Bushnell TROPHY CAM HD ESSENTIAL 119736C User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Model#: 119736C 12-14

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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
satisfied with this product.
If your Bushnell Trophy Cam HD does not seem to be functioning
properly or if you are having photo/video quality issues, please
check the Troubleshooting/FAQ section on pages 27-31.
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 this
Trophy Cam HD model to obtain maximum battery life
Do not mix old and new batteries
Do not mix battery types-use ALL lithium or ALL alkaline
Rechargeable batteries are NOT recommended
Bushnell recommends using SanDisk®SD and SDHC Cards
(up to 32GB capacity) in all Trophy Cam HDs

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INTRODUCTION
About the Trophy Cam HD
The Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 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 12MP
still photos), or video clips.
The Trophy Cam HD consumes very little power (less than 300mA) 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 less
than 0.3 second) and then automatically take photos or videos according to
previously programmed settings. The Trophy Cam HD is equipped with built-in
infrared LEDs that function as a flash, so that it delivers clear photos or videos
(in black & white) even in the dark, and it can take color photos or videos under
sufficient daylight. The Trophy Cam HD is designed for outdoor use and is
resistant against water and snow. Your trail camera is one of the latest generation
of Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs, and includes many new or improved features,
such as:
• Auto PIR Sensitivity- the camera monitors ambient temperature conditions
and automatically adjusts the sensor/trigger signal to be more sensitive to
slight variations in temperature on hot days, less sensitive on cold days.
• Field Scan 2x with Live Trigger- the original “time lapse” feature has been
enhanced with the addition of the option for a second block of recording
with its own start/stop times. Trigger signals generated by nearby wildlife
activity will still generate additional photos/videos as they normally would,
independently of the Field Scan operation.
• Audio Recording capability in Video Mode. 720p HD Video.
Applications
The Trophy Cam HD can be used as a trail camera for hunting or scouting game.
It is also suitable for surveillance usage.

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PARTS AND CONTROLS
The Trophy Cam HD 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 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
ON
SETUP
OFF
BACK VIEW
LCD Screen
Power/Mode
Switch
UP/Video
DOWN/Photo
LEFT
MENU
OK/Replay
RIGHT/Shot
Cable to Battery
Compartment

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Tripod Socket
DC in
Cover Plug
Video Mic
Fig. 1: Connections
USB Port
SD Card Slot
DC In
TV Out Video Mic
PARTS AND CONTROLS
FRONT VIEW
LED IR Flash
Motion/ Low
Battery Indicator
Lens
Lock Hole
PIR Sensor

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INSTALLING THE BATTERIES AND SD CARD
Before you begin learning how to use your Trophy Cam HD, 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:
Loading Batteries
After opening the two latches on the right side of
the Trophy Cam HD, you will see that the Trophy
Cam HD 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 HD 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 “flat” 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 efficiency 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 HD. It is recommended to use a power
source with a current output greater than 1000mA. However, during bright
daytime operation when no flash is required, the Trophy Cam HD can function
with much less current (>400mA). Please use a compatible power source cable
(not provided) to connect the external DC power source with the power input jack

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of the Trophy Cam HD, 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 HD 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 5, “Front View”).
Inserting the SD Card
Your Trophy Cam HD has 32MB internal memory, which can hold only about 10
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 HD uses a standard SD (Secure Digital) memory card to
save photos (in .jpg format) and/or videos (in .avi format). SD and SDHC (High
Capacity) cards up to a maximum 32GB 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 “off” (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 HD’s “Format” parameter before using
it for the first time is recommended, especially when a card has been used
in other devices (see “Changing Menu Parameter Settings”, pg. 19, for
details).

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• 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.
USING THE Trophy Cam HD
Once you’ve prepared your Trophy Cam HD 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 first 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 HD has three basic operational modes:
• OFF mode: Power switch in the OFF position.
• ON mode: Power switch in the ON position (LCD screen is off.)
• 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 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
HD 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.

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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. 7, “Front View”)
will blink red for about 10 seconds. This interval allows time for you to close
the Trophy Cam HD’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 effect). The Trophy Cam HD 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 first to change one or more settings, then move the switch to
ON after you have finished doing so.
SETUP MODE
In the SETUP mode you can check and change the settings of the Trophy Cam
HD 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, pg. 10).
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.
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

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Fig. 3: SETUP Information Screen
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Video Mode
Video Sound On Video Resolution
Available Video Recording Time
Video Mode
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Still Photo Mode
Time Stamp
Field Scan On
# of Photos Taken Remaining Photo Capacity
Date:Month-Day-Year
Battery Level
Image Size (Resolution) SD Card Status
Time
Hour:Minute:Second
Camera (Still Photo) Mode
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