We make cameras, not solar panels. But we're always testing solar panels and we have a new favorite. We found a solar panel that gathers sunlight and stores energy better than any other panel we've tested, so we sell it here to help you get maximum joy from your camera.
We strongly recommend installing 12 Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries in your camera as backup. The camera will use the solar panel battery as the primary power source until it is exhausted. It will then switch to the AA batteries until the solar battery pack is sufficiently charged. The solar panel will not charge the batteries in the camera, it will only charge the internal battery inside the solar panel.
Set-up Instructions
- Make sure your new solar battery pack is fully charged before using it with your Yellowstone.ai camera. To charge your panel, plug one end of the included charging cable into the “IN 5V” port on your panel. Within 15 minutes after plugging in, you should see red lights. Fully charging your panel might take up to 24 hours. To check the charge level, remove the charging cable, then press the button next to the four red LED indicator lights. Four lights indicate a full charge.
- After charging is complete, remove the panel from your charger and use the second cable (with the two yellow tips) to connect the camera to the solar panel. Plug one end into the “OUT 12V” port of the solar panel and the other end into your camera. Make sure that all other ports are sealed. After your panel is plugged into your camera, TEST YOUR PANEL by temporarily removing one battery from the top and bottom bays in your camera and turning your camera to SETUP mode. Your camera screen should light up and display full battery level. After confirming this, insert your AA batteries and proceed with mounting your panel. If your screen does not light up, re-insert the plug into your camera and confirm that you’re plugged into the “OUT 12V” port on the panel. Then switch camera to SETUP mode. If the screen still doesn’t light up, contact us for help.
- Your panel comes with a mount to help you achieve the best angle for solar charging. Face your panel to the south. To determine your optimal solar panel tilt, use the tables and diagrams below based on your latitude, relative to Green Bay and Dallas.
Green Bay
Dallas
If after a few weeks, you notice that your panel can’t keep up with your camera’s power consumption, you may need to re-locate the panel or update camera settings such as:
- Cam > Cam Mode > Image
- 4G > Web Ctrl > Daily
- 4G > GPS > Off
- 4G > Send Options > Send Pic Resolution > Low
NOTE: if the AA batteries and solar panel both become exhausted, the camera will need to be manually restarted.
Pro Tip: Mount your panel in a location with direct sunlight.
Operating temp: 0°F to 140°F // Operating Humidity: 5% to 95% // Waterproof: IP66
Only designed to be used with Yellowstone.ai 4G LTE Trail Camera. Using with other cameras might cause a zombie apocalypse.