Wildlife Monitoring Solutions S312 Trail Camera 4G Wildlife Hunting Cameras User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- Wildlife Monitoring Solutions
Table of Contents
Leonard Roggeveenstraat 13 T: +31 (0) 619 550 336
6708 SL WAGENINGEN E:
info@wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl
Nederland W :
www.wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl
Wilsus Tradenda
4G Wireless
User Manual
Quick start guide
Please note: in order to receive the captured images on your phone or e-mail,
it is necessary to configure the correct settings in the camera. You will find
detailed instructions for this later in the manual. For the quick start guide
below, we assume that the camera has already been configured by Wildlife
Monitoring Solutions or by yourself.
Step 1: Place 12 AA batteries, SD card, SIM card, and antennas in/on the
camera. There is an app available for your IOS or Android smartphone (called
“TrailCamera”), which allows you to give instructions to the camera remotely.
A detailed explanation of how the app works can be found later in the manual.
It is not necessary to install the app, but it can be useful in the daily use
of your camera.
Step 2: Switch the main switch to the SETUP position, and the display will
turn on. The game camera will now search for a network signal. If a signal bar
appears, this means that a network has been found and the camera is connected
to this network. You will also see the message “Time Sync” on the screen
briefly. This means that the camera is connected to the network and that the
system time of the camera is equal to the time it received from the network
(this automatic time synchronization can be turned off in the menu of the
camera). To check whether the date/time is set correctly, press and hold the
right arrow button. You will now see the date/time and the GSM network appear
in red letters. If the date/time is incorrect, you can adjust this in the
menu (see further down in the manual).* Step 3: You can now move the camera
switch to the ON position, close the camera securely and leave the location.
After about 15 seconds, the camera will be active and the recorded images will
be transmitted according to the settings configured in the camera.
- If the message: “SIM Auto Failed” appears, the camera has not been able to recognize the inserted SIM card automatically. There are a large number of providers preinstalled in the camera, but not all of them are. If you, therefore, see this message, all network settings must still be configured manually in the camera’s 4G menu (see below). Only then will it be possible to send photos and videos to the specified e-mail addresses.
Smartphone APP (IOS / Android)
For the Wilson Tradenda 4G Wireless wildlife camera there is a special app for IOS and Android devices. With the app, called “TrailCamera”, you can operate the camera remotely. For example, you can request a test photo of that moment at any time, or you can adjust the settings in the camera via the app. You can scan the QR code below (also printed on the box in which the camera is packed) with your phone to download the app, or you can look up the app in the Google Play Store / Apple App Store. Pay close attention to the app’s name and icon, as shown above.
|
---|---
https://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/trailcamera/id1047991609?mt=8|
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sifar.trailcamera
Step 1: Install the app on your phone using the instruction above. Please note
that the app is only available in English.
Step 2: Start the app and add the game camera (screenshots 1, 2) by entering a
name for the camera and the phone number of the sim card in the field “Camera
sim number” (standard format, so without country code. E.g. 0612345678). Then
select the correct trail camera model from the 4 icons (screenshot 2). Then
click on ADD.
Step 3: The camera has now been added to the app (screenshot 3). You will now
see it displayed as in the third screenshot. If you have several cameras, you
will see them listed below each other.
Step 4: By clicking on your camera in this list, the window as in screenshot 4
will appear.
Here you will see 5 options:
- General Setting gives you insight into the general settings of the camera (especially related to the transmission of images).
- Another Setting gives insight into the other camera settings.
- Get a Picture allows you to retrieve an image of that moment from the camera.
- Changing the Camera Name allows you to change the name of your camera as just described in step 2.
- Delete Camera allows you to delete the camera from the app.
General Setting and Other Settings (screenshots 5 and 6): Here you can view
and adjust all kinds of settings for the camera. All these options can also be
found in the camera menu itself (more options can be set in the camera itself
than in the app). For the functionality and explanation of how the various
options work, we refer you to the explanation of the camera menu further on in
this manual. If you adjust settings in the app, you then need to press the
“Send” button to send these new settings to the camera. The settings for
different aspects of the camera can be adjusted individually. This explains
why there are 3 “Send” buttons on the screen in screenshot 5. The top “Send”
button only sends the adjusted settings related to the 7 options directly
above it. The middle “Send” button only sends a modification in the mobile
phone numbers on which the images should arrive, etc. In screenshot 6, only a
“Send” button is visible in the top right corner of the green bar. Adjustments
to these settings are therefore always sent as a whole. Please make sure that
all settings are always configured exactly as desired.
