have heat dissipation fins like a motorcycle engine =they get hotps a battery will not take a charge until its warm so when you start your car after being out side in subzero cold you are doing it no favors by turning off your lights, heater blower or anything else electrical AFTER it starts
THE OPPOSITE is true turn ON your lights AFTER your car is running =turn on everything= this causes electrons to cycle thru the battery and back which warms the battery and allows it to take a charge