Cuddeback Digital




		FAQ Search: What can prevent dew on camera window? By changing the position of the camera in relation to the prevailing winds, dew on the camera window can be minimized. Moving your camera to a different location within the same area can also minimize condensation on the camera window. What is the standard operating temperatures of the camera? Our cameras have a recommended operating temperature range between 0 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Extended battery life can be obtained in cold temperatures by using Duracell or Rayovac batteries. What computer programs do I need to view a video clip? If you have a C1000, you will need Quick Time software to view videos. If you have a C3000, you will need Windows Media Player software to view videos. If you have an EXPERT or NOFLASH, you will need Windows Media Player software to view videos. Why do I have blurry images? Blurry images may be the result of dirt, dew, water, ice or snow on the camera window. Scratches on the camera window may also produce blurry pictures. Cleaning the camera window may solve the problem. There are times of the day where the daylight is in a transition mode - not dark enough for a flash, and not light enough for a fast shutter speed. In this difficult situation, a fast moving animal can be moving during the shutter time, resulting in motion blur. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about this and most cameras experience this problem. If all images are blurry, the camera's focus may need to be adjusted at our technical service department. How do I view Events on my camera or on my computer? An Event is a time and date recording of activity. Events are not Images. You can view Events in two ways. One way is to view them on the camera. Secondly, the Events can be saved to the compact flash card, for viewing on your PC. Why does the LCD go blank or fade, then comes back on? There are several conditions to consider in regards to the display. The first condition is temperature. The display on the camera is a Liquid Crystal Display ( LCD ) and cold temperatures will cause the display to fade and may become hard to read or appear blank. The warmer the ambient temperature, the more legible the display becomes. Another influence on the LCD are the batteries. When battery power becomes too low, the diplay will become faded and eventually will go blank. Installing new batteries should eliminate this condition. What is "Free Memory"? Free Memory is the amount of space left on a memory card that can be used for storage. Why does my camera take a picture on the CAMERA DELAY without subject detection? The camera may take pictures on the CAMERA DELAY when the batteries become too low to operate the camera. If the camera is set up directly in the path of the sun, the heat from the sun may cause the camera to take pictures on the CAMERA DELAY. When sudden weather changes occur (storms and very hot temperature changes) the camera may take time to get acclimated to the new temperature. On rare occasions this can trigger pictures. At what height should the camera be placed on the tree? When trying to take images of animals, we recommend the camera be placed 3 to 4 feet above the ground. How far should the camera be from bait or trail? For best picture quality, set the camera approximately 10 to 20 feet from the area animals are expected to be. How do I properly transport or store my camera? The best way to transport your camera is to DISARM or turn OFF using ON/OFF switch on the camera, depending on your camera model. When storing your camera for longer than one week, take the batteries out of the camera and make sure it is in a dry place. How do I view images on a TV? Requirements for the TV: 1) TV must have a video input or VCR or DVD with a video input. 2) A RCA cable will be needed, not included with the purchase of your camera. The cable is best described as having a red, yellow, and white connecter. If you do not possess a RCA/Video cable, they may be purchased at most electronic stores. Instructions to view on the TV: 1) Connect the RCA cable/video cable (yellow connector)to the Cuddeback video out put. 2) Connect the RCA cable/video cable (yellow connector)to the TV video input. 3) Turn the TV to the correct video or AUX channel. 4) Start the Cuddeback in the DISARMED mode or OFF. 5) Press the M key until IMAGES SAVED. 6) Press the UP or DOWN keys to start viewing the images (pictures) on TV. 7) Press the UP or DOWN keys to scroll through the images. Why is camera stuck on "Cam Busy" or "Do Not Remove Card" or "Please Wait"? The camera display shows "Cam Busy" or "Do Not Remove Card" or "Please Wait" when the camera is performing a task. During that time, the keypad is disabled to prevent interruptions to the camera operation. Generally, the operation will complete within a few seconds but may take as long as a minute or more depending upon whether you are saving an image or video. If the batteries are weak during this time, the operation may not be able to be completed and the camera appears to have "locked up". We recommend installing new batteries. In some cases, the memory card may be corrupted or damaged, thus the camera cannot read the card. In this case, take out the batteries, remove the CF card, wait 30 seconds, reinstall batteries without a CF Card in camera. If normal operation is restored, there may be a problem with the CF card - replace the CF card or re-format the CF card on a computer. If normal operation is not restored, our service department can evaluate this problem for you. How much Compact Flash card space is used with 1 video? Video clips may be programmed to run 10 seconds to 1 minute in length. Video clips, however, will take up more storage space than still images. On an average, a 10 second video takes up about the same amount of space as 3 pictures. Why is my unit taking images at 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM? Some of our cameras have a feature that will enable an image to be taken at specific times. This feature is known as TIME LAPSE and is best used in taking images such as the growth of a food plot. If the camera is taking images at 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM, the TIME LAPSE feature is operating. Utilize the following to verify this feature is in operation and to turn off: 1) The unit will be operating in Advanced Mode. 2) Start at Time/Date. 3) Press the S key until CAMERA SETUP is displayed. 