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DIY: Repair and Extend the Life of A Game Camera

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Don’t Trash Your Cameras

Before you toss another camera, do a little bit of investigating and you might find with only a few small tools, you can bring the camera back to life. Even if the camera is beyond repair, I like to hang onto them to salvage future parts. This post is going to focus on a few common fixes to get your game came up and running again.

Common Problems

Battery Issues

Battery issues plague everyone. When you have a camera in the elements, things are bound to get corroded. We remedy this in two ways:

  • Clean out the battery tray and contacts with carbonated water once per season
  • Build a Battery Box to cut down on battery expenses and corrosion in the battery tray

Electrical Issues

Much like battery issues, electrical issues usually manifest due to the elements. Your camera literally will have bugs in it: dirt dobbers building nests, spiders building webs, etc..

I like to crack open my cameras (usually in the act of another repair, and clean the boards with a cotton swab and some alcohol to ensure there isn’t any issue.

Sensor Issues

I’m definitely not an expert in the field, but there are some common misconceptions that lead to some errant thinking on fixing a camera that has a crack PIR cover or isn’t detecting properly. These issues typically stem from sun damage or a pesky woodpecker going to town on your lens cover.

It’s important to understand that game cameras use passive infrared sensors to trigger the camera. These sensors use infrared to detect “warm bodies”.

To expand the range of the sensor, a fresnel lens is used. A fresnel allows for a thin sheet of material to be converted into a lens that amplifies the infrared to detect at different ranges.

Knowing this information can help us dispel some myths around fixing your camera:

Myth #1: I Don’t Need To Replace My PIR Cover

Your camera can still take pictures with cracked or broke cover, but the range may be poor (depending on the significance of the crack) and it is not protected from the elements.

Myth #2: I Can Replace My PIR Cover with Brown Packing Tape

There are a lot of posts out there that state you can cover the camera with brown packing tape. The problem with this is the tape is not a lens. This will work somewhat with a cracked lens, but it is not a replacement…the detection range will be degraded.

Myth #3: I Can Replace My PIR Cover with a Piece of Plastic

Similar to the brown packing tape, the same issue exists here with detection range. Plastic will not have the detection range of a lens.

Strap/Lock Issues

Another common problem with cameras that are exposed to the sun and elements is the straps will eventually rot. A couple options to replace include:

Method 1: Sew Replacement

If you want to use the same hardware, just use a couple of bar tacks to sew some new webbing onto the existing hardware.

Method 2: Replace with Paracord

Tip: Use A Uni-Knot
To attache the camera to the tree, use a uni-knot which is easy to tie and enables you to snug the camera down on the tree.

Typically, I opt for this method as it is quicker and has the added benefit of being more discrete. When I see a camera on public land, the typical giveaway is the strap. By using some camo paracord, the strap blends much better into the tree.

Complete Walkthrough of A Camera “Rebuild”

As I’m getting quite a few cameras ready for the season, I documented my typical process for bring a camera back to life.

Materials Needed

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