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Anyone still using homebrews?

Tomo

Tomo

Member
I have five or six Sony P-41's with controller boards, cases, etc. Pretty much everything needed to build working trailcams. My only hesitation is that the flash on these always seem to spook the big ones. I usually get only one pic of a shooter then he seems to avoid the area.

Should I build the rest of these or sell everything and pick up some IR models?
 
Add me to that list. I'll be glad to dispose of them for you.

Seriously though, i prefer white flash over IR anyday. But i'm more of a picture quality guy. But.. i think IR flashes spook deer too.

I have about 10 pictures this fall of a nice 170's deer that walks through a fence opening thats 5 yards wide. I have a Sony P41, SSS board setup hidden in the fencepost. If the flash bothered him, he could easily jump the fence anywhere else and avoid the camera. I also have pics of similar size deer that sit in front of the camera for 4 or 5 pictures in a row before they decide to leave.

I saw an IR video on one of the homebrew sites that showed a number of deer that were at a feeder. When others would come in, an IR camera would take their picture. Every deer jumped as they passed the IR camera. Just because we can't see the IR flash doesn't mean the deer can't.

The quality of the commercial cams sure have gotten better in the last few years and you don't save as much on the homebrews as you used to, but i prefer to build my own and fix my own. Much more satisfying to me, and i still think the picture quality is better than any commercial cam....white flash, that is.
 
I still prefer my homebrews over my reconyx cams and trophy cams. I still have 2 BG2 boards in the package.....anyone want to buy them???? They need to be programed to your specific camera as I have no clue what they are programed for
 
I have 8 or 9 I built and they are still my favs but battery life is bad compared to the newer cams...pic quality still exceeds them tho.
 
I do not believe the would even work in our climate.

Tell you what..build one, send it my way, prove me wrong.
 
You can also do the ir mod on the p41's fairly easily. But if you want to part with any; i'll take one of them. I just had a p41 with SS controller in a 1060 camo case stolen in November. I'm going to replace it with another hombrew.
 
I have tried many cams including scoutguard and would trade any one of them for another good homebrew with a p41. I hate IR pictures, just doesn't give me the same feel as a good color pic. Ever since switching to digital, I have no problems with cams spooking deer, flash or not.
 
Ah the good old days. I still have a couple in use. Love the picture quality!!! Its too bad sony went away from that camera design.
 
I've got a Vman custom P41 camera with BG1 board, custom contoured case, dessicant bar inside and memory stick included - works great but as a shop owner, i feel obligated to use the same cameras that I have hanging on the hook to sell to everyone else. Best offer gets it.
 
I use Energizer Ultimate Lithiums every time i swap batteries in my homebrews. That once a month. I'm sure they could go a month and a half, possibly two months if i let them go. Thats the Sony P41 setups. The S40's and S600's use a little more juice, but very seldom are dead in a months time.

The batteries are spendy, but i hate checking memory sticks finding out that the batteries went dead weeks ago. I just think of all the good pictures i may have missed.

You can always build a homebrew with externals to go months, easy.
 
Guys,
I have 2 p-32s with big foot boards and one P-41 all vcams.

I also have to other p-41s that the board is fried. I want to get rid of them all as I do not use them anymore.

Send me PMs and make me some offers... :way:

I can provide images if you need them or want to see them. :way:
 
My rechargeables may be on the going dead side of things Tomo. I just recharge every 2 weeks and hope there are no dead batteries. I love camera checking but need ones that will run a month or 2 without assistance, the trophy cams and reconyx do just that
 
Tomo said:
I have five or six Sony P-41's with controller boards, cases, etc. Pretty much everything needed to build working trailcams. My only hesitation is that the flash on these always seem to spook the big ones. I usually get only one pic of a shooter then he seems to avoid the area.

Should I build the rest of these or sell everything and pick up some IR models?
Click to expand...

I love my P-41's and I find that bucks don't like "trail cams" period if they walk directly at them on a runway...day or night, flash or IR.

I have 7 homebrews, 1 wildview, 2 2010 Bushnells and 1 Scoutguard and check cams for a friend all on 3 different farms.

Having said that on feed or scrapes they seem to pay little attention to the flash

Buck2-26.jpg


Target2.jpg


DSC00142.jpg


This buck see's the red glow of a Bushnell and like many other deer...turned and went around the camera

B1-15.jpg


This buck see's the cam in the daylight and also turns back

B2-16.jpg


I could go on but while things like the new "black flash" are better, cam placement is more important then if it flashes or not.

Little swivel mounts like this one (for Bushnell, Covert and Scoutguard) allow one to mount it above a deers line of sight and angle it downward.

IMG_0012.jpg


If you have a TreeHopper belt and auger one can easily put a few steps in a tree and mount the cam up higher (or use climbing sticks etc)

Mounting the cam slightly off the trail helps also but fast moving rutting bucks often don't trigger even the fastest cams in time.

I'm not making a point here for one cam over another, they all have attributes but because I run so many and all of them year around I have noticed patterns and how deer react to them.

They will stand there for an hour eating out of a salt lick with the cam flashing away but mount one on a runway and the same deer will start avoiding that runway.

Just some things to think about in regards to placement and flash versus IR

I use Lithium batteries in my home brews and on runways they last for several months even in bitter cold weather. The bushnell and scoutguard of course last all year with just regular energizers unless they are on a salt lick in the winter time...;)
 
dbltree--I'm like you when it comes to mounting the cameras higher in the tree. I try and mount them head high with me and point them down to the trail, usually at a 45 or 90 degree angle to the trail if the camera is fast enough.

I believe that when mounted higher like this they seem to pass it off more as lightning rather than a flash going off right in their face.
 
Great info dbltree. I learned some things that I never thought of before. Thanks.

jjohnson made an interesting point in another thread. His cams are set to video. He said you would be surprised what you miss by setting the cams to take pictures only. Thoughts?
 
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