Lack of pictures could be due to:
- Power: Freezing temperatures can kill batteries and temporarily limit the effectiveness of solar panels. To overcome this for the Y2 (one antenna camera), keep your spare battery pack charged up in the winter for more frequent swaps. For the Y1 (camera with two antennas), use Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries and consider adding an external power source, such as a solar panel or 12V battery.
- Motion sensor cover: Your motion sensor sits behind the curved brown rectangular covering on the front of your camera. Over time, dust and dirt can accumulate and make it tougher for the motion sensor to detect motion. Try gently cleaning and inspecting this motion sensor covering for dirt, scratches, holes, or other damage. You can also email a picture of your motion sensor cover to support@yellowstone.ai and we can review it for potential damage.
- Camera placement: The camera will detect motion and take a picture 0.4 seconds later. If your subjects are close to the camera and moving quickly, they might be out of the camera’s view before the camera has time to take a picture. If you believe this is happening, try to move the camera back, so that subjects spend more time in front of the camera before exiting the field of view. Conversely, slow-moving subjects can occasionally trigger the motion sensor before they enter the field of view, especially in colder weather. If you believe this is happening, try setting a multishot in the settings section of your app.
- Mount: For most situations, the camera should be mounted 3-4 feet off the ground. The motion sensor is most sensitive in the middle third your picture. Try tilting the camera so that the activity you are monitoring occurs in the middle of your screen.
Delayed pictures could be due to:
- Poor cell service: If your mobile device does not have service, then you will not receive your pictures until you have a signal again.
- Settings: For the Y2 (the one antenna camera), if your upload frequency is set to anything other than "Instant," you will not receive your pictures until that time. For example, a "Daily at 6AM" setting will result in all your previous days' pictures arriving to your phone at 6am. If you would like to receive your pictures right after they are taken, set your Upload Frequency setting to "Instant."