Scout Camera Trapping Flash

The Scout Flash is the latest addition to the Scout line of camera trapping gear. If you are tired of making your own weatherproof boxes to house speed light flashes that miss the first shot in your series because they were sleeping then this flash is for you. With a sub 2 second recycle time at full power and an always ready power mode you won't miss that first shot again!

Scout Flash Features

Always ready - no need to send wake-up pulses or allow for recharge time.
3 months of battery life on included Li-Ion battery.
Wireless Master / Slave Mode - Fire one flash with a wire, the rest will fire via RF wireless.
Quartz xenon flash tube.
Heavy duty polycarbonate housing sealed with silicone o-rings.
Wireless interface to Scout Camera Box or Scout Receivers.
Configure through your mobile phone when used with the Scout Camera Box.
Adjustable flash power from full power to 1/128th power.
Trigger via wire for use with other sensors with an optional cable.
External power jack if more battery life is required.
Wide 24 mm (on full frame camera) light coverage.
Equivalent brightness to Canon 580EXII at 24mm zoom.
Integrated aluminum dual 1/4-20 tripod mount.
Mounting holes for light modifiers and filters.
Features all weather proof connectors.
Equipped with USB to facilitate configuration and firmware updates.
Over temperature protection

Ben Olson captures image of Grouse with Scout — Copyright Ben Olson - Ben uses Scout Flashes to illuminate Camera Trap image of a Grouse

Ben Olson Scout Flash Setup Image — Copyright Ben Olson - Ben uses Scout Flashes to illuminate Camera Trap image of a Grouse

Sync the Scout Flash to your camera

Flash to Cam Box

Scout RX to Flash

Scout PIR to Flash

Connecting Scout Flash to the PIR Sensor

Flash Sync

In order to ensure sync with your camera shutter the Scout flash needs to get the flash sync signal from your camera. This can happen with wires as shown in the third connection diagram above. Or, it can happen through the Scout Camera Box or Scout Receiver as shown in the other two connection diagrams. The flash sync timing is very critical and due to the variation from camera to camera this signal must be wired directly from the camera.

Preparing the Flashes for Wireless Operation

Before connecting to the Scout Camera Box with your mobile device, the flashes will need to be configured for wireless operation. There are two settings that need to be verified. First all of the wireless devices in the setup need to have the same wireless channel defined. This includes the Scout Sensors, Camera Box, and all of the Scout Flashes. Once this is done each flash needs to have a unique wireless ID. Both of these settings can be found in Settings -> Wireless Settings.

Flash Adjustments

Once the flash is configured as described above, use Wi-Fi to connect to the Camera Box. The Camera Box will go out and search for all of the devices on its wireless channel and they will appear as tabs in your Scout mobile app (see the image on the left). If you have three flashes they will show up as three separate tabs. This will allow you to make power adjustments to each flash from your phone. To adjust the power simply slide the control to the desired setting. In addition to the power it is possible to change the hours the flash is active. This allows you to use your fill flash for night and day but turn off the main flashes during the day. Each flash can also be test fired independently by pressing the "Fire" button. You can test all of the flashes by interrupting the sensor and taking a test shot.

Power Usage

The Scout Flash has three different power modes available. This setting controls the amount of current the flash will draw from the battery and how it handles charging the internal capacitor (the flash state of readiness).
Low: The flash will not keep itself charged at all and when an event occurs it will start charging. Use this mode for very slow subjects or, when you need to get the longest battery life possible.
Medium: The flash will enter a lower power mode significantly improving battery life. It will reduce its internal charge voltage but periodically top it off so it can quickly respond to an event. This setting will cover most uses cases and is recommended.
High: The flash will never enter sleep mode and will always keep itself fully charged. This has significant negative affect on battery life. We recommend to use it only for day shoots or if using a large external power source.

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Top Customer Questions and Answers (FAQ)

I can see and fire the flashes in the Camera Box mobile app but they are not firing when the camera is triggered, what's wrong?

Most often this is caused by a missing connection from the camera sync to the Camera Box controller using this cable. and if your camera does not have a flash sync out cable a Hot Shoe. Due to the critical timing of the flash sync signal this signal needs to come directly from the camera box to the camera.

How do I know when the battery should be charged?

Both the Scout Flash and the camera controller have a battery voltage read out on them. If you are using the Li-Ion battery supplied with the flash the battery should be recharged when the voltage reads 13.5V or less. Keep in mind the number of charge/discharge cycles you will get out of a Li-Ion battery is dependent on how far the battery is discharged for each cycle. For example if you fully discharge (3.0V/cell or 12V pack voltage) your Li-Ion battery you can expect between 300 and 500 charge/discharge cycles from the battery before the end of its life. But if you discharge the battery to (3.36V/cell or 13.5V pack voltage) you can expect 400 - 900 charge discharge cycles from the battery. In short the more often you recharge the battery the more charge/discharge cycles you will get.

Why do I have 3 flashes but only one of them shows up in the Scout Camera Box mobile app?

This is caused by having all 3 of the flashes set to the same wireless ID. If your flashes have the same wireless ID the Scout Camera Box is not able to communicate with each flash independently, this means it cannot determine the number of flashes correctly. Operating in this condition can also corrupt the flash settings as not all flashes are guaranteed to get the command and control messages from the Camera Box. For proper operation it is important all flashes have a unique ID.

Can I fire the Scout flashes without the Camera Box or Scout Receiver?

Yes, the Scout flashes have a wired sync terminal that will respond to any camera's flash sync signal. To connect the flashes to your camera you will need a Sabre/Scout Aux Cable and a PC Sync to Male RCA Adapter Cable. If your camera does not have a pc sync connection you will also need a Hot Shoe.

Is it OK to paint the Scout Flashes?

Absolutely, the Scout flashes are shipped black but it is often beneficial to paint them a desert tan or maybe even a camo scheme to blend in with your shooting location. The Scout flashes will readily accept paints that are designed to work on plastics. We recommend the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X spray paint. It covers well and adheres well to plastic. There are three areas that need to be masked when painting, the vent that is between the two connectors, the lens for the flash tube and the membrane with the buttons. The rest can be painted - make certain the caps are on the connectors! While we cannot accept returns if you paint your flashes it will not affect your warranty.

Have additional questions about ordering and shipping?

Visit our general FAQ page.

Quick Specs

Length	131mm (5.16in)
Width	123mm (4.83in)
Height	143mm (5.64in)
Shipping Dimensions	200mm x 200mm x 200mm
Weight	1.14kg (2 lb 8 oz)

Electrical Specs

Specifications	MIN	NOM	MAX	UNITS
Input Voltage	5	14.8	18	Vdc
Input Current–Power Mode High	-	14	-	mAdc
Input Current–Power Mode Medium	-	14	-	mAdc
Input Current–Power Mode Low	-	0.7	-	mAdc
Ready Output Current Sink	-	-	1	Adc
Battery life–Power Mode High (Scout Li-Ion)	-	14	-	days
Battery life–Power Mode Medium	-	90	-	days
Battery life–Power Mode Low	-	220	-	days
Full power flashes per battery charge	-	2600	-	cycles
Power-on to full charge	-	2.87	-	sec
Power-on to flash capable	-	1.83	-	sec
Full power flash recycle to full charge	-	1.88	-	sec
Full power flash recycle to flash capable	-	1.13	-	sec
1/4 power flash recycle to full charge	-	0.51	-	sec
1/4 power flash recycle to flash capable	-	0.05	-	sec
Real-time clock life without batteries	-	16	-	sec
Wireless Range	-	15	30	m
	-	50	100	feet
Operating Temperature	-40	25	70	C
	-40	77	158	F