BlazeVideo A280 User manual

Trail Camera
Model#: A280
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
V1.1

TABLE OF CONTENT
1. IN THE BOX............................................................... 1
2. IMPORTANT NOTE...................................................1
3. INTRODUCTION........................................................1
3.1. ABOUT THE CAMERA................................... 1
3.2. MAIN FEATURES........................................... 2
3.3. APPLICATIONS...............................................3
4. PARTS AND CONTROLS......................................... 3
5. INSTALLING THE BATTERIES AND SD CARD.. 7
5.1. LOADING BATTERIES................................... 7
5.2. INSERTING THE SD CARD............................8
6. USING THE CAMERA...............................................9
7. THE OFF, ON, AND SURVEILLANCE MODES...10
7.1. OFF MODE................................................... 10
7.2. ON MODE......................................................10
7.3. SURVEILLANCE MODE...............................11
8. ADVANCED SETTINGS......................................... 11
9. MOUNTING AND POSITIONING..........................16
9.1. MOUNTING...................................................16
9.2. SENSING ANGLE AND DISTANCE TEST... 17
9.3. STARTING..................................................... 18
10. REVIEW PHOTOS OR VIDEOS........................... 19
11. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.......................... 20
12. TROUBLESHOOTING...........................................21
13. WARRANTY...........................................................23
14. FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT...................... 24

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1. IN THE BOX
1 x Camera, 1 x Mount Strap,
1 x Instruction Manual, 1 x Mini USB Cord
Note: Memory card and batteries are not included (user supplied).
2. IMPORTANT NOTE
Require eight (8) 1.5V AA Alkaline or Lithium batteries.
We recommend the use of Energizer AA Lithium batteries
in this camera to obtain maximum battery life.
Do not mix old and new batteries.
Do not mix battery type.
Rechargeable AA batteries are NOT recommended as the
lower voltage they produce can cause operational issues.
Remove batteries when the camera is NOT in use.
Require a regular SD memory card (max capacity 256GB,
Class 10). We recommend using SanDisk 32GB
SDHC/Class10 memory cards in the camera to obtain the
best cost-performance.
Before use, please gently remove the protective films on the
front of the camera to get the best performance, format your
SD card in the camera.
3. INTRODUCTION
3.1. ABOUT THE CAMERA
The A280 trail camera is a new generation of digital
scouting camera, it can be triggered by any movement of

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game in a location, detected by a highly sensitive Passive
Infra-Red (PIR) motion sensor, and then take high quality
pictures (up to 24MP still photos), or 1296P H.264 video
clips with audio.
The camera features the all-new innovative and ultra-clear
imaging technology, encompasses all-new software
innovations, smart illumination technology, blur reduction
technology, auto noise reduction and dynamic exposure
technology to deliver high resolution image quality.
3.2. MAIN FEATURES
High quality pictures (max 24MP still photos), 1296P
20fps or 1080P 30fps H.264 video clips with audio
Clear night vision, flash range 100ft. The camera is
equipped with 36pcs high-power infrared no glow
940nm LEDs that function as a flash, invisible to eyes
Wide view angle - 70°
Easy to use with well-designed operation buttons and
built-in 2.4-inch color screen, easy to program, review
pictures and videos on the screen
Two working modes - Motion detection and Time lapse
Fast trigger time approx. 0.1~0.6 seconds (pre-activated
technology with 3 PIR sensors designed), Fast recovery
time of less than 0.5 second, Long trigger distance up to
90ft.
Info strip on each capture: Date, Time, Temperature &
Moon phase
Operation hours, Loop recording, Password protected
Built for any climate - IP66 Waterproof designed for
outdoor use and resistant against rain and snow.

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Operation Temperature: -4~140°F
Support SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card, max capacity
256GB (user supplied)
Extremely long in-field battery life up to 8 months in a
stand-by state with 8 AA 1.5V batteries (user supplied)
3.3. APPLICATIONS
The camera can be used as follows:
For hunting and trailing animals’ trace or habit
For wildlife observing and researching, captures pictures
and videos of wild animals
As sports camera, for riding, driving, camping or
exploring
As motion-triggered security camera, for home, farm,
office and community
All other indoor & outdoor surveillance where invasion
evidence needed
4. PARTS AND CONTROLS
The camera is equipped with 36pcs high efficiency infrared
LEDs, LED Indicators, Lens, PIR Sensors, Lock Holes in
front view (Figure 1).

