Introducing The
HALT Camera Trap
The Hobbs Active Light Trigger (HALT) camera trap is a precision tool with 100% detection capability, capturing high-quality images of amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and small mammals both day and night. Our innovative HALT camera trap is essential for studies requiring high detection probabilities for counting herps, especially nocturnal ones, or monitoring individuals moving through underpasses.
Small terrestrial animals of every class are captured via the Hobbs Active Light Trigger (HALT) camera trap. The HALT camera trap is a precision tool (100% detection) capturing images of ectotherms for data analysis.
Who Needs a HALT Camera Trap?
* Researchers and ecologists conducting studies that demand high detection probabilities.
* Projects monitoring nocturnal herps or small animals in underpasses.
The HALT-2 Camera Trap is a precision instrument that provides researchers and scientist reliable data.
The HALT Camera Trap was designed in 2015 for the sole purpose of studying road ecology and road tunnel permeability, focusing on Ectothermic Species.
Statistics
Passive Infrared (PIR) camera traps are valuable sampling tools commonly used to inventory and monitor wildlife communities but are challenged to reliably sample small animals. View details in the Hobbs & Brehme (2017) research article:
An improved camera trap for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and large invertebrates.
Problem
Game cameras use Passive Infrared (PIR) technology to trigger images. PIR sensors respond to thermal emissions, wavelengths ranging from 8μm to 14μm, which is the average range of endothermic mammals. PIR triggers perform well for large and medium sized mammals, but do not reliably detect ectotherms (reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates) or smaller mammals.
Solution
The Hobbs Active Light Trigger (HALT) is an elevated threshold designed to capture images of amphibians, reptiles, large invertebrates and small mammals. The HALT couples to a digital PIR camera offering the attributes of game/trail cameras, designed for detecting small animals traversing small tunnels, narrow trails, small clearings and along walls or drift fencing.
Results
HALT surpasses the detection ability of commonly used passive infrared (PIR) cameras and eliminates problems such as high rates of false triggers and high variability in detection rates among cameras and study locations.
More About The HALT-2 Field Camera
The HALT-2 uses a digital Field camera as its host and will operate as designed minus the Passive Infrared (PIR) trigger. HALT-2 does not require an external battery or controller. If you are familiar with using PIR camera traps, remember the HALT-2 camera trap system is different. No False Triggers from wind or rain! You will be saving space on your memory card which allows you to think differently about collecting data. Please get used to your HALT-2 camera trap system before installing out in the field for first time. You may discover adding a 6 second video after a single picture gives you better data. Be aware, the field of view for pictures (.jpg) are different than for video (.avi). Play around with your camera to discover new ways to collect data.
HALT-2 improvements:
1) No External Battery
3) No External Controller
4) Threshold is water tight
5) Bug tubes are non-permeable. Bugs cannot climb into small tubes.
6) If beam becomes blocked, camera will default to an interval mode. This improvement allows for time and effort calculations, rather than lost data. If beam clears, trigger will activate, giving time of clearance before resuming.
7) Light to Moderate rain will not produce false triggers.
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HALT-2 Threshold
HALT-2 offers two Threshold lengths:
14.5″ in length: minimum 46 cm (18.0″) focus distance: Cable extends 3ft.
18″ in length: minimum 60 cm (23.5″) focus distance: Cable extends 4ft.
The crest is 1.250″ high. Ramps are 2″ wide on both sides. The optical beam is elevated 1cm above crest. It is recommended that technicians exchange SD memory and inspect threshold every 7-10 days to ensure no objects (leaves, sticks, vegetation) are blocking the optical beam. Internal batteries can last 3-4 months depending on traffic of species.
More About The New HALT-2
The HALT-2 Camera uses a modified Browning camera as its host. This camera comes with a 600mm lens for capturing herpetofauna and other small/slow moving species. The passive infrared (PIR) heat/motion trigger has been deactivated and modified to incorporate the HALT-2 trigger. A receptacle plug is mounted on the side of the camera for coupling to the HALT-2 threshold.
More About The New Threshold
HALT-2 Camera Trap
The HALT-2 Camera Trap (18″ or 16″) is ideal for drift fence trapping. Just mount camera directly above threshold to capture dorsal images. Consult Browning documentation. Cable length is 48″.
HALT-2 Threshold
The HALT-2 threshold (18″ or 16″) is ideal for a 19″ ACO wildlife tunnel. You can capture inbound and outbound data, including species time of passage. If trapping inside the tunnel, dorsal images will be compromised, as the tunnel ceiling is low. Just mounted from a side position. Note; focus distance is different for both 460mm and 600mm lenses, field-of-view is different for .jpg and .avi images per lens. Consult Browning documentation.
Videos
Enjoy these videos featuring photos taken with HALT Camera Traps.
Evolution Of The HALT Camera Traps
HALT-1
The Hobbs Active Light Trigger (HALT-1) was designed in 2015, and has been obsoleted due to improved HALT-2 which requires no 12vdc battery.
HALT-2
Our newest and best camera trap, in which the Browning replaces discontinued Bushnell NatureView.
HALT-2 Controller
HALT-2 Controller was a provisional solution to the discontinued NatureView camera. The interim solution allows the HALT-2 threshold to interface with a Reconyx Hyperfire (modified by Reconyx). Though the Hyperfire does not have interchangeable close up lenses found on the NatureView, it can be adjusted at the factory (contact Reconyx at (866) 493-6064).