Get a Picture (screenshot 7): By pressing this button you can instruct the camera to take a picture and send it to you. Depending on the setting for “SMS Remote Control (in the APP) / SMS Codes (in the camera menu)”, this command will be processed immediately and you will receive the picture in your e-mail after about 30 seconds (setting “Instant (in the app) / Immediately (in the camera menu)”, or this command will be processed at the next synchronization moment of the camera (setting “Daily (in the app) / 1x per day (in the camera menu)”). After pressing this button, a pop-up window appears asking you to confirm your request (screenshot 7). Click Confirm to actually send the command.
Change Camera Name (screenshot 8): By clicking this you can change the camera
name as shown in the app. Press Save to save the new camera name.
Delete Camera (screenshot 9): Clicking this button will delete the camera from
the app. Press Confirm to confirm your request. 
CAUTION: Depending on the setting for “SMS Remote Control”, the instructions that you send from the app (both for adjusting the settings and for the “Get a Picture” command) are either processed immediately (setting “Instant”, or they are processed at the camera’s next synchronization moment (setting “Daily”). The setting “Daily” is much more energy efficient than the setting “Instant”, because, with the latter option, the camera needs to be constantly connected to the GSM network to ‘listen’ for instructions coming in from the app. So keep this in mind!
In the camera menu, under the tab “Other => Language”, you can set the
language of the camera menu. In this manual, we assume that you have set the
wildlife camera to English. 
Power supply: You can use this trail camera with 6 or 12 AA batteries
(alkaline, NiMH rechargeable, or lithium), with the Wilson 12V solar panel, or
with the Wilson 12V external power supply. For use with batteries, we
recommend the Panasonic Eneloop or Eneloop PRO rechargeable batteries or the
Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
SD memory card : The memory card can be inserted at the bottom of the camera
with the contact points facing downwards. The camera works with an SDHC memory
card with a maximum capacity of 32GB.
Note: When describing the options in the menu, we always give the name of
the menu item as it appears in the app in brackets. Sometimes this is the same
as the name in the camera, but often this is the English term for the same
function. If a function is not present in the app, then “not in-app” is shown
in brackets.
Camera menu diagram
Tab: Cam
Cam ID (not in app): Turn on CAM ID and press OK , you can enter a name using
the arrow keys. The name can be up to 12 characters long and can include
spaces.
Cam Mode: The camera has three recording modes. Use the arrow keys to navigate
to the CAM MODE option. By clicking OK, you can select the desired mode. You
can choose between PHOTO, VIDEO or PHOTO+VIDEO. Option 1 (PHOTO) is for still
images, Option 2 (VIDEO) is for videos and Option PHOTO+VIDEO will first take
one or more still images and then record a video.
Flash LED: You can choose whether to use all available LEDs (ALL LEDS) or only a portion of the available LEDs (PART; only the top 27 LEDs). If you choose to use some of the LEDs, you can reduce the risk of images being overexposed (for example, when placing the camera in a small space or in a place where you know that activity will take place close to the camera). It also saves on power consumption.
Image Size: Here you can set the resolution of the pictures (obviously only applicable in PHOTO and PHOTO+VIDEO mode). The options are 5MP, 8MP, and 12MP. Generally, the 8MP option is a good compromise between image quality and file size. It is also worth noting that the camera has a 5MP image sensor, so the 8MP and 12MP options are interpolations of the actual image resolution.
Night Mode: The flash range is adjustable in 3 different modes; Min. Blur, Balanced, and Max. Range. Min. Blur provides a short exposure time so there is little motion blur, which improves the quality of the images. The downside is that the range is shortened and images will be less brightly exposed. Max. Range provides a longer range and a brighter exposed image but also a greater chance of motion blur due to the slower shutter speed. Balanced is, as the name suggests, a compromise between the two options and thus the default setting.
