Bushnell TROPHY CAM 119425C User manual

TROPHY CAM™
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Model#: 119425C
Lit# 98-1573/02-10

IMPORTANT NOTE
Congratulations on your purchase of one of the best trail
cameras on the market! Bushnell is very proud of this little
unit and we are sure you will be pleased with it as well.
We appreciate your business and want to earn your trust.
Please refer to the notes below and the instructions in this
manual to ensure that you are completely satised with
this product.
If your Bushnell Trophy Cam does not seem to be
functioning properly or if you are having photo/video
quality issues, please check the Troubleshooting/FAQ
section on pages 25-28.
Problems are often due to something simple that was
overlooked, or require only changing one setting to
solve.
If your problem continues after trying the solutions in
the Troubleshooting/FAQ section, please call Bushnell
Customer Service at [phone]. In Canada, call
[phone].
Bushnell recommends using 8 Energizer® Lithium AA batteries in all
Trophy Cams to obtain maximum battery life
Bushnell recommends using SanDisk® SD and SDHC Cards
(up to 4GB capacity) in your Trophy Cam

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Note
Table of Contents
Introduction
General Description
Applications
Parts and Controls
Installing the Batteries and SD Card
Loading Batteries
Using an External Power Source
Inserting the SD Card
Using the TROPHY CAM
e OFF, ON and SETUP Modes
OFF Mode
ON Mode
SETUP Mode
SETUP Mode Shortcut Keys/Functions
Using the SETUP Menu to Change Settings
Changing Parameter Settings in SETUP Mode
How Parameter Settings Are Displayed
EXAMPLES-Changing the Settings of Some
Common Parameters
e SETUP Menu-Parameters and Settings List
w/Descriptions
Mounting and Positioning the TROPHY CAM
Mounting
Sensing Angle and Distance Test
Switching ON the Camera
Playing Back/Deleting the Photos/Videos
Reviewing on an External Video Monitor
Deleting Photos or Videos
PAGE #
2
3-4
5
5
5
5-6
7
7
7-8
8
9
9
9-10
10
10
11
12
12
13
14
15-18
19
19
20
20-21
21
21
22

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Reviewing Images Directly from the SD Card
Reviewing Images by Connecting the Camera to a
Computer
Downloading the Photos/Videos
Troubleshooting/FAQs
Technical Specifications
Warranty
FCC Compliance Statement
PAGE #
23
23
24
25-28
29
30
31

5
INTRODUCTION
About the TROPHY CAM
The Bushnell Trophy Cam is a digital scouting camera. It can be triggered
by any movement of game in a location, detected by a highly sensitive
Passive Infra-Red (PIR) motion sensor, and then take high quality pictures
(up to 5MP still photos), or video clips.
The Trophy Cam consumes very little power (less than 300μA) in a stand-
by (surveillance) state.This means it can deliver up to six months stand-by
operation time when the device is powered by eight AA alkaline batteries,
and up to twelve months utilizing lithium AA batteries. Once motion in
the monitored area is detected, the digital camera unit will be triggered
at once (typically within one second) and then automatically take photos
or videos according to previously programmed settings. The Trophy Cam
is equipped with built-in infrared LEDs that function as a ash, so that it
delivers clear photos or videos (in black & white) even in the dark, and it
can take color photos or videos under sucient daylight.The Trophy Cam
is designed for outdoor use and is resistant against water and snow.
Applications
The Trophy Cam can be used as a trail camera for hunting or scouting
game. It is also suitable for surveillance usage.
PARTS and CONTROLS
The Trophy Cam provides the following connections for external devices:
USB port, SD card slot, TV Out, and external DC power in (Fig. 1).
A 3-way power switch is used to select the main operating modes: OFF,
SETUP, and ON (Fig. 2).
A control key interface with six keys is primarily used in SETUP mode to
select operational functions and parameters. As shown in Fig. 2, these
keys are: UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, OK and MENU. Four of the keys can
also perform a second function (shortcut operations in SETUP mode) in
addition to their main function: The DOWN key can be used to set the

