RidgeTec Lookout cellular cameras

Not official RidgeTec Documentation!

This documentation is intended to supplement the RidgeTec Lookout user manuals, which can be found here.

Intro

RidgeTecs are well built, well reviewed, affordable cell cameras that are ideal for locations with decent Verizon or AT&T service. Their customer service is also second-to-none. The fact that each individual camera communicates directly with cell towers means you don't need to deal with setting up local networking hardware (like repeaters and base stations), and if one camera fails the rest won't be affected.

RidgeTec cameras also have a very convenient screen that lets you preview the images' framing/composition as you’re positioning them, and many of the settings can be configured through the web-based RidgeTec Portal, allowing you to make adjustments remotely from anywhere with an internet connection.

For all of these reasons we try to use RidgeTecs anywhere we can; however, there are limitations to where they can be deployed and run off solar power (see Cellular and power requirements below).

Cellular and power requirements

You will need to have either Verizon or AT&T service - AND - if you are running the camera off of the 10w solar power kit (and 12v external battery, which is not included), you'll need to have over 50% signal strength in order for the cameras to run sustainably. Signal strength and power consumption are inversely related because with a poor connection the cameras spend more time "awake" as they attempt to make a handshake with the cell tower and transmit data, thus depleting their batteries.

Evaluating signal

A good place to begin if you're curious if RidgeTecs might work in your study area is the FCC's national map of cell carrier coverage. However, be aware that this map indicates presence/absence of cell service for particular carriers, not signal strength. We highly recommend going to each place you intend on deploying a camera with one of the cameras in-hand (rather than using a cell phone as a proxy) to test signal strength on-the-ground. The signal strength is indicated on the cameras with a number between 0 and 32; to ensure the standard 10w solar panel will suffice, you'll want the signal strength to read between 16 and 32 (i.e., over 50%).

Adding power or increasing signal strength

If you don't have >50% signal strength, you have a few options:

• Use the "schedule" feature in the RidgeTec's settings to schedule and limit the number of times per day the camera will connect to the cell tower and transmit images (these settings can be found in the online portal)

• Add an additional 10w solar panel with RidgeTec's solar expansion kit

• Power the cameras directly off 120v AC (if available) using their 12v AC adapter

• Boost reception with a stronger 4G LTE antenna

Settings, integration with Animl

Most of the settings must be configured through the web-based RigeTec Portal, so you'll need a computer with access to internet to configure them. We recommend the following settings as a starting point:

• Photo resolution: 6MP 16:9

• Flash: Bright

• Photo burst: 3

• Burst delay: 250ms

• Upload resolution: High res MAX (1600x) - NOTE: this is important for integration with Animl. To get access to 1600px 900x width in photo mode you must request RidgeTec support to set a flag in your account to allow that in the options.

• Upload quality: Low

• Wireless mode: Schedule

• Schedule interval: Every 4 hours

• Schedule file limit: 50 files

• Skip report: Yes

• Heartbeat interval: Every 12 hrs

• Quite time: 0

To integrate the camera with Animl, you'll need to do two things:

1. In the camera's settings in the RidgeTec Portal, make sure you've added [e-mail] as a contact*, and in the Notifications section, check Send Mobile Push Notifications and make sure [e-mail] is also checked on.

   1. *NOTE: to initially add [e-mail] as a contact you'll need to have Nathaniel Rindlaub confirm the verification email. Please email him at <first name>.<last name>@tnc.org to have him do so. You only need to do this once for each new RidgeTec account.

2. On Animl, make sure to register the new camera with your project using the camera's IMEI number as its unique identifier. The IMEI number is also called the "Module ID" in the RidgeTec Portal and can be found under Overview > Status > More info:

Advanced

Changing focal length

The RidgeTec Lookouts have a default focal length of "infinity" which is suitable for most scenarios. However, if you are trying to focus on much closer and potentially smaller animals (as is often the case in biosecurity applications), there are a couple ways to change the focal length: you can order them w/ focal lengths set for much shorter distances (as short as 18”), or if you've already purchased your cameras, you can send them back to RidgeTec to have them adjusted professionally.

You can also adjust the focal length yourself, but we do not recommend this as it requires dismantling the camera housing and may compromise its weather proofing or other components. If you are compelled to do it, however, you can change the focal length by opening up the camera body, peeling away the dab of hot glue that prevents the lens from rotating, screwing the lens in/out to adjust the focal length, and putting another dollop of hot glue on it to fix it in place.

We've found that the focal length is very sensitive to small adjustments and recommend making small incremental changes and testing the effects. You can also use a caliper to measure the gap between the two ridged outer barrels of the lens cylinder (see picture below) and use the following guide as a starting point for making your adjustments:

Distance between lens barrels	Focal length
2.55 mm	9-16”
2.42 mm (quarter turn tighter)	17” - 36”
2.32 mm (another quarter turn tighter)	36” - 12’+

When to use AA batteries in addition to the 12v external battery

TL;DR: RidgeTec support recommends not to use internal AA batteries for very remote cameras on solar. However, if the camera is not that far away, they recommend using NiMH AAs in the battery bay so that they can act like a back up when the external battery is fully drained in the solar kit.

The disadvantage of using AAs is that if the external battery is dead and the camera is running on internals and they die and the camera shuts down, the camera will not power back on even after the sun charges the external battery back up. If there are no AAs in the camera, however, a sudden loss of power tends to increase the potential for firmware corruption.

SD card requirements

The specs RidgeTec recommend for SD Cards are:

• Class 10 speed

• 64GB or lower

• Full-sized cards only; no micro cards with adapters as they often have compatibility issues

• Preferred brands are San Disk and Delkin