Your videos are great. Just a note though, not all trail cameras use a 2.1x5.5 plug. Cuddeback, at least the J and G series, use a 1.7x4.0 plug. After watching your videos I took my HME 12v battery boxes with with solar panels I was using on my Stealthcams and removed the 12v regulators and soldered in new 9v regulators (Cuddebacks are 9v). With a 2.1x5.5 to 1.7x4.0 plug adaptor my Cuddeback cameras are now running on solar. Thanks for your videos.
Thank you brother! That is great info to know and I will update in the description!!! The 2.1mm has fit all my cameras in the past but there are some brands that I haven’t used like Cuddeback...so I assumed all cameras used 2.1mm. I just bought a spypoint cell cam and it works with 2.1 as well. I will look up an adaptor for the 1.7mm and post it for everyone. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Joe, I added the 1.7mm adaptor in the description and linked to it on Amazon. Thanks again for the heads up! I’m sure others will eventually run into this issue. Take care brother!
I agree! Those little 3-prong regulators are a bear to wire sometimes. I like the one in your link...really easy to wire! I may be trying that one next time i need a 9volt regulator. Thanks again!
I need to do this. A buddy gave me a used trail cam that has battery corrosion (not too bad). Thank you for sharing this. And a huge congratulations on hitting that’s watch time benchmark. That’s so awesome brother.
That’s easy…all you need is this. You may have to get a different size adapter for the end that fits your camera. They are easy to find. Hope this helps. a.co/d/3FqdPUt
Great tutorial! The ends and outs of external battery sources was made nice and simple. Need to get this set up with panels myself. Lots of work maintaining cameras and feeders. Thanks for sharing.
You aren’t kidding brother! It’s a lot of work keeping stuff running. I’m on a mission to get everything self sustaining on solar etc but that in itself is a ton of work!!! Thanks for watching and keep in touch!
Thanks for a great video. I’ve been thinking of doing this for some time now with my two Browning trail cams. Your video helped me pull the trigger to do it, so I went ahead and ordered the necessary items. Thanks again!
I watched this a few years ago. My cheap tasco cams work with an external battery pack now. I added solar to one and it has been out for over 2 years. I get the card out. copy it then format put back in. Works great. Thanks
Great. I was just going back to your sight to review solar panel video as I'm converting all my Browning Strike Force to external battery and solar, and see this new video for direct wire with no external plug. Your videos are simple and I like how you provide detail and parts info. Look forward to more
Thank you so much! If you are in to solar then you’ll like my next video. I’ve built a solar panel with a small 12volt battery attached that runs cameras 24/7...really neat little setup. May get the video done this weekend or next week. Stay tuned and thanks for coming back!!
Tell me more. You have a new 12v solar set up other than a solar panel running to 12v batter in a box then from battery with a 12v regulator to camera? One of my Strike Force the 12v external plug port when I plug in external plugs has too much play on the plug to stay on EXT Battery. If I hold it over to side with fingers with some pressure it then stays on EXT BAT. I've tried several plugs so include a brand new one from the Stealth 10' cord that has battery leads too like you used to use. I may end up just direct wiring that camera thanks to this newest video.
Yeah, I’m running a new unit with a 2 watt solar panel with a very small 12v rechargeable battery mounted underneath. I’ve tested it hard with two strike force cameras running off the same battery through the night with plenty of battery life left the next day. So it runs on solar during the day while it recharges the battery and then runs on the small battery through the night. If I can run two cameras off it then one camera should be a breeze. This would be the perfect setup for your direct wire on your strikeforce. Also, you may want to stick a tiny piece of tin foil in the center of that plug to firm it up. Sometimes it works. Shoot me an email at steve@digitalsouth.com and I’ll send you a link to the battery. Hope that helps!
Good informative video. You probably saved from putting the full12 volts to the camera. I followed the link for the voltage regulator and in the description title is said 1.5 a / 6 volt output then I read in the description 1.5a/8 volt output. I assume the link is correct and Amazon has messed up another product description thanks and have a good one from West Tennessee
Hey I have a couple bushnell impulses and there is a dc external jack on them and they take 9 volts to run I know that but they are $300 cameras so I’m nervous about burning them up so I called bushnell and they told me they haven’t made their solar panel yet but it takes 9 volts to that external jack which was all I was asking for anyways but they said the 9 volts still might kill it and will void the warranty... do you think they are just being safe , have you ever done this to an impulse? Should I stick with 1 amp or 2 amp? Also would it be better to solder directly to the pads so I know it’s okay?
Hey brother, sorry for the delay. If you know the ext jack is 9 volts you are good to go. I would buy a 12volt solar panel and install a 7809 regulator (we have them in our amazon store). Just make sure you test the voltage with a voltage tester in full sun directly at your camera plug to make sure you have regulated voltage. Keep in mind there is usually a variance of 1-1.5 volts...so a 9volt regulator may put out 10.5 volts. Cameras are made to handle voltage variance so don't worry. Do you know if the ext plug is size a 2.1x5.5 or a 1.7x4.0. Most cams are 2.1mm but you may want to check so you get the right sized plug. Let me know if you need any help! Good luck!
Great video. Just an FYI, the different voltages is because they are either wired in series or parallel. Need to make sure your amps are correct as well.
Excellent video. Info that can keep you from frying your camera. Two critical takeaways: (1) How to determine the actual voltage the camera is operating on. Not necessarily the number of batteries x 1.5V. (2) How to regulate the voltage of my 12V battery down to the camera’s operating voltage if it’s not 12V.
