Lions and Tig...Bobcats and Bears, oh my! (My Game Cameras)

[CountyWorker]

More bear...

 

[bowwinkles]

There's no cell phone service where I live. Also, I'm trying to get the highest quality images that I can and cellular cameras have mediocre image quality.

I am familiar with the coastal area there and the spotty cell service. There are several brands now that have upped their picture quality but I do understand your taste in picture taking. The other side of the coin is just to gain the knowledge of what is happening in an area without making the physical trip to change out cards and again disturbing the area and its residents you are trying to capture. If you cross the state and hit the Snake River is where I was raised prior to having the military relocate me in the south east and retiring there. We have setups with LI battery's and solar panels where months can be passed prior to the need to visit the chosen site.

 

[CountyWorker]

Another hobby of mine. Game cameras.

The Moultrie camera photos that I have posted are my worst quality photos. They aren’t bad, but they aren’t the image quality of the Browning cameras. I have three Moultries and they are all near the Forest Service easement that runs 1.2 miles through my property. The public can travel that road and I don’t want to lose one of my Brownings to some idiot.

I’ve tried all the best cams and Browning’s image quality is without a doubt the best. My YouTube videos are 1080p at 60 FPS.

Also, in regards to disturbing an area, I used to wait extended periods of time to retrieve my cards and wear long sleeves, hat, gloves and even turn my collar up. I’ve learned that it makes no difference. I’d forget and go get cards in short sleeves and no gloves and animals would come in right behind me after I left.


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[CountyWorker]

This little Bobcat isn't much bigger than a big house cat.



The lion is for size reference.

 

[jordanmills]

Wow those are great. I love mountain lions... I just don't want to live near them. If you catch them in a bad mood, they will ruin your day.

 

[jordanmills]

There's no cell phone service where I live. Also, I'm trying to get the highest quality images that I can and cellular cameras have mediocre image quality.

A cell repeater may be able to help the signal. Won't do much about the picture quality though. Wireless relay (wifi) works too, but has greater power requirements at the camera. I built one out for my wife's uncle at his place with bad cell reception. But if you're happy with it how it is, then you don't need any of that. Thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[bowwinkles]

A cell repeater may be able to help the signal. Won't do much about the picture quality though. Wireless relay (wifi) works too, but has greater power requirements at the camera. I built one out for my wife's uncle at his place with bad cell reception. But if you're happy with it how it is, then you don't need any of that. Thanks for sharing the pics.

The signal booster is one method of being able to get cell service in dead areas is correct. I have seen a high gain directional antenna on a 12 ft pole above the cellular trail camera pull in a great signal in an area where it was thought that cell operations was out of the question. We have cams in northern Canada in bear country that takes a 2 hour canoe trip and a long hike to get to during the summer. Winter with the solar panels and rechargeable batteries which aids us from trying to fight the waist deep snow to service the cameras. Having the cameras placed in the northern forest areas also aids us from the cams Having to see an area where the animals can still feed because the snow which is much less under the trees. Someone else with the thought of another enjoyable hobby is always great to hear about. Just enjoy your cams no matter the type.

 

[CountyWorker]

I own a narrow canyon that’s ~1 mile long and the creek you see in the videos and photos winds along the floor of the valley. The only phone service is satellite phone. I wish I could get cell phone service, because it would sure save me a few bucks.

And again, I’m using the cameras to try to capture high quality images. There are a dozen cameras available that have better image quality than the image quality of the best cellular cam.


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[jordanmills]

I own a narrow canyon that’s ~1 mile long and the creek you see in the videos and photos winds along the floor of the valley. The only phone service is satellite phone. I wish I could get cell phone service, because it would sure save me a few bucks.

And again, I’m using the cameras to try to capture high quality images. There are a dozen cameras available that have better image quality than the image quality of the best cellular cam.


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You really want to look into trying to get usable cell service? I've helped people with that before. My in-law's mountain cabin had intermittent bad cell service (i.e. bad service or no service, depending on how it felt), and we rigged up an amp and antenna set and it was great. If you want to share your specific location then I can help walk you through it, or I can show you the tools to do it yourself.

Most of it would involve registering at cellmapper.net, downloading/installing their mobile application, and driving some roads around your land to measure cell reception and try to identify and triangulate the towers (the service does all this automatically, you just have to run the application and drive around for a bit).

