Tasco Digital Trail Camera

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Tasco Digital Trail Camera! This weatherproof, rugged trail camera is designed to record still images or movie clips of outdoor wildlife activity. This instruction manual will help you understand, setup, and use your Cam to achieve the best possible results.

Tasco Digital Trail Cam Features

If you've been looking for a digital game scouting or surveillance camera that has all the essential features but without the unwanted frills, expense, or confusing operational menus of some less effective off-brand "game cams", the Tasco Trail Cam will end your search. With one of the most user friendly interfaces in the industry, this trail camera is easy to setup and use. The extra-wide strap ensures a secure mount to the tree, and a padlock loophole keeps out would-be thieves. The high resolution digital camera delivers crisp views of game in your area and stamps each image with date, time and a moon phase icon. The Trail Cam can capture still images, or 14 second movie clips. All images, movies and events are recorded onto an SD card for convenient transfer to your home computer. The camera will function day and night and sense game out to 30 feet. The oversized xenon flash will reach out up to 30 feet for nighttime images. A new photo is taken every 30 seconds for as long as motion/heat events are detected. The LCD display makes set up a breeze in the field. The Trail Cam is rugged and weatherproof.

Quick Guide: Tasco Trail Camera

1. Open the camera by releasing the latches on the right side. Install 4 "D" cell batteries (flat base of all batteries contacting springs), and insert an SD card (not included, use any capacity up to 8GB) in the slot to the right of the 5 buttons (upside down, brand name facing you). Press the card down until you hear it click into place.
2. Press and release the Power switch. If using the camera for the first time, set the date and time for correct photo stamping. Briefly press the Menu button; the "year" digits will blink. Use Up/Down buttons to set the current year, then press Enter. Repeat for the month and press Enter. The display will then change to set the date. After setting the date, press Enter, and set the time (the "hour" digits will flash; use Up/Down to set the hour and then minute). The time display uses the 24 hr standard (e.g., 2:00 PM is "1400").
3. After setting the date and time and pressing Enter, you have a choice of three operating modes: Still photos with "Lo" resolution (default), Still photos with "Hi" resolution, or movie (video) mode. To change modes, press Up or Down to cycle through choices (each will blink), pressing Enter to set the mode.
4. In normal operating mode, the display shows the still photo or movie clip icon (lower left), an SD card icon (lower right), and digits indicating the number of stored photo/movie files. To test operation, wave your hand in front of the lens and PIR (passive infrared/motion) detector while watching the LCD. As long as events are detected, a new still photo or movie clip will be recorded every 30 seconds, indicated by "SnAP", then "SLP". For movie clips, the display stays on "SnAP" for the 15-second duration.
5. Thread the strap through the slots on the back of the Trail Cam and attach the buckles. Strap it onto a suitable tree, ensuring the strap is tight and the camera is aimed correctly. Turn on the camera (with a new or empty SD card inserted) and leave the area. There is a 60-second delay after power-on before the first photo is taken. Alkaline batteries typically last 30 days or more, depending on activation frequency, flash usage, and ambient temperature.
6. To view captured photos, turn the power off and remove the SD card by pushing down lightly on the top edge; it will pop up. Use an SD card reader with a PC or Mac to view, copy, or delete photos (JPG files) and movies (AVI files) in the "DCIM/100MEDIA" folder. Double-click a file to view it or open with your photo software.

Digital Trail Cam Specifications

* High resolution photos processed via software interpolation before storage

Glossary

PIR (Passive Infrared Sensor)

Senses motion like a typical security motion detector. Requires infrared energy (heat) in addition to motion to trip the sensor to assure detection of live animals.

Image

A digital picture recorded on the SD Card when motion is sensed. Images are taken at the desired delay between images.

Image Delay

Time elapsed between photos while events are sensed and recorded. This is fixed at 30 second intervals in the Trail Cam.

Camera Flash

Xenon Flash used for low light photography. Automatically fires if required.

SD Card

Memory card used to store images and events. Compatible with up to 8GB capacity SD card.

Battery Life

Time that camera will function in the field. Dependent on temperature, number of images and number of flashes during that time.

Setup

Using the display menu and buttons to set the date/time, and still photo or movies option.

Trigger Speed

Time delay between a subject passing in front of PIR sensor and the image capture of that subject. All Tasco Trail Cameras have a trigger speed of less than one second.

Parts Guide

Front of Camera

• PIR sensor
• Flash
• Camera Lens
• "PIR Detected" LED (or low battery indicator)
• Lock Tab

Control Panel (Front Opened)

• LCD Display
• SD Card Slot
• Setup, Menu & Power Buttons

Control and Display Detail

This section shows a close-up of the control buttons (Up, Down, Enter, Power, Menu) and the LCD display.