@@TheHandyHunter One thing I added to my setup is a DC 5.5mm x 2.1mm extension cable with fuse holder; using a 2A mini fuse. This is added protection to prevent any momentary high current from the external battery to the trail camera. Though unlikely, the fact that the external 12V battery has the high capacity to put out high current, this fuse will prevent it. The peak draw of my trail camera is about 1100mA or about 1.1A.
I know this is a year old now, I was curious as the reason you use a inline voltage reducer, vs a buck to do the same job but to preserve power and not waste so much? The heat produced from the inline voltage reducer/regulator eats up power, a buck was designed for computer systems to prevent that, but are just as simple to wire up with soldering iron and some just have wire leads you can crimp on. I think that would improve your overall design and make the solar panel more useful, as well make the battery last longer.
Great info! I’ve always wanted to try a Buck but never got around to it. What you are saying makes sense. I may add this to my list in the future. Thanks for chiming in...really appreciate it!
Great vid. Just wondering if you put a seal or anything on the cord where it comes out or if the hole being close enough size to the cord to hold moisture out.
@@TheHandyHunter I just went for it and hooked it to one of them and everything works perfectly. But even on your video there is two positive posts in the battery pack. I was questioning which side or if it mattered.
What about for the game cameras that do not have a battery tray? Some have a flip open door on the bottom and you slide batteries into the camera and then close the flip door.
You’ll have to find the main contact points for positive and negative in the compartment. You can cut wood dows the diameter of AA batteries and use as placeholders instead of batteries. You can connect the wires to your wood dow to make contact inside. Hope that helps!
Great video, im subscribed, question why are the external plugs always running 12v and the internal batteries if they use 8 would be 12v but you say they are only running on 6v,
The cam in this video had a 6v ext plug but had 8 internal batteries (which could be mistaken for 12 v) but the battery pack is wired so that it only runs on 6volts from the internal batteries. It’s like taking two 6v batteries and wiring them in parallel so they stay at 6 volts but double the ah storage. Does that make sense?
Not sure what you’re asking? Are you asking why the cable’s are listed as 12v? If so, a cable will work on any camera regardless of voltage. Otherwise, most cams are 12v due to the IR flash and motion needs. It’s just a common voltage which fits with a lot of batteries and solar etc. Hope that helps!
I have several muddy manifest which runs on 8 aa batteries. My question is there are 4 tabs that contact from the battery tray to the camera. 2 positive and 2 negative the left two are giving 6 volts and the right two give me 6 volts. I'm just wondering how I determine if they are being run in series or parallel in the camera?
The safest way to proceed would be to test test 6 volts first to see if the cam will run. If it does then stop there. Is the battery tray removable? You can use a little buck converter to regulate a 12v battery down to 6v for testing. Start low is the safest way. Good luck!
I don’t know the gauge but it’s plenty for a trail cam. For the spades you could prob use red or blue ends but the blue may be a little big. Good luck!
Good video. I have found a few cameras that have different plugs for their external power (some Bushnell’s for example) but good info for testing and making external power work. I subbed 👍
If it has a slide out tray like mine you can test the contacts on the tray while it has batteries in it. It most likely 12 volts. If you dont have a tray that you can test I would first try to run the cam on 6 volts and if it doesn’t come on then go to 12 volts.
I have the 12 Volt plug on my browning trail camera, do I need to have the 12 volt regulator in between the 12V battery and the trail camera or just run the wire from the battery to the trail camera?
Do you have a video showing how to run a trail cam to a standard outlet? I keep a spypoint camera in my yard at all times to see what critters are coming and going. I just ran power to my shed, so now I've got electricity back there and I figured I could save some money on batteries if I run it directly to a standard plug.
Yep, that’s an easy one. All you need is an AC/DC 12volt plug with a male jack that fits your camera. You should be able to find them easily on amazon. Here’s one with a 2.1mm jack. [UL Listed] Chanzon 12V 1A 12W AC DC Switching Power Supply Adapter (Input 100-240V, Output 12 Volt 1 Amp) Wall Wart Transformer Charger for DC12V Security CCTV Camera (6Ft Cord, 12 Watt Max) www.amazon.com/dp/B07G1219LQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tAMXEbR7RJ010
Must be doing something wrong. Running a solar panel to regulator to the battery out to camera. I hooked solar to left side of the regulator to the small 12v battery, negitive to middle and right side of regulator has the camera end. Charged the battery before setting up and a couple of days later battery is reading 2.48 volts. I set up a couple of these in the junctions boxes as you did and doesn't seem to be charging battery and sending enough volts to the plug in connection Only thing I haven't done is hooked up a camera yet but that will problably drain battery even quicker. I'm screwing something up. Solar panel light is green. After charging battery and connection everything up I plug the meter into the camera connection and reads 9.48 volts or around that so the camera would have power. Need your help and suggestions?
Make sure your solar panel is connected directly to the battery with no regulator on it. The regulator should only be on the wire going to the camera after everything else. Next, what is the volts of the panel when disconnected in full sun…should be 20-22volts? What is the voltage of the battery when disconnected from everything? If your panel works and your battery is good it could be a bad regulator. Are you running a 7812? They sometimes go bad…from heating them up too much from soldering,etc. Let me know what you find.
I love the Bigfoot cell cams. They are the least expensive, they have great picture plans, and the camera functions flawlessly. I love Browning trail cams too! When they finally come out with a cell cam I will be interested to see their cost & plans, etc. Now that I've found Bigfoot it would be hard to switch.
