How Long Do Lithium Batteries Last In A Trail Camera?
As the life of the battery can determine how long the camera is operational. In this article, we will explore what factors affect the life of a lithium battery in a trail camera, and offer some tips to help you get the most out of your battery.
How long do lithium batteries last in a trail camera?
It is safe to assume that generally, most lithium battery powered devices are expected to operate for an average of about 4 months on standby before needing replacement or recharging.
This amount of time will vary depending on the ambient temperature exposure during storage and usage, which means your particular setup may vary.
More Things You Might Need To Know About Lithium Batteries On Trail Camera:
1. Daily temperature swings, such as both cold and hot days, can be hard on your batteries; whether its due to frequent charging (resulting in draining the cells) or the temperatures freezing. Daily temperature changes can also cause battery deterioration that will gradually reduce capacity or limit cycle life after years of use.
2. The colder temps (-18° F and below) won’t affect a lithium battery dramatically; however, when we get into the range of -25° to -36° and temperatures below this, it starts becoming a legitimate issue for where devices like camera equipment goes down and stops working.
3. The effects of the cold weather, and low temperatures will result in shorter battery life and cause a lithium battery to charge/discharge more frequently than normal; which we mentioned earlier is not good for your battery.
4. Lithium batteries can also be damaged by long periods of storage without use (longer than 2 months). So it’s important to be mindful of this and avoid long periods without using the battery.
5. It is not a good idea to expose your batteries directly to hot temperatures for extended periods, as this can reduce overall capacity that reduces overall operational life. Hot weather can also damage or shorten the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries in trail cameras.
What factors affect how long lithium batteries last in a trail camera?
Considering the above points, there are a lot of things that go into how long lithium batteries last in trail cameras.
Some of these factors include:
Temperature Exposure
The number one factor is temperature exposure between cold and hot weather. Cold weather has an effect on battery life since it reduces overall capacity, causing batteries to charge/discharge more frequently than normal. Hot temperature can also damage your lithium-ion batteries if exposed for extended periods of time. This shortens the lifespan of your batteries, resulting in less operational time off your camera before needing replacement or recharge.
It’s always smart to store Lithium Batteries at Room Temperature (77°F) when not in use; which means you should avoid storing them inside your Trail Camera at all times. It’s best to store them in a different place with room temperature exposure.
Frequency Of Use
The number two factor is how often you charge and discharge your lithium batteries. You should avoid charging and discharging a Lithium Ion battery more than twice a month, which means taking camera out to check it daily will reduce the lifespan of your battery.
Battery Storage
The number three factor is storage before use, as well as after usage. This includes both short-term (less than 2 months) and long-term storage between uses. Lithium batteries can be damaged by long periods without using them, so be mindful of this when storing them for any length of time.
Weather Conditions
The number four factor is weather conditions that affect temperature exposure between hot and cold temperatures that will damage or shorten the life of your battery.
Battery Age
The number five factor is how old your batteries are from when they were manufactured. Lithium Ion batteries have a lifespan of 2-3 years in trail cameras before you need to replace them, although the performance will gradually decline throughout their lifespan. So always make sure you buy new lithium batteries when getting replacement parts for your camera.
How Do I Extend The Life Of My Trail Camera’s Lithium Batteries?
Unfortunately, there is no way to extend the life of lithium batteries beyond their estimated average usage range.
The best thing you can do is keep the camera in a well ventilated dry place at room temperature between uses and avoid extremely hot or cold temperatures when storing it for extended periods of time that exceed 2 months.
Why Do Lithium Batteries Have A Shorter Operational Life In Trail Cams?
There are several reasons that lithium batteries have a shorter operational life in trail camera. One reason is due to the cold weather, which reduces overall capacity causing batteries to charge/discharge more frequently than normal. Hot temperatures can also reduce battery lifespan by damaging them when exposed for extended periods of time.
Another reason is frequency of use; avoid charging and discharging lithium-ion batteries more than twice a month or taking your cameras out to check it daily. Also make sure you always buy new lithium batteries when getting replacement parts for your camera, since older products will gradually decrease in performance over their lifespan which shortens their operational life in trail cameras.
How do you know when a trail camera’s lithium battery is low?
You can tell when a trail camera’s lithium battery is low from the number of pictures being taken, time before shutoff, and the date. The number of pictures taken in between two memory cards indicates how much energy each card uses before it needs to be replaced or recharged.
The time before shutoff will indicate how much power a batteries have left in them by advising you when your camera will automatically shut down so you give you enough time to change memories cards without missing any action. And the date on the images shows you what day they were shot, which tells you that even though your camera may not be taking pictures or video it is still using up its stored energy.
How do I safely remove Lithium Batteries From My Trail Camera?
You should always remove lithium batteries from your trail camera when it is not in use for an extended period of time, otherwise they can be exposed to extreme weather conditions that shorten their lifespan.
When removing the battery pack, always make sure you cut off power before disconnecting any wires or cables attached to it. Lithium-ion batteries are heavy and pose a risk of injury if dropped when changing them out with another camera. If you’re worried about this happening you can choose to only change the lithium battery when your security system is on so that there’s less chance of dropping them .
If you ever find that a trail camera’s lithium batteries have drained completely, don’t try to recharge them with a standard battery charger because it will damage the cells and can cause them to burst. Instead always use a special Li-ion battery charger that works specifically for lithium batteries only when recharging your trail cameras lithium-ion batteries.
And never use normal alkaline or NiMH AA rechargeable batteries in place of trail cams lithium-ion ones because they will not work correctly during cold/hot temperatures and do not have the same storage capacity.
Are there any alternatives to using lithium batteries in a trail camera?
If you own a trail camera that uses lithium batteries but are looking for an alternative supplier to purchase them from, there are many manufactures out there that sell their own version of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that function exactly like the ones originally included with your device.
There’s also manufactures that make battery holders for your cameras model which includes alkaline or NiMH AA rechargeable batteries which you can easily replace when they drain without having to worry about losing power.
Lithium batteries are an essential component of a trail camera, but there’s still plenty of things you need to know before purchasing them. This article has covered how lithium-ion rechargeable batteries work and can be charged safely, as well as what type of alternatives exist if you’re looking for something different!
