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Post by sammi on Jan 30, 2019 13:01:56 GMT
Hi folks...I wondered whether or not to leave my cameras in situ if we have a freezing spell. What do you all do?  |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jan 30, 2019 13:52:10 GMT
Sammi,
I never leave my cameras on even during coldsnaps and they are fine.
I do however have them on all day after a cold night just to heat them up but never leave them on overnight but I have never had problems doing so.
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Post by sammi on Jan 30, 2019 15:42:45 GMT
 Thanks Paul, I think I'll leave them where they are and just keep monitoring in the daytime like you do. I didn't really feel like taking them out and replacing them later. I thought I'd better check so that I don't risk my new cameras. Hopefully we won't get too much bad weather before the spring.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jan 30, 2019 15:51:55 GMT
Its always worked for me,
I don't know what others do, I think most have them on recorders so they have them running to record anyway.
I just normally turn mine off around 6pm then turn them back on around 10am / 11am in morning (earlier when the season starts fully again)
This as never done my cameras harm during the cold snaps so you should be ok.
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Post by sammi on Feb 1, 2019 15:32:22 GMT
 Thanks Paul
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 2, 2019 16:44:50 GMT
Thanks for asking this as I have been wondering the same, currently I switch mine on at around 8.30am and leave them running through till around 4pm, and often thought are they ok in this cold weather, so thanks Paul for advice.
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Post by Electric Eel on Feb 2, 2019 18:23:22 GMT
Just a wee thought for you all - switching your camera on and off particularly in cool/cold conditions will very likely shorten the lifetime of the camera due to the inevitable thermal expansion/contraction cycles it leads to.
In electronics (and particularly cheap consumer electronics - I make the distinction between "cheap" and "inexpensive" below) the usual mode of failure is that a solder joint buried deep within will develop a crack and first you'll know is that the camera image distorts (if you're lucky) but due to the law of maximum inconvenience it'll go off totally just as the eggs hatch.
Cheap: Typically poorly made independent of price
Inexpensive: Doesn't cost a lot.
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 3, 2019 7:46:18 GMT
Happened to me just a day after the eggs hatched last year. It was my first camera and I guess I choose a rubbish one, it was only running 2 months then one day it was kaput!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 3, 2019 12:25:06 GMT
I remember that Karen,
Can't say this as ever happened to me though, few my cameras are 3 / 4 years old now and I have always turned them off fully during summer (when nesting finishes) and then on and off during cold snaps / winter due to roosters etc and still perfect colour and quality.
Unless the poster means over a long period of time like 10 plus years but I guess most cameras would lose abit quality over such a period of time regardless.
Thanks for the tip electric eel but so far I haven't had an issue doing this so am going to stick to what I always do maybe it will help others though so all tips and comments are appreciated!
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Post by sammi on Feb 5, 2019 10:39:16 GMT
Hi all Thanks Electric Eel for your input. My old cameras (talking probably 10yr old or there abouts) did possibly fail like this with intermittent working / not working before their end. I know the manufacturers recommend leaving them on but I've always turned them off at night....to save on electricity.....probably pennies!  |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 5, 2019 12:36:36 GMT
I am the same Sammi,
No too much about saving electricity just find it pointless to have them running when nothing is happening.
10 years old of a camera isn't nothing to complain about though I'll be happy If I get 10 years out of all mine before needing to update.
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Post by Electric Eel on Feb 6, 2019 18:01:14 GMT
sammi probably not even pennies... fractions of a penny. If 1kWh of electricity costs 20p (high figure), that's enough to have a 1 bar (1000W) electric fire on for an hour. The most power hungry camera I've seen is a shade under 10W - so that's 20p per 100 hours (maybe 35p per week to have it on 24x7). Unless you're sourcing your cameras direct from China almost certainly costing you more in replacing cameras than you're saving, with less chance of the camera failing at the most inopportune moment.
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Post by sammi on Feb 6, 2019 19:48:22 GMT
Thanks Electric Eel......gosh took me right back to O Level Physics. Now I'm showing my age Thanks for the reassurance I'll not worry if I leave them on by mistake now. |
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Thanks Paul, I think I'll leave them where they are and just keep monitoring in the daytime like you do. I didn't really feel like taking them out and replacing them later. I thought I'd better check so that I don't risk my new cameras. Hopefully we won't get too much bad weather before the spring. 
Thanks Paul
