| Simple, fun, and exciting are a few words that come to mind when I
think of my experience with the new PhotoHunter game monitor. Every trip
to collect film held all of the excitement that I used to feel as a kid
on Christmas Eve. It is the next best thing to actually hunting!
The PhotoHunter is a camouflaged (Silent Camo pattern) single piece
unit that includes a fully automatic 35mm camera with auto flash, a motion/heat
sensor and an alignment light that also doubles as the PhotoCheck and event
counter. Also included is a one, five and ten minute event and picture
taking delay. The manufacturer suggests the one minute delay be used for
trails while the five and ten minute delays be used for areas where animals
may congregate like a bait pile. The unit is easily attached to almost
any tree with a green stretch cord and attachment clamps located on either
side of the case. The housing is constructed of ABS material, which is
known for its strength and weathering abilities.
The infrared motion/heat sensor has a range of approximately 60 feet
and is sensitive to the combination of both heat and movement. The beam
starts small at the unit and expands to approximately 4 feet in diameter
at 60 feet. The addition of the heat sensing capabilities to the motion
detector prevents the PhotoHunter from taking pictures of swaying trees
or falling branches. The sensor is operated by a single 9v alkaline battery
and under normal conditions should operate for approximately two months.
When setting up the camera you can pinpoint your target area by using
the alignment light, which flashes red when the sensor is "tripped". Simply
attach the unit to a tree, aim it at the desired area, turn the unit on
and then walk through the area where you expect an animal to pass. If the
camera is adjusted properly your movement and heat will interrupt the beam
and the alignment light will flash. This feature is active for one minute
after the unit is turned on and then "goes to sleep". At that point the
camera becomes active and the next beam interruption will result in a picture
being taken.
The PhotoHunter's PhotoCheck feature indicates the number of pictures
taken without having to remove the camera from the unit or the unit from
the tree. If all of the film has been exposed, the 35mm camera can be removed
from the PhotoHunter to replace the film without actually removing the
unit from the tree. To do this you slide the photo window plate to the
side and unplug the camera from the unit. Besides the number of pictures
taken, the unit will also report the number of events (beam interruptions)
up to 250. Since these two features are connected, the event counter also
operates on the same delay as the camera. Also, the number of photos
will match the number of events up to the number of exposures on the roll
of film you place in the camera. If the light flashes 100 times for example
on a 36 exposure roll, you can be sure that all of your film has been exposed
plus there were an extra 64 events.
The 35mm camera is a Samsung Maxima that will record/print either the
date or time on each photo, but not both. The date/time recorder uses a
separate battery located in the film-loading door. The camera can also
be used separately from the PhotoHunter just by unplugging it from the
unit. The manufacturer recommends Lithium AA batteries for the camera and
a 3v Lithium battery for the date/time recorder.
Testing
My first test of the PhotoHunter was a routine quality inspection of
all components inside and out, including the Samsung camera. Other than
some minor blemishes in the camouflage finish, everything appeared to be
in good order.
To become familiar with the unit, I purchased all of the recommended
batteries and film and experimented with it in my back yard. The unit operates
with or without film loaded so I practiced without to save some time and
money. Even though I read all of the instructions beforehand, it was extremely
helpful to do this. In a short period of time I was familiar with the features,
set up and operation of the PhotoHunter and was ready to take it to the
field.
The location chosen for testing was a well-worn deer trail behind a
friend's home. We placed the unit approximately 25" high on a tree and
10 feet from the trail. The stretch cord made attaching the PhotoHunter
to the tree a breeze. To adjust the angle and tilt of the unit I used sticks
as wedges between the tree and the back of the housing. Once it was set
up and appeared to be aimed in the right direction it was turned on. To
verify the "aim" of the Hunter I followed the deer trail through the area
that was targeted. The red alignment light flashed indicating that the
beam was indeed interrupted confirming the position was correct.
A week later we returned with high hopes and a replacement roll of film.
I turned the unit off and counted the number of PhotoCheck/event counter
flashes. There were 42 flashes so I knew that all 36 pictures had been
exposed. I slid the camera access door to the side, unplugged the camera,
changed the film and then put it all back together. We were done and out
of the area in less than five minutes!
