Cognisys SCOUT User manual

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Owner’s Manual
Revision 1.2
Copyright 2018 Cognisys, Inc.

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Table of Contents
1. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS .................................................................................................................................. 5
2. GETTING STARTED ......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 WHAT IS THE SCOUT RECEIVER?...........................................................................................................................6
2.2 ADVANTAGES OVER PASSIVE INFRARED (PIR) .........................................................................................................6
2.3 WHAT IS INCLUDED ...........................................................................................................................................7
2.4 BATTERY INSTALLATION ......................................................................................................................................8
2.5 QUICK START GUIDE ..........................................................................................................................................9
2.6 CLEANING AND CARE .......................................................................................................................................10
2.6.1 Cleaning .................................................................................................................................................10
2.6.2 Care and storage....................................................................................................................................10
2.6.3 Maintaining Weatherproof Design ........................................................................................................11
2.7 THE SCOUT RECEIVER.......................................................................................................................................12
2.8 SCOUT TRANSMITTER.......................................................................................................................................13
2.9 CAMERA CONNECTION .....................................................................................................................................15
3. BASIC NAVIGATION ..................................................................................................................................... 16
3.1 BUTTONS.......................................................................................................................................................16
3.2 MAIN SCREEN ICONS .......................................................................................................................................17
3.3 MENU ICONS .................................................................................................................................................18
3.4 THE SCREEN ..........................................................................................................................................................18
4. SETTINGS..................................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1 SETTINGS NAVIGATION MAP .............................................................................................................................19
4.2 SETTING DESCRIPTIONS ....................................................................................................................................21
4.2.1 LED Alignment........................................................................................................................................21
4.2.2 Wake Camera Control............................................................................................................................21
4.2.3 Camera Settings.....................................................................................................................................21
4.2.3.1 # pics ............................................................................................................................................................. 22
4.2.3.2 Pre-trig time.................................................................................................................................................. 22
4.2.3.3 On time ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.3.4 Off time......................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.3.5 Final Off......................................................................................................................................................... 23
4.2.3.6 Extend On Time............................................................................................................................................. 23
4.2.3.7 Extend Off Time ............................................................................................................................................ 23
4.2.3.8 Periodic Half-Press ........................................................................................................................................ 23
4.2.3.9 HP (Half-Press) Limit ..................................................................................................................................... 24
4.2.4 Trigger Settings......................................................................................................................................24
4.2.4.1 Sensitivity...................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.2.4.2 Directional..................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.2.4.2.1 Selective ................................................................................................................................................... 25
4.2.5 System Settings......................................................................................................................................25
4.2.5.1 Wireless Settings........................................................................................................................................... 26
4.2.5.1.1 Enabled .................................................................................................................................................... 26

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4.2.5.1.2 Channel .................................................................................................................................................... 26
4.2.5.1.3 ID.............................................................................................................................................................. 26
4.2.5.1.4 Scan Channels .......................................................................................................................................... 26
4.2.5.1.5 Wake Up................................................................................................................................................... 26
4.2.5.2 Flash Settings ................................................................................................................................................ 27
4.2.5.2.1 Ready Wait ............................................................................................................................................... 27
4.2.5.3 Time Settings................................................................................................................................................. 27
4.2.5.3.1 Set current time ....................................................................................................................................... 27
4.2.5.3.2 Window On .............................................................................................................................................. 27
4.2.5.3.3 Set Start Time........................................................................................................................................... 27
4.2.5.3.4 Set End Time ............................................................................................................................................ 28
4.2.5.4 Screen Saver.................................................................................................................................................. 28
4.2.5.5 Lockout ......................................................................................................................................................... 28
4.2.5.6 Brightness ..................................................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.5.7 Shot Limit ...................................................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.5.7.1 Limit Window ........................................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.5.7.2 Limit Timeout ........................................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.5.8 Use Camera Control ...................................................................................................................................... 30
4.2.5.9 LED on trigger................................................................................................................................................ 30
4.2.5.10 Load Defaults ................................................................................................................................................ 30
4.2.5.11 Statistics ........................................................................................................................................................ 30
4.2.6 Clear # Pics .............................................................................................................................................30
5. EXAMPLES ................................................................................................................................................... 31
5.1 CAMERA SETTINGS ..........................................................................................................................................31
5.2 WIRED CAMERA (CAMERA CONTROLS FLASHES) ....................................................................................................33
5.3 WIRED CAMERA (SCOUT RECEIVER CONTROLS SCOUT FLASHES)...............................................................................34
5.4 FULL WIRELESS...............................................................................................................................................34
5.5 VIDEO RECORDING (RECEIVER CONTROLS CAMERA) ...............................................................................................35
5.6 MAXIMUM BATTERY LIFE..................................................................................................................................37
5.7 RECEIVER AND TRANSMITTER PLACEMENT ...........................................................................................................38
6. INSTALLING THE REFLASH SOFTWARE (OPTIONAL)...................................................................................... 40
6.1 WINDOWS INSTALLATION .................................................................................................................................40
6.2 OS XINSTALLATION.........................................................................................................................................40
7. TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................................................................................... 41
8. SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 43
9. WARRANTY ................................................................................................................................................. 44
10. REVISION HISTORY .................................................................................................................................. 45