Multi-shot: Here you can specify how many photos the camera should take for
each observation. The options are 1-5. It is generally recommended to set this
to 3 or higher. With multiple shots of a single observation, it is easier to
identify where the movement is in the image.
Video Size: Here you can set the resolution of the video (obviously only
applicable in VIDEO and PHOTO+VIDEO mode). The options are WVGA (848×480), HD-
720P
(1280×720) and FULL HD 1080P (1920×1080).
Video Length: Here you can set the length of the video. The video length can
be set between 5 and 59 seconds. Please note that if the camera is set to
forward videos, the maximum video length is reduced to 10 seconds.
Tab: PIR
PIR Switch: The PIR sensor is the motion sensor. It registers the detection of a contrast in the thermal image and ensures that the camera is switched on according to the selected settings. Here you can switch this PIR sensor ON or OFF. If you turn the PIR sensor off, the camera will no longer take pictures on the basis of movement. Of course, this is rarely desirable, but it can be used, for example, when taking Time Lapse recordings. This option is also handy when using the app on the phone. By setting the PIR Switch to OFF via the app, the camera is in fact put to sleep, but it remains accessible to receive a new instruction via the app to, for example, switch the PIR sensor back on.
Sensitivity: Here you can set the sensitivity of the PIR sensor. You can
choose HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW. A higher sensitivity provides a better response to
smaller animals, a longer detection distance and a more sensitive contrast
between the ambient and body temperature of the object of interest. However,
it also increases the chance of false detections of, for example, sun/shadow
spots in the image or waving grass or reeds. Conversely, a lower sensitivity
increases the chance of missing moving objects.
Delay: Here you can set the time interval between capturing motion and
taking pictures or videos. For example, if you set it to 5 minutes, then every
time the camera detects a movement and takes a picture, it will not respond
for 5 minutes and will not take pictures again. After the 5-minute interval
has elapsed, the camera will again detect motion and take a new shot. You can
set the trigger interval between 3 seconds (00:00:03) and almost 24 hours
(23:59:59). This option is particularly interesting for feeding areas, to
prevent the camera from filling up with images of one or more animals staying
at the feeding area for a long time.
Time Lapse: You can set a fixed interval at which the camera takes photos or
videos. For example, this setting is used to take a picture every 5 minutes,
regardless of whether there is anything interesting in the picture at that
time. This can be used perfectly for mapping the construction of a house or
other object over time and making a video of it later. It’s also a great
setting for capturing the development of a flower, for example. You can set
the Time Lapse interval between 5 seconds (00:00:05) and almost 24 hours
(23:59:59). The Time Lapse setting begins when the camera switch is turned ON.
For example, if the Time Lapse interval is set to 8 hours, the first Time
Lapse recording will be made 8 hours after the camera switch is moved to the
ON position. It is possible to combine the Time Lapse setting with regular
recordings based on movements detected by the PIR Sensor.
Timer 1 and Timer 2 (Timer 1 / Timer 2): Here you can set the time periods
during which you want recordings to be made. This means you can set two
different periods during the day when the camera operates. For example, you
can set the camera to record only during the morning and evening twilight. You
can also choose to use just one timer and set it to run from 8 pm to 6 am
(i.e. active between 8 pm and 6 am).
Tab: 4G
Note: For some of the options described below, a keyboard will appear on the screen for data entry. Pressing the MENU button changes the punctuation. Pressing the “less than…” (“<“) sign will delete the punctuation already entered. By selecting the “roof-top character” (“^”) and then pressing OK your entry will be saved and you will return to the higher menu item.
SIM auto match (not in app): The camera will automatically try to connect to the network of the SIM card inserted in the camera. If the SIM card is not recognized, the message “SIM AUTO MATCH FAILED” appears on the screen after the camera has been started. KPN and T-Mobile SIM cards from the Netherlands are automatically recognized and therefore do not require any further manual configuration in the camera. However, if the SIM card is not recognized automatically, go to SIM AUTO MATCH and select MANUAL here. The “Manual Setup” option then becomes available. Read below under the heading “Set up manually”.
