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Plotwatcher Pro time lapse camera

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I bought a Plotwatcher Pro time lapse camera and mounted it this week in my hunting tower facing my food plot. I pulled the card after couple hours just to check it out.
Kinda neat but all I seen was a large flock of turkeys roaming around. I have it set to take a picture once every minute and I see that way too far apart. I'm going to reset it for closer pictures. Probably set it for once every 10 seconds.
Thoughts?
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
How's the battery life Frank? And what size card are you using? Every ten seconds could fill up a card fairly quickly I would think if it's not a larger gig card.....
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
you need a 32g card.

Also I used one, I didnt like it to much. Seemed to take a long time to go through the pictures. However when I would see deer it was pretty neat!
 

bthompson1004

Member
1,238
100
NWOhio!
I used the primos dps cam a few times this summer, the only pain the butt was the file extension the pictures were in...you can't just open them on the computer...but they did have a program in their website you could download and view pics from the while day in about 3 minutes...but that was a pain to get downloaded also....for the price of those "plotwatcher" brand cameras i hope its a lot easier than the primos dps.

8 AA batteries lasted a couple months at a time, but at 10 second intervals all day, i was going through a little more than 1GB per day
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
I used the primos dps cam a few times this summer, the only pain the butt was the file extension the pictures were in...you can't just open them on the computer...but they did have a program in their website you could download and view pics from the while day in about 3 minutes...but that was a pain to get downloaded also....for the price of those "plotwatcher" brand cameras i hope its a lot easier than the primos dps.

8 AA batteries lasted a couple months at a time, but at 10 second intervals all day, i was going through a little more than 1GB per day

this is cam I had as well. Its sittin in the barn. Those programs sucked and was not worth the time. I have a feeling the Plot Watcher is much better program.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I've only just installed it this week and pulled the card after about 5 hrs. I have it set on 1 minute pictures which is way to slow.
I viewed 5 hr. which would be 50% of a daytime light hours in about 90 seconds. The furnished disk program is easy to install and use. Still playing with the controls.
Also today I'll change the angles so I get more of the plot area and less skyline.
I'll check the Company reported battery and card use.

Stated use.
On 10 second setting a 32Gb card will get 55-111 days on 12 hr. daylight hours.
The day number 55-111 depends if you install 4 or 8 batteries.

We'll see in actual use.
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I pulled my 1st major card today out of my Plotwatcher cam. This thing is neat and well worth the cost IMHO.
I installed the cam in my tower and can see about 50% of my 3 ac. food plot.
Set at 10 second I can watch a whole day in under 5 minutes. The control is neat and can speed up, stop, and zoom.
On Monday the day of the snow at day break there was at least 12-15 deer feeding and all moved out about 1 hr. later. Then nothing all day until 5:30 and 15 plus deer came from all directions to feed.
On Tuesday nothing in view until 5:00 and several does feed next to the tower and a shooter buck is less than 20 yds. broadside from the tower.
Wednesday several deer in the morning and one nice buck about 75 yds. out. Pulled the card at 2:30.
Can't hunt in the morning but I will hunting Thursday nite.

I need to change the position angle of the camera to get more plot ground area. Plus I will be ordering the 2 lens kit of a wide angle and 2X power.
With 4 days of 10 second pictures it only used about 2GB of card use. And in 8 days of use and setup only used 17% of the 8 battery pack.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
The main reason for the Plotwatcher Pro cam was to record the deer activity on the plot during daylight hours when I wasn't watching it myself.
Previous years in my woods pinch point NS trail I seen 3-7 bucks each day leading up to the rut.
In 2014 I only seen one little 4" spike in 7 days up till 11-9. I started hunting my food plot 11-11 and seen good buck movements. So that confirmed my idea that the buck movement changed with the established food plot. The bucks were checking the food plots looking for does and not going through the woods.
I pulled my cam card on the NS trail in the woods and in 9 days of 11-10 to 11-19 there was only one picture of a buck using the trail. But it was a shooter on 11-10 the day after I stopped hunting there. Darn.
One day on the food plot I seen 14 bucks and didn't hunt the midday hours.
More viewing will enable me to locate stands to travel major routes. Time will tell.

From all the reviews I read the Plotwatcher Pro is a big improvements of the original model.
 

Outdoorsfellar

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
The problem with that length of time is two things. #1 - the card would fill up within that time period. #2 - Even if you did space out the time so it wouldn't, you'd probably miss out on a lot of action in-between shots. It would certainly give you an idea of what's going on just the same.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I made a mistake in my original post on the use of the card.

Correct days for a 32 Gd card is 37-74 for 12 hr. days. But winter use we only have about 11 hrs.
Battery use is listed as 46-115 days for good batteries.

All these uses depend on how complex the pictures are.

I will do a reasonable check on use of the card and batteries. But I don't have the patience to leave it set very long or a real reason to.




Nice, I've been wondering if anyone is using that. Sounds like a pretty good scouting tool, especially if you are on one field and it's on another.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Had the camera out 8 days now on 10 second pictures and the battery still has 81%. So that's about 2% per day. I used couple % up setting it up and just playing with it.



How's the battery life Frank? And what size card are you using? Every ten seconds could fill up a card fairly quickly I would think if it's not a larger gig card.....
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I didn't time it but I would say 2-3 minutes for 12 hr. day. That's on the 5X fast forward setting. Then you can stop and view when you see something. There is a deer search mode but it seems I have a overhead tree limb that moves in the wind so that mode doesn't work real well. When you see something of interest you can use the single frame mode for inspection. To me it is not boring as I'm on a fact finding mission.
Each day is a separate file.

Keep in mind this camera type is for viewing and no very good at ID'ing a actual deer. At 75-100 yds. the deer looks like a dog in size and you can sorta see antlers. At 25 or so it takes great pictures so would do very well on a trail up close during daylight.
There is a 2x power and wide angle lens kit and I will be adding those to use.



How long did it take you to review those 8 days worth with their software?
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
I used a stopwatch today and it takes 60 seconds to watch a 12 hr. day at 5x fast speed. At that speed you do have to pay attention to items showing up. The 3X speed is about right. When I do see something I stop the action and use the single frame to get a closer view.

The more I view the daily pictures the more I enjoy this camera. I'm going to order the lens kit that comes with the 2X power and wide angle lens.

This camera would be great used as a trail camera on a busy deer trail. There would be almost no missed pictures as I would set it on 5 second setting and you wouldn't have to worry about the camera waking up to take a picture.. However it's a daytime action only.

I've had the camera out for 17 days now and the 8 battery pack is still at 78%.
I'll have to do a study on the chip use. But for the last 8 days or so it only stored about 2 Gb.

I will probably get a 2nd camera just like this one for the 2nd food plot I plan on putting in 2015.

I have no regrets whatsoever on buying the Plotwatcher Pro camera.



How long did it take you to review those 8 days worth with their software?