@Gene Senter check out our latest video and you’ll see how we use the Bigfoots to hunt hogs. They transmit quickly and with very little cell signal. They work great for how we use them.
Is it possible to wire two 7.5 v rayovac lantern batteries in parallel, run the output through a 9 v regulator, and into my browning dark ops cameras? I see talk in other articles online about amps, but am unsure if I need to understand that or just look at voltage output to the camera.
Just worry about voltage and not amps. Just make sure whatever battery setup you use, and there’s a lot of options, that you match the battery voltage with the cam voltage and you’ll be fine.
12v battery voltage in to regulator is 12.67v and out of regulator is 6.01v. 6v battery voltage in to regulator is 6.26v and out is 4.71v. 6v batt powers camera fine but 12v batt does not. I suspected either faulty regulator or poor connections so I tried another regulator and soldered connections with the same result. Thoughts?
What kind of cam is on the 12v? Sounds like a reg issue...try connecting to regulator without soldering. I think the heat may damage internal part. I always crimp them using the barrel of a spade connector. Also, are you 100% positive the external jack is a 6v?
I just bought a day 6 plotwatcher and it don’t have a battery pack. It has a built in 2 AA batteries on each side. How would I rig it up for the solar panel?
You’ll have to rig some wires to the main + and - contacts within the camera and then connect a 6 volt external battery. Some people have cut wood dows the length of a battery to hold the wire to the contact. You may have to get a little creative depending on the setup. Hope that helps.
Question. I see when you geared up to your 6volt you didn't have a fuse in the line. I have a spypoint micro and want to make my own 12volt DC to run to my 12 volt acid lead. The wires are expensive. Do I need the fuse in the line?
I never run fuses on cameras because the amp draw is basically nothing. It wouldn’t hurt to have one, but I’ve never hurt a camera by not having one. Hope that helps!
Ashley Roy hard to say without seeing the camera but my last Spypoints were 2.1x5.5. If it’s not it’s most likely a 1.7x4.0mm. You may want to check with Spypoint. Hope that helps.
Trying to direct wire a cuddeback camera. It is a 6V pack. The battery pack does not have the clips like your video. It has terminals similar to a 9V battery. How would you connect that kind of pack?
I take regular battery spades and cut the end off and then just use the neck part as a sleeve clamp. I can’t solder well and I get worried about the heat damaging the internal part of the regulator. Let me know if I can help. Thanks!
This is AWESOME! 👏 👏👏Thank you so much for sharing this! I just bought my 1st cell trail cam(Wildgame Innovations Insite Cell ). I purchased a 12v solar panel also but got home and realized there is no 12v hole but I did find a tiny 6v hole(maybe the 12v panel can go on my feeder🤔). My question is should get the 6v Wildgame Innovations external 6v battery and hope it will plug in(if not I will follow your directions). Or(sorry for the ignorance with this question, I have never hunted w/a trail cam after many years of hunting just following deer signs, tracks, scrapes etc) should I get a 6v solar panel and a rechargeable external battery pack, reg rechargeable batteries for inside or what? I have even seen ads for solar panels stating I won’t need batteries so it all gets a lil confusing. Thank you so much in advance.😃
I’m not clear on whether your cam has an external jack or not? If it has a 6v jack then the easiest thing to do would be to buy an external 6v battery for extended life. I believe they do sell a 6v combo battery plus solar panel on Amazon. It’s still good to run lithium batteries inside the camera but don’t use rechargeable batteries inside the cam. Hope that helps! Good luck.
Yes, I have one of those too. It does have an external 6v port, but it's real small... the 2.1x5.5mm doesn't fit it. No one at Wildgame seems to know the size. If I could find out, I could order the right plug and rig an external battery box up.
@@Kevin-ETX Hey thank you for for the info, I ended up returning the WI Insite because of the phone pic quality & got a couple cheaper Tactacam Reveals(1st gen) and they have have been fantastic over the past two years (added batteries to one and they only got down to 90% battery life for four months!! I added a solar panel to the other and it was great til a critter pulled the connection cord out lol). This yr I added 3 Moultrie exo cams and they were great….when they will work 😖. I wish I could send them back but I got them new on eBay and the 30 day return window has closed. I am considering getting another Wildgame Innovation cam, the one I bought had just hit the store shelves so maybe by now there are more videos and the kinks have been worked out; will read through for any new comments. Thanks again for the info!🙂
Some cams will run on rechargeable batteries and others won’t due to the slight difference in voltage. Can’t charge them directly in the cam either with solar due to high voltage at full sun. Hope that helps.
10PCS L7806CV L7806 Positive Voltage Regulator IC TO-220 Output 1.5A 6V Thanks for the great tips! I purchased the regulators above to convert 12v to 6v and wired just as the video showed. Camera does not work. When I connected to a 6v battery to troubleshoot. Camera worked great. Wildgame camera has plug on side that states 6v. Any help would be appreciated!
When you put a tester on the regulator voltage from the cable what does it read? Also, when you test 6volt battery what is the exact voltage reading? Glad to help.
12v battery voltage in to regulator is 12.67v and out of regulator is 6.01v. 6v battery voltage in to regulator is 6.26v and out is 4.71v. 6v batt powers camera fine but 12v batt does not. I suspected either faulty regulator or poor connections so I tried another regulator and soldered connections with the same result. Thoughts?
