Scouting camera COLD weather..What works?

[Zradix]

Hey gang.

I just picked up an older moultre camera.
Never really used a game cam before...just trying to make the best of very limited hunting time..

Anyway..for 3 days in a row I've put in a brand new 6v lantern battery. Went out the next morn and the display reads "low battery"

3 days..3 batteries.

Called moltre..they just gave me the typical."cold weather effects battery life"

well no dung...

The weather here has been about 20˚F..give or take 10˚

That's really even cold for me. It gets down to 0˚ quite often in the late season..

I hooked up the camera to a voltage adjustable power supply.
Found out the camera "shuts down/ low battery" at 4.75V.

That is just a horrible design in a scouting camera that is made to take a 6v battery. Just being in that kind of weather brings the voltage down to around 4.5v easy.

The darn camera should be able to run on 2.5-3v and be able to take 7v.

..anyway...rant over..

The REAL question is ..
What have you found that works in cold weather?
I'm not looking for an expensive camera. I have suspicions it may very well get taken.

I'm thinking of rigging up a voltage regulator to a 12v car battery and sitting it out there...but what a freakin pain...lol

If any of ya have a system that works in the cold I'd sure like to hear about it.

Thanks!

                     

[NEB]

I use Moultrie M880 low glow, and it runs on 8 AAs.  In warm months it will run for a month on store brand batteries.  In the colder months I get a month out of Lithium batteries.  Regular alkaline will only give me a week. By the way, I set mine on Hybrid so that it takes infrared flash pics at night and time lapse video all day long.  Love that camera.

[Mint]

Use lithium batteries which are not affected by the cold.

[brbowhunter]

Primos HD 46 will run a LONG time on one set of batteries.  I would say 10,000 pics or so.  If you use Lithium in it expect to change them once a year...

[Zradix]

Originally posted by Mint:
Use lithium batteries which are not affected by the cold.

yeah..good idea..I wish it were that simple.
I can't find a lithium 6v lantern battery anywhere.

I'm thinking about making one outta 4 lithium d cells...or something to that effect at least to get me thru the month...

[Hummer3T]

If your checking every day or two put some feet or hand warmers in the back.

Lithium are the way to go, but some cameras don't except them, so check before dropping the $..

[Yellow Dog]

I run Covert Ca4's, taking four AA's, in Michigan winter weather using Eveready Lithiums. They'll run for a month and take a couple thousand pictures set to do a burst of three pics every minute if triggered. I ran out of the Lithiums last winter and put in four Duracell Alkalines instead and they didn't make it three days. Lithiums are expensive but they're the only thing that'll hold up in below freezing and sub zero temps.

[Hud]

Some V-Good advice.  Deer won't move much in really cold weather so pick your spot wisely.

[Zradix]

I'm appreciating the advice here guys.

I have a feeling most scouting cameras are going to be ok.
..this one I have just happens to suck..lol..my luck..

I was looking at a moultrie a5...just cause they're cheap.
...sorta mixed reviews though...at least I can put lithiums in it.
...really don't want to give $$$ to them again though.

just hate to spend $100 on one of the darn things...

[Jayrod]

Originally posted by Yellow Dog:
I run Covert Ca4's, taking four AA's, in Michigan winter weather using Eveready Lithiums. They'll run for a month and take a couple thousand pictures set to do a burst of three pics every minute if triggered. I ran out of the Lithiums last winter and put in four Duracell Alkalines instead and they didn't make it three days. Lithiums are expensive but they're the only thing that'll hold up in below freezing and sub zero temps.

Couldn't say it any better myself ...FIRSTCLASS cameras!!

[Ray Lyon]

My Covert mp6 is still taking pictures on the same set of lithium AA batteries for a year and a half.  Our December and January were absolutely frigid temperatures last year. Great camera and only use lithium AA batteries.

[hunt it]

Anything with 6 volt batt is outdated. You want one that takes AA and as stated already - lithium batteries. My bushnell cameras go 6 months with lithiums.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

You get what you pay for and that cam is old, I know I had some. They all sucked back then it was when trail cams were getting started that cam was the first step above the old 35mm camera models.

I still have several of the Moultrie D40's that came right after that, good old flash cams and run on 6 D cell battiries. I got tired of the black and white IR photos the new cams have and got some of them back out this year in June, put lithium batteries back in them and there still going now, 1500 pics a week on average.

 

Such better night picks and flash cams never bother big bucks, I can show you tons of picks over the years of B/C bucks and big P/Y bucks. Yes, AA batterie cams are awesome we have some and are switching over to them. but we have 12 D cell Moultrie and Primos cams that work great too that we bought for less then $80 most on sale for $69.

We are trying the Wildgame cams that are AA for $69 to $89 and so far the are working really good and great battery life with just regular batteries. You have options out there besides bying old worn out used cams.

Tracy

[Big Lefty]

I had a six volt Moutrie and was able to convert it to a 12 volt battery.  I have no idea what the model number was.  It was a royal pain to move around, but it did improve battery life.  

I've now been running the same 3 Scoutgaurds for close to ten years, and they will go 4-6 months on the same 8 AA's in Northwest Iowa weather.

[Zradix]

Thanks guys.

Sounds like I just have an old p.o.c....lol
You all have made me feel pretty confident if I just get a newer one and put lithiums in it I'll be pretty set.

Sounds like the new ones work MUCH better without so many bugs.

I appreciate the help friends.
           

[Zradix]

k.s trapper....

NICE buck you have there...you two ever meet up?

[sfh761]

I used one of those old Moultrie cams years ago, and the battery life was actually pretty good. You may just have something wrong with yours. It happens. The new cameras are much better in many ways though.