Manuel Setup (not in app): You see two options here, MMS and 4G. MMS has not
been supported for some time now by most providers (it has been outsold by
Whatsapp, among others), so we will not go into this now. Choose the 4G option
and go to APN. Fill in the APN of your chosen network provider here. For
example, for KPN this is “portalmmm.nl”. Depending on your provider, you also
need to enter a user name and password in the same way.
MMS: Here you can turn the MMS transmission mode ON or OFF to have the
recorded images sent to your phone number. As described above, most providers
do not support MMS anymore and we, therefore, do not recommend you to use this
function (the rare provider that still supports it often charges very high
rates).
SMTP: Here you can configure the settings for sending emails with the images
as attachments. This concerns the settings for the sender of these emails, so
not for the email address where the images are to be received (this is done
under the heading “SEND TO”). The options that can be selected here are “D”
(which stands for Default Setting in the option list), “M” (which stands for
Manual Setting in the options list), and “OFF” (which stands for OFF in the
options list). Note: In the app you can only slide this setting ON or OFF.
The camera already has a mail server configured by the manufacturer from which e-mails will be sent to you, this is the default setting (letter “D” in the menu and corresponding to the “Default ” option in the drop-down list of options within the SMTP setting). So if you leave it on D (Default Setting), the emails will be sent from the email address getpic@wuyuansys.net. This has a daily limit of 50 e-mails. For most users, this limit is not a problem, but in some cases, it can be a limitation. In that case, and in case you do not want to use the manufacturer’s suggested mail server for sending e-mails, you can choose the option “Manual Setup” here.
If you choose Manual Setup, the following fields must still be configured:
- Mail Server IP: This is the mail server of the sender account that you want to use for sending the e-mails to your receiving e-mail account. For example, for Gmail, this is “smtp.gmail.com”.
- Port: This is the communication port for the sender account. For example, for Gmail, this is “465”.
- Email Account: This is the email address you want to use as the sender account. For example, for Gmail, this is “yourname@gmail.com” or any other Gmail account you may have.
- Email Password: This is the password that belongs to the sender account you set above.
N.B.: A Gmail account usually works very well for this, but you should make sure that the “Access by less secure apps” is switched ON for the Google account to which this Gmail address belongs (to be found under: https://myaccount.google.com). This is only possible when 2-factor authorization is switched off.
FTP: Here you can configure settings for automatically forwarding images to an
FTP server address. We will not go into this further in this manual, as it is
quite advanced, and for those for whom it is relevant, it is often clear how
this setting should be configured. In all other cases, this setting can simply
be turned OFF.
Send to Phone / Send to E-mail: You can enter where you want to send the
pictures. You can input 1-4 phone numbers, and/or 14 email addresses. Phone
numbers are used for forwarding via MMS (which, as mentioned above, does not
work in most cases), and Email addresses are used for receiving the pictures
by E-mail (the most commonly used method).
Transfer mode: You can choose to transfer photos, videos or photos and videos (depending on the selected camera mode in the CAM tab, of course). SMTP/FTP Pic Options: Here you can specify in which PHOTO FORMAT the captured pictures should be transmitted. You can choose between SMALL (640480), BIGGER (19201440), or ORIGINAL (actual size as indicated in the CAM tab under PHOTO RESOLUTION). In addition, you can specify here how the camera should handle the transmission of multiple images from one motion capture (multishot). The option MULTISHOT SEND gives you the option of indicating, for each of the maximum 5 photos per motion capture, whether or not it should be forwarded. Your options here depend on what you have set in the CAM tab under the MULTISHOT option. For example, if you choose to forward Photo 1 and Photo 3 from a trigger, you will receive 1 email message with both photos attached.
Max Num/Day: Here you can set whether you want to use a daily limit for the
number of transmitted images. By default this option is set to unlimited, you
can also choose to set it between 1-99 images. This function is mainly meant
to keep the costs in check. Note: this limit is separate from the above-
described limit of 50 emails per day of the default configured mail server
under SMTP.
SMS CTRL: Here you can configure how you communicate with the camera via the
app on your phone. The options are “INSTANT” or “By Trigger”. Depending on the
setting for SMS Codes, the instructions that you send from the app (both for
adjusting the settings and for the “Get a Picture” command) will either be
processed immediately (setting “Instant”), or they will be processed at the
next synchronization moment of the camera (setting “By Trigger”). The setting
“By trigger” is much more energy efficient than the setting “Instant”,
because, with the latter option, the camera needs to be constantly connected
to the GSM network to ‘listen’ for instructions coming in from the app. So
keep this in mind!
Daily Report: Here you can specify whether you want to receive a daily status report via the recipient’s e-mail address. If you set this option to ON, you can then specify at what time you would like to receive the report each day. The report contains the following data:
| IMEI: | 15-number IMEI number of your camera |
|---|---|
| CSQ: | a value between 1 and 31, which indicates the signal strength of the |
network signal. The higher the better.
CamID:| Your camera ID will be displayed here if entered.
Temp:| This indicates the ambient temperature, as currently measured.
Date:| This displays the date and time of the status report.
Battery:| This shows the battery percentage.
SD:| This shows the remaining memory and total capacity of the memory card (in
MBs)
Total Pics:| This shows the total number of pictures taken in the last 24
hours.
Send times:| This indicates how often images have been forwarded to your
e-mail.
If the daily report is ON, you will also receive an e-mail with a picture of
that moment immediately after receiving the daily report.
SIM PIN: If the SIM card you inserted in the camera still has a SIM pin code,
you can enter it here (if this is the case, a message about this will appear
in the camera screen after starting the camera in SETUP mode). After entering
the SIM pin code once, the camera will not ask for the SIM pin code next time.
If this function is greyed out in your camera menu, this means that there is
no SIM pin code on your SIM card.
GPS: Here you can turn the GPS function ON or OFF. The camera can determine its location quite accurately based on the network signal from multiple cell towers in the area, and this GPS location can then be stored in the metadata of the captured images. However, it is not possible to use this feature to find out where your camera is if it is stolen, for example, because the GPS location determination and transmission only takes place when the camera is switched on and an email is sent to your account. There is no chance that someone who stole the camera would leave it on with your email address in it as the recipient of the images. In addition, turning this feature on uses more batteries than turning it off.
Tab: OTHER
Language: Here you can set the language of the camera menu. Date/time: Here you can set the date and time manually or automatically. If you choose Automatic, the camera will automatically synchronize the date and time with the data sent by the mobile network every time it is switched on. You still need to indicate in which time zone you are (for the Netherlands this is “+ 01:00”). If you choose manual, you can configure the date and time manually here. Please note that in this case, the camera does not adjust itself according to summer and wintertime.
Date format: Here you can select how you want the date to be displayed, you
can choose from YYYY/MM/DD (CN), MM/DD/YYYYY (US), EN DD/MM/YYYY (EU). The EU
format is our standard.
Stamp: Here you can turn the information bar that normally appears at the
bottom of each photo ON or OFF. When it is ON, the following things will be
shown on the photos/videos: camera ID, moon phase, temperature, date, and
time.
Battery type: Here you can specify the type of batteries you use. You can
choose from ALKALINE/LITHIUM or NIMH rechargeable. Because NiMH rechargeable
batteries (e.g. our Panasonic Eneloop and Eneloop Pro batteries) have a lower
voltage than non-rechargeable alkaline and lithium batteries, this setting
ensures that the camera displays the battery percentage as accurately as
possible. By choosing this setting correctly, the camera will therefore work
optimally.
Frequency: Here you can set the frequency of the monitor in the camera, you
can choose between 50Hz and 60H z. The default is 50Hz.
SD Cycle: By setting this option ON, the camera will continue to record
photos/videos even if the SD card is full. The oldest images are automatically
overwritten. We see this function mostly on security cameras.
Password: Here you can choose to set a 6digit PIN code to protect your camera.
Turn the password ON and choose a password of up to 6 digits to use this
function. Reset: Selecting “YES” will reset the camera to factory settings.
Please be careful when using this option. FW Update: Here you can update the software of your camera. In principle, this is never necessary. Only in case of problems with the camera, you can contact us and ask if there might be an update available. About: Here you can see the system information of your cameras, such as the serial number and software version.
Troubleshooting
-
The camera takes photos/videos without any target objects in them (false triggers)
A. The PIR sensitivity is set too high: in addition to troubleshooting using the solutions below, you should first check the camera’s PIR sensitivity level.