6
camera to Photo mode (still camera icon), and the UP key can set the
camera to Video mode (movie camera icon). The RIGHT key also serves
as the manual shutter (“SHOT”) button of the camera and the OK key
switches the camera to the Playback (“REPLAY”) mode. These secondary
functions are indicated by icons or text above the key as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2: Button
and Switch
Guide
Fig. 1: Connections
TV Out USB Port
SD Card Slot
DC In
ON
SETUP
OFF
LED IR Flash
Motion/
Low Battery
Indicator
Lens
Lock Hole
PIR Sensor
Front View
LCD Screen
Power/Mode
Switch
UP/Video
DOWN/Photo
LEFT
MENU
OK/Replay
RIGHT/Shot
Cable to Battery
Compartment

7
INSTALLING THE BATTERIES and SD CARD
Before you begin learning how to use your Trophy Cam, you will rst
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:
Loading Batteries
After opening the two latches on the right side
of the Trophy Cam, you will see that the Trophy
Cam has eight battery slots. Starting at the top
of the battery compartment, slots 1, 2, 3 and 4
form one group, while slots 5, 6, 7 and 8 form the
other group, each providing 6 volts in parallel.
For maximum battery life, you should install a
full set of eight batteries. The Trophy Cam may
also be operated by just four batteries installed
in the top group only (see right), starting at slot
1. Battery life will be shorter with 4 batteries, but
the camera will operate normally. Whether you
use 4 or 8, be sure to insert each battery with correct polarity (negative or
“at” end against the long spring of each battery slot).
Bushnell recommends using eight new lithium AA (Energizer® brand)
or alkaline AA batteries. NiMh Rechargeable batteries can also be used,
but they might have a shorter life span due to their reduced eciency
over time and at low temperature. It is also possible to use a lead-acid
external battery cell with 6V output or suitable AC adapter-see below for
more details.
Using an External Power Source (optional, user provided)
Optionally, you can connect an external 6V DC power source to the“DC In”
jack at the bottom of the Trophy Cam. It is recommended to use a power
source with a current output greater than 1000mA. However, during
bright daytime operation when no ash is required, the Trophy Cam
can function with much less current (>400mA). Please use a compatible

8
power source cable (not provided) to connect the external DC power
source with the power input jack of the Trophy Cam, making sure that
the polarity is correct. Note: The power connector is a 4.0x1.7mm coaxial
DC power plug with positive “tip” (inside pin) polarity (Radio Shack P/N
274-1532 or equivalent).
If both an external power source is connected and batteries are installed,
the Trophy Cam will be powered by the external power source.
When the batteries become weak, the low-battery indicator LED will glow
blue, indicating the batteries should be changed (pg 6, “Front View”).
Inserting the SD Card
The Trophy Cams have 32MB internal memory, which can hold only
about 20 photos (@ 5MP resolution). This is handy for testing and getting
familiar with the camera, but you will no doubt want to leave the camera
unattended for longer than a day, so using an SD card is recommended.
Insert the SD card (with the camera’s power switch in the OFF position)
before beginning to operate the camera. Don’t insert or remove the SD
card when the power switch is in the ON position.
The Trophy Cam uses a standard SD (Secure Digital) memory card to save
photos (in .jpg format) and/or videos (in .asf format). SD and SDHC (High
Capacity) cards up to a maximum 4 GB capacity are supported. Before
inserting the SD card into the card slot after
opening the camera’s front cover, please make
sure that the write-protect switch on the side of
the card is “o” (NOT in the “Lock” position). The
following describes how to insert and remove
the SD card:
• Insert the SD card into the card slot with its label side upwards (see
above). 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 card is not installed correctly, the device will not display an SD
card icon on the LCD in SETUP mode (the SD card icon displayed after
switching to SETUP mode will have a “lock” symbol inside it in it if the card
is locked). Formatting the SD card by using the Trophy Cam’s “Format”

9
parameter before using it for the rst time is recommended, especially
when a card has been used in other devices (see “Changing Menu
Parameter Settings” for details).
• To take out the SD card, just gently push in the card (do not try to pull
it out without pushing in rst). The card is released from the slot and
ready to be removed when you hear the click.
USING THE TROPHY CAM
Once you’ve prepared your Trophy Cam by properly installing batteries
and an SD card, you could simply take it outside, strap it to a tree, switch
it on and leave-and you might get some great photos that are exactly
what you wanted. However, we highly recommend that you rst spend
some additional time indoors with this manual and your camera until you
know a bit more about what the 3-way switch and 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.
THE OFF, ON, AND SETUP MODES
The Trophy Cam has three basic operational modes:
• OFF mode: Power switch in the OFF position.
• ON mode: Power switch in the ON position (LCD screen is o.)
• SETUP mode: Power switch at SETUP position (LCD screen is on).
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.You will also
use OFF mode if you connect the camera to a computer’s USB port later
WARNING
Be sure the camera’s power is switched OFF
before inserting or removing SD cards or batteries.