Thanks for the suggestion Robert! I currently build an adjustable monopod which we use for hog hunting but it’s not as stable as a tri-pod. I’ll have to keep your tripod idea on the menu. Thanks for commenting brother!
Hi, awesome videos I have a Browning camera that take 8 batteries, voltage of the pack is 12 volts, I have a battery/ solar box from HME that puts out 13 volts, will this burn up my camera
You’ll be fine with the 13volts from the box. 12 volt cameras work on a range of voltage and not exactly on 12 volts. 13volts is perfectly normal and as your camera uses the battery it will drop over time eventually needing recharging. Hope that helps and good luck with your cams!
The Handy Hunter thanks so much, I run my cameras in very cold weather -20 doing Canadian Lynx videos and the lithium battery’s last about 2 weeks, the HME box has lasted over a month on Stealth Cams and wanted to use it on my Browning camera, thanks again
Has anyone had an issue with 6v regulators not producing a high enough voltage to run a 6v camera? I am leaning towards going up to the next regulator size. Just wondered if anyone else had a different solution.
Hi Wayne, have you tested the output voltage with a tester? What is the exact voltage you are getting with a 6 volt regulator? I haven't heard of anyone having problems.
I was getting 5.97 volts. The IR light was blinking, but the camera would not power on. I tested the camera directly to a 6 volt feeder battery and it powered on. My 12 volts are reading 11.75 volts out of the regulator, but do power the 12 volt cameras.
It’s because of the way they wired it. They wired it to run on half the pack at 6 volts but it still utilizes the other batteries for longevity. Not sure why they did it this way because it seems like 12 volts would be better for a cam like this. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the heads up! If they don’t back it...it will be the last time I buy their products. Fool me once...fool me twice...LOL. Thanks for watching!
Your videos are great. Just a note though, not all trail cameras use a 2.1x5.5 plug. Cuddeback, at least the J and G series, use a 1.7x4.0 plug. After watching your videos I took my HME 12v battery boxes with with solar panels I was using on my Stealthcams and removed the 12v regulators and soldered in new 9v regulators (Cuddebacks are 9v). With a 2.1x5.5 to 1.7x4.0 plug adaptor my Cuddeback cameras are now running on solar. Thanks for your videos.
Thank you brother! That is great info to know and I will update in the description!!! The 2.1mm has fit all my cameras in the past but there are some brands that I haven’t used like Cuddeback...so I assumed all cameras used 2.1mm. I just bought a spypoint cell cam and it works with 2.1 as well. I will look up an adaptor for the 1.7mm and post it for everyone. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Joe, I added the 1.7mm adaptor in the description and linked to it on Amazon. Thanks again for the heads up! I’m sure others will eventually run into this issue. Take care brother!
I found some very nice 12v to 9v regulators on Amazon. They’re expensive at $7 but much easier for me to wire.
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A71E52G/
I agree! Those little 3-prong regulators are a bear to wire sometimes. I like the one in your link...really easy to wire! I may be trying that one next time i need a 9volt regulator. Thanks again!
I'm glad I found your channel; I just subscribed! I have lots of cameras and you are the Grand Poo-Ba of info/tricks for trail cameras!
Glad you found us! Welcome to our channel! Keep in touch 👍
I need to do this. A buddy gave me a used trail cam that has battery corrosion (not too bad). Thank you for sharing this. And a huge congratulations on hitting that’s watch time benchmark. That’s so awesome brother.
Thank you!!! Good luck with that camera project! Keep in touch! Waiting on more fishing videos!
How about a video that connects 110 to a trail cam
That’s easy…all you need is this. You may have to get a different size adapter for the end that fits your camera. They are easy to find. Hope this helps. a.co/d/3FqdPUt
Great tutorial! The ends and outs of external battery sources was made nice and simple. Need to get this set up with panels myself. Lots of work maintaining cameras and feeders. Thanks for sharing.
You aren’t kidding brother! It’s a lot of work keeping stuff running. I’m on a mission to get everything self sustaining on solar etc but that in itself is a ton of work!!! Thanks for watching and keep in touch!
Thanks for a great video. I’ve been thinking of doing this for some time now with my two Browning trail cams. Your video helped me pull the trigger to do it, so I went ahead and ordered the necessary items. Thanks again!
You are welcome! Good luck!
I was wondering how to do this, now I know. Thanks William
Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your project!
Your video was so great that I had to subscribe. Didn't want to miss something. Ty
Awesome! Thank you!!
I watched this a few years ago. My cheap tasco cams work with an external battery pack now. I added solar to one and it has been out for over 2 years. I get the card out. copy it then format put back in. Works great. Thanks
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Very helpful sir! Happy hunting! Off to Amazon I go!😂
Exactly what I wanted to know, well explained! you sir, are a real help. many thanks to you!
Glad I could be of help! Good luck and keep in touch!
Great. I was just going back to your sight to review solar panel video as I'm converting all my Browning Strike Force to external battery and solar, and see this new video for direct wire with no external plug. Your videos are simple and I like how you provide detail and parts info. Look forward to more
Thank you so much! If you are in to solar then you’ll like my next video. I’ve built a solar panel with a small 12volt battery attached that runs cameras 24/7...really neat little setup. May get the video done this weekend or next week. Stay tuned and thanks for coming back!!
