Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire AA alkaline batteries in trail cameras?

Just read an article that says there are basically no difference in the different brands of batteries
in use in items such a trail cameras.

In the past in my "D" cell cams I used Ray-O-Vac and Menards house brand. Nothing stood out as being any different between those two.

I my five "AA" cams, I've used Duracell in the Primos cams and the Energizers that came with the Moultrie cams The Energizers seemed to last
longer, but that could be the camera itself.

What are your findings?

Duracell, then Energizer... and only Ray O Vac if that's all there is.

All I run are Eneloops, worth the investment.

Lithium energizers or your fav brand. But Lithium yes


Longest Life Span - Lithium batteries have the highest capacity of any AA cell on the market. Pound for pound, they're 3 times that of Alkaline batteries, and 50% more than NiMH Rechargeable. That's huge, and adds justification to the added upfront cost.

Consistent Voltage Output - If you've spent anytime around cordless power tools, you know that your lithium ion battery tools run hard until there's nothing left and then they stop - unlike their old NiCd predecessors back in the early 2000's which would start out running strong and slowly ware down until they were all but useless. The same logic goes for Lithium vs Alkaline AA batteries. Lithium run at full 1.7V output until they are used up, and then they are done. This is a big advantage for trail cameras.

What's even more big about this bullet point is the fact that a lot of cameras will stop performing with alkaline batteries while there is still some juice left. Typically somewhere between 20 and 40%. That means that you're often getting a lot more than 3X battery life out of your lithiums compared to alkaline, and it's without a loss of performance. This is an important note to make.

Cold Weather Work Horse - Lithium batteries are all but completely unaffected by the cold. In fact, they'll keep performing long after your trail cameras turn into a block of ice, rated for performance down to -40F. Brrr.

https://exodusoutdoorgear.com/blogs/news/83515846-the-science-of-trail-camera-batteries

The above is all cut-n-paste. If I was a campfire turdlike hero, I would try to claim that as something I whipped up from my brain in a jar.


Youre welcome

I run Rayovac but only because I'm too cheap to buy Duracells.

I've found battery life has as much to do with the camera, as with the batteries. I had some that were battery eaters, others that would last a long time. Of course, a lot of it has to with the settings on the camera, and whether or not you're taking videos. I have mostly Moultries, and a Spypoint. The Spypoint is still running on the original Energizers, for over a year now. I prefer Duracell, or Energizer, with Ray-O-Vacs a distant third.

This ^^^^x2

Lithium energizers are all I’ve used for several years
Initial cost is high but they last a lot longer and don’t miss a beat in cold weather.

I have found energizers to last longer than duracells. rayovac should cost half as much because they last half as long

Lithium

All batteries have internal resistance. In high drain applications, more of the energy of the battery is dissipated as heat in that resistance. The Ultimate Lithium Energizer has much lower internal resistance than regular alkaline batteries. So they are especially advantageous in high drain applications.

I stock up on ray o vacs when Lowe’s/ homedepote has them on sale around Christmas. 60/$10 or whatever it is.

They last well enough for the costs. I’ll change batteries when i pull cards.

Just don’t leave the batteries in a long period of time. Ruined some cameras that way from corrosion.

I use dollar general store alkalines in them, seriously.

The name brand batteries have gotten ridiculously overpriced to the point that I decided to try the dollar general batteries and found that I got the exact same service out of them, now I use them at 1/3 the price of the others. They work just as well and they're likely made in the same factory. From the time I put out my four browning trail cams last fall until I took them up after the season (after jan 31) I didn't have to change the batteries in any of them with each of them taking thousands of pictures.

If it was for a laser rangefinder on an elk hunt or something like that then I'd spend the money for more expensive batteries but for a trail camera I'll save the money.

I use rechargeable batteries, and a small add on solar charger to keep them charged. (Mounted high in the tree)

I'm normally pretty cheap too but in my opinion regardless how long they may or may not last the risk of cheap off brand batteries swelling and leaking causing damage to any device that cost more than a few dollars and especially something you depend on working when needed isn't worth the savings.

BT-DT

As always YMMV.

Joken, I have had batteries leak also, but mainly in flashlights that have been somewhat ignored. My trail cameras are the 50-100 dollar variety
Primos and Moultrie and would not want to lose any. I do swap out the SD card about every three weeks when in use, so maybe it would not be a problem.
Normally have purchased the 32 pak of Duracell AA at Costco when they ran them for $11 to $12. About .38 cents per battery.

Crow hunter, (I have a nine year old Primos 35, that has seen a lot of Menard store brand "D" cells and it is still taking good pics)

I quit putting them out. I got sick of looking at pics of pigs and turkeys.

Switched to Energizer lithium in September. Brownings, Moultrie, Spy Point, and Bushnell brand cameras. Results varied on each brand, from great to piss poor. Not totally sold on the lithium yet, Time will tell, 15 cams running on feeders is a good test. Walgreens brand are decent, 20% off if joining their club deal, with BOGO and the discount you can get em for dirt cheap at times.

Kind of off topic pertaining to 6V feeder throwers - Energizer all the way !

One 6V Energizer lantern style battery outlasted two rechargable 6V - swapped the Energizer back and forth while taking a recchargable battery home to charge - recahargable 6V waste of money for me .
Duracell 6V - sucks , I've had them dead in two months .
Have an energizer in a feeder now that's been going for over a well year .
Lithium in cameras .

Maybe testing the waters? I wonder what texasaggie09 has to say?