10
to download your photos/videos. And of course, when you are storing
or not using the camera, you will switch it to OFF. Please note that even
in the OFF mode the Trophy Cam still consumes power at a very low
level. Therefore, 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.
ON Mode
Anytime after the batteries and SD card have been inserted, you can
switch on the camera. When the power switch is moved to the top
position, the camera will enter into the ON (Live) mode. The motion
indicator LED (pg. 5, “Front View”) will blink red for about 10 seconds. This
interval allows time for you to close the Trophy Cam’s front cover, lock it,
and leave the monitored area. Once in the ON mode, no manual controls
are needed or possible (the control keys have no eect). The Trophy
Cam will take photos or videos automatically (according to its current
parameter settings) when it is triggered by the PIR sensor’s detection of
activity in the area it covers.
You can either move the power switch directly from OFF to ON mode,
or stop at the SETUP position rst to change one or more settings, then
move the switch to ON after you have nished doing so.
SETUP Mode
In the SETUP mode you can check and change the settings of the Trophy
Cam with the help of its built-in LCD (or a monitor connected to the TV out
jack). These settings, found in the SETUP Menu, let you change the photo
or video resolution, interval between photos, switch the time imprint on,
etc. Moving the power switch to the SETUP position will turn on the LCD
display, and you will see an information screen that shows how many
images have been taken, the battery level, camera or video mode, etc
(see Fig. 3 below).
NOTE: always move the power switch from OFF to SETUP mode. It
is possible that the camera could lockup if it is switched from ON to
SETUP mode. If this occurs, simply move the switch to OFF and then
push it up to SETUP again.

11
SETUP Mode Shortcut Keys/Functions
As mentioned earlier in “Parts & Controls”, four of the keys below the LCD
have secondary, “shortcut” functions when the camera is switched to
SETUP mode (but the MENU key has not been pressed):
Press the• UP key to quickly set the camera to shoot video clips.
Press the• DOWN key to quickly set the camera to take still photos.
Press the• RIGHT key to manually trigger the shutter. This is useful
for testing the camera-make sure you are in SETUP mode, press the
RIGHT key, and a few seconds later a photo or video (depending on
how the camera was set) will be saved to the SD card (or internal
memory if no card is inserted).The“number of images taken”counter
on the bottom left of the LCD will increase by one. If the display
indicates“SD PROTECTED”when you press the SHOT key, switch the
camera OFF, remove the SD card and slide its protect switch o.
Press the• OK key to replay (review or playback) photos/videos on a
connected TV monitor (optional, user provided). See “Playing Back
Photos/Videos” for more details.
Fig. 3: SETUP Information Screen

12
USING THE SETUP MENU TO CHANGE SETTINGS
The main purpose of the SETUP mode is to allow you to change the
settings of the camera’s parameters (12-13 dierent ones are available)
so your Trophy Cam operates exactly the way you want it to. You will do
this by entering the SETUP Menu and pressing the keys below the LCD
display, which will show you each parameter and its setting.
Changing Parameter Settings in SETUP Mode
A wide range of options or “parameters” are provided to allow you to set
the Trophy Cam to your operational preferences.To change the setting of
any parameter you must rst switch to the SETUP mode. Once in SETUP
mode, pressing the MENU button will allow you to select any parameter
and change its setting. The name of the parameter and its current setting
will be shown on the LCD. Pressing the RIGHT or LEFT key scrolls to the
next or previous parameter (RIGHT key to move on to the next parameter
and LEFT key to go back to the previous parameter), and pressing the
UP or DOWN key lets you select a dierent setting for the currently
displayed parameter. Once you have selected your preferred new setting
for a parameter, press the OK button to save the new setting (actually
change it). When have are nished changing the settings of one or more
parameters, press MENU again to exit the SETUP menu. MENU can also
be pressed anytime you want to cancel changing a parameter’s setting
after a new setting has been selected (but OK has not been pressed yet).
After setting the parameters to your preferences, be sure to move the
switch to ON to begin actually taking photos or videos. No images will
be captured if the switch is left in the SETUP position (unless you press the
RIGHT/Shot key after exiting the menu)-in fact, the camera will power o
automatically after a few seconds with no key pressed.

