Cuddelink

[bignocks]

Looking for an updated post on cuddelink system. Would love an unbiased opinion. Would you recommend? Do's and donts with the system. Are the solar panels worth it, etc? How's the software? I'm highly interested in the system but seems like you basically have to go all in and spend like 2 Grand to make it really work how it should. Thanks in advance.

 

[weaver]

I run 3 cameras + the cell unit.
Battery life sucks especially in cold weather. I do have the extended battery pack on the cell unit and use lithiums in the cameras. Usually last about a 3-4 weeks in cold weather. Longer during the summer.
So far I haven't had any major issues and everything works as it should but I doubt I'll be buying any more.
I also run a Spartan gocam that I'm very impressed with. Need good cell coverage and they're expensive but so far has worked very well.

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[Fatjake]

I’m always up In the air. Some days I like it. Others I don’t. They battery life sucks as mentioned. I don’t have solar charger. But I love the single cell plan. Like I said I’m still torn

 

[TWF]

Cuddelink Cell Phone System. I run the cell phone camera and two additional sub cameras, plus solar panels on each unit. Mine have been in the field for two months and only one complaint. The Solar panels seem to be doing a good job keeping the batteries charged. My one complaint is picture quality. The 20 megapixel pictures the cameras take are very good but the only way you can get the high quality photos is to go to the camera and pull the SD card. I use the cell phone service and the pictures I get via email are one megapixel. Cuddeback doesn’t readily volunteer this information and it came as a surprise to me when I started getting the low quality pictures via the cell service. Just my two cents.

 

[spaniel]

I've been running a 6 camera + transmitter system since May. Overall I give it 9/10. You just aren't going to get around power issues. It's physics. I have the 6 D-cell external pack on the transmitter. It went up mid-May and is going to make the season without being touched. The cameras, I get 70-75 days off most cameras with the D battery pack installed vs the AA they came with. The exception is cameras which serve as nodes in the system, passing pics from further cameras to the cell unit. I've had those go down in <40 days. The old 3358 external pack didn't connect to these cameras....it now comes with a cord that does.

They recently came our with a Dual Bank external pack which fits everything and adds 12 D batteries. I expect with these, the system would go May-December without touching it and I plan to do this next year.

The cameras give WAY fewer false photos than the cheap cameras I used to run. Those, the majority of photos were nothing. Now almost every pic has an animal in it.

The system was pretty easy to set up. Yes, this is an expensive system. But when your property is a 90min drive away, it's addicting to get pics every 12 hours...or more frequently if you choose.

For example I know I chose not to drive down and hunt yesterday morning, and a 150-inch buck walked right underneath my stand....

 

[zman]

I run a home unit and 3 cameras. Battery life is weird. They have been up for four months. Two needed new batteries. Two are fine. The quality of the pics emailed is only fair. If you want high quality you have to pull the card. That said, it gives you an up to date idea of deer movement at all times. I'd rate my satisfaction at 7/10.

 

[180splitg3]

This is a good topic - I purchased a three pack of the cuddelink cams in December and have been trying to decide if I should return them or wait and try them in the field this spring. I have joined a Facebook group "cuddeback users of America" and it is a very responsive group of users that seems to be willing to help with any issues. Lots of good discussion and information about battery life and detection. Have any of you placed one of these side by side with a regular trail camera you like? I have heard they miss more pictures of deer than typical cameras...

 

[100percent]

I have 7 dual flash (one is cell) with cudde link and two home units (one is a cell). Shame on me but, I have yet to get cell service going on either unit so, I can't speak to that aspect. However, I really like the cuddelink system after the leaves drop. I can cover most of my place (4000 acres) with the system without fouling up the spots. When the leaves are on the trees it is inconsistent, at best, when spacing exceeds a few hundred yards. I plan to buy a few more to help tighten up the gaps. The cheaper home units serve as great repeaters. As far as false triggers, I get animal pics almost exclusively. Hope this helps.

 

[TWF]

I also run a three pack and had them continuously deployed since September 2019 with no battery or power issues. That being said I purchased the cuddeback solar panel set ups for each camera, so I would guess the panels are working. Two complaints I have about the system are the poor quality pictures I receive via cellular transmission. Per cuddeback these pictures are only one megapixel and at times they appear worse than that. Second major complaint that I have also addressed with cuddeback is the lack of compatibility with apple products. I use an iPad to attempt to recover the high resolution photos directly from the SD cards and per cuddeback there is a conflict in the program between the camera and apple products therefore no pictures can be transferred. I ask how the issue was being addressed and basically got a shoulder shrug. It seems to me an app could address this issue but maybe it’s not that easy. Anyone else have a thought on the recovery of photos from the SD cards.


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[danarnold]

I wanted the system but read many neg reviews, got spypoint link micro's for way less and am happy with them. def gotta place them where waiving branches and shadows give false pics