Trail camera batteries
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Lone Wolf
19-Sep-21
I have 3 tactacam reveal cameras. I started using lithium batteries this spring. My complaint is the go dead without warning. One day at 80 or 90% and the next day dead. Is this typical?
From: Public land hunter
19-Sep-21
I've never had that issue. I usually get 2 seasons out of them. Energizer. Are you getting moisture or corrosion?
From: JL
19-Sep-21
What is the date on the batteries?
From: Pat Lefemine
19-Sep-21
Pat Lefemine's Link
That’s a known problem with lithium’s and I talk about that in my feature on trail cam batteries. I also talk about the best way to power trail cams.
Hit the link.
From: Finnman
19-Sep-21
I've had the same problem this year with E lithiums. Some sets of 8 have only lasted 53 pics. Normally last for months and thousands of pics. Batteries say 2041 expiration date. Running 4 cameras Moultrie and Browning.
From: Lone Wolf
19-Sep-21
The batteries last a long time but go dead without warning.
From: JL
19-Sep-21
This thread just reminded me of last night. We were trying to look for a deer in the dark. It was in the area I had a Moultrie cam. The batteries were dead....I thought I changed them a couple of weeks back with NIB Energizer lithiums. The cam only got maybe 50-something vids. Anyway....I put in NIB Energizer lithiums last night. As I closed the cam door, I noticed it said the charge was 100%. What caught my eye was the number of days meter only showed 2 days. Normally a Moultrie will show 19 days with new lithiums. I'll make a point to check it again soon to see if the batteries died.
From: RIT
19-Sep-21
Bought a Tactacam to try back in May. I finally got around to putting it out last week. I put new lithium’s in and the battery meter said they were only at 60%. I took them out and put them in a Reconyx cell 100%. Put them in a Reconyx non-cellular 100%. I put them back in the Tactacam 60%. I put the cam out with those batteries and after 4 days they now read 100% on the app.
From: Wildan2
20-Sep-21
I always run Energizer Lithium's in my six cameras,two TactaCams and four Brownings.The TactaCams are new and still on the original batteries;the Brownings normally last a full season(Aug-Jan.) set on 20 second videos.I get thousands of pictures on one set.
From: Meat Grinder
20-Sep-21
I was scouting a couple of new areas on public land this summer and was putting out some trail cams. I had Energizer lithiums in my GPS. I'd had the batteries in the GPS for quite some time and when I started the day, the meter showed almost full strength. When I went to place the last cam, the meter had dropped to half-strength, and within minutes the GPS shut off. I wasn't in danger of being lost, but wanted to know exactly where I was leaving the camera, so I had to make a second trip once I replaced the batteries. I got my money's worth out of the batteries, just wasn't expecting the sudden shut down. Lesson learned.
From: JL
20-Sep-21
Meat.....as I recall, if your GPS is a Garmin, there is a software update that tells you not to use Lithium batteries in the GPS. I have a Garmin 60 GPS and had a lithium battery issue with it. I spoke to a Garmin tech rep and they told me about it and the software update.
From: DanaC
20-Sep-21
Some claim 'it's a feature, not a bug.' If you need full power, lithiums pump it out right 'til they die. Alkalines fade gradually. I prefer the latter, but lithiums do work better in winter cold.
From: Lone Wolf
20-Sep-21
Thanks everyone
From: spike78
20-Sep-21
I use the cost saving CVS brand batteries and they last quite a long time 6 months very minimum if not a year depending on how many pics you get. I have the CVS card and get 40% coupons regularly which makes them pretty damn cheap with the 24 pack.
From: D.O.D.
20-Sep-21
I run a dozen plus cameras 24/7 and all year long, I use Amazon rechargeable and NOTHIN BUT!! Although manufacturers say not to use them I have NEVER had an issue with them. I use Moultrie , Boly and Reconyx. Are yous aware Moultrie has their own Branded batteries? Perhaps thats why they tell you not to use rechargeable. Futhermore, I am still recharging after 10 years and thousands of pics.
From: JL
20-Sep-21
^...do you just do pics? Any vids? If so, how long do the rechargeables last when doing vids only....say 30 second vids at 1 minute spacing?
From: D.O.D.
20-Sep-21
I only do pics. One other thing noteworthy. Others have commented in the past about NOT using cameras to view your cards in field. I AWAYS carry a Canon to check cards, never any issue, and ALL my cards are deleted and formatted with camera.
From: JL
20-Sep-21
Thanks. I only do videos on my cams and those will eat up the batteries if you have a lot of traffic. The battery box might be the way to go.
I use the cam's viewer to look at the vid icons real quick in the field. I tried using a card viewer but that screwed up the files on the card because it opened them up in a different format that what the cam recorded them in....teachable moment. I'll view and format them on the laptop either back home or in the truck. I have a 12v power cord for my laptop that plugs into the cig lighter. The laptop formatting is compatible with both the Moultries and Bolys.
From: DanaC
20-Sep-21
JL, do you use VLC on your laptop to open and view videos?
I have that on my Mac , along with Handbrake to crop them and convert to MP4
From: JL
20-Sep-21
I have that and Media Player. Usually Media Player does the playing.
From: Meat Grinder
20-Sep-21
JL--my GPS is indeed a Garmin. I'll check on the update. Thanks for the info.
Over the past several years, rechargeable batteries used in power tools (Ni-cad and Lithium) have been designed to run at near 100% until they're out of juice, so I'm not surprised that disposable batteries might work the same way. I was just disappointed over the timing in my case. Five more minutes would have been all I needed.
Good Hunting to all. Be Safe.
From: JL
20-Sep-21
Meat....look at your Garmin and scroll thru the menu(s). If there is an option to select the lithium batteries.....you likely need an update in software. I was able to get mine updated while talking to the Garmin tech rep. I connected the GPS to my laptop and went to the Garmin update link. The tech rep walked me thru the update so it was fairly quick. Once updated, the option to select the lithium batteries (or alkaline...which stayed) disappeared.
Good luck....
From: Meat Grinder
20-Sep-21
Will do. Thanks again.
From: D.O.D.
20-Sep-21
The Canon SX 200i will not read videos but shows pocs WELL, I use it exclusively to format cards, pics I save I put on laptop.
