Plotwatcher Pro time lapse camera
- Thread starter MK111
- Start date
A 60 (62) day update on my Plotwatcher Pro camera. It's set on 10 second mode.
1. Original 8 AA batteries still have 67% left in them. So even in this cold weather it's only using about .05% per day. So the advertised use of 46-115 is right on and should give about 120 days or more.
2. The last pull was for 16 days and the card used 7.6 GB. So at that rate a 32GB card would be give about 68 days of use. Advertised card use for 10 seconds is 37-74 days so that's right on. Have to check if 64GB cars can be used. I'll report on this later.
3. It takes 90 seconds at 5X speed to look at a complete day of pictures. So that to me is doable.
I like it and will buy another camera of same model. I couldn't ask for more and in my mind it gives what it is advertised to do.
1. Original 8 AA batteries still have 67% left in them. So even in this cold weather it's only using about .05% per day. So the advertised use of 46-115 is right on and should give about 120 days or more.
2. The last pull was for 16 days and the card used 7.6 GB. So at that rate a 32GB card would be give about 68 days of use. Advertised card use for 10 seconds is 37-74 days so that's right on. Have to check if 64GB cars can be used. I'll report on this later.
3. It takes 90 seconds at 5X speed to look at a complete day of pictures. So that to me is doable.
I like it and will buy another camera of same model. I couldn't ask for more and in my mind it gives what it is advertised to do.
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Nice!! That sounds like a good tool to use by getting it that long. Gives you plenty of time to see if there is some sort of pattern and where they are entering/exiting a location. When you get a chance could you post an average picture you got that had deer in it. Wondering what kind of quality it does have.
Now understand I have it setup on a food plot and it takes pictures upto 140 yds. with a 1X power lens it comes with. At that range the deer are sized about like a dog. For long range it wasn't designed to ID a certain deer. IMHO
Even when you zoom up the picture it gets very grainy and isn't of much help.
There is a 2 lens kit available with a 2X power lens and a wide angle lens which I'll try later.
At close range of 25 yds. or so it gives great ID pictures. After winter is over I'll probably move the camera on a heavy used trail for close up pictures. That way since it takes a picture every 5-10 seconds depending how you set it there'll be almost no missed pictures. Or so I think.
IMHO the camera was designed to watch for movement more than ID certain deer. Anyway that's what I got trail cameras for.
Even when you zoom up the picture it gets very grainy and isn't of much help.
There is a 2 lens kit available with a 2X power lens and a wide angle lens which I'll try later.
At close range of 25 yds. or so it gives great ID pictures. After winter is over I'll probably move the camera on a heavy used trail for close up pictures. That way since it takes a picture every 5-10 seconds depending how you set it there'll be almost no missed pictures. Or so I think.
IMHO the camera was designed to watch for movement more than ID certain deer. Anyway that's what I got trail cameras for.
I checked the card today to see what I missed. This is what I got the camera for and it worked just like I wanted.
During ML season since I had to go to the Lima gunshow I could have hunted till noon on Friday but I was afraid I'd get a deer down then have to take care of it before I left town at 4:00PM.
1-2 Nothing showed in my food plot before noon. But remember I can only see 50% of the plot and nothing of the 3 ac. hay field on my neighbors property.
1-5 Planned on hunting with my grandson but at the last minute he decided to not to go and since I already had 2 deer I decided to take off. Nothing showed on the plot until 4:53PM then there was at least 4 deer 30-75 yds. The seen something to the North out of view of the camera and ran off.
At 5:30 7-8 deer fed in from all directions 20-75 yds. Right at dark there appeared to be 1 buck as I could see white above the head.
The camera shuts off at dusk and sorta before legal shooting time ends. It all depends on the amount of cloud cover.
The camera gives me exactly what I wanted to know and that is what happened when I wasn't there.
During ML season since I had to go to the Lima gunshow I could have hunted till noon on Friday but I was afraid I'd get a deer down then have to take care of it before I left town at 4:00PM.
1-2 Nothing showed in my food plot before noon. But remember I can only see 50% of the plot and nothing of the 3 ac. hay field on my neighbors property.
