Stop climbing ladders to change batteries!

[MichaelRogers]

If you're like me, you don't like hauling a ladder around and climbing it every few months to change batteries.  

My cameras are mounted using the magnet ball mounts, which means they can be pulled off, put back and aimed quite easily with a Grip N Grap type of tool.

I bought one of these below a while back, and they are terrific.  You can typically buy a contraption like this (this one is a Grip N Grab) with varying lenghts from ~30 inches to ~50 inches.  Depending on the product, they can range from $10 to $30.  A very worthwhile investment in my opinion.

I posted this tip a few months back, but now that I've gone through a few battery changing cycles, this thing (or one like it) is a godsend.

[jguerdat]

I've been using a different one but have had success with it.  The only precaution is to make sure you have a tight grip on the trigger - I dropped a camera yesterday onto pavement from maybe 7 feet.  Camera still works (WHEW!) but it's possible to eff up like I did.