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Table of Figures
Figure 1 – Scout Receiver Connections.......................................................................................................12
Figure 2 - Basic Connection Diagram ..........................................................................................................33

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1. Safety Instructions
WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death
or serious injury.
Follow all CAUTION notices to reduce the risk of personal injury, prevent damage to the Scout
equipment, accessories, and devices (computers, cameras, flashes, etc). Failure to follow all
CAUTION notices may void your warranty. CAUTION may also indicate a potentially hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, may result in personal injury.
The safety alert symbol precedes a general CAUTION or WARNING statement.
The electrical hazard symbol precedes an electric shock hazard CAUTION or WARNING
statement.
CAUTION: Only use approved power sources for Scout equipment. Use of other power
adapters or batteries may damage the controller and/or attached equipment.
CAUTION: Misuse of Scout equipment could potentially damage your equipment. Cognisys, Inc.
will not be held liable for damage to your equipment. If you have questions about safety please
contact us!
2. Getting Started
The latest version of this manual is available on our website at:
http://www.cognisys-inc.com/products/scout/scout_tech_specs.php
The graphics/menus included in this manual may not be identical to the software that you are
running. Improvements and adjustments to the software may happen prior to an updated
version of the manual.
Not big on reading manuals? (What? No thumbs-up? We worked hard on this you know!) We
have a few real world setups in the “5 - Examples” section. You can always come back to the
technical details if you get stuck. You really should finish reading this section though – it goes
through battery replacement and the basic care of the Receiver.

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2.1 What is the Scout Receiver?
The Scout Receiver is an ideal solution for short-term or long-term trail photography. It uses an
invisible active infrared beam created by a separate transmitter. Simply: When this beam is
crossed it will activate your camera.
The Scout Receiver has several features not available with many trail photography devices:
•Easy to use OLED dot matrix display
•Customizable camera control
•Directional triggering support (head photographs only please!)
•Adjustable sensitivity to prevent false activations
•Time windows of operation to only go after the subjects you’re interested in
•Can limit the number of shots to reduce nuisance triggers (curious squirrels)
•Wired or wireless operation with other Scout equipment
•Weatherproof design
•Removable ¼-20 tripod mount
•Operates off of 6 AA batteries
•> 100 days of battery life
•Wide operating temperature range: -40C – 80C (-40F – 176F)
2.2 Advantages over Passive Infrared (PIR)
Passive infrared (PIR) sensors have several flaws:
•Temperature/lighting changes can cause false triggers
•Extremely wide detection range making camera placement/focus difficult
•Because of the wide detection, setting subject height is difficult
•Relatively slow response rate
•Limited range
•May require adjustment to sensitivity
The Scout Receiver system on the other hand:
•Immune to temperature/lighting changes
•Point-to-point detection allowing precise camera placement/focus
•Filtering out “nuisance” animals is easy – just adjust the height of the system
•Response times as fast as 25 milliseconds
•Range of over 120 feet / 36 meters
•Point and shoot!

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2.3 What is Included
The Scout Receiver includes:
•Scout Receiver
•Camera shutter cable of choice
•4m/13ft weatherproof cable (Scout Receiver to camera)
•Removable ¼-20 tripod mount
•Quick-start guide insert
If you purchased the Scout Receiver as a kit it may include additional accessories.

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2.4 Battery Installation
Battery installation is a simple process and because the Scout Receiver has excellent battery life
– you won’t have to do it often!
The Receiver requires six AA (LR6) batteries. You can use either alkaline or rechargeable
varieties. For details about maximizing battery life see section “5.6 - Maximum Battery Life”.
1. Be sure the Receiver is clean prior to replacing the batteries otherwise dirt may
compromise the weatherproof seal.
2. Remove the four screws from the back-side of the Receiver using a Philips screwdriver.
3. Remove the Receiver’s back cover.
4. Install the six batteries.
5. Align and push back cover onto the Receiver.
6. Install screws being careful not to cross-thread them – do not overtighten!
You can also power the Scout Receiver with external power using the optional power cable
available here:
https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/3pin-extpwr-cable.html
You do not need to remove the internal batteries when using external power but you should
remove the batteries if the Receiver will not be used for an extended period.