1-5 Planned on hunting with my grandson but at the last minute he decided to not to go and since I already had 2 deer I decided to take off. Nothing showed on the plot until 4:53PM then there was at least 4 deer 30-75 yds. The seen something to the North out of view of the camera and ran off.
At 5:30 7-8 deer fed in from all directions 20-75 yds. Right at dark there appeared to be 1 buck as I could see white above the head.
The camera shuts off at dusk and sorta before legal shooting time ends. It all depends on the amount of cloud cover.
The camera gives me exactly what I wanted to know and that is what happened when I wasn't there.
That's fine, I am just curious to see what kind of image you get with the basic set up without adding anything for the most part. Most of the places I would give this a try would either be a large field where you could see several hundred yards to maybe a view of the bottoms or other areas out to 50-70 yards or so. Either way I would likely try to move a regular trail cam in closer to get the who's who.
A few pics.
These are great cams for the purpose of monitoring areas for daylight movement. I've had mine out since July and I've never had to change the lithium batteries yet. Mine are set to take a pic every 5 seconds during daylight except from 10 AM to 2PM.
These are great cams for the purpose of monitoring areas for daylight movement. I've had mine out since July and I've never had to change the lithium batteries yet. Mine are set to take a pic every 5 seconds during daylight except from 10 AM to 2PM.
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I ordered a 2 lens kit with 2 power and a wide angle. Need to go down and install the 2 power. Report later.
Glad to see someone else like the camera.
Glad to see someone else like the camera.
I went down and pulled the chip on the Plotwatcher Pro today and I'll be darn if I didn't forget to bring the new lens kit along. I want to install the 2 power lens. Next time.
I camera have been in constant use for 4 months now and the battery still is at 51%. The camera is set at a picture every 10 seconds. At that rate the batteries should last 7-8 months and is right on what the manufacture says it should be.
I can view 12 hrs. of pictures in about 90 seconds on the 5X speed viewing and only stop to view deer showing up.
This camera is everything I expected from it and will buy another one for my new food plot I'm putting in on the west side of the farm. With the time lapse I can see what was there when I wasn't there. I may try it on the 5 second setting for a daytime trail camera.
I camera have been in constant use for 4 months now and the battery still is at 51%. The camera is set at a picture every 10 seconds. At that rate the batteries should last 7-8 months and is right on what the manufacture says it should be.
I can view 12 hrs. of pictures in about 90 seconds on the 5X speed viewing and only stop to view deer showing up.
This camera is everything I expected from it and will buy another one for my new food plot I'm putting in on the west side of the farm. With the time lapse I can see what was there when I wasn't there. I may try it on the 5 second setting for a daytime trail camera.
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Will the 2x lens eat batteries faster? Wasn't sure if it had it's own batteries or somehow hooked to electronics of camera. Hopefully it works out for you and doesn't consume any more battery life than the regular lens.
Interesting question but I really don't think so. The 2X power is just a lens change out. Even at normal 7-8 months on a set of batteries isn't bad.
I went down and install the 1 power wide angle lens today. I took couple preview pictures and I should be able to see 75% of the 3.0 ac plot. It looks good and I will do a review on the wide angle lens when I pull the card again. In 5 days of taking pictures every 10 seconds the batteries used zero % and still at 51%.
6 month review from 11-12-14 till 5-24-15
1. set on 10 second pictures.
2. battery still has 31% after full 6.5 months. That's damn good battery life in my mind. That's almost 4400 pictures per day at 12x60x6. So battery use is about 10% per month.
3. camera gives me everything I expected and will buy a 2nd camera when I get my new food plot in.
4. I would recommend a purchase to anyone interested in a large area viewing of wildlife.
5. Is it a camera to view for trophy deer not if you set it up for -25-150 yd- long range viewing as I have it.
1. set on 10 second pictures.
2. battery still has 31% after full 6.5 months. That's damn good battery life in my mind. That's almost 4400 pictures per day at 12x60x6. So battery use is about 10% per month.
3. camera gives me everything I expected and will buy a 2nd camera when I get my new food plot in.
4. I would recommend a purchase to anyone interested in a large area viewing of wildlife.
5. Is it a camera to view for trophy deer not if you set it up for -25-150 yd- long range viewing as I have it.