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Cameras for absentee landowner
- Thread starter cutman
- Start date
weekender21
Well-Known Member
I’m currently using the Reveal 3.0 PRO. It’s a good option with a user friendly app. They’re also into security cameras now if that’s interesting.
I wouldn’t overlook non cell cams as well. We lived in Hawaii when we bought our NC property. I ran (and still do) 12 or more cameras all year. Not all cell but having the extra cameras can be very helpful.
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I wouldn’t overlook non cell cams as well. We lived in Hawaii when we bought our NC property. I ran (and still do) 12 or more cameras all year. Not all cell but having the extra cameras can be very helpful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
Mine are 10.5 hours away. If there's a problem, I can't just run up and fix it. The main thing I've found is making sure the cameras are setup for changing conditions. Make sure there's not a lot of weeds that will grow up to trigger it. Facing them down or towards a backstop instead of across a horizon has helped me reduce false triggers. Make sure it's not facing right in the sun or shadows passing. I use Tactacam XB and Spypoint flex-m cameras. I have solar panels on the Tactacams and battery boxes on the Spypoints. The Tactacams have a better picture quality, but the Spypoints don't cost anything per month if you can set them up in an area to take advantage of the 100 pics/month free plan. I will probably get more Spypoints to put on trails and pass through spots. Monitoring access points into your property is also something to consider.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I agree with everything the others said. Running a few good cell cameras at strategic spots, then sprinkle some noncell cams for better coverage at a cheaper price.
For non-cell cams I've had really good luck with Browning and Bushnell. We're running Tactacam for cell coverage. I've always wanted cuddylink but have questions about the reliability. I have a friend who runs them year round from a thousand miles away and they seem to work for him, but he's almost always down a camera for various technical reasons.
For non-cell cams I've had really good luck with Browning and Bushnell. We're running Tactacam for cell coverage. I've always wanted cuddylink but have questions about the reliability. I have a friend who runs them year round from a thousand miles away and they seem to work for him, but he's almost always down a camera for various technical reasons.
Our camp switched to Cuddelink in January 2024. We only get cell service in one spot. I've been very happy with them. Not 100% bullet proof, but very good. Almost all are on solar panels. Some are getting close to 500 days with the original 4 D cell batteries + solar. Most of the panels are the cheaper ones that aren't as efficient as the newer super solar models too. They're about to release some new capabilities that address some of the shortcomings.
- Some settings can't the controller remotely
- Only transits a lower quality image today. High res pics on demand coming soon.
- Some settings can't the controller remotely
- Only transits a lower quality image today. High res pics on demand coming soon.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's good to know, I still have my eyes on this system, it would work very well for our layout. Keep us posted on their new stuff coming out and how cuddelink is working for you.
I'm not sure exactly where and when they're announcing the new capabilities, but it should be soon. The only social media presence I see for them is here. https://www.facebook.com/CuddebackDigital
I forgot to mention that their support and customer service is good. If you call them, a person in the US answers the phone. A bear got after one of our cameras and broke the antenna connector off at the circuit board inside the case. The camera kept transmitting for days from the ground without an antenna until someone got to it. They replaced it under warranty too.
The only "issue" we've had is memory cards. We now have 13 cameras with the oldest being in the field 500+ days. I'd says 2-3 times a camera has stopped responding. If you reset it, it started again, but stopped a few days later, with an error code on the screen. I swapped in a new memory card, and things went back to normal. This seems to be a general issue with memory cards and trail cameras. I'm not sure if they wear out, get bad sectors, etc. I've happily seen that some newer cell cameras removed the SD card slot and went with fixed memory to address this issue. (Tactacams were kind of notorious for memory card issues)
Here's a screenshot of the daily report you get regarding your network. You can see how many days the cameras have been on (Almost 500 for many) and the number of pictures they've taken. Some of the cameras have a connection level lower than advised (it can fluctuate) and we haven't had any connectivity problems. It usually takes an hour to get the pics from the remotes to the cell unit to send home. The camera that got broken and replaced under warranty is missing from this report. It's going back out this weekend.
swat1018
Well-Known Member
I had Cuddelink. I hung on way longer than I should have, but it was an uphill battle and I finally gave up. Went to Tactacam and haven't turned back. I have 3 cameras that have been deployed with tactacam solar panels since 9/22 without a battery change. This is possible only in full sun. Another disclaimer, they aren't on feeders either, but one is on a mineral sight and still keeps up. I don't even put batteries in the cam any more, just use the solar which has lithium cells in it.
What were the issues? What series cams were you using? I saw them years ago, but had a feeling they were going to need to work with it the kinks in this kind of system over time.
swat1018
Well-Known Member
I had multiple issues. 1. Battery life was horrible, and they were 'D' cell batteries, which was expensive. I tried the solar, still couldn't keep up on a mineral sight. 2. Detection. I had non-cell cameras near the cuddelinks. I'd get about 400 pics on the Browning non-cell for every 100 pics the cudde caught.
It was a great concept, but the only real shining star of the system was you could put your cellular home on a spot with good signal and daisy chain other cameras with no signal to it and get pics. But, with the advent of 4G, 5G cellular technology, there are a lot fewer dead zones. Maybe today's Cuddelinks are better, I've been out of the game for several years. I had "J" series and "G" series cams.
It was a great concept, but the only real shining star of the system was you could put your cellular home on a spot with good signal and daisy chain other cameras with no signal to it and get pics. But, with the advent of 4G, 5G cellular technology, there are a lot fewer dead zones. Maybe today's Cuddelinks are better, I've been out of the game for several years. I had "J" series and "G" series cams.
I've had good luck with battery life. We have 12 L series remotes and a G series home. Most cameras are set to 1 or 2 minutes per picture.
I agree the default sensitivity takes less pics than cameras without or having limited sensitivity settings. We had some cameras that were not detecting at the ranges we wanted. I cranked up the sensitivity setting and it's where I want to to be now, comparing to other "dumb" cameras we've used.
If you're only running a few cameras, individual cell cams can make sense, but the more you add, I think you get a better deal on Cuddelink. (Max 24/network)
I agree the default sensitivity takes less pics than cameras without or having limited sensitivity settings. We had some cameras that were not detecting at the ranges we wanted. I cranked up the sensitivity setting and it's where I want to to be now, comparing to other "dumb" cameras we've used.
If you're only running a few cameras, individual cell cams can make sense, but the more you add, I think you get a better deal on Cuddelink. (Max 24/network)
swat1018
Well-Known Member
It didn't matter how I set them, they got 25% of the photos a good camera got. Batteries was the big one, and their solar was lacking. One cell plan is ok, but with Tactacam, I'm on the $8 plan and I can live with that for the improved results. I have 3 tactacams that are out on solar without batteries in the cam 24/7/365 since 9/2021 or 9/2022, I can't remember.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I've had bad experiences with the expensive $400 cuddybacks with terrible triggers and terrible customer service back in 2009 and been hesitant ever since.
We run 3 tactacams and they work well. We get the more expensive monthly plan and turn the plan off from January to August, saves a lot of money and use non-cell Browning for security in the off seasons.
