REVEAL Settings Overview – Tactacam

Summary

This article shows you how to update your camera settings in the mobile app and explains the key settings to help you get the best performance from your Reveal camera. Use the links below to jump to a specific section.

Changing Your Settings

Before you start, please note that settings available while connected to the camera's Wi-Fi are more limited than the options available directly in the app.

To update the settings on your camera(s) using the app:

Select the Cameras icon on the bottom navigation bar (second from the left).
Choose the camera location.
Select the camera by clicking the icons to the right of the camera name.
Select Camera Settings.
Select the setting you wish to change. (A brief description is available within each setting.)
Update your settings and select Apply All Settings.

Detailed Setting Explanations

Here's a breakdown of what each key setting does:

Camera Mode

Camera Mode determines what your camera captures when motion is detected. Here are the options:

Photo (Default): Captures pictures only. These are sent to both the app and the SD card.
Pic + Video: Captures pictures (sent to the app) and videos (saved to the SD card). This mode uses more battery life because it records videos.

Motion Sensitivity

This controls how easily motion triggers your camera.

A higher level means the camera will respond to smaller movements.
7 is the default setting.
0 will prevent the camera from taking pictures.

Troubleshooting False Triggers:

If you notice many false triggers, check for nearby leaves, weeds, or brush that could be moving and lower the sensitivity.
Recommendation: Face your cameras North to reduce false triggers caused by shadows as the sun rises and sets.
If you receive non-stop images even on very low sensitivity, check the camera's PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor—the curved plastic piece on the front—for animal damage. If there is damage, contact Customer Support for a repair.

Delay

This is the minimum time between two consecutive photos.

Important Delay Note: Because this is a cellular camera, there is an inherent delay of up to 2 minutes between photos if your send type is set to timely. This is because the PIR sensor must turn off while the camera connects to the server for security reasons. Any delay you enable will be in addition to this server connection time.

A delay is generally recommended for cameras in high-traffic areas (like a mineral or food source) to prevent using up your data with multiple pictures of the same subject in a short time.

Pic + Video Note: If your camera is set to Pic + Video, the picture will be sent to the app after the video has finished recording. This adds the video length to the time between pictures sent to the app.

Send Type

This setting determines when your photos are sent to you.
If the send type is set to timely, photos will be sent shortly after being taken.

You are only able to change the Send Type if the Settings check is on Daily:

If it is set to once per day, photos will be sent at a specific time within a 24-hour period. If it is set to twice per day, photos will be sent at two specific times within a 24-hour period and so on.

Batching: If you choose to batch photos every 12 or 24 hours, you'll designate the send time in the app.
- You will only receive a maximum of 200 pictures at a time with this feature. If your camera is expected to take more than 200 photos in the selected timeframe, batching is not recommended.

Check-in Picture

This feature is recommended for low-traffic areas where you might not receive a picture for days. It ensures your camera is still working properly by taking and sending a photo.

Work Timer

This feature tells your camera to only take pictures during a certain period of the day.

Set a Start Time and End Time to define the specific range when the camera will capture photos.

Settings Check

This controls how often your camera checks for settings changes you make in the app:

Daily: The camera will check once a day for any adjustments.
Instant: The camera will change settings within minutes of the adjustment being made in the app. This option consumes battery life quicker.
Hybrid: The camera checks for settings OR video requests for up to 5 minutes after receiving a trigger.