This page gives answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Caracteristics of the BEECAM camera

• What is the minimum distance from the subject to get sharp images?
  The optical focus setting is fixed. The minimal distance to obtain a sharp image is 50cm.

• What is the formula to calculate to area covered by the image?
  For a full-size image (2592*1944),
          Image height (cm) = Distance from subject (cm) * 0,684
          Image width (cm) = Distance from subject (cm) * 0,906
  exemple : the subject being at 1m, the image covers a rectangle of 68,4cm x 90,6cm

• What is the camera weight (without accessories)?
  The BEECAM camera weights 230g (8.11 oz).

Installing the BEECAM camera

• Are there recommendations regarding the BEECAM fastening?
  Yes, we have tested several solutions.
  The camera is equipped with an european standard screw thread (diameter: 6mm) allowing to use classical nuts.
  We sale an angled fastening bracket to ease the mounting on flat surfaces.
  Furthermore, our technical team is at your disposal to help finding the best solution for your specific case.

• Where to find tips for installing the camera for insects counting app?
• We wrote an Application Note covering this topic: ADV_AN_9022_01-Collect_video_for_insects_counting.pdf

Using the BEECAM camera

• What is the normal autonomy with the ADV00115 external battery pack (video mode)?
  The external battery pack allows the equivalent of 40 hours of continuous recording. The battery must then be charged.

• What is the normal autonomy with the ADV00115 external battery (photo mode)?
  The external battery pack allows taking photos for more than one year (at 1 to 3 photos per day) or for 8 days (at 250 photos per day), ie for 2000 photos. The battery must then be charged.

• Is the ADV00115 battery pack protected against deep discharge?
  Yes, a protection against deep discharge prevents the system to run if the battery level becomes less than 11,1V, and as long as the level has not reached at least 11,7V.

• What is the maximum number of photos or videos that can be recorded each day?
  The maximum number of triggers (for taking a photo or for starting the recording of a video) is 250 per day.

• How does the time schedule work?
• The schedule programmation is based on a daily cycle.
• The user defines the cycle start time, the triggers number for the day and the interval between two successive triggers.
• So, if we program a start at 9:10, 5 triggers and an interval of 10 minutes, we will get one photo (or video) at 9:10, 9:20, 9:30, 9:40 and 9:50.
• If we program a start at 11:00, 144 triggers and an interval of 5 minutes (that is to say, a 24-hour cycle), the camera will coutinuously take a photo every 5 minutes (the only limits being the energy autonomy and the size of the USB stick).
• Remark: if the programming is done within the cycle defined by the user, then the camera will take the first photo at the next trigger slot of the cycle. So, if it is 21:13 when the user programs a start at 21:00, 5 triggers and an interval of 10 minutes (i.e. photos at 21:00, 21:10, 21:20, 21:30 and 21:40), the first shot will be taken at 21:20 (which is indeed the next time slot) and not at 21:00 the next day. There will be only 3 photos for this first day (at 21:20, 21:30 and 21:40). On the contrary, if the same programmation were done at 22:00, the first shot would be done the following day at 21:00.

• What is the maximum duration for a video?
  The BEECAM camera records the video sequences on a FAT32 formatted USB stick. With FAT32, the file size is limited to 4GB. Thus, the maximum size of a video file is 4GB.
  The recording being compressed in H264, the file size is very dependant from the quantity of movement in the image: when filming a scene where a lot of elements are permanently moving, the resulting video will take more volume than a almost static scene. The file size also depends on chosen image quality (HD, VGA) and framerate (30, 60 or 90 fps).
  As an example, with VGA at 30 fps, a single file can handle approximately 6 hours. We recommend to perform tests in real condition to check the maximal values in your environment.

• What is the maximum storage capacity on the BEECAM camera?
  The data are stored on a USB stick. The maximum verified capacity is 32GB. The USB stick must be FAT32 formatted.

• Is it possible to connect a USB hard drive instead of the USB stick?
  The connection of an external USB hard drive is possible, but it must have its own power supply (the BEECAM USB port does not allow to supply a hard drive). The USB hard drive must be FAT32 formatted.

Using the BEECAM camera in relatioship with the AGATHE software

• Is it mandatory to place a "background" behind the subject to be caracterised?
  A uniform background is mandatory for counting insects. It allows to hide unwanted movements. It is important that this background is large enough to allow the software to run correctly.

• Which color is the most recommended?
  We have verified than the white repels insects such as bees or bumblebees. We recommend neutral colors such as gray or blue. We recommend that you make tests in order to validate that the chosen color has no effect on the population you want to characterize.
• Where to find guidance for setting up the camera?
• We wrote an Application Note covering this topic: ADV_AN_9022_01-Collect_video_for_insects_counting.pdf

  Exploiting the photos and videos recorded by BEECAM

• Which media player to use on a PC (Windows or Linux) or a Mac for reading H264 video files?
  We recommend to use VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc).