8
USING THE TRAIL CAM
Once you’ve prepared your Trail Cam by properly installing batteries and
an SD card, you could simply take it outside, strap it to a tree, switch it on
and leave-and you might get some great photos that are exactly what you
wanted. However, we highly recommend that you first spend some additional
time indoors with this manual and your camera until you know a bit more
about what the 3-way switch and those control keys do. If nothing else, you’ll
probably want to at least set the date and time so the camera will imprint
them (or not-it’s your option) on your photos as they are taken, learn how to
set the camera to shoot video clips instead of still photos if you like, and read
some tips about mounting it on a tree.
THE OFF, ON, AND SETUP MODES
The Trail Cam has three basic operational modes:
• OFF mode: Power switch in the OFF position.
• ON mode: Power switch in the ON position (LCD screen is off.)
• SETUP mode: Power switch at SETUP position (LCD screen is on).
OFF MODE
The OFF mode is the “safe” mode when any actions must be taken, e.g.,
replacing the SD card or batteries, or transporting the device. You will also
use OFF mode if you connect the camera to a computer’s USB port later to
download your photos/videos. And of course, when you are storing or not
using the camera, you will switch it to OFF. Please note that even in the OFF
mode the Trail Cam still consumes power at a very low level. Therefore, it’s a
good idea to take the batteries out of the battery compartment if the camera
will not be used for a long time.
ON MODE
Anytime after the batteries and SD card have been inserted, you can switch
on the camera. When the power switch is moved to the top position, the
camera will enter into the ON (Live) mode. The motion indicator LED (pg.
6, “Front View”) will blink red for about 10 seconds. This interval allows time
for you to close the Trail Cam’s front cover, lock it, and leave the monitored
area. Once in the ON mode, no manual controls are needed or possible
(the control keys have no effect). The Trail Cam will take photos or videos