Trail Camera Idea

[Fluteman]

Over the weekend I was out checking cams and moving a few around. Found a great spot on a hillside with good sign, but knew my camera sensor would give me late triggers due to the grade of the hill. I ended up hanging the camera anyway, making sure the sensors were parallel to the hillside.

This got me thinking about things, and I was thinking how nice it would be to see a trail camera company come up with a camera that has an adjustable sensor. Something that could be adjusted clockwise or counter-clockwise, as well as a small adjustment up and down. Of course it isn't something that is needed, but just thought it might be a nice addition to a trail camera.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Mike]

Do it up! Patent your idea.

 

[hickslawns]

Number one thought would be the need to loosen, adjust, and then tighten it. If not, deer or coons would sniff it or nudge it and defeat the purpose.

I am thinking the brackets sold to mount the cameras at different angles will be the reason the camera manufacturers don't do it.

Overall, I like it as "thinking outside the box". I think it is a good idea.

 

[bowhunter1023]

The SpyPoint Tiny series sort of addresses this issue with 7 zones of detection: SpyPoint Tiny.

I cannot remember which cam or what company it is, but there is a camera on the market that also offers a remote sensor that can be set up to do what you are talking about. For the life of me, I cannot remember which one though. It is a great concept and one that would be particularly handy in hill country...

 

[jagermeister]

I think it's a great idea, Greg. Even though it adds a bit of potential for operator error, I think it could be extremely useful... especially for guys hunting the hills of SE Ohio. Even at the property I hunt in Carroll Co, I've run into sensor-triggering issues on sloping camera sets. I would definitely like to see this type of adjustability in a trail camera.

 

[Fluteman]

Number one thought would be the need to loosen, adjust, and then tighten it. If not, deer or coons would sniff it or nudge it and defeat the purpose.

I am thinking the brackets sold to mount the cameras at different angles will be the reason the camera manufacturers don't do it.

Overall, I like it as "thinking outside the box". I think it is a good idea.

What I was thinking of Phil was something similar to an adjustable head on a headlamp. Something that will pivot up and down by clicks. Same way with the C, CC motion, something similar to a geared dial that would clicks for each degree of adjustment. I would think if you set something like this up on a camera that has a test feature, it would be fairly easy to set it up.

 

[bowhunter1023]

The first issue that comes to mind with me is not getting it to trigger, but in making sure what triggers the cam actually appears in the picture.

 

[hickslawns]

Gotcha. I had pictured something which just moves around on a plastic ball bearing or something. Move it around for a season and the wear makes it floppy then you need trail camera viagra. Your idea makes more sense than what I had envisioned.

 

[Fluteman]

The first issue that comes to mind with me is not getting it to trigger, but in making sure what triggers the cam actually appears in the picture.

That's an issue you have anyway setting a camera up on a slope anyway. Care to elaborate on what you mean? I think I know what you are getting at, but then again, I tend to he kinda slow in my thinking. lol

 

[bowhunter1023]

HA. Nah, your ideas are always solid, so I'm probably the one I having issues here!!!

If the lens and the sensor are pointing the same direction, then theoretically what the senor captures, so should the lens. If you have the senor pointing 45-90 degrees horizontally (for sake of argument) away from the lens and it triggers on an animal and the lens is still pointing straight ahead, what prevents the camera from taking pictures of nothing? Unless of course you have it set to take 3-4 pictures and the animal continues to walk past the camera. Or if you are adjusting it vertically and the sensor is adjusted so that it points up/down to cover the change in elevation, it still leaves the lens covering an area above/below the animal assuming you have it strapped directly to the tree.

Hope that makes more sense...

 

[Fluteman]

HA. Nah, your ideas are always solid, so I'm probably the one I having issues here!!!

If the lens and the sensor are pointing the same direction, then theoretically what the senor captures, so should the lens. If you have the senor pointing 45-90 degrees horizontally (for sake of argument) away from the lens and it triggers on an animal and the lens is still pointing straight ahead, what prevents the camera from taking pictures of nothing? Unless of course you have it set to take 3-4 pictures and the animal continues to walk past the camera. Or if you are adjusting it vertically and the sensor is adjusted so that it points up/down to cover the change in elevation, it still leaves the lens covering an area above/below the animal assuming you have it strapped directly to the tree.

Hope that makes more sense...

That is what I thought you meant. I believe you are correct in your thinking, as I was having the same concerns. I'm trying to do some math right now based off Spypoint's numbers for their sensors to see how much that distance changes from the lens at say zero degrees (level) and 30 degrees on the downhill side.


I don't know why, it's not like I have the means to build a sensor or anything. Just something that I was thinking about the other night. One of the many things that keep me up at the end of the night. LOL

 

[bowhunter1023]

I don't know why, it's not like I have the means to build a sensor or anything. Just something that I was thinking about the other night. One of the many things that keep me up at the end of the night. LOL

HAHA! I hear ya there man. If I made a list of the things that keep me up at night, you all would have me committed somewhere!!!

 

[hickslawns]

HAHA! I hear ya there man. If I made a list of the things that keep me up at night, you all would have me committed somewhere!!!

Good. Glad I am not alone. lol

 

[finelyshedded]

Good concept Greg. How would it effect battery life would be something to consider.

I often wondered why they can't develop a lens that was more like an eyeball carrying with it some perifrial vision. That would nip the trigger speed issue in the bud I would think. If they could come up with an eyeball lens that once it was triggered by something it moved toward it then focused on it and then followed the subject till it was out of view. That would be pretty cool!

 

[moundhill]

It is a great idea, but I just put a stick behind my camera to make it lean up or down lol

 

[Gordo]

I'm with mound hill on that one. Unless we missing something

 

[jagermeister]

It is a great idea, but I just put a stick behind my camera to make it lean up or down lol

I'm with mound hill on that one. Unless we missing something

Your solution only works if the camera facing directly uphill or directly downhill. I think Greg's idea is for a camera that is positioned perpendicular to the slope... that is, for example, elevation on the left side of the screen is lower than elevation on the right side of the screen, or vice versa.