Stealth Cam Not Turning On: How to Fix [2023]

I have a group of Stealth Cams placed around my property to track wildlife movement and other activities. I found that a few of them were not working.

Inspecting them further, I realized that these Stealth Cams are not turning on. I searched online to find solutions to this annoying problem.

Realizing that there are not a lot of solutions to this particular issue, I decided to write an article addressing troubleshooting methods to solve this issue including my experience with Stealth Cam customer support.

If your Stealth Cam is not turning on, check and replace batteries, check the hardware for water damage, and check for display issues. If the issue persists, power cycle and reset your Stealth Cam. If these solutions do not work, contact Stealth Cam support.

Before you attempt any other solutions in this article, make sure that you have toggled your Stealth Cam switch to the 'ON' position.

If that check is complete and your Stealth Cam is still not turning on, it is time to move on to the troubleshooting methods described in detail below.

Power Cycle and Reset the Stealth Cam

Power Cycle and Reset the Stealth Cam

One of the first solutions you should attempt is to power cycle or reset your Stealth Cam.

To do this, you can either take the batteries out of the tray, wait a few seconds and then put them back in.

Or you can find the power button on the back of your device.

Press and hold, if necessary, for a few seconds to turn off your Stealth Cam. Like before, wait a few seconds before powering it back up.

Two of my Stealth Cams were failing to turn on even after I tried to power cycle them, following which I contacted Stealth Cam customer support.

They gave me the advice of taking out the batteries and keeping the power button on for close to an hour or longer.

Stealth Cam customer support claimed that these devices have an internal battery and that doing this process will drain the internal battery to zilch.

After doing this process, you can pop the batteries back into the tray and insert them back into your Stealth Cam.

Check and Replace Batteries

Check and Replace Batteries

The straightforward answer to why your Stealth Cam is not turning on could be due to issues with the batteries, such as corroded batteries, dirt or other debris blocking the contact ports, or simply dead batteries.

If you use multiple models of Trail Cams like me, it is possible that you have placed the batteries in your Stealth Cam in the wrong configuration especially due to the large number of batteries required.

This is a common mistake that happens when you rush during setting up your Trail Cam.

Therefore, it is worthwhile to check if you have placed the battery ends positive to positive and negative to negative.

It is possible that there are a few batteries in your pack that are bad.

To make sure that this is not the issue, replace the entire pack with fresh ones to check if this is in fact the problem.

If you found that replacing the battery pack has solved your issue and you want to find out the bad batteries, you can always test these batteries individually.

Battery testers are available on Amazon for a few dollars and it is a worthwhile purchase if you use a lot of Trail Cams.

Every battery that you check should have a voltage reading of at least 1.6V. Replace batteries with readings less than this value.

If all batteries show a value of 1.6V or higher and your Stealth Cam is still not turning on, the connection ports could potentially be corroded, especially if you use Alkaline batteries.

If you find indicators of corrosion, take out all the batteries from the tray. Clean the connection ports with vinegar using Q-tips.

Be thorough while you clean the tray and do not worry about the vinegar as it will evaporate within 5-10 minutes when kept open.

Place the batteries back into the tray and turn ON your Stealth Cam.

Check Hardware for Water Damage

Check the Hardware for Water Damage

Your Stealth Cams are most likely placed outdoors where is it exposed to everchanging weather conditions including early morning dew and rainfall.

It is possible that your hardware has been damaged by water accumulation. We know that water and electronics do not go hand in hand.

If you have noted signs of moisture under the battery tray, you should see it as a warning sign that your Stealth Cam is exposed to conditions that can potentially cause water damage.

Stealth Cams are weather and water-resistant but not waterproof.

The difference is that your Trail Cam is able to resist the penetration of water up to a certain point beyond which they are damaged.

To figure out how much is too much, check your Stealth Cam IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection. This rating comes with two digits, for example, IP55.

The first digit after 'IP' stands for the rating of the device towards dust and debris. The second digit stands for the rating of the device towards liquids.

Since Stealth Cams are not water resistant, rain seal your Cam to protect it from water damage.

If you find that your device is in fact affected by water damage, you should consider giving your Stealth Cam for repairs as the extent of damage is hard to ascertain.

Check for Display Issues

Check for Display Issues

What if your Stealth Cam is in fact turning on but you could not realize it as the LCD screen is not lighting up?

LCD screens are notorious for being one of the first components to malfunction in an electronic device. So this is very much a possibility.

However, if the problem lies with the LCD screen, it is easy to check but hard to solve as in most cases, nothing short of replacing the screen will resolve the issue.

To check if your Stealth Cam LCD screen is the issue, turn the camera on as you normally would.

Make a motion in front of the camera to trigger a response that would be captured.

Make sure you make a significant enough movement for your Cam to register it and check your Stealth Cam SD card to see if any images were captured.

Even if the LCD screen is not working, it does not necessarily mean that the rest of the components of your Stealth Cam is not working.

Contact Stealth Cam Support

Contact Stealth Cam Support

If you have exhausted all troubleshooting methods explained in this article, it is time that you directly contact Stealth Cam customer support.

My personal opinion is that you directly phone them to address your issue as it will help resolve your issue or reach a conclusion faster than exchanging emails to and fro over a period of time.

You might not be the only person facing this issue as the customer base of Stealth Cam is relatively large.

So there might already be an infrastructure in place to solve this issue.

So make sure you reach out to Stealth Cam support.

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

All electronics undergo regular wear and tear. But these devices, keeping the terrains and conditions they are subjected to in mind, suffer through tough scenarios.

The Stealth Cam user community is relatively large and helpful in bringing out bugs and solutions.

Hopefully, some of the troubleshooting tips mentioned in this article have helped resolve issues with your Stealth Cam.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I know if my Stealth Cam is working?

To check the status of your Stealth Cam, press the sync button below the battery tray. Check the sticker on the battery tray to see what the LED indicator codes mean.

If you receive red LED codes for any of the indicators and do not know what to do, you can always contact customer support using the number given on the sticker.

Do Stealth Cams have a warranty?

Stealth Cams have a warranty period of 1 year. Using the device beyond this period or tampering with it or any unauthorized service will void the warranty coverage of Stealth Cams.

How can I remove moisture from my Stealth Cam?

To remove moisture from your Stealth Cam, keep silica gel sachets inside the camera to avoid internal build-up of condensation.

These sachets can absorb water up to three times their own weight. Using these can definitely reduce moisture accumulation if you plan on placing your Stealth Cam in places with high humidity or rainfall.

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About Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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