Homebrew Trailcameras

[gramps]

I ended up with two also...funny how that happened.  Actually I bid on the wrong one by mistake and got it.  I am sure we were bidding against one another at times.

[Bones]

  Gramps and I are going to start a couple of cameras this weekend.  After talking to him and seeing his shop and tools, I know he will pick this up very quickly. So when we come there will be two of us that can help you guys.
  Everyone will be taking their own camera apart and reassembling it. You will need screwdrivers and a container to put your parts in. I use a small empty plastic margarine spread tub, and I line it with a coffee filter. As you take the camera apart, put the parts in the tub until you are ready to put it back together. One of you told me you have a W55. That camera is a little harder to take apart, and I suggest you wait until the get together before attempting to do this. I will bring a spare W55 shutter assembly that is already wired, so the hard part will already be done. I also will be bringing a W80 shutter assembly that is already wired, so one of you with a W80 can put your camera right back together.
  Gramps will show you how to drill the case and put it together, and how to do the Bondo 3D camo and paint. Everyone should leave with the knowlege and confidence to do this own your own.
I think you will be surprised how easy it is.
   The screwdrivers you need cost $2.95 at hardware stores and lumberyards.
Lumbermen's or Pro Build have them at the counter. They look like a small black pen that clips in your shirt pocket. This has two phillips and two flat screwdrivers. You use the small phillips to remove the screws and the small flat to pry the camera case apart.
Bones

[gkowen]

I just got email confirmation of my yeticam stuff delivered. I can't wait to get home and see what it is.  If only the floodwaters would receed.  Ok I have my case in the freezer and am gonna drill it tomorrow. You mentions some pieces of glass. I can see one over the place where the lense goes to seal that from water, and one over the flash area, but do you put one over the PIR lense? Or do you just seal the plastic lense and thats enough?  Thanks for all the help. I think I am going to camo my case slightly different.  I have some sponges and paints and a few old silk flowers with leaves.

[Bones]

Gkowen,  I will explain how to get started later tonight.  Don't drill the case yet.
Bones

[bow4elk]

Bones,

What kind of glue are you using?  I noticed you mention "goop" but I'm assuming you are using that word to describe the application, not the glue itself.  I've got a lot of different glues, sealants, adhesives, cauking, etc.  Just curious if there's any particular glue/sealing method that is proven already.

I have all my stuff now.  Yeticam order and my second camere arrived today.  Just need the alum angle and eye bolts.

Thanks!

[Bones]

bow4elk, There are several kinds of Goop that will work and you can get it anywhere. I buy mine at Wal-Mart. In the automotive section you will find Automotive Goop, in the plumbing section they have Plumbing Goop, and in the paint section you will find Household Goop. I think a large tube is about $2.95. I use Plumbing Goop. I will be explaining how to use this tomorrow night.
Bob

[Bones]

  The pictures posted at the beginning of this thread show the Yeti board mounted in the lid under the camera. That board had back mounted controls.. I don't like that set up and that was the first time I mounted the board under the camera.
  I used a larger 1060 case for over a year. I just switched to the 1040 case a couple of months ago, and I really like the small compact unit. But it is a tight fit to get everything in these.
  Everyone should have ordered a control board with the front mounted controls. This board will be mounted in the main case. I have not done one like this, but I will be building 3 or 4 in the next week or so. Gkowen, I think it would be wise to wait a few days until I have figured this out.
  If you want to start your camera, these are the things you must consider. The camera  needs to be mounted as high in the lid as possible to leave as much room as possible below the camera. I like to leave just enough room above the camera to be able to touch the power button with my fingertip. It really is not necessary to be able to touch the power button with your fingertip, so I am sure I will move the camera as high as possible. If you want to view your pictures in the field while the camera is mounted in the case, you press the arrow button above the menu button. This powers the camera up with the last picture taken on the LCD screen. Then you press either the left or right arrow to go through your pictures.
  After removing the rubber bladder from the main case, and the foam liner in the lid, clean the excess adhesive from the lid with a rag and a solvent like laquer thinner or acetone. Paint thinner might work, never tried it. After all the solvent is removed, use masking tape to cover the flat area inside the lid (top half of lid). Then lay the camera in the lid and push it up as high as it will go, Make sure the camera is laying flat. The female connector of the three wire servo has to be mounted on the left end of the camera because the battery/ memory door is on the other end. So, push the camera to the right to get it as close to the hinged side of the lid as possible.
Make sure the camera is square with the lid, and then trace around it. You probably will only be able to trace around the left side and the bottom, but that is enough.
  Now you need to make a template for the camera. Cut a clear piece of plastic the exact size of the camera, With a Sharpie trace around the part of the camera lens that extends. Then trace around the flash and the AF illuminator that is 1/4" to the right of the flash. Now lay the template in the lid, and line it up with the lines you traced around the camera on the masking tape. Since this is different from the way I have been doing them, you need to see how much room there is above the flash and the side wall of the lid. Then you can determine the size hole you need to drill for the flash so you are not removing any of the side wall. You will need to drill a series of holes that you can connect with a dremmel, rasp or file to make an elongated hole so the flash and illuminateor can see out of the case. Use a small drill bit ( I use a 1/16") and drill a hole through the exact center of the extending lens. Determine how many holes you need for the flash hole and drill starter holes for them with the small bit. Now remove the template and masking tape Lay the lid on a block of wood, and start the point of  1 1/4" paddle bit into the starter hole for the extending lens. Make sure the bit is cutting square and drill through the lid. You drill from the inside of the lid. The bit for the flash will probably be a 3/8, 7/16 or 1/2" paddle bit. Drill those holes and clean them up with a file or dremmel tool.
  Now make the aluminum angle. By the way, if you have a W55 don't bother reading all of this because that camera is totally different.  This is only for the W80 and W90. Cut the aluminum angle 2 3/4" long. File or sand the edges and round the corners. With a pencil and a square, draw a center line on the top part of the angle that will be the camera shelf. For a W80 or W90, measure in and make a mark at 7/16" from the corner of the angle. Drill a 1/16" pilot hole at the center location. Then drill it out with a 1/4" bit. You need a 1/4" thumb screw and a nut and washer. I am not sure you need the washer, but you need to use up some of the threads on the screw so it will not bottom out in the camera tripod connector before it tightens. Drill two 1/4 inch holes in the part of the angle that mates with the case lid. Make sure these are down far enough to allow room for the nut. You need two 1/4" bolts 3/4" long.
  Hold the camera square with the case and line up the camera lens centered in the 1 1/4" hole. Mark one of the 1/4" holes and drill it in the lid. Now install a bolt finger tight and make sure the camera is still square and the lens is centered. Then drill the other hole and install the other bolt.
  I will finish this tomorrow night. All that is left is making the pvc extension and the lens for the flash and extension. And drilling for the PIR sensor and stand offs.
  If you need drill bits, you can buy a set of 13 Black and Decker paddle bits at Wal-Mart for $10.27. This is every size from 1/4" to 1 1/2". They also have a set of drill bits for $5 that is every size from 1/16" to 1/4".
Bones

