FAQ’s

Where can I find the latest Assembly Guide?

You can find the latest assembly guide (and older versions) on the resources page.

Which battery can I use to power my kit?

Due to shipping safety restrictions we cannot include batteries. For powering you Wildlife Cam you can use your own power bank or mains adapter with specifaction of:

Max.dimensions:  70 mm (w) x 100 mm (l) x 22 mm (d) (including USB connector)

Output: 5v/2A-2.4A, DC

Connection: USB Micro-B cable to plug into the Raspberry Pi

We recommend the Anker PowerCore 10000 (Input 5V=2A Output 5v=2.4A, 9.2cm x 6cm x 2.2cm) availble from Amazon. It’s reliable, fits perfectly into the battery holder and allows enough space to connect the cable to the Raspberry Pi.  The Cam Case design provides space for battery upgrades for those wanting extra juice to power your kit for even longer.

My kit doesn’t turn on?

The power light on the Raspberry Pi should indicate that your kit is working. You will see it blink red and green when you turn it on by flicking the switch on the LiPo rider. Refer to the “Switching on my kit” section in the Assembly Guide for more help turning on your kit.

If you don’t see any activity lights on the Raspberry Pi when you turn the kit on we suggest checking that the battery is charged. Follow the steps in the “Charging your kit” section of the assembly guide to make sure the battery has been charged.

If there is still an issue, check that your Raspberry Pi works by plugging it into the mains by using a standard microUSB phone charger. If you find that the red activity LED is on and remains solid, but the green activity light is not not on, then you may have an issue with your SD card and the Raspberry Pi cannot boot up correctly. We recommend formatting the SD card and writing the operating system to the SD card again to rectify this problem. Please get in touch with us for more assistance and instructions to do this.

If there is still no LED activity on the Raspberry Pi please contact us for more assistance.

The kit turns on but there are no images on my removable USB drive when I plug it into my computer

Check that the PIR sensor wires are connected to the correct pins on the Raspberry Pi. Refer to the assembly guide to check that your PIR wires are correctly positioned.

Next, make sure the camera ribbon is plugged into the Raspberry Pi and confirm that it has not come loose. Additionally, make sure the camera ribbon is the right way around. See the “Connecting my Camera” section in the Assembly Guide.

If you plug an HDMI cable, keyboard and mouse (you’ll need a USB hub to add more than one USB device to your kit) then you can check that the PIR and the camera are both working by using the troubleshooting programmes we’ve created on the desktop. Take a look at the “Using my Kit” computer section of the Assembly Guide to see how.

You can view a Youtube video of how to troubleshoot the PIR and Camera with a connected screen

How long should the kit last?

The kit will last approximately 3 days when fully charged and with little activity (it doesn’t take too many photos).

On average, if you take 1500 photos it will last just over 2 days before needing to be re-charged.

My camera is taking pictures even when nothing triggers it

This can happen with any PIR sensor camera – don’t worry, there are a number of things you can do to help.

Tips to help avoid mis-triggering:

When you turn on the kit make sure the cam is in location first so that the PIR can adjust correctly to the environment. Other issues that can trigger the PIR are direct sunlight and also leaves moving on trees.

If  mis-triggering is still occurring try running the PIR troubleshooter to check it is truly triggering:

Access your raspberry Pi either directly from your computer or plug a keyboard and mouse in and run the PIR tests? This will show you if it’s faulty or not for sure. There is a video showing you how here.

If it is working correctly, you can adjust the sensitivity of the PIR by adjusting the potentiometer on the PIR. Here is a great website to explain a little bit more about the PIR and how you can test and change the sensitivity.

What do I need to use my Naturebytes case as a wildlife camera?

Electronic Components for the Wildlife Cam Case

Is my wildlife camera weatherproof?

The camera case is weatherproof when closed securely and intact. It has been independently and officially tested and it is certified to IP55, meaning rainwater and dust will not get into the case under normal conditions. It is not waterproof so do not submerge it or water may get into the case. You can find the official confirmation of the IP55 rating from the IP Report here.

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