If this link works, it will show you the data they have for your general area right now:

https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=...Band=0&showSectorColours=true&mapType=roadmap

After you know where the towers are likely to be and (more importantly) what frequencies they use, you source an appropriate amplifier and antenna set from your choice of vendor (I can provide some example links or help select if you want, but I don't sell them or make any money off it). Then you set it up in a place where you can use one of the antennas to point in the direction of the cell tower of choice. It might need to be set up on a small tower up at the top of the valley or something like that, but they're very light and you won't need more than a couple of lengths of 1.5" pipe and guy wire. Depending on the other antenna, you might point it at your house (if directional) or just put it nearby (if omni).

 

[GroundSweeper]

Great photos! Trail cams are cool. I bought one and set it up near my trash cans I have a bear proof trash can, which now sits atop a bear “unwelcome” mat (electric charged) and wanted to see if any bears tried it. It seems to work.

 

[CountyWorker]

You really want to look into trying to get usable cell service? I've helped people with that before. My in-law's mountain cabin had intermittent bad cell service (i.e. bad service or no service, depending on how it felt), and we rigged up an amp and antenna set and it was great. If you want to share your specific location then I can help walk you through it, or I can show you the tools to do it yourself.

Most of it would involve registering at cellmapper.net, downloading/installing their mobile application, and driving some roads around your land to measure cell reception and try to identify and triangulate the towers (the service does all this automatically, you just have to run the application and drive around for a bit).

If this link works, it will show you the data they have for your general area right now:

https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=...Band=0&showSectorColours=true&mapType=roadmap

After you know where the towers are likely to be and (more importantly) what frequencies they use, you source an appropriate amplifier and antenna set from your choice of vendor (I can provide some example links or help select if you want, but I don't sell them or make any money off it). Then you set it up in a place where you can use one of the antennas to point in the direction of the cell tower of choice. It might need to be set up on a small tower up at the top of the valley or something like that, but they're very light and you won't need more than a couple of lengths of 1.5" pipe and guy wire. Depending on the other antenna, you might point it at your house (if directional) or just put it nearby (if omni).

ATT is practically useless on the central coast. Verizon works significantly better and folks in my area are trying all the latest technologies to try to get usable service and there success is dependent upon where their property is located.

 

[jordanmills]

ATT is practically useless on the central coast. Verizon works significantly better and folks in my area are trying all the latest technologies to try to get usable service and there success is dependent upon where their property is located.

So pick verizon from the drop down under "provider". Or use this link:

https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=...Band=0&showSectorColours=true&mapType=roadmap

 

[CountyWorker]

So pick verizon from the drop down under "provider". Or use this link:

https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=...Band=0&showSectorColours=true&mapType=roadmap

I did that, but just because I was already looking at your first link. I already know where all the repeaters are, just like everybody else out here does.

You sound like the young couple that just bought some property in my area a few months ago. They thought they could figure it out, even though they were told they would not have cell phone reception. They currently have no cell phone reception, but they are lighter in their wallets from trying everything under the sun to get it. They also have lost their ability to “game” on the internet. They were going to figure that out too. Lol! Satellite internet leaves a lot to be desired.

Then there are the people that bought a $1.5 million piece of property a little further out than I am, last summer, who backed out of their contract and forfeited their earnest money, because they couldn’t get cell phone service.

Starlink is what we are all waiting for right now.


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[jordanmills]

I did that, but just because I was already looking at your first link. I already know where all the repeaters are, just like everybody else out here does.

You sound like the young couple that just bought some property in my area a few months ago. They thought they could figure it out, even though they were told they would not have cell phone reception. They currently have no cell phone reception, but they are lighter in their wallets from trying everything under the sun to get it. They also have lost their ability to “game” on the internet. They were going to figure that out too. Lol! Satellite internet leaves a lot to be desired.

Then there are the people that bought a $1.5 million piece of property a little further out than I am, last summer, who backed out of their contract and forfeited their earnest money, because they couldn’t get cell phone service.

Starlink is what we are all waiting for right now.


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Well what you're looking at on the map are towers, not repeaters.

I'm saying it because a lot of people have no idea this kind of stuff is possible at all. I've helped several people learn how to get the information they need to figure out the equipment they need to get it to work. And I'm doing it to help people - it's not like I'm making money off it.

But it is definitely not possible everywhere, as your neighbors have apparently found out. If you don't have a tower pretty close to line of sight from a high spot near where you want coverage, then you are completely out of luck for a cheap fix.