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Figure 1: Front View
IR LEDs
Lock
Hole
Optical
Lens
PIR
Lens
Light
Sensor
Indicator
Lock
Buckle

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The camera provides the following connections for external
devices: Mini USB port and SD card slot etc. (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Bottom View
The camera has one security cable hole and two strap holes
on the back. The strap can be put through the strap holes
and fastened securely around the tree trunk by pulling the
end of the strap firmly (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Right / Back View
The camera has a 2.4-inch built-in LCD screen, which can
be used for reviewing pictures or videos and menu
displaying, and exclusive keypad design for easy program
Tripod Base
1/4" - 20
SD Card
Holder
DC 12V/1A
Plug 5.5x2.1mm
Strap
Hole
Lock
Buckle
Mini USB Port
Microphone
Security
Cable Hole

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and operation, 8 AA batteries slot supported (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Inside View
Figure 5: Operation Buttons
A power switch is used to power on (ON mode) or off the
camera (OFF mode). A START button is used to quickly
make the camera into the surveillance mode (motion
detection or time lapse per your settings (Figure 5). When
the camera is in the surveillance mode, press the START
button to wake up the camera.
Power
Switch
Color
Screen
Battery
Compartment
and Cover
Operation
Buttons
Surveillance
Mode

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5. INSTALLING THE BATTERIES AND SD CARD
Before you begin learning how to use your camera, you will
first need to install a set of batteries and insert an SD card.
Although that may only take you a minute, there are some
important notes about both batteries and SD cards you
should be aware of, so please take the time to read the
following directions and cautions:
5.1. LOADING BATTERIES
After opening the cover of the battery compartment, you
will see that the camera has eight battery slots (Figure 6). A
full eight batteries must be installed for the camera to
operate. Be sure to insert each battery with correct polarity
(negative or "flat" end against the long spring of each
battery slot).
In ON mode when battery power level gets low, the
message "Low Battery" will show on the screen, please
replace the batteries. If the message “Night vision is
unavailable at low voltage” shows on the screen, the
batteries still work at daytime till “Low Batteries”, but this
does mean the batteries are not able to drive IR LEDs flash
at night, if you want to continue night vision, please replace
the batteries.

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Figure 6: Loading the Batteries
5.2. INSERTING THE SD CARD
Insert the SD card (with the camera powered off), before
beginning to operate the camera. Don't insert or remove the
SD card when the camera is powered on or in the
surveillance mode. (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Inserting the SD Card
The following describes how to insert and remove the SD
card:
Insert the SD card into the card slot with its label side
upwards.A "click" sound indicates that the card is
installed successfully. If the wrong side of the card is
facing up, you will not be able to insert it without force,
there is only one correct way to insert cards. If the SD
+
一

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card is not installed correctly, the device will not display
an SD card icon on the screen in ON mode.Formatting
the SD card by using the camera's "Format SD Card"
menu option before first use is recommended, especially
when a card has been used in other devices.
To take out the SD card, just gently push in the card (do
not try to pull it out without pushing in first). The card is
released from the slot and ready to be removed when
you hear the click. Be sure the camera's power is
switched OFF before inserting or removing SD cards or
batteries.
6. USING THE CAMERA
Once you've prepared your camera by properly installing
batteries and an SD card, you could simply take it outside,
strap it to a tree (or not - according to your application
scenario), switch it ON, press START button and
leave-and you might get some great photos that are exactly
what you wanted. However, we highly recommend that you
first spend some additional time indoors with this manual
and your camera until you know a bit more about what
those control keys do. If nothing else, you'll probably want
to at least set the date and time so the camera will imprint
them (or not-it's your option) on your photos as they are
taken, learn how to set the camera to shoot video clips
instead of still photos if you like, and read some tips about
mounting it on a tree.

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7. THE OFF, ON, AND SURVEILLANCE MODES
The camera has three basic operational modes:
OFF mode: Power switch in the OFF position (The
camera is powered off).
ON mode: Power switch in the ON position (The
camera is powered on and its screen is on).
SURVEILLANCE mode: When the camera is powered
on, press START button to enter the surveillance mode.
When the screen is off, the camera enters standby and
will perform as your settings.
7.1. OFF MODE
The OFF mode is the "safe" mode when any actions must
be taken, e.g., replacing the SD card or batteries, or
transporting the device. And of course, when you are
storing or not using the camera, you will switch it to OFF.
Please note that in the OFF mode the camera consumes
little power. It's a good idea to take the batteries out of the
battery compartment if the camera will not be used for a
long time.
7.2. ON MODE
In the ON mode you can check and change the settings of
the camera with the help of its built-in screen. These
settings, found in the menu by pressing MENU key, let you
change the photo or video resolution, interval between
photos, switch the time imprint on, etc. (See more in
Section 8 ADVANCED SETTINGS).
On the screen display, and you will see an information

