Browning Ridgeline Trail Camera Review
The Browning Ridgeline is a no glow cellular trail camera that works on both ATT or Verizon towers. This camera takes good day photos, phenomenal battery life and a good detection circuit. Unfortunately, the internal antenna means there isn't an option for a booster antenna and this unit uses 16 AA batteries. - TCP Staff
Model # BTC-4G-RLDC | Browning Defender Ridgeline Owners Manual
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
Browning Ridgeline Trail Camera Review
Pros
- Good day photos
- Outstanding battery life
- Extremely fast detection circuit and the camera sends pictures quickly
Cons
- Clunky and difficult cellular set up process
- Uses 16 batteries ($$$)
- There is no option for a booster antenna
The Browning Ridgeline is a no glow cellular trail camera that has a modem that can work on both ATT and Verizon towers.
Photo resolution: 20 mpxl (interpolated)
Flash Type: No Glow IR
Day photos are really good, which is what we have come to expect from a Browning trail camera. They have good color, good clarity and stop motion very well. Night pictures are sharp and clear when the animal is close to the camera, but dims significantly at 20+ feet. This is not that unusual for a no glow trail camera. Overall, day pictures are a real strength whereas we would consider the night pictures to be fairly average.
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Night IR Blur Test The equipment for the test consists of a target moving along a track from left to right at a constant speed controlled by a stepper motor and a sensor to trigger the capture of a picture near the center of the field of view of a trail camera. The target is moving at 1.25 feet per second and is 10 feet from the camera at the center of field of view. The test is conducted in a dark room. Two pictures are taken, one with the target not moving and one with the target in motion. A visual comparison can now be made of the two pictures. All settings that affect the quality of night photos will be tested. |
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Economy No Motion |
Economy W/ Motion |
Long Range No Motion |
Long Range W/ Motion |
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What if you purchase from us and aren't happy with the image quality?
This is a common question and we have a very simple solution. Call, email, or chat with us and we can take a look at the images and offer suggestions or immediately tell if something is wrong with the camera. If so, we will warranty the camera for you (with the free 2-Year warranty you receive from us) or return the camera for a full refund (within 90 days of purchase). You have control of the process, remember, we work for you.
Megapixel Ratings:
In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise. Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products. They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.
The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal, and to be expected.
Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 2.28 mW
Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 12.0 Ws | 14.1 Ws.
If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night pictures every 24 hours, the Ridgeline would last 14.7 months in the field on 2 sets of 16 AA Lithium Batteries.
*Does not work with Nimh batteries.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.05 s. | 0.8 s.* (*see note below)
Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.51 s. | 0.7s. (Videos are not sent until motion stops on 1-second setting)
Detection Range & Angle: 90 ft. @ 42.1° detection angle (40.3° field of view)
The Ridgeline has an extremely fast trigger speed and a fast recovery time. See the note below on recovery.
*Picture recover time: It starts transmitting as it is taking pictures. On a 1 second recovery it gets behind on sending pictures on constant motion for a minute and will transmit for over 10 minutes after motion stops. The recovery times will be about all other settings.
Detection range is more than adequate and the field of view and detection angles are closely aligned. Overall, only good things to report from the detection circuit.
Dimensions: 5.5" x 4.25" x 4"
Battery Type: 16 AA (we recommend lithium batteries)
External Battery Jack: 12.volt
The Browning Ridgeline is a cellular camera with a modem that can work on ATT or Verizon. During the set up process, you will choose which carrier's towers you would like your camera to work on.
Case Design
Case design is simple and solid. The Ridgeline feels solid in your hands and the latch is easy to open and close. There is not an internal viewing screen, but there is a LCD screen for simple programming options. There is a python cable lock in the metal bracket and a threaded insert on the bottom of the camera for a Slate River Mount.
The biggest downside to the case design of the Ridgeline, and it is a considerable one for many of you, is the antenna. The antenna is a small plastic nub that is great if you have good reception (because there is nothing for animals to chew off) but is not removable, which means you can't add a booster antenna to the Ridgeline. Many of our customers require a booster antenna as they are in an area that has less than 3 bars of reception (what we recommend for a cell camera). Keep this in mind if you are putting the camera in a low-reception area.
Camera Setup
Setting up the Ridgeline has been an unenjoyable experience. The camera has a QR code that is accessed in the settings and is extremely hard to read when scanning with the app on your phone. It took far too many attempts and reading and relaying the ICCID and IMEI numbers manually to the set up process is just as bad. The ICCID number flashes on the screen but because the numbers are 20 digits, it displays part of the sequence for about a second and a half before flipping to the last sequence.
Update: we have found that turning the backlight to "off" helps with scanning the QR code. This should fix this issue. Here is how to turn the backlight off: when you scroll to the QR code and the code appears, hit the down arrow once.
Cellular Set Up Process:
- Download the Strike Force Wireless app or go to www.strikeforcewireless.com and create an account.
- Turn the camera on and go into the menu. Towards the bottom, hit select carrier and select whether you want to utilize Verizon or AT&T towers. Confirm your choice and a QR code will be revealed.
- Go back to your app, select add a camera or hit the + button. Scan the QR code. As mentioned previously, this is a pain in the you-know-what. If you continue having problems, enter the numbers manually (IMEI is on a white sticker inside the camera case and ICCID is under the setting "LTE Info.")
- Once the app accepts the camera, select a data plan and pay for it.
- Turn the camera off and then turn it back on after a few seconds. Hit the "E" button to take a photo. Once the photo is taken, go into the menu and run a "LTE Test." This will upload the photo and show the signal strength. If photo comes through, you are good to go.
Durability
We have no current concerns over durability, if anything arises, we will immediately update this review. The only thing we see on a regular basis is incorrect temperature readings. We see this on all Browning cameras, so if this is a big concern for you, we would recommend a different brand as they all tend to be inaccurate.
Keep in mind, our 2-year warranty program is your free insurance program in case something goes wrong with a camera you purchase from us. This warranty protects you from any manufacturing defect the camera might experience for two years.
Since 2005, our mission has to been to provide consumers with unbeatable value, advice you can trust, and customer service that exceeds expectations. There are plenty of places you can choose to do business with, if we are lucky enough to earn your support, we promise to give you our undivided attention. Trailcampro has grown each year not only by relying on your happiness but on the assumption that if we blow you away with customer service, you will brag about us to your friends (have you seen our referral/reward program?).
As always, if you have additional questions, feel free to call, email or chat with us. We look forward to helping you find your next trail camera!
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FAQ's: Trail Camera
Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?
A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.
Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?
A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can't see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect. It's also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.
Q: Where can I purchase this camera?
A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise.
Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.
We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.
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