Scout Camera Box - USBC-PD

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Scout Camera Box - USBC-PD

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SKU SCOUT_CAMBOX_BNDL_USBC

The Scout Camera Box offers everything you will ever need in a camera trapping system. This starts with wireless communication with the Scout receiver, Scout PIR, Scout Flashes and LED video lights. Say good bye to nibbled wires ruining your trail monitors.

This system is configured using your mobile device (iPhone or Android) for easy in field configuration.

The box is built around an IP67 waterproof enclosure for maximum protection for your camera and lens. It has slots for two battery packs, either AA or Li-Ion for extended deployments. It also has an on board power supply for your camera allowing it to be powered from the camera box battery packs. Keeping with Cognisys tradition the box is fully configurable allowing you to program in wake-up times for 1/2 press, full press and even auxiliary loads like video lights or external flashes.

What's Included
- Camera Box and Camera Controller
- Sealed lens tube (choose length below)
- Quick release camera mount and camera plate
- Laser cut foam insert for the front of the camera box
-1/8" Allen Key to move camera clamp if needed
- Li-Ion Battery pack - (optional)

Camera, Security Cable and AA batteries not included.

Features

The Scout Camera Box Gets USB C

The Scout Camera Box Controller has been redesigned to include USB C with power delivery. This means you can now power your camera via the USB C port on the Scout Camera Box. No more dummy battery needed. Put your factory battery in your camera and connect the USB port from the camera controller to your camera and the camera box will provide the power required to keep your camera powered and the battery charged. Your camera will need to support battery charging over USB C. You will still need a shutter interface cable to control the taking of an image or recording of a video. The USB protocol is too heavy and lacks the power management required for supporting camera control for long term power sensitive applications. In order to keep the cost down we have also eliminated many of the external connectors for the Camera Controller.

About the Scout Camera Box

If you have done any camera trapping you know how much work it is - if it can go wrong it will. The Scout Camera Box was designed to help out with all of the little gotcha's of camera trapping. Starting by getting rid of the wires. The Scout Camera Box has 2.4 GHz wireless transceiver in it so it can communicate directly with the Scout Receiver for wireless triggering - no more worrying about the wires getting in the image or worse yet getting chewed and rendering your camera trap useless.

Scout Camera Box Features

Fully weatherproof housing for your D-SLR or mirror-less camera.
Compatible with any camera that has an external shutter release - it also helps battery life if your camera can be woken up using this port.
Wifi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity to your computer, tablet, or phone to adjust all of the settings.
Wireless connectivity to other Scout products:

- Scout sensor sends a wireless trigger signal to the Scout Camera Box when the subject is detected

- Camera controller fires the camera and sends a wireless "fire" signal to the Scout Flashes

>100 days of battery life in standby with a single battery
Customizable camera control (number of pictures, time windows, etc).
Camera flash sync input on the inside of the box.
Support for 2nd External Camera via a waterproof external bulkhead connector.
External Power connection for external batteries.
Complex multiple triggering options (for example):

- PIR #1 activates lighting bank on the left

- PIR #2 activates lighting bank on the right

- Receiver #1 starts video recording

- Receiver #2 takes several still photographs

Time-lapse feature.
Shot limiter - Can limit the number of shots to reduce nuisance triggers (curious squirrels).
Supply power to your camera from the Scout Camera Box Batteries with USB-C or the optional Dummy Battery Packs.
Multiple ¼-20 tripod mounts.
Battery packs can be doubled up for long-term deployments with a Battery Y cable.
Security features for python cables and locks.
The camera box is vented with an ePTFE waterproof membrane to prevent pressure from developing inside the box. This dramatically improves seal performance and life.
Includes a USB-C port for reprogramming Caemra Box firmware and supplying power to your camera.

Camera Box Mounting

The Scout Camera Box also comes with a large mounting surface with several 1/4-20 mounting holes - the configuration can be seen in the image to the right. We even have a right angle mounting option that can be added for additional flexibility. We have found the most flexible mounting option to be installing a low cost arca plate to the base of the box and using an imported ball head and stake or tripod.

Configure With your Phone

In addition to the box itself a lot of work went into the user interface of the camera controller in the box. For this you can use your mobile device that you are already carrying with you (iphone or Android). From here you can change all of the settings for the camera box, this includes: shutter timing, wake-up signals, power management, external load timing, hours you want the system active as well as any shot limits you want to add. Even the settings for your Scout Receiver can be set up through this interface.