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screen that shows how many images have been taken, the
battery level, camera or video mode, etc.
Attention please: In the ON mode, the camera will
automatically enter SURVEILLANCE mode if there is no
operation (key pressing) within 5minutes. Then the camera
will perform as your settings in the menu.
In the ON mode, you can connect the camera to a
computer's USB port to download your images.
7.3. SURVEILLANCE MODE
Anytime after the batteries and SD card have been inserted,
you can switch on the camera. When the START button is
pressed, the camera will enter into the SURVEILLANCE
mode. If the Mode in the settings is set as “Motion
Detection”, the camera will countdown 30-second delay
and then be ready to capture images. If the Mode is set as
“Time Lapse”, there will be no 30-second counting down,
and the camera will be ready to enter Time Lapse.
Once in the SURVEILLANCE mode, no manual controls
are needed or possible (the control keys have no effect).
The camera will take photos or videos automatically
(according to its current parameter settings).
You can press the START button again to wake up the
camera and reprogram your camera if required.
8. ADVANCED SETTINGS
The trail camera comes with preset manufacturer settings.
You can change the settings to meet your requirements.
Once the camera screen is on, press MENU key to

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enter/exit the menu. Press the UP/DOWN key to move the
marker, Press the LEFT/RIGHT key to change the setting,
and press the OK key to confirm the change. Always
remember to press the OK to save the change. Otherwise
you will lose your new setting.
Parameter
Settings
(Bold =
default)
Description
Mode
Motion
Detection,
Time
Lapse
In Motion Detection mode, the camera
would take photos or videos once triggered.
In Time Lapse mode, the camera would take
photos or videos periodically according to
your preset “Timelapse Interval” parameter.
Photo or
Video
Photo
Video
Select whether still photos or video clips are
taken.
Photo
Quality
24MP
16MP
12MP
8MP
4MP
2MP
Select desired resolution for still photos.
Higher resolution produces better quality
photos, but creates larger files that take more
of the SD card capacity. Larger files require
longer time to write to the SD card, which
will slightly slow the shutter speed.
Photo
Burst
01, 02, 03,
04, 05
Select the number of photos taken in
sequence per trigger.
Video
Quality
1296P
1080P
720P
Select video resolution (pixels per frame).
Higher resolution produces better quality
videos, but creates larger files that take more
of the SD card capacity.
Video
Length
10
seconds,
Optional
from
3s to 5m
Videos are in MP4 format that can be played
back on most video players.
Note: Night videos are limited to a maximum
of 30 seconds to conserve the batteries. If set
video length higher than 30 seconds, e.g. 60
seconds, the max recording length at night

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keeps 30 seconds.
Video
Sound
On
Off
Selecting On will record video with sound.
Video
Format
MP4
MOV
MP4 is the mainstream format in the video
industry, more compatible with any player.
Select MOV in case some legacy digital
camera software must be working with
videos in MOV format.
Detection
Delay
10
seconds,
optional
from 0s to
60m
Select the shortest length of time that the
camera will wait until it responds to any
subsequent triggers from the PIR sensor after
a game is first detected. During the selected
interval, the camera will not take
pictures/videos. This prevents the SD card
from filling up with too many redundant
images.
Note: If the camera is set to capture videos,
the detection delay is limited to a minimum
of 10 seconds to conserve the batteries and
lower the SD card storage consumption.
T his option is invalid if Mode is set as “Time
Lapse”.
PIR
Sensitivity
High,
Medium
Low
Select the sensitivity of the PIR sensor.
Temperature affects the sensitivity. The High
setting is suitable when the ambient
temperature is warm or you want to capture
distant object or capture more, and the
Medium/Low setting is helpful in cold
weather. Note: this option is invalid if Mode
is set as “Time Lapse”.
Side
Motion
Sensors
On
Off
Selecting On will activate the side motion
sensors. It brings faster trigger speeds and
helps capture fast moving animals. When

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any of the two side motion sensors detects a
motion event, the camera will be
pre-activated. If the animal enters the
detection area of the center motion sensor
within 5 seconds, the camera will take
photos or videos per your settings, otherwise
the camera will re-enter standby mode again.
Motion
Test
This feature helps you aim the camera at
your target area. Please refer to the details in
Section 9.2.
Timelapse
Interval
1 hour,
optional
from 2s to
24h
Setting time lapse interval. It takes effect
ONLY when Mode is set as Time Lapse, the
camera will automatically take photos/videos
according to the set interval, regardless of
whether the PIR sensor has detected any
game. This is helpful when observing
cold-blooded animals like snakes, or the
process of flowering, etc.
Note: This option is invalid if Mode is set as
“Motion Detection”.
Date/Time
M/D/Y
hh:mm
AM/PM
M – Month, D – Day, Y – Year
hh – Hour, mm – Minute
Note: Use "LEFT/RIGHT" key to switch
parameters, use "UP/DOWN" to set current
date and time. Date input format may
change. Please refer to “Date Format”
parameter settings accordingly.
Date
Format
D/M/Y
M/D/Y
Y/M/D
Select date format which will be shown on
the screen and each capture.
Time
Format
12h
24h
Select time format which will be shown on
the screen and each capture.
12h - AM/PM

