Buyers remorse...

[Krusty]

I went to the Sportsmans Wharehouse tonight, and even though I stood there gawking at game cameras for half an hour... the dorks working there couldn't stop BS'ing about "their honey holes", to offer me any assistance. 

I need a camera for work (nuisance trapping), so I wasn't looking for anything too fancy, and was hoping to spend around $100.

After much consideration, without a clue what I really want or need, I picked a Wildview Infrared Xtreme (I know I want night time pictures with no visible flash).

I have an old computer, so I run Windows '98SE... the camera didn't come with the drivers, but the manual said I could get them through the website... not true, the website is a joke, and I have a $120 camera I can't use!

If anyone could help me out with the drivers needed for this camera, I'd sure appreciate it.

*Edit: Nevermind... my problem stemmed around a dyslexic typo, I now have the drivers downloaded.

Krusty

[smdave]

Is your model number not listed on this page.
http://www.wildviewcam.com/downloads.html

If not what model number did you buy, I would email them and ask them to send you the driver, or just take it back.


Dave

[Krusty]

Dave,

I bought a TGL3IR, so technically, no, it's not listed on the page.

I downloaded the drivers for a TGL-3, and I'll hope for the best.

Krusty

[smdave]

Krusty

I hope they work, try this if it does not.

Toll Free Customer Support 1-888-304-6125

Dave

[Krusty]

Well, no luck, the drivers I downloaded didn't get it going.

I'll call customer service tomorrow...

Krusty

[Krusty]

I placed a call to customer service, where I waited for 12 minutes on hold... finally a customer service rep, who sounded like he was whacked on herione, disconnected me.

Another call, netted another rep, who was just as laid back and stoned sounding as the first... who, after at least asking what operating system I used... also disconnected me, instead of putting me on hold.

Finally, a third call, some forty minutes of my time wasted, and I was told a CD with the drivers, would be snail mailed to me... and I might be able to see my pictures in a week or so.
If that doesn't work, I'm supposed to "call back"... or "go buy a memory card and a card reader"...

Given the choice, I will NEVER buy another product from this company!

Krusty

[wf70gonehunting]

Man that sucks  sorry to here that. good luck though.

[WASHBCBOOK]

DUDE I WOULD TAKE IT BACK AND TELL THEM THAT THE SALES GUY TOLD YOU IT WOULD WORK FOR WINDOWS 98 THEY WILL GIVE YOU A FULL REFUND OR GIFT CARD

[M_ray]

Sorry to hear of your troubles ... I would take it back and for the same money buy a Moultrie D-40 on sale at walmart for 74 bucks and then go to the photo counter there and buy a lexar card reader for 19.99 and 2 pack of 1 gig SD cards for 24.99 which puts you at 119.00. S0 for your 120 bucks you'll have all you need to view your pics! I have this set up and I like having the two cards cause I spend very little time in front of the camera when I pull one card and add the other ... I'm out of there and walk home and view it on the PC at home erase the pics after I download them and I have a clean fresh card everytime I go to exchange. One other piece of advise is that I numbered the cards 1 & 2 with a sharpie so I don't confuse them on the exchange and put the old card back in!

 (note: the flash doesn't seem to bother a nocturnal Black tail buck I have coming into mine)

[Jason]

Krusty I have the same game cam,i got it from sportsmans about 4 weeks ago,I just have 2 2gb SD cards I switch them out when I check my cam,no need for drivers on the computer,still on the same batteries after 4 weeks, heres some pics I have gotten the last couple of weeks of my trail cam,dont mind the dates I forgot to reset them,pics are A couple weeks old.

[Krusty]

WABCBOOK,

I wouldn't have to lie, and say I was told the camera is Win98 compatible, it says it is right on the box.

My time is limited, and extremely valuable, not to mention the gas money involved.
I'm not making a special trip back to a store I don't care to shop at again, so I can start over at square one.

Next time, I'll use Cabela's excellent website, to pre-scout my shopping opportunities, and drive to Lacey and see if I can't get better service... ALL IN ONE TRIP!

I ordinarily do a better job of knowing what I want before I buy it, but didn't have much time ... I really needed it when I needed it.

Jason,

So, what do you do with these SD cards, hold them up to a candle to see if there's a chicken inside?

I figured eventually I'd switch to cards, but didn't want the necessity of using (buying) a reader... that's why I chose one with a USB port.

I use mine, in an urban environment, to monitor traps or check for the presence of nuisance animals, so I check it every day.
And I'd almost rather take it home each day, and reset it in the evenings, lowering the chances of it being stolen.

I don't need the "portability of memory" that 2 cards offer, I'd rather put that same money into more cameras... I want to set one up on every job, now, I don't know how I lived without it. 

Here's a couple pictures from mine;





I ended up going and having the neighbor girl help me with her newer computer, and e-mailing the pictures to myself.

The last couple nights, I have been switching it to "on" in the wrong order... like THAT should matter ... so I didn't get any more pictures since then.
The camera is now set up on the step the 'coon is hanging off of, with some otter lure placed directly in front of it, and a 'coon trap now accompanies those set for otter.

Krusty 

[Jason]

Jason,

So, what do you do with these SD cards, hold them up to a candle to see if there's a chicken inside?

What you cant do this?
I hope to see an elk or deer not a chicken!!

I use my digital camera to view the pics,If theres any I like on there then I down load them on the computer, I can down load them from my camera or I have an HP Printer that has A spot for the SD cards. I seen Wal-Mart has SD card readers from Moultrie in there hunting clearence section for $25.00 thats less than half price.

[M_ray]

I figured eventually I'd switch to cards, but didn't want the necessity of using (buying) a reader... that's why I chose one with a USB port.

I originally suggested a reader cause you were having trouble viewing your pics. A reader plugs directly into your USB ports and needs no special drivers I have a Lexar jump drive trio It's like 19 bucks. I bought mine originally to extract my pics from my point and shoot camera (which I still use it for as well) so you don't have to power up your camera and plug it in to extract the photo's saving battery life. I just ended up using it for the trail cam too and I ended up buying one more 1 gig card to switch out between the trail cam and my point and shoot. If you are viewing it daily you would still be saving on battery life in your trail cam when you pull the card to read it from the jump drive because it doesn't need a power source to read your pics.

[Krusty]

M_ray,

If I understand it correctly, the USB patch provides power to the game camera, and uplinking doesn't draw from the batteries.

If the CD with the drivers doesn't show up today, I guess I'll look into the SD cards and a reader.

Though, considerably more expensive, I have to wonder if a viewer would be a better option, for me... I could plug it into the camera without moving it, and see what's on it.
Since I only want to "know", and not so much to post the photos or save them, the speed of viewing and deleting on the spot, might be more economical, due to the time saved.
 
Thanks again, for everyone's help and advice.

Krusty

[Houndhunter]

krusty your doing nuisance trapping in the lacey-oly areas?

[M_ray]

If I understand it correctly, the USB patch provides power to the game camera, and uplinking doesn't draw from the batteries.

Cool I wasn't sure about your model!

Though, considerably more expensive, I have to wonder if a viewer would be a better option, for me... I could plug it into the camera without moving it, and see what's on it.

You might be money ahead to just buy the 1 gig sd for 12 bucks and walk out there and view them on your digital camera then! Then if there was really something worth keeping or seeing you could go plop it in the reader at Fred Meyer and make an 8x10 for a couple of bucks! 

[Krusty]

Houndhunter,

Nope, I have no cause to travel that far.

I'd bet 90% of my jobs now, are within ten miles of home (here in West Seattle).

M_ray,

Dude... if I had a digital camera with a view screen I would have solved my own problem a long time ago.
I could've just USB linked it to my Wildview...

That's also part of why I chose one with a USB port.

Right now I have a cheap and cheesy digital camera with a ten shot (read only) memory, and no screen.

A viewer, would allow me to see what's on my camera, and my trail cam.
It's a pain to take photos, and have to go all the way home, just to see if they turned out.

Hmmm... I might be able to get into a card ready, LCD screened, digital camera, for around the same price as a viewer?

But I didn't want to have to spend any more than I already did... I wanted to buy something that would work on my computer, like it said it does on the box. 

If I add a card, even without a reader, I could take it to have prints made (which I highly doubt I'd ever do).
Having a way to instantly show photos to a customer would be more likely to be how I'd use it.
So, the idea of a viewer/digi-cam sounds better to me, all the time.

*The mailman just came and went... no drivers yet.

Krusty

[M_ray]

Sorryabout that  you should take it back go to Walmart and buy the Moultrie d-40 for 74 bucks and the viewer for 25 and done deal for 100 bones!

[Krusty]

M-ray,

Whatever!

Still, no drivers...

Krusty

P.S. I just got off the phone with customer service, at least this rep sounded coherent.

He informed me my CD with the drivers hasn't showed up yet, because "there aren't any"... and he didn't know when there would be any.
Supposedly I'll get a call back, tomorrow. But I ain't holdin' my breath.

[elkaholic]

I would just get a big dog an dleave out back for them racoons....