Tell me more. You have a new 12v solar set up other than a solar panel running to 12v batter in a box then from battery with a 12v regulator to camera? One of my Strike Force the 12v external plug port when I plug in external plugs has too much play on the plug to stay on EXT Battery. If I hold it over to side with fingers with some pressure it then stays on EXT BAT. I've tried several plugs so include a brand new one from the Stealth 10' cord that has battery leads too like you used to use. I may end up just direct wiring that camera thanks to this newest video.
Yeah, I’m running a new unit with a 2 watt solar panel with a very small 12v rechargeable battery mounted underneath. I’ve tested it hard with two strike force cameras running off the same battery through the night with plenty of battery life left the next day. So it runs on solar during the day while it recharges the battery and then runs on the small battery through the night. If I can run two cameras off it then one camera should be a breeze. This would be the perfect setup for your direct wire on your strikeforce. Also, you may want to stick a tiny piece of tin foil in the center of that plug to firm it up. Sometimes it works. Shoot me an email at steve@digitalsouth.com and I’ll send you a link to the battery. Hope that helps!
Can I run 2 Tasco M12 cameras off 1 6 volt battery? Thanks.
I’m sure you can depending on the Ah of the battery. I’m not familiar with the Tasco cams and how much power they draw but you should be ok.
@@TheHandyHunter Tasco M12 Manual states: POWER CONSUMPTION:
Good informative video. You probably saved from putting the full12 volts to the camera. I followed the link for the voltage regulator and in the description title is said 1.5 a / 6 volt output then I read in the description 1.5a/8 volt output. I assume the link is correct and Amazon has messed up another product description thanks and have a good one from West Tennessee
There should be a 12v reg listed too if that’s what you need.
Cant wait to build this one !! Great informational videos
Thanks bro now i will do that to all my trail cameras
You are welcome!
Hi, is there a way to run a cord off the battery pack , to an outlet?
Hey I have a couple bushnell impulses and there is a dc external jack on them and they take 9 volts to run I know that but they are $300 cameras so I’m nervous about burning them up so I called bushnell and they told me they haven’t made their solar panel yet but it takes 9 volts to that external jack which was all I was asking for anyways but they said the 9 volts still might kill it and will void the warranty... do you think they are just being safe , have you ever done this to an impulse? Should I stick with 1 amp or 2 amp? Also would it be better to solder directly to the pads so I know it’s okay?
Hey brother, sorry for the delay. If you know the ext jack is 9 volts you are good to go. I would buy a 12volt solar panel and install a 7809 regulator (we have them in our amazon store). Just make sure you test the voltage with a voltage tester in full sun directly at your camera plug to make sure you have regulated voltage. Keep in mind there is usually a variance of 1-1.5 volts...so a 9volt regulator may put out 10.5 volts. Cameras are made to handle voltage variance so don't worry. Do you know if the ext plug is size a 2.1x5.5 or a 1.7x4.0. Most cams are 2.1mm but you may want to check so you get the right sized plug. Let me know if you need any help! Good luck!
I've also had problems with incorrect information from that manufacturer, as well as lack of response to support issues.
Great video. Just an FYI, the different voltages is because they are either wired in series or parallel. Need to make sure your amps are correct as well.
Thank you very mutch. 👍👍👍👍
Do you do any videos on setting up a 12v battery on a cuddeback/cuddelink cameras???
I do not…sorry. I’ve had a lot of people ask about them but I’ve never owned them personally. Good luck!
Thtas awesome! I have a bushnell aggressor but it has a weird plug. What would be your solution?
Excellent video. Info that can keep you from frying your camera. Two critical takeaways:
(1) How to determine the actual voltage the camera is operating on. Not necessarily the number of batteries x 1.5V.
(2) How to regulate the voltage of my 12V battery down to the camera’s operating voltage if it’s not 12V.
Thank you for the comment. Good luck with your project.
@@TheHandyHunter One thing I added to my setup is a DC 5.5mm x 2.1mm extension cable with fuse holder; using a 2A mini fuse. This is added protection to prevent any momentary high current from the external battery to the trail camera. Though unlikely, the fact that the external 12V battery has the high capacity to put out high current, this fuse will prevent it. The peak draw of my trail camera is about 1100mA or about 1.1A.
I know this is a year old now, I was curious as the reason you use a inline voltage reducer, vs a buck to do the same job but to preserve power and not waste so much? The heat produced from the inline voltage reducer/regulator eats up power, a buck was designed for computer systems to prevent that, but are just as simple to wire up with soldering iron and some just have wire leads you can crimp on. I think that would improve your overall design and make the solar panel more useful, as well make the battery last longer.
Great info! I’ve always wanted to try a Buck but never got around to it. What you are saying makes sense. I may add this to my list in the future. Thanks for chiming in...really appreciate it!
Could you share a link to one that would work for 12V regulator?
Where can i get a 12 v buck at
Amazon has them
Great is idea. Gone have to try this out.
Give it a shot...it works! Let me know how it goes. Take care and thanks for watching!
Great vid. Just wondering if you put a seal or anything on the cord where it comes out or if the hole being close enough size to the cord to hold moisture out.
I didn’t but no reason you couldn’t add a dab of silicone around the hole for extra measure. Good luck!
Inside the trail camera is 2 positive posts and 1 negative post. Does it matter which positive post you hook to?
It probably doesn’t. Tell me a little more though. What kind of camera is it and does it have a slide in battery pack?
@@TheHandyHunter I just went for it and hooked it to one of them and everything works perfectly. But even on your video there is two positive posts in the battery pack. I was questioning which side or if it mattered.
