Homebrew Trailcameras

[Charlie]

Those are Great pictures Bones!! 

[bigdave]

OK, no excuses, I'm gonna do it.

Are there any within the sound of my voice that would like to gather parts in the next couple of weeks and then have a build day in the Spokane area sometime in January?

I would provide heated shop area, hot coffee, and lunch. I also have all the tools available. (except a glass cutter) If we could get Bones to come and advise, perhaps we could take a collection to cover his gas money.

I would just like an excuse to meet some of you guys and we could all walk away with an awesome trailcam.

Bones,
I don't know where you're located but I would like to invite you to be our master trailcam adviser and technician!! 

[bucklucky]

Hey Bones, how much ya charge to build me a camera 

Thanks for all the info, thats exactly what I was looking for. There are so many things I need to save cash for still, a new bow, A knife from Rainshadow , new hunting clothes, a new truck, new pair of binos , and now a nother trail camera 

[gramps]

Thanks for sharing your expertise!!!

[shadowless_nite]

i got a good question about your homebrew trail cam bones....

realistically speaking.... how long are we looking for the average joe to put one of these together??? a few hours? 10+hours?? your has very nice detail and looks like it took a while to get all said and done. but someone whos never done this and just to get the camera functioning without making the fancy case?

[Bones]

BigDave,  I am about 150 miles south of you. I have two sons that live in Spokane.  I would not mind going to see them and help you with your cameras for the day.

Shadowless_nit.  If I start a camera at 6:00PM, I am field testing it by 9:00PM
Then I do the camo and paint the next night. I made templates for the camera and board, so it takes just a few minutes to drill the case, mount the camera, and cut the lenses. It takes me less than one hour to take a camera apart, wire it and then put it back together.
  I don't want to build cameras for anyone because this is something you have to learn yourself. After you do, you will be glad you did. All you have to do is take your time with the first one. After you see how it works, it will get very easy.
Bones

[Machias]

Hey Big Dave, I'm game!  We could all get together and mess up one together or if Bones comes up we could all get together and build ours together and have some great fun and do it right.

Give a man some fish and feed him for a day, teah him to fish and feed him for life.   

[Bones]

Fred,  You won't have to twist my arm to get me up there. This sounds like fun. Maybe Gramps would want to come along for the day also. Besides, we have lots to talk about besides cameras.

Below is a couple of pictures of a shutter board from a W200. It takes about five minutes to take a camera  apart to get it like in this picture. You have to solder three 30 gauge wires to this shutter board. The second picture shows where you make the solder connections. The red line is where you solder the red wire for the power connection. The blue line is where you solder the blue wire for the ground connection. And the white line is where you  solder the white shutter wire.
  While the soldering iron is heating up, I strip the three wires. I use a pair of nail clippers to do this. You only need about 1.8th of an inch of exposed wire. Then I tin the three wires. Keep applying solder until you get a small amount of excess built up on the wire.
  The blue and white wires solder to the corners of the shutter pad. At the corners of that pad, you can see the tiny solder points where the pad is soldered to the board. Hold the tinned wire against that and apply the point of the soldering iron. When you see the solder flow, remove the iron.
  Never apply heat to the board for more than two seconds. If the wire does not stick on the first attempt, retin the wire and try again. When the wire sicks, wiggle and tug on the wire to make sure you have a solid connection. The red wire connects to the power pad. After all three wire are connected to the board, put the camera back together. Strip a small amount of the wires, and then install the camera's battery.
  Now touch the red wire to the blue wire, the camera will power up. Now touch the blue wire to the white wire, and the camera will take a picture. Then, I solder the wires to the female connector on the three wire servo, and attach it to the camera with a small piece of foil duct tape.
  Now the camera is finished and it is time to work on the Pelican case.




More information on these three cameras

http://www.pixcontroller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3266

[Bones]

I left one small but very important item off of the parts list for Yeticam. This item is a two wire board power connector, and it costs $1.00. This connects the 9 volt battery to the board. The board comes with a connector for the camera and a dip switch label for the case, I went back and edited my post and added this, but I thought I better mention it in case someone made a list of parts.
  Don't buy a 9 volt battery holder from Yeticam. I use a two wire connector from Radio Shack. These come in a pack of ten for $1.95. I use Velcro tape from Wal-Mart to hold the battery in the case.
  The Sony Cameras come with a really good photo editing software CD. This is the best software that I have seen. It will also add the time and or date stamp to your pictures if you want to do that. You can put the stamp in any of the four corners of your pictures, and you can choose from four colors, white, yellow, red or blue. Sometimes the cameras you buy on Ebay don't come with this CD. I have several copies of this if anyone ever wants it.
Bones

[gramps]

Sounds like a great idea.  I would like to go and I'll drive.

[bigdave]

So far, three participants plus Bones our technical advisor. It sounds to me like we're a go. After Santa brings me some christmas ca$h.....it's off to ebay and yeticam!! Who else wants to come? 

[bigdave]

Hey one other reason why I am so interested in this.

I don't like to spend money. I make stuff that gets the job done often cheaper and better than store bought and stuff that will last longer. If I can't make it then I reluctantly buy the best I can afford looking at value as well as price. Our throw away society drives me nuts.

Let's say I spend a couple hundred bucks on a trailcam. I get it and it doesn't work or it works for a while and then something starts not working. My options are limited because I have no idea how the thing was put together or how it works. I can send it back hoping the company will not screw me, or just chalk it up to learning the hard way what not to buy.

With something you make yourself, YOU made it. If it starts not working YOU can fix it. You will know what to do because YOU built it. YOU can replace individual components because YOU understand what each part does. There is a great feeling of pride in this small measure of self-suffeciency. That is why I like to learn to build stuff myself.

Thanks again Bones, for being WILLING to teach.

Bigdave

[Bones]

  After the holidays, and at least one of the guys planning to attend had a camera and the parts from Yeti, we can schedule this. I will bring all the tools needed for this, and when I know how many cameras and what model will be there, I will cut and predrill the aluminum angles. I will also cut the PVC fittings and glass lenses. But I will show you how to do this when we get together.
  I will bring some of my finished cameras.
  But there is some prep work you can do to your Pelican case ahead of time Remove the rubber bladder from the main case. This just pulls out. There is a 1/8" layer of black neophrene foam in the lid that needs to be removed. This is held in place by an adhesive. Open the case and lay it in the freezer for two hours. Then slide a small screwdriver under one corner and lift up the corner until you can get ahold of it. Then peel it out of the lid. Save the bladder and foam to be reintalled later after the drilling and sanding on the case.
Bones

[bigdave]

Can't wait!!

Thanks

[Ridgeratt]

I would like an invite when this comes together