I’m fixing to buy a new game cam. All of the better ones I’ve looked at have reviews talking about how they eat batteries. I may only visit the camera every few months. Have any of you set a 12 volt solar panel up and used rechargeable batteries? The cameras have a place for DC input but I don’t know if a solar panel would work.

If your going cellular I’ve had outstanding luck with the Tacticam Reveal SK’s, I’ve had 11 running since October and I just swapped out 2 batteries this weekend on cameras that weren’t getting a lot of sun to keep them charged. Your biggest challenge on these is going to be finding them, the last few I purchased came from Amazon at roughly $300 a piece verses the retail price of $180ish but well worth it in my opinion. They work outstanding and take great pics!!

Rogers Sporting goods has the 2 pack Moultrie Edge cell cam on sale right now. I have 2 out and really like them. The app is solid. I believe the 2 pack is 90 bucks.

Thanks for the tips. I didn’t think to include that there’s no reliable cell service. It will be there for 2 minutes and then be gone. I pretty much have to stick with standard cameras but I’ll check both mfrs other cams.

Browning has went to 6 batteries over the past years. Having cows on the place, I get thousands of pics a month. Sd card fills up faster than the batteries go bad over a couple months.

As soon as I find a good, cheap, SD card camera, they quit making it or change it. The trail cam industry has to be in tremendous flux. 'Looks like there's really only 2 or 3 "manufacturers" in China and the American brands are just renegotiating contracts. I like Tacticams and have 4 of them, but I'm too cheap to pay data on 10 to 12 of them.

Daughter had 3 cameras on her place, non cell type. Solar quit working, 6vdc input. Looking for a replacement solar charging system. I diss-assembled the existing and had no output from the solar cell. Appears to be the failure point. Camera part works fine on internal batteries.

When you say the solar one, are you talking about this one? It’s the one I’m leaning towards.

No, hers are CamPark. I've looked at separate solar charging units to plug into hers so they will work. The campark solar units are detachable and failed.

I'm running 3 of these and like them. Mine has ultra high resolution and i get great pics.

Options and great place to buy

My wiseeye are better than my Tactacam imo, I’ve had both

https://www.herd360.com/products/wiseeye-data-cam-2-battery-box-combos

Tacticam Reveals were nothing but problems for me.

I've got 8 Tactacams out and they've been out for anywhere from 2-4 years. All are still running great.

Cell cams will burn batteries and I have them all on solar, never an issue. Before we went to cell cams, we ran the old traditional ones and never had a problem with batteries....they lasted forever.

I got a low battery notice on one of mine. 'Solar must have come unplugged. 'Course, it's the only one I need to see to drop the gate on the pig trap.

Here is what I did because I hate little batteries. I use a 12 volt feeder battery. I recharge it once a year.

^^Very well done.

I do the same only have the camera on a T-post and mount a feeder solar panel to the lid of the ammo boxes. Will run for years...

I've had the best luck with Reconyx. They are pricey, but I've had 2 running for 12 years with no problems. One of them got knocked in the mud by hogs and soaked in a mud puddle, but Reconyx rebuilt it for about $50. Great service.

I want to give a game cam to someone as a retirement gift. I'm reluctant to give a gift that eats batteries and has a monthly cellular fee. I'll poke around on the comments here and on Amazon and try to make an educated choiice.

I had surprisingly good luck with Stealth Cam Cell cameras; had 2 set up on the last lease I was on just north of Goldthwaite. Would often get about 90 days of use with non-solar camera; the solar camera just ran forever with no issues. The great thing about cell cameras is you can empty the SD card without leaving the house! I had ATT as the carrier, had very good service area; was $15/mo fee. Visited the Stealth Cam HQ in Irving, a few years ago - quite interesting place!