13
How Parameter Settings Are Displayed
Some more detail regarding how the settings for a parameter are
indicated on the display:
• Only one setting is displayed at a time, starting with the current
setting for the parameter when it is rst selected (Fig. 4a). To change
the setting, use the UP/DOWN keys to display the new setting you
want (Fig. 4b), then press OK to “Execute” (make the actual change to
this setting). If you want to conrm this setting is now the current one,
just press the RIGHT key to scroll to the next parameter, then press LEFT
to go back again to the previous one. You should see the parameter
setting you just made.
Fig. 4: Selecting Parameter Settings
(4a)
(4b)
Press MENU
Press DOWN
Press OK

14
EXAMPLES-Changing the Settings of Some Common Parameters
Following this page, you will nd tables listing all of the parameters
found in the SETUP Menu, along with their possible settings (or range
of settings), and a detailed description of what the parameter controls
and what the settings do. If you read the previous section detailing how
to select parameters and change their settings, you should be able to
dive right in, nd the parameter(s) you want, and setup the camera to
your preferences. But maybe you’d rather walk through an example or
two rst:
To change any parameter’s setting, always start with the power switch in
the SETUP position. After the LCD comes on, press the MENU key.
The rst parameter you will when you rst enter the SETUP Menu is
“Mode”. To change it from its default setting of “Camera” (still photos)
to “Video” (shoot video clips), press the DOWN key to select the “Video”
setting. Press the OK key to“Execute”(Set) the new setting you’ve selected
for this parameter.
Now press the RIGHT key to move to another parameter in the Menu.
Pressing it four times will take you to“Video Length”. Try using the UP and
DOWN keys to scroll through the range of settings, then press OK to lock
in your setting for the length of each video clip the camera shoots.
Pressing the RIGHT key several more times will get you to the “Default
Set” parameter. Highlight or select “Execute” (using UP or DOWN) and
press OK to restore all parameters (including the Mode and Video Length
parameters you changed a minute ago) back to their original factory
default settings. The default settings for each parameter are indicated in
bold type in the SETUP Menu tables on the next several pages.
Be sure to set the current date and time, using the “Set Clock” parameter,
if you choose to change the“Time Stamp”parameter setting to“On”since
that will tell the camera to imprint the date and time on each of the
images it captures.

15
Parameter Settings
(Bold=default)
Description
Mode Camera or
Video
Selects whether still photos or
video clips are captured when the
camera is triggered.
Image Size
(only aects
still photos)
5M Pixel, 3M
Pixel
Sets resolution for still photos
to 3 or 5 megapixels. Higher
resolution produces better quality
photos, but creates larger les
that take up more of the SD card
capacity (lls up faster).
Capture
Number
(only aects
still photos)
1 Photo, 2
Photo, 3 Photo
Selects how many photos are
taken in sequence per trigger in
Camera mode. Please also refer to
the Interval parameter.
Video Size
(only aects
video clips)
640x480,
320x240
Selects video resolution (in pixels
per frame). Higher resolution
produces better quality videos,
but creates larger les that take
up more of the SD card capacity
(lls up faster). 640x480 is VGA
video in standard 4:3 format.
Video Length
(only aects
video clips)
10S (second)
default, with
60S to1S
possible range
Sets length per captured video
clip. Settings begin with 10
second default when parameter
is rst selected. After stepping
down to 1S, video length settings
start over at 60S.
e SETUP Menu-Parameters and Settings List w/Descriptions

16
Parameter Settings
(Bold=default)
Description
Interval 10S (second)
default,
with a 60M
(minute) to1S
(second) range
of settings
available.
(60M-1M are set
in one minute
increments,
59S-1S are set
in one second
increments)
Selects the length of time that the
camera will“wait” until it responds
to any additional triggers from
the PIR after an animal is rst
detected and remains within the
sensor’s range. During this user
set “ignore triggers” interval, the
camera will not capture photos/
videos. This prevents the card
from lling up with too many
redundant images. Settings
begin with 10 second default
when parameter is rst selected.
Note: after setting down past “1S”,
settings start over at “60M”.
Sensor Level Normal, High,
Low
Selects the sensitivity of the PIR
sensor. The “High”setting will
make the camera more sensitive
to infrared (heat) and more
easily triggered by motion, and
the “Low” setting makes it less
sensitive to heat and motion. The
High setting can be useful when
the ambient temperature is warm
(making it more dicult for the
sensor to detect animals), and
the Low setting may help in cold
weather if the camera is being
triggered too often by anything
warmer than the surroundings.
e SETUP Menu-Parameters and Settings List w/Descriptions