I bet those people who backed out on the property would have liked to know about what to try. They could have found out they weren't getting cell coverage before they put the money down.

 

[CountyWorker]

Well what you're looking at on the map are towers, not repeaters.

I'm saying it because a lot of people have no idea this kind of stuff is possible at all. I've helped several people learn how to get the information they need to figure out the equipment they need to get it to work. And I'm doing it to help people - it's not like I'm making money off it.

But it is definitely not possible everywhere, as your neighbors have apparently found out. If you don't have a tower pretty close to line of sight from a high spot near where you want coverage, then you are completely out of luck for a cheap fix.

I bet those people who backed out on the property would have liked to know about what to try. They could have found out they weren't getting cell coverage before they put the money down.

Correct, transpose tower for repeater. I'm more used to referring to repeaters, because that's what I'm largely dependent upon for any decent reception for radio stations.

You underestimate the hubris of some people. They were going to be the ones to figure it out, even if they were told that it wasn't possible, because they had the resources to do whatever it would take. I don't know how much their earnest money was, but if you can afford a $1.5M property it probably wasn't all that big of a deal for them. City folk want to live way out in the forest, until they find out their cell phone doesn't work and that satellite internet in this area is terrible. Even if you have a clear view at the southern sky. Starlink promises to solve this problem.

Verizon has made a financial investment in improving the ability of more folks on the central coast to have cell phone service at home, even without the ability to make significant returns on their investment. There are very few people that will ever live here, because Oregon's forest protection laws are the oldest in the nation and are extremely strict about any residential expansion into the forests.

 

[jordanmills]

Correct, transpose tower for repeater. I'm more used to referring to repeaters, because that's what I'm largely dependent upon for any decent reception for radio stations.

You underestimate the hubris of some people. They were going to be the ones to figure it out, even if they were told that it wasn't possible, because they had the resources to do whatever it would take. I don't know how much their earnest money was, but if you can afford a $1.5M property it probably wasn't all that big of a deal for them. City folk want to live way out in the forest, until they find out their cell phone doesn't work and that satellite internet in this area is terrible. Even if you have a clear view at the southern sky. Starlink promises to solve this problem.

Verizon has made a financial investment in improving the ability of more folks on the central coast to have cell phone service at home, even without the ability to make significant returns on their investment. There are very few people that will ever live here, because Oregon's forest protection laws are the oldest in the nation and are extremely strict about any residential expansion into the forests.

Well some people are just dum then. And I don't just mean "dumb" I mean straight up "dum". My work and education are in electronics and radios, and I do plenty of amateur radio stuff, so I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. In some places you can have no cell service, set up an amp/repeater properly, and get cell service. In other places, you're just not going to get cell service no matter what you do. Which is basically what you said. But I hope it was clear that my suggestions were about seeing what you could do, and not just "this will definitely work".

Starlink is neat for a few reasons. I'm sure you're aware that there's already plenty of satellite internet service out there. Most of it is very slow with very high latency. Your sat phone is probably similar (probably slower but with a much less latency). The thing is that those companies launched fewer satellites and put them in higher orbits so they cover more of the planet with fewer satellites. But they're so far up that it takes a significant amount of time to travel that distance. For hughesnet, their birds are in geosync orbit, about 22,000 miles up. It takes almost a quarter of a second for a packet of data to make it through your terrestrial electronics, get beamed up, and get through the satellite electronics. So if you send a request for data, it has to go up and down, then across the internet and back, then up and down again for the reply. Starlink is solving that by launching tens of thousands of satellites and putting them in orbit much lower, about 300-350 miles up. That's about 1/70th the latency inherent to the distance, and probably low enough to have a real time phone conversation without it seeming too disjointed and interrupting each other too much.

You probably already knew all that though. Especially since you're likely to be a customer.

 

[CountyWorker]

Hughesnet gives me internet for half price, because of the poor upload/download speeds that I receive. I’m on “one of the two worst performing beams” that they have. The 2-3 minute trail cam videos that I upload to YouTube can take 4-6 hours to upload.


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[CountyWorker]

I haven’t posted any photos since I made this thread. I don’t take many photos, so nearly all of these are frames from videos. Check out my YouTube channel and subscribe! [emoji846]

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[CountyWorker]

Fetch? [emoji23]

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[CountyWorker]

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