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2.5 Quick Start Guide
Want to be up and running in two minutes or less? Here’s the quick-start guide in case you
misplaced it:

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2.6 Cleaning and Care
We want your Scout equipment to last – so here are some brief steps to keep it happy!
2.6.1 Cleaning
For cleaning we recommend a slightly dampened (not wet) micro-fiber cloth. Do not spray
water directly into the inside of the equipment. Any liquid that goes into the controller may
cause an electrical failure of the device. Do not use a flammable liquid/solvents or cleaning
agents on the controller – just a micro-fiber cloth (dampened if needed).
2.6.2 Care and storage
Scout equipment is designed to handle normal wear and tear but there are some things to
avoid:
Do not get the unit wet internally.
If not using the external connectors be sure to attach the protective cover or
water may leak into the controller causing damage.
Do not drop the unit (the display, much like a cell-phone, is made of glass)
Protect the unit’s display and membrane when packing up your gear. If a tripod
fights the display or membrane on the controller – the controller will lose.
Do not allow dirt to get into the weatherproof seal. This could cause seal failure
and damage to the Receiver.
Remove all batteries prior to long term storage.
Failure to properly care for the Scout Receiver could result in a leak that may damage the
Receiver. The product warranty does not cover water damage resulting from user error.

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2.6.3 Maintaining Weatherproof Design
Scout equipment is designed to meet the most challenging environmental conditions. It
does, however, require some care to maintain its weatherproof sealing.
Prior to opening the equipment rinse it under gently running water if it is dirty.
It’s very important to keep the housing’s silicone seal clean. A single hair or grain of sand
could potentially cause the housing to leak and damage the equipment. To clean the
seal remove the back cover from the housing, and rinse the back cover in fresh water and
shake dry (drying with a cloth may cause lint to compromise the seal). Allow the seal to dry
prior to reassembly.
Below is an image indicating the seal location. It is recessed in a groove in the back cover of
the equipment.

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2.7 The Scout Receiver
Figure 1 – Scout Receiver Connections

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There are three connectors on the Scout Receiver (left to right):
1. Camera Connector (5-pin)
Camera half/full press: 3.5mm connector on end of cable
Flash sync from the camera: female RCA
2. Flash/Aux connector (4-pin)
Wake/ready control for the Scout Flash (coming soon!)
Flash sync to the flash
Auxiliary control of other devices
3. External power connector (3-pin)
10-20V external power with optional power cable
The Scout Receiver uses weather-resistant connectors and cables. If the Receiver will be used
outside during the rain, snow, or condensing humidity be sure to have the connectors locked in
place (including the included connector caps). The 3.5mm and RCA connectors must be kept
dry.
2.8 Scout Transmitter
There are three buttons available on the Scout Transmitter.
This is the power button. Press this button to turn on the Scout Transmitter. The red LED will
light up and then slowly fade out.
To turn off the Scout Transmitter simply press and hold this button for approximately two
seconds until the red LED goes out.

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This is the “speed” button. Press this button to adjust the speed of the transmitter. The red LED
will flash with the selected speed.
There are three available speeds:
Slow: One LED flash. 100ms transmit rate.
Medium: Two LED flashes. 50ms transmit rate.
Fast: Three LED flashes. 25ms transmit rate.
Increasing the speed will decrease the battery life but even at the fastest transmit speed the
battery life will last longer than the receiver.
The default speed is slow which is reasonable for most mammals. If you are trying to capture
flying subjects then you should set the speed to the fast setting.
Directional triggering works best when the transmitter speed is set to fast.
This will adjust the transmitter power level. The red LED will flash with the selected power level.
There are two power levels available:
Low: One LED flash. Good for close (less than 33 ft / 10 meters) distances between
the transmitter and receiver.
High: Two LED flashes. For distances greater than 33 ft / 10 meters, up to 130 ft / 40
meters.
Using the high power level can cause problems at close range – the transmitter beam can easily
reflect off of surrounding objects making it difficult to break the beam. So be sure to use the
appropriate power level. Also, increasing the power level will decrease battery life.
The default transmit power is low.

