Revision: June 2025

General warnings

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Review solar charge controller manual!

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Make sure to always connect first a fully charged 12 V battery to the charge controller, then the solar panel, and then the trap. Else, high voltage from the solar panel(s) can damage the electronics and void the warranty!

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Before transport or if battery needs to be disconnected

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Never disconnect the battery first!

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• [ ] First unplug the BG-Counter (black connector on housing).
• [ ] Then, disconnect the solar panel from the solar charge controller.
• [ ] Lastly, disconnect the battery from solar charge controller.

Solar system setup at field site

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Never plug in BG-Counter unless a battery is connected to controller!

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• [ ] Confirm that BG-Counter is unplugged (it gets plugged in after CO2 setup).
• [ ] Check orientation: solar panel(s) should point south.
• [ ] Confirm battery is fully charged: ~12.8V (Don’'t use a lithium battery of any kind)
• [ ] Connect battery to solar charge controller using barrel clamp or ring terminals.
• [ ] Protect battery contacts from corrosion by applying battery grease generously

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Crocodile clamps do not make a reliable long-term connection and corrode easily, potentially resulting in system malfunction.

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