Room in the Box - Selecting the Right Lens Tube

Camera Box Dimensions (length x depth x height)

Dimensions with box feet down:

Inside Box Dimensions: 9.5" x 7.1" x 6.1" (243 x 180 x 157 mm)

Outside Box Dimensions: 10.6" x 9.0" x 7.2" (270 x 231 x 185 mm)

Dimensions with box feet pointing in same axis as the lens (length x depth x height)

Space available for camera body: 8.2" x 4.5" x 7.1" (208 x 114 x 180 mm)

Determine Lens Tube Length

Measure the distance from the point furthest forward on your camera to the end of your lens - subtract 1 in or 24 mm and choose the shortest lens tube that will accommodate your lens. There are 3 lengths available, they have inside dimensions of 34 mm (1.3 in), 59 mm (2.3 in) and 85 mm (3.3 in). You can also purchase additional tubes if needed.

This assumes your camera is tight up against the inside wall of the camera box - there is sufficient room in the box to move the camera back if needed. Both the foam mount and Arca Mount options allow for this adjustment. Also keep in mind that if you are using a wide angle lens you will want to have the lens as close to the lens tube filter as possible to minimize getting the camera box lens tube in your images.

The max lens diameter that will fit into the lens tube is 85 mm (3.3 in).

There is enough room in the camera box to use a full frame camera with a wireless flash transmitter on the hot shoe (see image).

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When does USB-PD (Power Delivery) send power to the camera?

This depends on the camera. Some cameras will power themselves over USB, some will only charge the battery when the camera is sleeping, while others will power and charge at the same time. Consult your camera owner's manual for details. Our USB-PD will periodically charge the internal battery and will always turn on when the camera controller wakes up (from a sensor) or a button is pressed.

Can I use the USB-PD port for triggering my camera?

Unfortunately no - you will still need a shutter interface cable to take an image or start and stop video. Many cameras don't have good (or any) power management when using USB communication. There is also a lot of overhead with the USB communication protocol making the response time way to slow for camera trapping. In addition, camera manufacturers are not consistent for their implementation of the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) -- Especially Sony. All of this means you will still need a shutter cable to trigger your camera.

How much power can be delivered through USB-PD?

Up to 45 watts. Voltages from 5 - 15V are supported. The camera and the Scout Camera Controller negotiates what voltage and current it would like to use.

Why use USB-PD?

Convenience. There is no dummy battery required. Also, as camera manufacturers change their battery encoding or firmware this will guarantee our camera box will support the camera even if the dummy battery is no longer compatible (looking at you, Nikon!).

What are the downsides of USB-PD?

It is not as efficient as a dummy battery. When using a dummy battery the stock Scout Battery voltage is stepped down to what the camera needs (about 8 volts). For USB-PD we adjust the voltage for what the camera requests (up or down). The camera then internally adjusts the voltage again for charging the internal battery. Additionally we have no indication when the camera needs to be charged so we have to periodically turn on USB-PD to keep the battery charged. All of this translates into less efficiency. For the most efficient use of power use a dummy battery - this version of the camera box supports both options. Also if you do choose to use the dummy battery be certain to turn off the USB-PD in the power settings of the app. This will prevent the camera box from periodically turning on electronics that are not needed.

Why didn't my camera fully charge its internal battery 100%?

Some cameras continuously draw power over USB-PD even if the internal battery is fully charged which will significantly reduce the camera box battery life. Once we see the camera draw less than a certain amount of current we disable USB-PD. This keeps the overall battery life of the system as long as possible.

Why does it take a second or two to start charging the camera battery?

There is a brief delay when a sensor detects something or a button is pressed before the camera will start charging its battery. This is normal. The circuit required to support USB-PD takes time to initialize and negotiate the proper power settings.

I plugged in my camera and it's not charging!

The camera controller will turn off USB-PD after a while if it doesn't see the camera drawing any power. No worries though -- it will periodically turn on to "top off" the battery. It will also turn on with a button press.

How do I choose between the two battery types AA and Li-Ion?

There are a few considerations here. From a capacity standpoint, when you choose the AA battery pack and use Eneloop rechargeable batteries you will get about 2000 mAHr of capacity at 9.6V - this gives you about 19.2 WHr. The Li-Ion battery gives you 5200 mAHr at 14.8VDC - this is about 77 WHr. This gives the Li-Ion pack about 4 times as much life. For comparison's sake, the camera batteries supplied with a full frame Canon camera have about 1800 mAHr at 7.2V for about 13 WHr. So, from a pure capacity standpoint, the Li-Ion is the clear winner. There are, however, other considerations, namely cost and shipping restrictions. Li-Ion batteries do have shipping restrictions; they cannot be sent via the US Post and must be shipped via FedEx or UPS. Domestically, this is not a big deal but for international customers FedEx or UPS shipping is expensive.

I plan to use the camera box where the weather is really humid, do I need to take any special precautions?

We include a water proof vent in the camera box to help minimize pressure differentials between the outside and inside of the box. These pressure differentials are tough on the seals and can cause moisture to be sucked into the box under the right conditions. The vent helps to prevents this. However, if you need to open the camera box when it is very humid outside, the box will fill with moisture laden air. Once it gets cool, the moisture will condense out of the air and all over your camera and the rest of the inside of the box. The easiest remedy for this is to include a desiccant pack in the box before deployment. This pack will absorb the moisture in the air, preventing it from condensing all over your gear.

Can the filters on the lens tubes be removed?

The filters on the lens tubes are permanently sealed to the lens tubes. The filter glass has also been removed from the filter and sealed independently. These tubes will not leak. The o-ring on the base of the tube also provides for an excellent seal against the camera box. They are standard Silicone -042 o-rings and can be replaced if they get damaged or lost.

Can I use Sabre with the Camera Box?

Yes, the Sabre II is fully compatible with the Scout Camera Box. The first generation of Sabre (now discontinued) can be connected to the Scout Camera Box, but you will need a 5-pin cable between the Sabre and the Camera Box. The Sabre does not have the same wireless capability as the Scout, so a cable is required to connect the two. Another little wrinkle in this setup is that the Scout Receiver can be configured from the Camera Box application whereas the Sabre cannot. This means it is necessary to configure the Sabre through Wi-Fi, then disconnect your mobile device, and then reconnect to the Scout Camera Box and configure it. The Scout Receiver on the other hand, can be reconfigured directly through the Camera Box app.

Do I need to reprogram my Scout Camera Box or Scout Receiver when it arrives?

All of our products ship with the latest firmware installed so they are ready to use right out of the box. However, if you've had your Scout Receiver for a while and are adding the camera box, you will want to update your Scout Receiver firmware, which can be found under the support tab.

Have additional questions about ordering and shipping?

Visit our general FAQ page.

Specs

Camera Box Specifications

Specifications	MIN	NOM	MAX	UNITS
Input Voltage	9	12	20	Vdc
Input Current–Full on (*AA batteries/Li-Ion pack)	-	60/33	-	mAdc
Input Current–Sleep(8AA batteries / Li-Ion pack)	-	0.65/0.44	-	mAdc
Shutter/Aux Output Current Sink	-	-	1	Adc
Battery life (internal - Eneloop batteries at 25C)	-	100	140	days
Real-time clock life without batteries	-	16	-	hours
Wireless Range	-	15	30	m
	-	50	100	feet
Operating Temperature	-40	25	80	C
	-40	77	176	F

Technical Highlights

32-bit power optimized ARM Processor
Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Wireless connectivity: Proprietary 2.4GHz
Real-time clock for time-windowed triggering (two windows provided)
Powered by 8 AA batteries, Li-Ion battery pack, or external power
Power for camera (with optional dc coupler / dummy battery)
Camera flash sync input
Flash sync output
Flash wake output
All outputs are open drain (Can be used for flash, shutter, or relays)
USB for reprogramming

Support

Scout Cam Box Resources

Owner's Manual

Firmware Updates

Software

How To

Setting up the Ultimate Camera Trap

Roy Dunn goes into detail on how to set up both a video and still camera trap at the same site -
Configure the Scout Cam Box To Record Video

Want to use the Scout Camera Box for video - this post will show you the cable you need as well a
Connecting Your Scout Camera Box

Learn how to connect your camera and flashes to the Scout Camera Box.
Using the Aux Output to Wake Up a Speed-lite Flash

How to use the Camera Box Aux Output to wake up your external speedlight flashes.
Camera Trapping Adventures with Tom Mason

Tom Mason walks through setting up a camera traps in Peru. Tom talks through the equipment