Setup and Operation Guide

1. Open the Cam by pulling out the two latches on the right side. Install 4 "D" cell batteries (flat base of all batteries contacting springs), and insert an SD card (not included, use any capacity from 16MB to 8GB. Do not substitute MMC cards.) in the slot to the right of the 5 buttons as indicated on the slot cover (upside down, with the notched corner of the card on the left and metal contacts of the card facing the back of the slot). Press the card down until you hear it click into place. If the Cam is turned on without a card, it may not turn off; reset it by partially removing a battery, inserting a new or empty SD card, and replacing the battery. Only remove or insert cards with the power off.
2. If this is your first time using the camera, set the date and time for correct photo stamping. Briefly press the Menu button; the year digits will flash. Use the Up/Down buttons to set the current year, then press ENTER. Repeat for the month and press ENTER. The display will change to set the day, with the last two digits blinking. Use Up/Down to change the day if necessary and press ENTER. To set the time, use Up/Down to set the hour and minute. The time display uses the 24 hr standard (e.g., 14:00 for 2 PM).
3. After setting the date and time and pressing ENTER, the camera icon will appear, and "Lo" will blink. Press UP/DOWN to cycle through modes: Lo resolution still photo, Hi resolution still photo, or Movie (video). Select your desired mode and press ENTER. The "Lo" setting allows lower resolution images for more storage, while "Hi" provides better quality but fewer images. In Movie mode, a 14-second AVI file is recorded each time the camera is triggered.
4. Pressing ENTER again after resolution options moves to the Format screen. Formatting is recommended before reusing an SD card to quickly erase all photos/videos after saving desired content. The display will show "FoNo", with "No" and the SD card icon blinking. Press ENTER when "No" is flashing if you do not want to format. To format, press UP or DOWN, and "Fo" will blink. Press ENTER; the display will show "Y N" with the SD card icon blinking. "N" (NO) is the default; pressing ENTER cancels formatting. Pressing and holding MENU exits menu mode. To format and erase all data, press UP or DOWN to select "Y" (YES). With "Y" flashing, press ENTER; the display briefly shows "SdFr". After formatting, the camera exits MENU mode and is ready to take images.
5. Press and hold MENU at any time to exit Menu mode after changing settings or using menu options.
6. In normal operating mode, the display shows the photo/movie clip icon (lower left), SD card icon (lower right), and digits indicating the number of stored files. To test operation, wave your hand in front of the lens and PIR detector while watching the LCD. The camera will record a new photo or movie clip (as set in the menu) every 30 seconds as long as an event lasts, indicated by "SnAP", then "SLP" (sleep). Note: For movie clips, the display stays on "SnAP" for the 15-second duration.
7. Thread the strap through the slots on the back of the camera and attach buckles. Strap it to a suitable tree, ensuring it's tight and aimed correctly. The red LED lamp on the front helps determine the covered area; it will flash when an "event" is detected. Turn on the camera (with a new or empty SD card inserted) and leave the area. There is a 60-second delay after power-on before the first photo. Alkaline batteries typically last 30 days or more, depending on event frequency, flash usage, and ambient temperature. The red LED lamp stays on continually to indicate a low battery condition.
8. To view captured photos, ensure power is off, and remove the SD card by pushing down lightly on the top edge; it will pop up. Insert it into an SD card reader connected via USB to your PC or Mac to view, copy, or delete photos (JPG) and movies (AVI) in the "DCIM/100MEDIA" folder. Double-click a file to view or open with your photo software.

Additional Notes

Moon Phase Stamp

All new Trail Cam models feature a "moon phase" stamp. This links the current date (set by the user) to the moon phase on that date (stored on internal memory) and imprints an icon on your photo representing the moon phase at the time. The moon phase icon appears in the lower left of the photo, next to the Tasco logo. This can be useful for hunters to determine if animals are inactive on full moon nights, making them more visible to predators. It can also help explain variations in night photo background brightness related to moon illumination.

Moon phase icons shown:

• New Moon
• Waxing Crescent
• Full Moon
• Waning Crescent
• New Moon

About the PIR Sensor

The sensor that triggers the trail camera is Passive Infra Red (PIR). PIR energy is essentially heat. The PIR detector senses changes in infrared levels within its detection zone, a 30-degree cone in the center of the camera's field of view. The camera establishes an average long-term infrared level. A sudden increase signals the PIR detector to record an image or event. The PIR detector is more sensitive at night when average temperatures are lower.

You can verify the detection zone using the red LED indicator on the front. When PIR is sensed, the "PIR Detected" indicator lights up. The camera's field of view is a 45-degree cone centered on the PIR detection zone.

One Year Limited Warranty

Congratulations on your new Tasco product. This product carries Tasco's ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY, covering original defects in material and/or workmanship for the specified period, provided the unit has not been abused, taken apart, or tampered with.

This warranty is limited to the original purchaser and is not transferable. It applies only to products purchased in the United States of America. Any return under this warranty must include:

1. A check/money order for $10.00 for postage and handling.
2. Name and address for product return.
3. An explanation of the defect.
4. Proof of Date Purchased.
5. Product packed securely in a sturdy shipping carton to prevent transit damage, with return postage prepaid, to the address below:

SEND TO: TASCO, Attn.: Repairs, 8500 Marshall Drive, Lenexa, Kansas 66214

Tasco is not liable for consequential, incidental, or contingent damages. Some states may not allow these exclusions, so the limitation might not apply to you. This warranty grants specific legal rights, and you may have other rights that vary by state.

Non-warranty repairs or refurbishing are available at a reasonable cost. For products purchased outside the United States, contact your local dealer for warranty information.

©2010 B.O.P Tasco, TM, ®, denote trademarks of B.O.P.

FCC Note

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment causes harmful interference to radio or television reception (which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on), the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

A shielded interface cable must be used with this equipment to comply with the limits for a digital device pursuant to Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC Rules.

Specifications and designs are subject to change without notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.

FC CE logos are present.

Contact Information

For further questions or additional information please contact:

Tasco
9200 Cody, Overland Park, Kansas 66214
(800) 423-3537 • www.tasco.com

©2010 B.O.P.