17
Parameter Settings
(Bold=default)
Description
Format Execute Deletes (erases) all les stored
on a card to prepare it for reuse.
Always format a card that has
been previously used in other
devices. Caution! Make sure you
have downloaded and backed
up any les you want to preserve
rst! Press OK to execute, press
MENU (or select NO then press OK)
to exit without formatting.
TV Out NTSC, PAL Selects video standard /format
for the“TV Out” output jack. The
video standard is NTSC for the
United States, Canada, Mexico,
Asia and South America. PAL is
used primarily in Europe.
Time Stamp
(only aects
still photos)
O, On Select “On” if you want the date
& time (that the photo was
captured) imprinted on every
photo, select“O” for no imprint.
Set Clock Set Press OK and use the UP/DOWN
keys (to change the setting) and
LEFT/RIGHT keys ( to move to
the next eld) to set the hour
(24-hr format only, “00”=midnight,
“12”=noon) and minute, and
then (on the lower row), the year,
month and date.
e SETUP Menu-Parameters and Settings List w/Descriptions

18
Parameter Settings
(Bold=default)
Description
Default Set Cancel, Execute Select “Execute” and press OK
to restore all parameters to the
original factory default settings. If
the camera is behaving oddly and
you think you may have changed
the setting for something
accidently (but aren’t sure which
one), this will reset all parameters
to their most commonly used or
“generic” settings.
e SETUP Menu-Parameters and Settings List w/Descriptions

19
Fig. 5: Attaching the Belt
MOUNTING AND POSITIONING the TROPHY CAM
Mounting
After you’ve set up the camera’s parameters to your personal preferences
at home or in your truck, you’re ready to take it outside and slide the
power switch to “ON”. When setting up the Trophy Cam for scouting
game or other outdoor applications, you must be sure to mount it in
place correctly and securely. We recommend mounting the Trophy Cam
on a sturdy tree with a diameter of about 6 in. (15cm). To get the optimal
picture quality, the tree should be about 16-17 ft. (5 meters) away from
the place to be monitored, with the camera placed at a height of 5-6.5 ft.
(1.5~2 m). Also, keep in mind that you will get the best results at night
when the subject is within the ideal ash range, no farther than 45’ (14m)
and no closer than 10’ (3m) from the camera.
There are two ways to mount the Trophy Cam: using the provided
adjustable web belt, or the tripod socket.
Using the adjustable web belt: Fig. 5 illustrates using the web belt on
the Trophy Cam. Push one end of the belt through the two brackets
on the back of the Trophy Cam. Thread one plastic buckle part onto
each end of the belt. Fasten the belt securely around the tree trunk by
clicking the buckle ends together after tightening the belt so there is
no slack left.

20
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 standard1/4-20 thread.
Two optional mounting accessories, a “Bear Safe” metal camera box
(model # 19653C) and Deluxe Tree Bracket (model# 119652C) are also
available-please see your Bushnell dealer or website for more details.
Sensing Angle and Distance Test
To test whether the Trophy Cam can eectively monitor the area
you choose, this test is recommended to check the sensing angle and
monitoring distance of the Trophy Cam. To perform the test:
Switch the• Trophy Cam to the SETUP mode.
Make movements in front of the camera at several positions within•
the area where you expect the game or subjects to be. Try dierent
distances and angles from the camera.
If the motion indicator LED light blinks, it indicates that position can•
be sensed. If it does not blink, that position is outside of the sensing
area.
The results of your testing will help you nd the best placement when
mounting and aiming the Trophy Cam.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).
Switching ON the Camera
Once you switch to the ON mode, the motion indicator LED (red) will blink
for about 10 seconds.This gives you time to close and lock the front cover
of the Trophy Cam and then walk away. During this time, the motion
indicator LED will blink red continuously. After it stops blinking, the PIR
is active, and any motion that is detected by it will trigger the capture
of photos or videos as programmed in the SETUP Menu. Be sure you
have read the descriptions of the Capture Number, Video Length, Interval