I got ya...sounds like mine. The first post I tried worked so I left it alone. Good luck!
What about for the game cameras that do not have a battery tray? Some have a flip open door on the bottom and you slide batteries into the camera and then close the flip door.
You’ll have to find the main contact points for positive and negative in the compartment. You can cut wood dows the diameter of AA batteries and use as placeholders instead of batteries. You can connect the wires to your wood dow to make contact inside. Hope that helps!
Great video, im subscribed, question why are the external plugs always running 12v and the internal batteries if they use 8 would be 12v but you say they are only running on 6v,
The cam in this video had a 6v ext plug but had 8 internal batteries (which could be mistaken for 12 v) but the battery pack is wired so that it only runs on 6volts from the internal batteries. It’s like taking two 6v batteries and wiring them in parallel so they stay at 6 volts but double the ah storage. Does that make sense?
Yes, but why are the external plugs mostly 12v
Not sure what you’re asking? Are you asking why the cable’s are listed as 12v? If so, a cable will work on any camera regardless of voltage. Otherwise, most cams are 12v due to the IR flash and motion needs. It’s just a common voltage which fits with a lot of batteries and solar etc. Hope that helps!
Great video. Is there any risk connecting the battery directly to the camera (other than too much voltage)?
Just match the voltages. If the cam is 12v then you are safe with a 12v external battery no matter what size it is. Hope that helps…good luck!
@@TheHandyHunter Thank you.
I have several muddy manifest which runs on 8 aa batteries. My question is there are 4 tabs that contact from the battery tray to the camera. 2 positive and 2 negative the left two are giving 6 volts and the right two give me 6 volts. I'm just wondering how I determine if they are being run in series or parallel in the camera?
The safest way to proceed would be to test test 6 volts first to see if the cam will run. If it does then stop there. Is the battery tray removable? You can use a little buck converter to regulate a 12v battery down to 6v for testing. Start low is the safest way. Good luck!
Have you tried the Plano ammo box as an alternative to the MTM in use as a battery box? The Plano ship free with the Amazon Prime is the reason I ask.
Yep, I have several plano’s and they work great! Good luck!
Does the regulator use much power when it is connected to the battery, but not connected to the camera?
It shouldn’t have any draw at all
Do you happen to know the wire gage for the stealth cam 10’ cable or what size spade terminals it takes? Thanks!
I don’t know the gauge but it’s plenty for a trail cam. For the spades you could prob use red or blue ends but the blue may be a little big. Good luck!
Good video. I have found a few cameras that have different plugs for their external power (some Bushnell’s for example) but good info for testing and making external power work. I subbed 👍
Great! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Hi, How do I check the internal voltage of my camera if It has 8 AA battery inside that can be pull out to check like yours. thx
If it has a slide out tray like mine you can test the contacts on the tray while it has batteries in it. It most likely 12 volts. If you dont have a tray that you can test I would first try to run the cam on 6 volts and if it doesn’t come on then go to 12 volts.
@@TheHandyHunter ok perfect thanks,
I have the 12 Volt plug on my browning trail camera, do I need to have the 12 volt regulator in between the 12V battery and the trail camera or just run the wire from the battery to the trail camera?
Nope, only if you are charging the battery with a solar panel. If no solar then you are good to go.
Do you have a video showing how to run a trail cam to a standard outlet? I keep a spypoint camera in my yard at all times to see what critters are coming and going. I just ran power to my shed, so now I've got electricity back there and I figured I could save some money on batteries if I run it directly to a standard plug.
Yep, that’s an easy one. All you need is an AC/DC 12volt plug with a male jack that fits your camera. You should be able to find them easily on amazon. Here’s one with a 2.1mm jack. [UL Listed] Chanzon 12V 1A 12W AC DC Switching Power Supply Adapter (Input 100-240V, Output 12 Volt 1 Amp) Wall Wart Transformer Charger for DC12V Security CCTV Camera (6Ft Cord, 12 Watt Max) www.amazon.com/dp/B07G1219LQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tAMXEbR7RJ010
Must be doing something wrong. Running a solar panel to regulator to the battery out to camera. I hooked solar to left side of the regulator to the small 12v battery, negitive to middle and right side of regulator has the camera end. Charged the battery before setting up and a couple of days later battery is reading 2.48 volts. I set up a couple of these in the junctions boxes as you did and doesn't seem to be charging battery and sending enough volts to the plug in connection Only thing I haven't done is hooked up a camera yet but that will problably drain battery even quicker. I'm screwing something up. Solar panel light is green. After charging battery and connection everything up I plug the meter into the camera connection and reads 9.48 volts or around that so the camera would have power. Need your help and suggestions?
Make sure your solar panel is connected directly to the battery with no regulator on it. The regulator should only be on the wire going to the camera after everything else. Next, what is the volts of the panel when disconnected in full sun…should be 20-22volts? What is the voltage of the battery when disconnected from everything? If your panel works and your battery is good it could be a bad regulator. Are you running a 7812? They sometimes go bad…from heating them up too much from soldering,etc. Let me know what you find.
Great video!! Any problems with varmints chewing on the wire?
Not yet but you could always add some plastic tubing around it to protect if you need too.
What cell camera do you like and when Browning comes out with theirs will you buy one
I love the Bigfoot cell cams. They are the least expensive, they have great picture plans, and the camera functions flawlessly. I love Browning trail cams too! When they finally come out with a cell cam I will be interested to see their cost & plans, etc. Now that I've found Bigfoot it would be hard to switch.