4) Press the C key to enter CAMERA SETUP. 5) Press the S key until CAMERA MODE is displayed. 6) Verify the display reads TIME LAPSE or BOTH. 7) Press the UP or DOWN keys to change the reading to say MOTION. 8) Press the M key to return to Time/Date. How do I format my CF card? REFER TO OWNERS MANUAL (ADVANCED MODE SECTION) To format a CF card in the Cuddeback, follow this procedure: In Advance mode, 1) Press the S key until UTILITIES is displayed. 2) Press the C key to enter this menu. 3) Press the S key until FORMAT CARD is displayed. 4) Press the C key to Format Card. LPW will be displayed in the screen. If you do not have your own LPW,enter 00000 and press C to confirm. 5) When the display shows numbers changing, the card is formatted. You may also format a card on your Computer: 1) Insert your CF card to your card reader. 2) Click on your Start menu. 3) Click on My Computer. 4) Right click on your Removable Disk Drive were the card is located. 5) Click on Format. 6) Change file system to the .FAT file type. 7) Click Start. Can rechargeable batteries be used? Yes, you can, but they will not last as long as Rayovac or Duracell alkaline batteries. When I print my images, the date/time does not show. The camera's JPG file is formated wide screen, and the printers are formated full screen. Therefore, the printer will not print the entire image. If you print images FULL SIZE on a full 8 1/2 by 11 sheet, the entire image will be printed with Date/Time showing. Why does my unit sense 40 - 50 ft. but you advertise 100 ft.? The camera detection range is dependent on many factors including outside air temperatures, body heat of the subject, sensitivity level settings, and field set up (height). Why won't the flash card from the camera work in my personal digital camera? Due to the large number of personal digital cameras on the market today, there is not an industry standard in compact flash format file systems. Therefore, Cuddeback may not be compatible with all personal digital cameras. Please refer to the OWNERS MANUAL for compact flash file format details. Which brand of compact flash card should I buy? Non Typical recommends using quality name brand Compact Flash cards, Type I or Type II, but we don't endorse any specific brand. Off brand compact flash cards may not have the dependability as the name brand cards. What brand of battery is the best to use? We recommend Rayovac or Duracell batteries. Performance may be compromised with other battery brands. How long does it take the camera to arm itself when placed in the LIVE mode? When LIVE mode is initiated, there will be a 45 second delay before the motion sensor starts. This provides you with enough time to replace the battery cover and move away from the camera. How will I know if the camera is sensing motion? The camera is equipped with a TEST mode feature. This feature will allow you to walk in front of the camera and when you are in the center of the detection area, the red LED will illuminate. The camera needs a "warm-up period" for this to work properly, this may take up to 3 minutes. During the "warm-up", the LED will flash every few seconds and eventually quit flashing, indicating the TEST mode is ready for operation. What is the file size of a camera's image? This is dependent upon the model of camera you have and whether the image was taken during the day or night. The file size of: a 1.3 image will be from 200kb to 600kb, a 2.0 image will be from 200kb to 1000kb, a 3.0 image can be from 350kb to 1500kb. The day time image will be larger than a night time image, because it is a brighter image and contains more information. How many images can be stored on the internal memory? The camera's internal memory is a quick start feature that is standard with the Compact Flash units. The internal memory will allow you to take images without the use of a Compact Flash card. The images taken with the internal memory will be of lower quality than those taken with the use of a Compact Flash card. Internal Memory Capacity: On the 1.3 and 2.0 Megapixel, you can save approximately 20 images to the internal memory of the camera. On the 3.0 Megapixel, you can save approximately 8 images to the internal memory of the camera. Capture: The Capture's internal memory will hold 60 images. Can I hurt anything by turning the switch off when it says "Picture" in the screen? No. The only thing that would happen is the image processing would be interrupted, thus producing only half an image to the CF card. How do I view my images through the USB port on the Excite, Expert, or NoFlash models? - Make sure the Time and Date are showing in the LCD screen - Press the Mode button - Images Saved should display in the screen - Press the Down Arrow, to display VIEWING - Connect your USB cable to the computer - The computer should now recognize the images. What is the largest memory card that can be used in my camera? If your camera is an Excite, Expert, or NoFlash, you can use up to a 2 GB Compact Flash (CF) memory card. If your camera is a C1000 or C3000, we recommend no larger than a 1GB Compact Flash (CF) memory card. If your camera is a Capture or Capture IR, we recommend sizes up to 2 GB Secured Digital (SD) memory card with 1 GB being the preferred size. What activates the camera to take an image? A combination of heat and motion is necessary to trigger the PIR sensor of the camera. The best results are achieved in cooler temperatures. When used for security purposes, what is the best distance to have the NOFlash set up to get detailed images? The best distance is about 10 to 20 ft from where you think the subject may be. Does the camera switch from the DATE/TIME screen to LIVE MODE automatically? Yes, after 12 minutes the camera will self-arm. Depending on the model, the LCD will be blank or DELAY ON will show. Why will my NOFlash take images and videos inside, but when I take the camera outside, all I get are white images and videos? You need to bring the camera outside with the slide switch in the OFF position. Once outside, turn the camera ON and enable LIVE MODE with the M KEY. The images and videos should be OK. What is the battery life of the CuddeView? On a fully charged battery, the viewer will copy over 7000 files (images & videos) from card to card, and view images for over 2 hours. A low battery symbol will display when the battery is weak. After the symbol is shown, the viewer has been known to still copy 1000 more files. Note: The copy time will take longer with an SD card that has a slower transfer speed, which means less files will be copied on a battery charge using an SD card with a slower speed. How long does it take to copy images from card to card with the CuddeView? The time it takes to copy images and videos from card to card is dependent upon the SD card brand. Some cards are twice as fast as others. Lexar and Sandisk cards are the fastest we have tested, copying 50 images in about 30 seconds. Other brands of cards averaged about 60 seconds to copy 50 images. When using a CuddeView, how many images will fit on my SD card? A 1 GB SD card will hold about 1500 Cuddeback images. If videos are on the CF card, the number will be less. Each 10 seconds of video is equal to 1 image. For example, if you are using a NoFlash camera with 10 second videos, a 1 GB SD card will hold about 750 images with videos. If you are using the viewer to check multiple cameras on a bait or feeder, you may want to have 1 SD card available for every 3 cameras you are checking. How can I recharge my CuddeView? 1) Plug the CuddeView into a PC via the supplied USB cable. 2) Plug the CuddeView into a car with an optional car phone adapter, sold where ever cell phone accessories are sold. 3) Plug the CuddeView into an optional AC adapter, sold where ever cell phone accessories are sold. Is there a warranty with the CuddeView? There is a one year warranty on the CuddeView. If I download images from numerous cameras (from CF cards to an SD card), will the CuddeView arrange the images in order? The viewer will put each camera's images into a separate folder. The play back will be in the order they were put on to the SD card - all images in camera 1, then camera 2, etc. What if my CuddeView is not powering up? The USB cable must be plugged directly into the computer. The unit will not charge if the USB cable is plugged into a USB hub. The computer must be on while charging with the USB cable. The red LED should illuminate above the joystick when plugged in and charging with the USB cable. The red LED will go out when the charge is complete. If the LED does not come on, try a different USB port on that computer, or a different computer. If the CuddeView will not power on, try charging the unit over night or for at least four hours. If the unit will not power on, press the RESET button on the bottom of the camera (using a paper clip), then let the unit charge over night or for at least four hours. Do I need to have a CF card in the camera before turning it on? If you have an Excite, Expert, or NoFlash model, the camera should have the power switch in the OFF position when installing a CF card. If you have a C1000 or C3000 model, you should install the batteries first, then insert the CF card. When you transfer images from the CF card to the SD card using the CuddeView, is the CF card now clear of the images that were stored on it? No, the images are still on the CF card and need to be deleted. Preferably, clear the images on the CF card with your Cuddeback camera. On the CuddeView, what is the function of the Buzzer Mode and Sound Mode? The Buzzer Mode controls the beeps. The Sound Mode controls the volume of the beeps. When using Memory Status on the CuddeView Menu, what is the function of the pie chart symbol? The graphing bars show the memory space on the card. When can the SD card be installed or removed from the Capture? It is best to remove & install SD cards when the switch is in the OFF position and the green light is off. What SD cards can be used with the Capture or Capture IR? Non Typical recommends Sandisk SD cards. They are priced well, save images very fast, and are of high quality. Do NOT use Kingston brand cards, they are not working well with our cameras for some reason. DO NOT USE SD Cards greater the 2 GB. Non Typical recommends the 1 GB size. Is it normal for the screen of the CuddeView to go black when viewing images on the TV? Yes, this is normal. In order to save power, the CuddeView was designed to turn off the internal LCD while viewing images on the TV. The LCD display on my Capture reads 02-02 and remains unchanged no matter what setting the dial is on. This condition is caused by incorrect battery installation. Please remove the batteries, wait 30 