B. Hot air: The camera is triggered by detecting the movement of heat sources, so avoid mounting the camera near any equipment that emits hot air.
C. Reflecting light: Light can trigger the camera, so avoid targeting the camera at anything that can reflect light (e.g. mirrors or moving bodies of water).
D. Rising/setting sun: So as to avoid targeting the sun as it rises or sets, mount the camera to face north or south.
E. Unstable mounting: If the camera’s mounting is not stable, then it may move and mistake this for the movement of objects in its field of view. When mounting the camera check that it is completely stable and avoid mounting it on anything that can move or shake, e.g. small/weak trees.
F. Target objects moving too quickly: In the case of fast-moving objects, e.g. animals, if the camera is positioned too close, or perpendicular to the target trail, there is a possibility that the trigger will not go off in time. Mount the camera further back from the trail. Mount it at a 45° angle to the trail.
G. Tree leaves/branches: Grass swaying in the wind, falling leaves or falling/moving tree branches/twigs can reflect the sun’s heat and potentially cause false triggers. Mount the camera away from such objects, preferably slightly higher up (around 5ft from the ground) to avoid swaying grass. Clear the target area as much as possible of twigs, leaves, and branches. -
The camera is not capturing any photos/videos
A. Camera is not in ON Mode: In addition to troubleshooting using the solutions below, you should first ensure that the Power Switch is set to ON.
B. Batteries have insufficient power: Check the battery power bar directly on the camera’s screen. If the battery power is very low, replace/recharge the batteries.
C. SD card is full: Upload the files saved on the SD card to your computer, delete them from the card and re-use the same card, or put a new SD card into the camera, or turn on SD Cycle mode.
D. SD card is corrupted: Due to physical damage, improper insertion/removal or viruses, SD cards can become corrupted. If this happens, you will need to format/reformat the SD card. -
Night vision range is limited
A. “Night Mode” is set to “Min. Blur”: In addition to troubleshooting using the solutions below, you should first ensure that “Night Mode” is set to “Max. Range” or “Balanced”
B. Batteries have insufficient power: Check the battery power bar directly on the camera’s screen. If the battery power is very low, replace/recharge the batteries.
C. Nearby light source: If there is a significantly bright light source near the camera it may interfere with the functioning of the camera’s night vision. Avoid placing your camera near a bright light source.
D. Target area is too open: The camera’s night vision works via infrared light that is emitted and reflected back off the objects in the target area, then captured by the camera’s image sensor. Therefore, if the target area is too open, i.e. with very few objects to reflect the IR light, then the night vision image will appear very dark. For night vision purposes, target the camera at an area that contains objects, e.g. trees, bushes, walls, etc.
Warranty
Based on a strict QC system, we offer all our customers two-year-long time- limited warranty. Our products are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of original purchase. If a defect exists, we will, at our option and to the extent permitted by law (1) repair the product at no charge using new or refurbished parts; (2) exchange the product with a functionally equivalent product that is new or refurbished. This warranty excludes damage resulting from abuse, accident, modifications or other causes that are not defects in materials and workmanship, or by someone other than our authorized technicians. This warranty only covers failures due to defects in materials or workmanship under normal usage. To obtain warranty service, please contact us to determine the nature of the problem before returning the product under this warranty (with a written description of the problem and print samples) for repairing or exchange.
xWe hope that these brief instructions will help you set up and use the
wildlife camera! Should you have any further questions, please feel free to
contact us at
info@wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl.
We also love to receive images that you have made with the wildlife camera.
You can email these images to
beeld@wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl
(if the files are too large for an email, please send them as a link via
www.wetransfer.com) or by tagging us in your
message on social media: #WildlifeMonitoringSolutions.
Finally, you might like to subscribe to our newsletter! It is published
quarterly, so not too often, and contains all kinds of nice updates on
wildlife cameras and other “Wildlife Monitoring Solutions”. It also contains
nice images of our customers and we discuss common challenges when using
wildlife cameras. You can subscribe to the newsletter on our website!
Leonard Roggeveenstraat 13 T: +31 (0) 619 550 336
6708 SL WAGENINGEN E:
info@wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl
Nederland W :
www.wildlifemonitoringsolutions.nl
References
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