GoCam and Ghost settings (app, example settings, and explanation)

For a complete reference list (with explanations) of camera settings in both the camera and app, please see Camera Settings Reference.

(This information is from camera test team member Elizabeth Swoope)

I'm often asked about my settings, so I thought that I’d post an example. These are the settings that I use for all my cameras except for three that are on feeders. Feeder cameras are set with trigger intervals of from 2 to 5 minutes.

I run all my GoCams with the Spartan Camera external battery box and 10W solar panels. My Ghosts are either running only on solar or on solar + 12V battery (homemade setup). If you are using internal batteries only, you may want to use different settings.

• Camera Description: displays on the app home page. By default, it’s the camera model. I use two-digit numbers to start my descriptions to help me order the cameras the way I want them.
• Camera Mode: all of my video-capable cams run Photo + Video
• Nametag: Up to 8 characters that will print on the photo info strip. The default is the camera model.
• Photo size: the camera’s native resolution is 5 MP so that’s what I use.
• Thumbnail size: the large ones are usually good enough that I don’t need to request the HD photo. Regular thumbnails transmit a little quicker but they are grainy and don’t zoom well.
• Video settings: I use the longer setting, larger size
• Trigger settings:
  Sensitivity normal (my experience is that there's seldom a reason to use any other setting),
  
  Trigger Interval 0 seconds because that gives me pictures as fast as the camera can take and send them. This is not how fast the camera takes pictures (i.e., setting 30 seconds doesn’t mean the camera takes pictures every 30 seconds). It is the “rest” time between when the camera finishes sending a picture and when it can take another if there is still motion in front of the camera. If the camera is on a feeder or somewhere with a lot of activity, I increase this (to a minute or more, usually more).
  
  Timelapse I don't use timelapse unless I am testing a camera and need a lot of pictures in a short time. You can use this to monitor a food plot where deer may be grazing far enough away from the camera that they don't trigger the camera or to record the progress of a construction project. The available settings are 30 seconds to a minute in 5 second increments, 1 minute to 60 minutes in 1 minute increments, and 1 to 8 hours in 1 hour increments. For settings less than a minute, the camera may not be able to take and transmit a photo in that short a time so you will want to experiment with the time that works best.
  
  
• Trigger Settings: Start-Stop: There are two Start-Stop time settings. I use these on the security cameras around our buildings when we are at the camp, starting at 9 PM and stopping at 6 AM so I'm not inundated with pictures of us moving around from 6 AM to 9 PM. If you want the camera to run all 24 hours, you need to set both start stop times so the entire day is covered. You can't, for example, set start stop times for time lapse morning and evening to catch feeding deer and have the camera work normally the rest of the day and night. Trigger Interval and Timelapse are the same as explained above. How to use Start-Stop times

• Trigger Settings: Work Day: Ghost only. Use if you want the camera to work only on certain days.
• System Settings:
  Camera Time Zone make absolutely, positively sure that you set this.
  Time Stamp On if you want the info strip on your photos, Off if you don't.
  Flash Power High for most situations but if your target area is small or the backdrop is very close, you may want to try Low.
  Overwrite You will probably want Overwrite on (checked), as well. This means that when the SD card is full, the camera will write the newest photos and video over the oldest ones.
  Camera Locator and Camera Tracker are for the GPS-enabled Ghosts only (not the GC-W4Gb). You will probably want both on. Camera Locator enables the camera to retrieve its geolocation when camera movement is detected. Camera Tracker enables the locator to work even if the camera is turned off. In most cases, both should be ON.
• Wireless Settings:
  Power Saving should be ON. With power saving on, the camera is not logged on to the network unless it is sending a photo, video, or status report. It takes a few seconds to connect to the network, but it saves battery life because the camera is not connected to the cellular network all the time.
  Photo Encryption Do NOT select Photo Encryption or you get annoying little lock icons, not photos, and you can't view your photos.
  Daily Limit 0. If you want to limit the number of photos, use a longer trigger interval. Otherwise, you’re going to get the first 20 or 50 or 100 photos after midnight rather than pics all during the day.

Ghost:

Not Ghost:

My Scheduled Event settings:
Midnight: status report
3 AM: status report (this will update the time when the time changes)
7 AM: status report or photo (test cameras). I get up around 6, this gives me a chance to request videos or HD photos for any “interesting” photos during the night
9 AM: photo
Noon: status report or photo (test cameras)
3 PM: photo
6 PM: status report or photo (test cameras)
9 PM: photo (so I have one night photo to check the P number on the info strip.

There are a couple of unused events with this schedule. You may want more or fewer events at different times. Having the camera check in every three or so hours means that I don’t have to wait too long if I request an HD photo or video. Some of my cameras aren’t in active locations so the only pics I may get from them for a couple or three weeks are the event photos.

Note: the Ghost has an additional scheduled event, Batch Sending, which means that the camera will not send photos as soon as they are taken, it will wait until the scheduled Batch Sending event and send them then. For more information, please refer to Camera Settings Reference.