@Gene Senter check out our latest video and you’ll see how we use the Bigfoots to hunt hogs. They transmit quickly and with very little cell signal. They work great for how we use them.
I want to do this with my original plot watcher. It has no battery pack and runs on 4 AA. Would you assume it is a 6v system?
Yes it's 6 volts . 1.5 volts times four is a 6volt setup.
How long does that external battery last for? compared to those little battery, sorry for my english
Depending on the size of the battery they can run as long as 1year or more without charging.
Is it possible to wire two 7.5 v rayovac lantern batteries in parallel, run the output through a 9 v regulator, and into my browning dark ops cameras? I see talk in other articles online about amps, but am unsure if I need to understand that or just look at voltage output to the camera.
Just worry about voltage and not amps. Just make sure whatever battery setup you use, and there’s a lot of options, that you match the battery voltage with the cam voltage and you’ll be fine.
@@TheHandyHunter Thank you, I'm gonna give it a try.
U said 360, so that cam Will take pictures all around ?, great VIDEO.
Yeah, the cameras spins inside the case 360. The cam is junk so don’t buy it. Thanks for watching!
12v battery voltage in to regulator is 12.67v and out of regulator is 6.01v. 6v battery voltage in to regulator is 6.26v and out is 4.71v. 6v batt powers camera fine but 12v batt does not. I suspected either faulty regulator or poor connections so I tried another regulator and soldered connections with the same result. Thoughts?
What kind of cam is on the 12v? Sounds like a reg issue...try connecting to regulator without soldering. I think the heat may damage internal part. I always crimp them using the barrel of a spade connector. Also, are you 100% positive the external jack is a 6v?
I just bought a day 6 plotwatcher and it don’t have a battery pack. It has a built in 2 AA batteries on each side. How would I rig it up for the solar panel?
Does it have an external battery jack?
No external battery jack
You’ll have to rig some wires to the main + and - contacts within the camera and then connect a 6 volt external battery. Some people have cut wood dows the length of a battery to hold the wire to the contact. You may have to get a little creative depending on the setup. Hope that helps.
Question. I see when you geared up to your 6volt you didn't have a fuse in the line. I have a spypoint micro and want to make my own 12volt DC to run to my 12 volt acid lead. The wires are expensive. Do I need the fuse in the line?
I never run fuses on cameras because the amp draw is basically nothing. It wouldn’t hurt to have one, but I’ve never hurt a camera by not having one. Hope that helps!
@@TheHandyHunter thanks. Hopefully I order the right one lol
@@TheHandyHunter also will I need 5.5mm x 2.5mm or 5.5mm x 2.1mm
Ashley Roy hard to say without seeing the camera but my last Spypoints were 2.1x5.5. If it’s not it’s most likely a 1.7x4.0mm. You may want to check with Spypoint. Hope that helps.
Trying to direct wire a cuddeback camera. It is a 6V pack. The battery pack does not have the clips like your video. It has terminals similar to a 9V battery. How would you connect that kind of pack?
Its hard for me to say without seeing it. Can you shoot me a pic at steve@digitalsouth.com. Thanks!
@@TheHandyHunter thanks for the reply. Email sent.
HELLO, I noticed you didn't solder the wires to the regulator, where did you find the clamps you crimped on the regulator ?
I take regular battery spades and cut the end off and then just use the neck part as a sleeve clamp. I can’t solder well and I get worried about the heat damaging the internal part of the regulator. Let me know if I can help. Thanks!
@@TheHandyHunter soldered my regulator,with no problems
This is AWESOME! 👏 👏👏Thank you so much for sharing this! I just bought my 1st cell trail cam(Wildgame Innovations Insite Cell ). I purchased a 12v solar panel also but got home and realized there is no 12v hole but I did find a tiny 6v hole(maybe the 12v panel can go on my feeder🤔). My question is should get the 6v Wildgame Innovations external 6v battery and hope it will plug in(if not I will follow your directions). Or(sorry for the ignorance with this question, I have never hunted w/a trail cam after many years of hunting just following deer signs, tracks, scrapes etc) should I get a 6v solar panel and a rechargeable external battery pack, reg rechargeable batteries for inside or what? I have even seen ads for solar panels stating I won’t need batteries so it all gets a lil confusing. Thank you so much in advance.😃
I’m not clear on whether your cam has an external jack or not? If it has a 6v jack then the easiest thing to do would be to buy an external 6v battery for extended life. I believe they do sell a 6v combo battery plus solar panel on Amazon. It’s still good to run lithium batteries inside the camera but don’t use rechargeable batteries inside the cam. Hope that helps! Good luck.
Yes, I have one of those too. It does have an external 6v port, but it's real small... the 2.1x5.5mm doesn't fit it. No one at Wildgame seems to know the size. If I could find out, I could order the right plug and rig an external battery box up.
@@Kevin-ETX Hey thank you for for the info, I ended up returning the WI Insite because of the phone pic quality & got a couple cheaper Tactacam Reveals(1st gen) and they have have been fantastic over the past two years (added batteries to one and they only got down to 90% battery life for four months!! I added a solar panel to the other and it was great til a critter pulled the connection cord out lol). This yr I added 3 Moultrie exo cams and they were great….when they will work 😖. I wish I could send them back but I got them new on eBay and the 30 day return window has closed. I am considering getting another Wildgame Innovation cam, the one I bought had just hit the store shelves so maybe by now there are more videos and the kinks have been worked out; will read through for any new comments. Thanks again for the info!🙂
@@lilmama4426 My Wildgame Inovation Encounter cam is giving me the best pics of all my cameras. Wish I could insert a sample here.