Of course there was too much anticipation to wait on the film so I took
it to the one-hour photo center to speed up the process. When the film
was finally ready a whole agonizing 47.5 minutes later, no time was wasted
seeing what was inside. Drum roll please.... squirrel, squirrel, two squirrels,
and so on.
 Hey,
this isn't what I was looking for! Did I get someone else's film? Ahhh,
finally - the last two pictures were deer, one was even a buck. Not bad
for post season Pennsylvania! Why so many squirrels though? We made a beeline
from the photo center to the camera, chased the squirrels away and checked
out the set up. To make a long story short, I wasn't smart about my first
set up. Further investigation found the ground in front of the camera sloping
up,
which put the little gray fur balls right on center stage - perfectly positioned
for a photo shoot! Also, the camera was angled slightly down, compounding
the problem. A lesson learned. Another way to avoid roll after roll of
squirrels is to have the camera on at nighttime only. The PhotoHunter is
not equipped with an on/off timer so this must be done manually. Of course
this is a major hassle unless the unit is easily accessible. I prefer however,
to take the extra time needed to assure a minimal squirrel count. After
all, I want to know what is going to be there during legal shooting hours!
Next roll - nothing but deer! Now, this is what I wanted. The
pictures were clear and most of the deer were centered in the photo. It
was interesting to look at the different deer that showed up. We captured
a half-rack buck, a few button bucks, a spikie, a group of five doe together
and "Lucky" on film. A close look at Lucky's back shows just how close
one hunter came to filling his doe tag! His "left and right" adjustment
looks good but I think he needs a little work on his "up and down" placement.
We had a good chuckle out of that one!
|
Click On Thumbnails To See Larger Picture
|
Something that I think is notable is the lack of "empty" photos through
all of the testing. Not one picture came back without some type of animal
on it. This is a testimony to how well the motion/heat sensor performs.
Our list through four rolls of film included squirrels (of course), deer,
a big Tomcat and Sasquatch - ooops, sorry, my mistake - actually that was
my friend Dane (photo withheld for medical reasons, i.e., he threatened
my life!).
The time/date film print worked well, however the addition of a camera
capable of doing both at the same time would be a nice feature. If you
prefer the date to be printed on the picture rather than the time or visa-versa,
just switch from one to the other by using the "mode" button on the back
of the camera.
During the weeks that the PhotoHunter was in the field, central PA experienced
just about every weather pattern possible. This has been a seriously strange
winter here! We had rain, snow, warm temps, bitter cold temps, cloudy and
clear conditions. None of these seemed to affect the performance of the
unit.
Our third roll perplexed me a bit in that all of the deer in the photos
had what appeared to be at least 10x the normal eye reflection. Obviously
the flash of the camera was being reflected straight back to the camera
to a higher degree than the other set ups. On the next set up I changed
the height and angle of the unit slightly to see if the problem would be
corrected. The next roll was back to normal and the problem solved. You
may need to experiment with different heights and angles to avoid this
problem.
The TrailTimer PhotoHunter is fun and simple to use. In my opinion it
is one of the best winter blues busters you can find. It works well and
takes clear, quality pictures when used properly. If you are looking for
a cure for cabin fever or a good scouting tool that is affordable then
be sure to check out the PhotoHunter.
Value: 4.5 of 5
At approximately $249.99 per unit the PhotoHunter is certainly
a good deal. It does the job it is intended to do and does it well. It
is considerably cheaper than many other models on the market. The camera
can be unplugged and used independently adding even more value.
Design: 4 of 5
The electronics and mechanical functions are simple and effective indicating
a good design. Suggested improvements include an anti-theft feature, an
on/off timer, a combined date/time film print, and a 9v battery clip inside
the unit.
Ease of Operation: 5 of 5
It can't get much easier!
For more information on this or any other Trail Timer product contact
them at:
TrailTimer Co.
PO Box 28722
St.Paul, MN 55128
Phone: 651-738-0925
Fax: 651-459-3437
E-mail: trailtimer@aol.com
http://www.trailtimer.com |