[Seth]

Bones, I'm new to the site and have been following this thread very intently. This is something I have been wanting to attempt for several years and I can't wait to get started.  I did have one question, can this be done with a W50?  I bought one on ebay along with a W80, just curious if I would be better off getting rid of the W50.  Thanks for all of your info. 

[Bones]

Seth,  The W50 is 5.0 mega pixels, and it is not easy to do. The battery and charger for the 50 will work on the other cameras. The W35, W50 and W55 are not cameras that I like messing with. The shutter assembly is held together by hot melt plastic studs. These studs have to be cut away to get the assembly apart, and then you have to glue it back together. These cameras are also harder to take apart. With the W80 you have more mega pixels, and the image processor and CCD are high definition.
Bones

[Ridgeratt]

If we are short of pelican cases I found another source so to make sure that there will be cases I have the 3 that they had. Not sure how to link the site but I will have the info @ the Festival.

[Grizzly95]

Now ya all are making me nervous for getting a W55 cam.

[gkowen]

One question about viewing the pics. You can turn the camera on to view pics with the play button on the back but you can't turn it off. Does it turn off with the yeticam controller?


Ok so as I am piecing this all together I had the thought about placing the camera in the case upside down. This puts the holes for the flash below the lens pvc adapter so any dark corners will be on the top of the pic and also it puts the place where moisture might be a problem (flash and focus led) under the 'roof' of the lens PVC adapter. Can anyone think of a negative for this?


I have it all wired up outside the case and it works well.  I am sure I will be building more of these cams.  It is interesting to see the camera power on and take that first pic so fast.  Thanks Bones for all the information and help.

[Bones]

The W55 is a nice camera. I used to have four of them. The battery and memory door are on the bottom of the camera. The angle for the shelf can only be 1 3/4", so it is set up differently in the case. It is a little harder to take apart. To save typing, I would rather show you how to do this camera on the 24th. If you put the camera upside down, you will have to flip all of your pictures when you get them on your computer. There is no shadows in the pics from a 55, 80 or 90. There is a small shadow in the lower left corner of the W200 pictures. It is very small and has never messed up any of my pictures. The extending lens on that camera is larger in diameter and extends farther out of the case. But the pictures from that camera are so large,  the shadow can easily be cropped out. If an animal is in the bottom left corner of the picture, it would not be any good any way.
  Usually after viewing your pics, you pull the camera  back to change the battery and memory. then you can turn it off. If you are not in a hurry, you can remove the camera from the case, sit down and watch the slideshow of your pics.
  Every question I have answered in this post will be answered in detail when I finish the post I started last night.
Bones

[gkowen]

Just thought of one final question. How do you test your cam?  When it is closed you can't see the led.  Is there a way to wire one in parallel to the onboard so that a person can set the motion sensor for the area he has the camera in?

[Bones]

  You can see the LED when the camera is closed. The entire PIR lens lights up red.  I think it is dip switch #4 that turns off the LED. You want the LED turned off, otherwise, it  lights up every time the board senses motion. Even when it is turned off, it still lights up during the 30 second warm-up and the walk test mode. At the end of the walk test mode, the camera is armed and ready to take a picture the next time the board senses motion.
  You should go to the Yeti website, and click on manuals in the header. Then click on the board 1.3 manual. Download this manual and save it to your computer.
  When I took this picture, the board was in the 30 second warm-up mode. Toward the end of that 30 second period, the board powers the camera up, the flash capacitor is charged, then the board powers down the camera. You will see the camera lens extend and retract, then the LED will go off. Then the board is in the walk test mode and the LED will blink every time the board senses motion. You can make the walk test last as long as you want it to. When you want it to end, move off to the side. After 30 seconds of not sensing motion, the LED will blink five times. The board is now armed and ready to take pictures at the next detection of motion. You can see the LED in this picture.
Bones