Cellular trail cams

brohymn2 · #1 12-01-2016, 06:26 AM

Been kinda interested in these for awhile. Being that I have limited time to scout and check trail camera I think these might be a huge advantage. Obvious down side is initial cost and costs incurred by running them. Although theft is a worry as I hunt public land. All my spots are pretty deep in the woods and I have never had a picture of anyone else on my trail cameras. Just wondering what people's experience with them are and how much they end up costing to run. Thanks.

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Skytop B · #2 12-01-2016, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brohymn2

Been kinda interested in these for awhile. Being that I have limited time to scout and check trail camera I think these might be a huge advantage. Obvious down side is initial cost and costs incurred by running them. Although theft is a worry as I hunt public land. All my spots are pretty deep in the woods and I have never had a picture of anyone else on my trail cameras. Just wondering what people's experience with them are and how much they end up costing to run. Thanks.

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They are great, $15/month for an unlimited texting SIM card. Downside of course is you need at least one bar of cell service. I use them in my yard for security.

wildwoods · #3 12-01-2016, 08:22 AM

Ditto on what Skytop said. They work awesome. Just need a little more reception than I would like but that's ok. You can buy boosters for them too. I pay $10 a month unlimited pic messaging package from Telus and run a ridgetech camera (formerly Uway). Great customer service and easy to navigate the camera settings.

Reel Time Rut Outdoors · #4 12-01-2016, 08:44 AM

Use a Spypoint Link 4G, been a great camera so far, easy to set up and use. Know some people who tried there Mini-Live series of cameras, lots of little hoops to jump through to get them up and running. So as far as Spypoint, the new Link cameras are leaps and bounds better than their older models

CMichaud · #5 12-01-2016, 09:01 AM

Do they text pics when motion is detected?

I am not a techie but so I assume that they do not have the ability to show live video?

Lastly, if you have more than one camera, is it $10-15 per month per camera or do they link some how and you only need one "plan" for all of them?

Tanks!

coachman · #6 12-01-2016, 09:06 AM

I run u way and covert, 15 dollars a month per camera. The u way is still working but the covert all stop working when the weather turned cool. I have solar panels on the covert so the batteries should still be good. The u way just replace the batteries twice a year.

Reel Time Rut Outdoors · #7 12-01-2016, 09:49 AM

With the Spypoint, it sends pictures to a cell phone app (its free). Can change settings from this app. Then you choose when you want it to send you pictures and how many times a day. You can set it to dump all pictures one time a day, at a pre-selected time. Up to 6 times a day for that. Or you can set it to send every time it takes a picture. (good for security). Also the Link 4G has a built in GPS that lets you know location every time camera sends pictures. And sends current status at same time, battery level, cell signal, ect.

nimrod · #8 12-01-2016, 10:24 AM

I received/bought my 4g camera, from a guy in Viking, Alberta, he set it up for me, and I have 2 numbers that the camera send pic's to, been great so far, 1 month going on the same batteries

side note, it see's rabbits just as much as deer, rabbits are using the same trail as deer

bubba300 · #9 12-01-2016, 11:19 AM

I have the Lil Accorn and it has worked great for 3 years,had to change out the lithium batteries this year but got about 5 months use out of them.
$15 a month on a Rogers pay and talk account witch isn't to bad.I only use it for 2 months a year.I can only get a rogers card for it as that is all that will work with it.Had a buddy order it on ebay and it came from china for $260.He has one to and no problems either.

madball · #10 12-01-2016, 11:23 AM

I have a Uway MB500 & MB600. I like both but there are a few negatives. In the early season I get dozens of false triggers daily from heat changes and wind. They are super sensitive. I've also had a few circumstances where moisture and big ass spiders have made their way into the battery compartment. Not enough water to ruin anything but I have had to wipe rust off the springs. But the battery life is great on them and they send photos to my phone like they say it will.

DRhunter · #11 12-02-2016, 09:33 AM

I bought a UWAY MB600 in the spring with a Telus prepaid $15/month unlimited message card. I put the camera out in early June, was working fine until Mid September. I thought the batteries needed changing, so go check it out, replace the batteries and the camera wouldn't turn on. Take it home, talk to Uway and then send it in. Don't hear anything from them until I call about 5 weeks later and they say that they are going to be sending it back soon. I finally get it back, they mention that they completely replaced the internal components. I take a look at the shell of the camera (which includes the wiring, seal, motion sensor etc.) and notice that there are some chips out of the shell and the sensor is pretty scratched up. As I write my name and number in permanent marker on the outside of all of my cameras, I notice that this is not there. So Uway had sent me some old piece of crap refurbished camera, when the one I sent in was essentially brand new (3.5 months in the field). More than a little P'd off, I talked to them last week and now have to resend in this camera again. Was very disappointed that they would try to pass off someone else's old crappy refurbished camera for mine that was practically brand new.

This is my only Uway, so for myself, I would not buy another Uway camera, however most other people seem to have had good experience with them. I do have several other brands of cameras, personally I find Spypoint to be the best of any; mind you I have no experience with their cellular camera.

My experience and $0.02 with my only cellular camera.

kcward · #12 12-02-2016, 02:11 PM

I have a Spypoint mini live 4g and I set it to take video but take a picture first. There is too much data to send a video but it will send me a picture of the start of the video.

Spypoint's customer service has been good for me, my first camera was freezing and I sent it back and they replaced it. It was during hunting season, so they just held my credit card info and shipped it that same day and waited for my old one to go back to them. I have had good luck with the new replacement. If I was buying one now I would get the 4-link as it sends the pics via text direct instead of going to the myspypoint account first.

Here is a sample video for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCAwwhZY8u4

CMichaud · #13 12-02-2016, 03:43 PM

For the video I suppose you need more than a pay and talk or is video also considered text?

Man I llike that elk!

kcward · #14 12-03-2016, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMichaud

For the video I suppose you need more than a pay and talk or is video also considered text?

Man I llike that elk!

I haven't asked spypoint, but I think the file size is too big to send video.
I like that Elk too