Can you also use rechargeable AA batteries too?
Some cams will run on rechargeable batteries and others won’t due to the slight difference in voltage. Can’t charge them directly in the cam either with solar due to high voltage at full sun. Hope that helps.
Ok, thank you
What is the number of the voltage regulator from 12v to 6v that you use ?
7806 will regulate at 6 volts. You can find them on Amazon. Good luck.
@@TheHandyHunter thank you for the information
You are welcome!
10PCS L7806CV L7806 Positive Voltage Regulator IC TO-220 Output 1.5A 6V
Thanks for the great tips! I purchased the regulators above to convert 12v to 6v and wired just as the video showed. Camera does not work. When I connected to a 6v battery to troubleshoot. Camera worked great. Wildgame camera has plug on side that states 6v. Any help would be appreciated!
When you put a tester on the regulator voltage from the cable what does it read? Also, when you test 6volt battery what is the exact voltage reading? Glad to help.
12v battery voltage in to regulator is 12.67v and out of regulator is 6.01v. 6v battery voltage in to regulator is 6.26v and out is 4.71v. 6v batt powers camera fine but 12v batt does not. I suspected either faulty regulator or poor connections so I tried another regulator and soldered connections with the same result. Thoughts?
Do I have to do this?? No....Am I going to do this?? YES
Videos are great. I would like to see a tripod to hold a rifle that rotates up and down and side to side
Thanks for the suggestion Robert! I currently build an adjustable monopod which we use for hog hunting but it’s not as stable as a tri-pod. I’ll have to keep your tripod idea on the menu. Thanks for commenting brother!
Is there any way to wire trail cameras so they send pictures to a computer through a data cable?
Not that I know of. May take some trial and error but I’ve never heard it being done. Have you thought of cctv types?
I think cctv is to expensive and it can be hacked thanks though! Cool video
I would like to have a trail camera like this but I have no money enough to buy one
Hi, awesome videos I have a Browning camera that take 8 batteries, voltage of the pack is 12 volts, I have a battery/ solar box from HME that puts out 13 volts, will this burn up my camera
You’ll be fine with the 13volts from the box. 12 volt cameras work on a range of voltage and not exactly on 12 volts. 13volts is perfectly normal and as your camera uses the battery it will drop over time eventually needing recharging. Hope that helps and good luck with your cams!
The Handy Hunter thanks so much, I run my cameras in very cold weather -20 doing Canadian Lynx videos and the lithium battery’s last about 2 weeks, the HME box has lasted over a month on Stealth Cams and wanted to use it on my Browning camera, thanks again
David Johnson Awesome!!! Shoot me some pics to post on my community board if you want! You have my email!
Hi here is a link to one of my Lynx videos, ruclips.net/video/5F206cUyLlA/видео.html , @@TheHandyHunter
My battery died within 2 months is it the cold weather u think?
The internal battery of the camera or an external battery setup?
Tasco M12 Manual states: POWER CONSUMPTION:
You should be ok!
So I hooked up a 12v battery to my camera and now it doesn’t work 😪 I then figured out its a 6v. Is there any chance of fixing my camera?
Brother I doubt it. Sorry to hear that. Maybe contact the manufacturer to see what they say? Good luck.
Great Vid!
Thank you!
Awesome
Thanks!
If the camera is 6 volts you can cut and use any USB wire from a $1 store and a USB battery changing bank.
Has anyone had an issue with 6v regulators not producing a high enough voltage to run a 6v camera? I am leaning towards going up to the next regulator size. Just wondered if anyone else had a different solution.
Hi Wayne, have you tested the output voltage with a tester? What is the exact voltage you are getting with a 6 volt regulator? I haven't heard of anyone having problems.
I was getting 5.97 volts. The IR light was blinking, but the camera would not power on. I tested the camera directly to a 6 volt feeder battery and it powered on. My 12 volts are reading 11.75 volts out of the regulator, but do power the 12 volt cameras.
Wayne Miller That’s strange, you may have a bad regulator but that voltage should work. What was the voltage of feeder battery?
that cable dont fit mine which is a 3.5mm plug
You can search on Amazon for that size. Most common is 2.1mm or 1.7mm. What brand is yours? I’ve never seen a 3.5 before.
if it only runs on 6V why does the manufacturer design it to put in 8 1.5v batteries in the trailcam (12v)?
It’s because of the way they wired it. They wired it to run on half the pack at 6 volts but it still utilizes the other batteries for longevity. Not sure why they did it this way because it seems like 12 volts would be better for a cam like this. Hope that helps.
@@TheHandyHunter makes sense thanks !
Why then is the external plug running on 12 v
The cam in the video had a 6volt ext jack. All my other cams are 12 volt ext jacks.
excellent thanks !
You are welcome!!
1. ON / OFF
2. PLUG IN PLAY
3. easy install
They don't back there product
Thanks for the heads up! If they don’t back it...it will be the last time I buy their products. Fool me once...fool me twice...LOL. Thanks for watching!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Covert 2012-2016 Universal Auxiliary/Convertor Cable
Item # WX2-674181
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Mfg. Number: 2540
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UPC: 898079002540
Cuddeback 6v compatible. Built in regulator out of the box.
Every time you click on a AD on Amazon the price will go up on you.
First
You da man! Thanks for watching!