seconds and reinstall them noting the correct polarity. If this problem persists, try brand new Rayovac batteries. Is it possible to view images from a Cuddeback camera that is USB ready to any handheld viewer? NO Why won’t my PC card reader recognize my SD card with images from the Capture? Unplug the card reader from the PC. Remove the card from the card reader. Plug the card reader back into the PC. Insert the card into the reader. Non Typical recommends SanDisk cards. There are known compatibility issues with Kingston SD Cards. Can the CuddeView read a 4GB memory card? Non Typical recommends a 2GB or less memory card. I am having a problem viewing images on my PC, there are pictures that say “Too Large” or “THM”. The camera creates temporary image processing files that are very large. These sometimes get saved to memory when the camera can not finish processing the picture. This happens when you walk up to the camera, it takes a picture of you, and you cancel the picture. In most cases, simply delete these large files. My camera shows it is holding more images than the internal memory can hold? This is a false reading. This may be caused by low batteries, replace with new Rayovac batteries. If condition persists, delete the images in the internal memory, remove and replace batteries. Will the camera record an event while in Easy Mode? Yes. Why does the manual advise high sensitivity in the summer (hot weather) and low sensitivity in the fall and winter (cold weather)? Non Typical, Inc. now recommends that customers use the HIGH sensitivity setting for all months of the year. My Capture will not record images to the SD card. There is a simple solution to this problem. The SD card needs to be reformatted on your computer. This should solve the problem. In addition, do not use an SD card larger than 2GB. Non Typical recommends using 1GB cards. There are compatibility issues with the Kingston SD cards. Non Typical recommends using SanDisk SD cards. My LED light blinks rapidly, and the LCD screen goes from Please Wait to symbols scrolling across the LCD screen, then just hangs there. To correct this condition, remove the batteries from the camera and then, reinstall the batteries. Why won't my camera delete images? The camera will delete images under most circumstances. There are certain instances that it may not which would include trying to delete too many images (300 or more) at once or if the memory card is corrupt. To clear images: Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Turn on/off switch to the on position. From the date/time screen, press the M button. The LCD should now read "Images Saved" and "X" amount of images. Press the C button. The LCD should now read "Archive Images" and "C = Yes". Press the Down Arrow button. The LCD should now read "Clear All Images" and "C = Yes". Press the C button and the images should now be cleared. If the images do not clear: Reset camera by installing a new set of batteries. Turn the on/off switch to the on position. From the date/time screen, press the S button numerous times until the LCD reads "Utilities" and "C = Yes". Press the C button. Now press the S button numerous times until the LCD reads "Format Card" and "C = Yes". Press the C button. The LCD should now read "Confirm" and "C = Yes". Press the C button. After some time the LCD shoud now read "Done". The images should now be cleared. If neither of these two trouble shooting techniques clear the images, the memory card may be corrupt. A new or different memory card shoud be installed for the camera to function properly. Why does the LCD on the Capture show nothing when the rotary switch is turned to any of the settings? The camera has either lost power or the rotary switch is inbetween settings and needs to be moved. Make sure the rotary switch is in the off position. Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Turn the rotary switch to the "Time" position. The camera should now function properly. If the LCD screen still reads nothing after the rotary switch is turned on, the camera may need service. How do I view images from the Capture’s internal memory? Make sure the rotary switch is in the off position. Install an empty SD card. Turn the rotary switch to the "Time" position. The green LED light next to the SD card slot will come on while the images are downloading to the SD card. When the green LED light turns off, the download is complete. Turn the rotary switch to the "Off" position and the SD card can now be removed for viewing. Why will the Capture not record any further images after the internal memory images have been transfered to the SD card? When the images from the internal memory were transfered to the SD card, a 100 Cuddy folder was created on the SD card for those particular images. Any further images recorded after that will be under a 101 Cuddy folder created for those particular images. The images will have to be viewed on a PC to makes sure the proper folders are on the SD card. If the camera did not create a 101 Cuddy folder for the additional images, you may want to format the SD card through a PC and try again. If the same problem occurs, the camera may need service. After turning on the Excite camera, why does the LCD screen cut off on its own? Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. After installing a new set of batteries, make sure the battery plate is installed properly (please check manual for installing the battery plate). Now turn the on/off switch to the on position and the camera should function properly. If the LCD screen still cuts off after installing new batteries and the battery plate properly, the camera may need service. Why will the Trophy Room software not download to a PC? All PC's need to have all of the latest operation system (Windows or Vista) updates available. If the PC does not have the latest updates, Trophy Room may not download properly. Why are the images from the Capture not readable through a San Disc viewer? At this time, not all viewers on the market are compatible with our cameras. If the images are not viewable on the San Disc viewer, you may have to view your images on another device such as a PC or the CuddeView 4 in 1 viewer that Non Typical Inc. produces. When the SD card is taken from my Capture and installed into the CuddeView, it just shows "Format" with a check mark or X and the images are not able to be viewed. Why? At this point, the CuddeView is unable to communicate with the memory card. The main reason for this is some of the images may be corrupt due to being interrupted or viewed under another PC program. Also some of the images may be in a separate folder that the Cuddeview cannot read. The memory card will need to be formatted through a PC under a FAT file system and tried again. Why will the Capture camera not transfer images from the internal memory to the SD card? Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Make sure the rotary switch is in the off position. Install an empty SD card. Turn the rotary switch to the "Time" position. The green LED light next to the SD card slot will come on while the images are downloading to the SD card. When the green LED light turns off, the download is complete. Turn the rotary switch to the "Off" position and the SD card can now be removed for viewing. If the green light does not illuminate and the images are not downloaded to the SD card, the camera may need service. Why will the Capture only sense out to 5 feet while in Test Mode? Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Mount the camera to the recommended 3 feet from the ground. Turn the rotary switch to the "Test" position. Close the lid of the camera. Wait one minute for the camera to set. Walk accross the view of the camera at different distances (5ft,10ft,15ft etc.) to make sure the red LED light is illuminating when the camera senses heat and motion. If the red LED light is illuminating, the camera is working properly. If the red LED light is not illuminating past 5 feet, the camera may need service. Why is the screen of the CuddeView blank and the green LED light flashing constantly? Power down the CuddeView by pressing the on/off button and remove all memory cards. Press the reset button located on the bottom of the viewer where the cards are normally installed and wait one minute. Power the CuddeView back on by pressing the on/off button. If after powering the CuddeView back on and the same problem occurs, the unit may need service. When I turn on the NoFlash camera, the LCD displays four black boxes and then random numbers. Why? Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Turn the on/off switch to the "On" position. The LCD should display properly. If the LCD still displays black boxes and random numbers, the camera may need service. Can a Mini or Macro SD card be used in the Capture camera? Yes. There are 3 SD card formats: 1) The original SD (big size) card that is used now. 2) The Mini SD that is about 1/2 the size. 3) The Micro SD that is about 1/4 the size. When a person purchases a Mini or Micro SD card, they will generally get an adapter with the card that allows the Mini or Micro SD card to plug into a standard SD card socket. This is important as many cameras, cell phones, photo viewers, and other devices use the Micro SD cards. Therefore, many of these Micro/Mini SD devices will be able to be used for Capture image viewing. Why do all of the images from the Capture look blurry and out of focus? There may be dew or dirt on the lens of the camera. Turn the camera off by turning the rotary switch to the off position. Now close the lid and clean all lenses. (Any brand of window cleaner will work.) Turn the camera on by turning the rotary switch to the desired delay setting in order to take more images. If the images are still blurry and out of fucus, the camera may need service. Why are images from a Capture not able to be viewed on all personal digital cameras? We do not have a list of cameras that are compatable with how the Capture records a jpeg image on to an SD card. The best thing to do is download the latest firmware update from the Cuddeback website and install it into the camera. After installing the firmware update, the images should view on most personal digital cameras. Most electronic stores will let customers test cameras to see if they will be compatible before purchase. What is the sensitivity setting on the Capture? The Capture is already set for "High" sensitivity and since there is no sensitivity adjustment, it will remain on that setting. Why will the LCD screen on the Capture read 0202 and not advance any further? Make sure the rotary switch is in the off position and take the SD card out of the camera. Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. With the rotary switch in the off position and after installing a new set of batteries, the LCD of the camera should now read one set of numbers (0202), two dashes (- -) and then another set of numbers (1010). If the camera still reads 0202 and will not advance, the camera may need service. Why are all of the day and night images from the Capture all black with the date and time on the bottom of the image? The batteries may have run down to the point of not being able to power the camera enough to produce good images. Reset the camera by installing a new set of batteries. Set the camera in the field (1 to 2 days) to take more images. If the day and night images are still black, the camera may need service.