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2.9 Camera connection
The Scout Receiver cable uses a 3.5mm connector for attaching it to your camera.If the camera
is controlling your flash(es) this is the only connection you need! If, however, you are using one
or more Scout Flash(es) you will also need to connect the Scout Receiver’s “flash sync” RCA
connector to your camera. If your camera has a PC sync connector on it, then all you need is a
PC sync to RCA cable:
https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/pc-rcaf-01.html
If, however, your camera does not have a PC sync connector, you will need a hot-shoe instead:
https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/hotshoe.html
The final cable required for flash control is an appropriate length standard RCA cable:
https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/rca-cable.html
Note: The camera connections (3.5mm and RCA) are not weatherproof. Protect these
connections from water as needed.

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3. Basic Navigation
In this section we’ll go into the basics of adjusting settings for the Scout Receiver. If you find
your eyes glossing over with all the technical discussion you can always skip to the “5 -
Examples” section to start using your Scout Receiver.
3.1 Buttons
There are four buttons on the Scout Receiver:
This is the power button.Press this button to turn on the Scout Receiver. You will see the
Scout logo at power-on. At the bottom of the screen is the current version of the software.
To turn off the Scout Receiver simply press and hold this button for approximately two seconds.
Note: You can also give the power button a quick press to take you back to the main screen.
This is helpful if you’re three levels deep in the menus and just want to get going!
This is the enter button. On the main screen this will bring up the various settings. Use this
button to select or modify any setting.
and
Use these buttons to navigate the menus.

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3.2 Main Screen Icons
The Scout Receiver will display different icons depending on what features you have turned on.
Wireless is turned on. If using hard-wired flashes you should turn wireless off. See section
“4.2.5.1 - Wireless Settings” for details.
LED Alignment is turned on. The red LED on the front of the receiver will flash when it receives
infrared from a transmitter. See section “4.2.1 - LED Alignment”.
Directional triggering is turned on. The current direction is for the subject moving from left to
right. See section “4.2.4 - Trigger Settings”.
Directional triggering is turned on. The current direction is for the subject moving from right to
left. See section “4.2.4 - Trigger Settings”.
The “shot limiter” is active and is preventing the receiver from firing the camera. See section
“4.2.5.7 - Shot Limit” for details. You can tap the power button to reset the shot limit.
The receiver will not fire the camera because the current time is outside either of the two time
windows. See section “4.2.5.3 - Time Settings”.

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The Scout Camera Controller feature is enabled which changes the functionality of the Receiver.
If you are not using the Scout Camera Controller you should disable this feature. See section
“4.2.5.8 – Use Camera Control“ for more details.
3.3 Menu Icons
Inside the menus you will see the following icons:
This checkmark means the feature is enabled (turned on).
This will take you back to the previous menu. If you would like to go back to the main screen
you can also just tap the “power” button.
3.4 The Screen
The Scout Receiver features an OLED display. Wonderfully readable – but the display is a little
power hungry. By default, the Receiver will turn off the display after 30 seconds of inactivity
(You can adjust this though – See section “4.2.5.4 - Screen Saver”). If the display is off all you
need to do to turn it on is tap any button.
How do you know if the Receiver didn’t just turn off? When you first turn it on you will see a
short “splash screen” that shows “Scout Receiver” and also the current software version. If the
receiver was already on, however, you’ll go right to the last screen you were on.
You probably want the display to turn off anyways – no point in drawing attention to the
Receiver (from either two or four-leggeds!).

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4. Settings
4.1 Settings Navigation Map
Below is the navigation map for all the settings. The links are “clickable” to get you to the
specific details about the setting.
LED Alignment
Wake Camera Control
Camera Settings
# pics
Pre-trig time
On time
Off time
Final Off
Extend On Time
Extend Off Time
Periodic Half-Press
Enable
Half-Press Time
Interval
HP (Half-Press) Limit
Trigger Settings
Sensitivity
Low
Medium
High
Directional
Off
Left->Right
Right->Left
Selective
System Settings
Wireless Settings
Enabled
Channel
ID
Scan Channels
Wake Up

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Flash Settings
Ready Wait
Time Settings
Set current time
Window On
Set Start Time
Set End Time
Window On
Set Start Time
Set End Time
Screen Saver
Off
30 Sec
2 minute
Lockout
On/Off
Change PIN
Current PIN
Brightness
High
Low
Shot Limit
Enabled (Yes/No)
Shot Limit
Limit Window
Limit Timeout
Use Camera Control
LED on trigger
Load Defaults
Statistics
Clear # Pics