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Camera
Name
On
Off
Select On to assign a 4-character long in the
form of Capital A-Z, 0-9 to record the
location in the photos (e.g. A123 for Yellow
Stone Park). This helps multi-camera users
identify the location when reviewing the
photos.
Info Strip
On
Off
Select On to show date, time, temperature,
moon phase on each capture.
Loop
Recording
On
Off
Selecting On option will cause the oldest
files to be overwritten with new captures
when the SD card reaches its capacity. With
Off option selected, the camera will erase
image capture once the SD card reaches
capacity.
Operation
Hours
On
Off
Select On if you only want the camera to
work within a specified time period every
day. For instance, if the starting time is set at
18:35 and the ending time at 8:25, the
camera will function from 18:35 the current
day to 8:25 the next day. Outside the time
period the camera will not be triggered or
take photos/videos.
Password
On
Off
Set up a 4-digit password to protect your
camera from unauthorized users. If the code
is lost, you can contact customer support to
reset the password.
Format SD
Card
Yes
No
All files will be deleted after formatting the
SD card. Highly recommend you format the
SD card if it has been used previously in
other devices. Caution: make sure wanted
files on the SD card have been backed up
first!
Factory
Reset
Yes
No
Selecting Yes will return all your previous
settings back to the manufacturer default.

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Version
Defined
Display the version of the camera.
9. MOUNTING AND POSITIONING
9.1. MOUNTING
After you've set up the camera's parameters to your
personal preferences at home, you're ready to take it outside
and the camera is in the SURVEILLANCE mode. When
setting up the camera for scouting game or other outdoor
applications, you must be sure to mount it in place correctly
and securely. We recommend mounting the camera on a
sturdy tree with a diameter of about 6in. (15cm). To get the
optimal picture quality, the tree should be about 16-17ft.
(5m) away from the place to be monitored, with the camera
placed at a height of 2.5-3.5ft. (0.75-1m). Also, keep in
mind that you will get the best results at night when the
subject is within the ideal flash range, no farther than 100ft
and no closer than 10ft. (3m) from the camera.
There are two ways to mount the camera: using the
provided adjustable web belt, or the tripod socket.
Using the adjustable strap: illustrates using the strap on
the camera.Push one end of the strap through the two
brackets on the back of the camera.Thread the end of the
strap through the buckle. Fasten the strap securely around
the tree trunk by pulling the end of the strap firmly so there
is no slack left (Figure 8).
Using the tripod socket: The camera is equipped with a
socket at the bottom end to enable mounting on a tripod or
other mounting accessories with a standard UNC 1/4-20
thread screw (user supplied).

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Figure 8: Mounting the Camera
9.2. SENSING ANGLE AND DISTANCE TEST
To test whether the camera can effectively monitor the area
you choose, this test is recommended to check the sensing
angle and monitoring distance of the camera.To perform
the test:
Switch the camera to the ON mode.
Press MENU button, go to “Motion Test”. The camera
will countdown a max 30-second delay and be ready to
capture motions. (Note: The delay time may be less than
30 seconds, depending on the actual time of the motion
sensor to be activated. The delay time is 30 seconds
minus the power-on time.)
Close the camera door.
Make movements in front of the camera at several
positions within the area where you expect the game or
subjects to be. Try different distances and angles from
the camera.
If the motion indicator RED light blinks, it indicates that
position can be sensed. If it does not blink, that position

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is outside of the sensing area.
In these sensing test, the camera would take pictures
once motion captured. When you open the camera, the
screen shows the number of times triggered, you can
review the pictures on the screen. (Note: The red light
will blink only when the motion is within the sensing
area of the central PIR sensor. The central sensor's
sensing angle of view is 60°. Each of the side sensors
has a 30° angle of view, which is only used to
pre-activate the camera and accelerate the triggering
speed, there is no RED light blinking whatever each of
the side sensors detects motions.)
The results of your testing will help you find the best
placement when mounting and aiming the camera.The
height away from the ground for placing the device should
vary with the animal size appropriately. In general, 3 to 6
feet is preferred.
You can avoid potential false triggers due to temperature
and motion disturbances in front of the camera by not
aiming it at a heat source or nearby tree branches or brush
(especially on windy days).
Do NOT install the camera behind the glass window as that
is not possible to sense any motion. Avoid the camera
toward to glass object.
9.3. STARTING
The camera supports two working mode “Motion
Detection” and “Time Lapse”, press START button to
enter surveillance mode.
(1) If you set the camera working mode as “Motion
detection” in the menu, the camera countdowns 30 second