Ouch - Lithium Batteries

I’ve been using lithium batteries in my trail cams… 7 trail cams and 6 CellLinks. Each uses 8 AA batteries so that is 104 batteries. Amazon has 24 lithium batteries for about $63, so it would cost about $265 to outfit all my tech. At least, with lithium batteries, I wouldn’t have to do a swap out for a least 6 months.

Due to the escalating cost of lithium batteries, I’m thinking about going with alkaline batteries, but I’m not sure how long they will last. Does anyone have any experience using alkaline in their trail cameras?

Depends on many factors-camera model, number of pictures taken in one burst ,interval,temperature, just to name a few.
This past moderately to cold winter ,ran a Browning Dark ops camera mid Dec-mid March.
I was to get 8587 pictures(80 % daylight shots ,based on the 587 leftover pictures) BUT i left the camera with "delete pictures from SD card upon SD card is full" MODE,,,,,,,and the camera started to record on the SD card again.8000 pic is the capacity of the card i had.
Ended up with 587 pictures only.6 Duracell AA batteries.
Quite allright for me.Plus-batteries were tossed as a good measure,they had still life in them.
I think ,if You do not use short sleep intervals and many picture's in one burst,my guess is ,You should expect 3-4 months easy.This method should work well over bait or mineral licks(i think that is what you do).
Trail monitoring needs more shots and lesser intervals.I would still bet 3 months at least.
Try your cameras and see.

I use the 40 pack of AA duracells from Costco, usually on sale for about $20 at times. I get anywhere from 3-8 months, depending on the cam, and especially temps as cold will kill them quicker it seems to me. I run from 8-10 cams right now, and it can be entertaining. Most cams set up for 2 or 3 shot bursts at high resolution.
John

Have never used them, but read a post a couple of months ago that said the lithium batteries from Dollartree were cheaper than most other lithiums, but were longer lasting than many other brands.
May be worth trying a set of them and comparing costs/time duration.

i run both in my cellular cameras
normally alkaline when it's warm out or cameras that are easy to get to. Lithium when it's cold or hard to get to spots or spots I want little to no pressure in

I’m pretty sure only energizer makes lithium AA batteries. I usually get them at Walmart but they have been sold out lately.
Personally I’ve found that alkaline batteries give some of my cams problems.
If your cams are on Trail cam pro. Com , you can usually find good info and test results, including expected battery life on lithium’s.
lol after looks on that website I learned that one of my browning cams has horrible life, and a better model I have can last a year or more on a set of lithium’s

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

I’ve been using lithium batteries in my trail cams… 7 trail cams and 6 CellLinks. Each uses 8 AA batteries so that is 104 batteries. Amazon has 24 lithium batteries for about $63, so it would cost about $265 to outfit all my tech. At least, with lithium batteries, I wouldn’t have to do a swap out for a least 6 months.

Due to the escalating cost of lithium batteries, I’m thinking about going with alkaline batteries, but I’m not sure how long they will last. Does anyone have any experience using alkaline in their trail cameras?

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I had a good camera stolen which was expensive but then when I added in the cost of lithium batteries and a high capacity SD card I was really annoyed. I returned to alkine batteries and only resort to lithium rechargables in cold weather. Nothing beats them in the cold.

Eneloop rechargeables or similar pre-charged rechargeables work great for me in N. Ontario. Decent battery life in the cold. Or used a 12v external for longer term.

I am getting 11 to 12 months on my Wild game Innovations cellular trail cam, with 8ea x energizer max AA's. I'm getting an average of 5 photos a day.

MC

If I can't put in lithium i will just put cameras in a drawer. I have spy point, when I got them I put regular energizers in them, with in 3 weeks they were dead. Put lithium in and went rest of deer season, then turkey season , deer season and this turkey season. I will have to put new batteries in this fall. I usually get the 100 free photo's.

Kirkland AAs.. are awesome for my cams 10-12 months ..Costco baby lol


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I get a year out of my lithium aa’s in my SPYPOINT. Easily makes up for the increased cost over alkaline.
Yup it’s expensive to buy them but they just work.
It’s unfortunate rechargeables don’t work in them but they are larger diameter and don’t fit right
I will never put Duracells in my cams again. They leak all the time and destroyed too many making them way more expensive

I was lucky and found a bunch of 8xAA Energizer Lithium batteries on clearance at Your Independent Grocer for 6$ a pack back in 2019. I bought about a dozen 8 packs. In my Spypoint Micros, I'll get close to a year with them as opposed to 2-3 months on the alkaline batteries. I'll swap them in September and know I won't have to go back and replace them and disturb the area.

I've been using the cheapo Noma batteries from c-tire when on sale. I've had good luck with them in the cold and for relatively good duration too. My latest camera has been out for 2 months and still showing 100%

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Originally Posted by hunterforever

I've been using the cheapo Noma batteries from c-tire when on sale. I've had good luck with them in the cold and for relatively good duration too. My latest camera has been out for 2 months and still showing 100%

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Really. I tried them a few years ago and they were junk. Didn’t last 10% of the time energizer did. Maybe they improved them. Perhaps I’ll try again for my non cell cams

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Originally Posted by Gregger17

Kirkland AAs.. are awesome for my cams 10-12 months ..Costco baby lol


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This!! While my cams won’t last that length of time due to activity, I do go many months on a camera and I also use them in my cell links. They are cheap like borscht and They are the only batteries we use around my house abs in the field. They need replacement more often in the winter, but show me an alkaline that doesn’t. I have one cam that’s been running since January and I’ve had a good number of pictures come through and batteries are only coming due for replacement in the cam and link now!

I think it all depends on the camera. I've had energizer max batteries crap out earlier than expected. So I stick to the cheap batteries now. However, a solar panel for the camera which has a lithium battery within it is also another good route.

i hook up external battery and just swap out when i pick up cards

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Originally Posted by warningshot

i hook up external battery and just swap out when i pick up cards

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If I did that, bears would be all over it.

I plan on getting the lithium battery that is used for a fishing sonar unit. Get a case for it and hook up a solar panel to it.

FYI as of this morning my cheapo sale cdntire AA batteries are still showing 100% on the unit that I put out in April.