Cuddeback's Cuddelink

[jcolley3]

Real world experience for a new set up... Please offer suggestions if there are ways I can optimize my setup for best performance.

After a LOT of research I decided to go with the Cuddelink system. I have used cellular cameras in the past but wasn't real excited about purchasing multiple cellular units to monitor different spots so I dived in with a Cuddelink cellular home unit and 8 G cameras. Verizon cellular service is not the best at our camp. To get the best connection possible, I mounted the home unit about 30 ft in the air by using a pvc pipe on top of a 20ft high shooting house. The home unit connected to verizon without any trouble. Next, as suggested in the manual, I booted up the first camera and started walking in the direction where I wanted to mount it. By most reports, I was expecting to get about 400 yds from the home base. Notta. I made it 300 yds before the connection level dropped below 20 (minimal recommended signal strength). The location is in dense woods but completely flat. On to camera 2. Again I booted up the next camera and connected to first camera. This time I made it only about 200 yds before dropping in to the weak signal zone. I posted a map below with the camera locations so you can get a visual on my setup. Ultimately, I got to the main location I wanted to scout but unexpectedly it took me 2 extra cameras to establish the link. I have read reports on less than ideal reception in the summer. Hopefully, as the leaves start to fall I will be able to remove maybe one of the cameras and still be able to connect to the camera labeled 6. The setup of these cameras took about 3 hours. I didn't have time to do the others. I plan to head in the opposite direction with the remaining cameras to a scout a series of food plots. I did purchase 2 battery packs one of which a put on the home unit. I am waiting to see what kind of longevity I get out of the batteries on the cameras before I pulled the trigger on more battery packs.

If you any of you more experienced users have any suggestions please chime in. Thanks

 

[tdawgcj7]

Real world experience for a new set up... Please offer suggestions if there are ways I can optimize my setup for best performance.

After a LOT of research I decided to go with the Cuddelink system. I have used cellular cameras in the past but wasn't real excited about purchasing multiple cellular units to monitor different spots so I dived in with a Cuddelink cellular home unit and 8 G cameras. Verizon cellular service is not the best at our camp. To get the best connection possible, I mounted the home unit about 30 ft in the air by using a pvc pipe on top of a 20ft high shooting house. The home unit connected to verizon without any trouble. Next, as suggested in the manual, I booted up the first camera and started walking in the direction where I wanted to mount it. By most reports, I was expecting to get about 400 yds from the home base. Notta. I made it 300 yds before the connection level dropped below 20 (minimal recommended signal strength). The location is in dense woods but completely flat. On to camera 2. Again I booted up the next camera and connected to first camera. This time I made it only about 200 yds before dropping in to the weak signal zone. I posted a map below with the camera locations so you can get a visual on my setup. Ultimately, I got to the main location I wanted to scout but unexpectedly it took me 2 extra cameras to establish the link. I have read reports on less than ideal reception in the summer. Hopefully, as the leaves start to fall I will be able to remove maybe one of the cameras and still be able to connect to the camera labeled 6. The setup of these cameras took about 3 hours. I didn't have time to do the others. I plan to head in the opposite direction with the remaining cameras to a scout a series of food plots. I did purchase 2 battery packs one of which a put on the home unit. I am waiting to see what kind of longevity I get out of the batteries on the cameras before I pulled the trigger on more battery packs.

If you any of you more experienced users have any suggestions please chime in. Thanks

I would do a firmware upgrade on G cameras so they are the same version as the Home camera.

 

[john volkman]

Real world experience for a new set up... Please offer suggestions if there are ways I can optimize my setup for best performance.

After a LOT of research I decided to go with the Cuddelink system. I have used cellular cameras in the past but wasn't real excited about purchasing multiple cellular units to monitor different spots so I dived in with a Cuddelink cellular home unit and 8 G cameras. Verizon cellular service is not the best at our camp. To get the best connection possible, I mounted the home unit about 30 ft in the air by using a pvc pipe on top of a 20ft high shooting house. The home unit connected to verizon without any trouble. Next, as suggested in the manual, I booted up the first camera and started walking in the direction where I wanted to mount it. By most reports, I was expecting to get about 400 yds from the home base. Notta. I made it 300 yds before the connection level dropped below 20 (minimal recommended signal strength). The location is in dense woods but completely flat. On to camera 2. Again I booted up the next camera and connected to first camera. This time I made it only about 200 yds before dropping in to the weak signal zone. I posted a map below with the camera locations so you can get a visual on my setup. Ultimately, I got to the main location I wanted to scout but unexpectedly it took me 2 extra cameras to establish the link. I have read reports on less than ideal reception in the summer. Hopefully, as the leaves start to fall I will be able to remove maybe one of the cameras and still be able to connect to the camera labeled 6. The setup of these cameras took about 3 hours. I didn't have time to do the others. I plan to head in the opposite direction with the remaining cameras to a scout a series of food plots. I did purchase 2 battery packs one of which a put on the home unit. I am waiting to see what kind of longevity I get out of the batteries on the cameras before I pulled the trigger on more battery packs.

If you any of you more experienced users have any suggestions please chime in. Thanks

if you are able to centralize your home camera in relation to your remotes it will allow your system to be more efficient, both in battery usage and in the amount and time it takes to transmit images. If you must have it where you do now, it will work that way, but its definitely not ideal. Signal will improve as leaf cover comes down and humidity drops , july and august are typically the most challenging periods for signal strength. 1/4 mile in flat wooded terrain is standard range but not an absolute. Having your home unit up high will improve the range as well as long as the signal doesnt need to shoot directly thru earth. With your set up as you currently have it you will want battery packs on all cameras, i recommend battery packs on all cameras irregardless of the set up but more so when setting them up as you have them. Also, i would update all your firmware as recommended earlier.

 

[VTer]

I continue to be very impressed with my j cams with d cell battery packs. This camera shows 119 days and battery voltage still 7.6. I am going to change them Sept 1 no matter what but for my use this system has been incredible.

 

[JLemon]

I continue to be very impressed with my j cams with d cell battery packs. This camera shows 119 days and battery voltage still 7.6. I am going to change them Sept 1 no matter what but for my use this system has been incredible.

That sure beats the less than 3 weeks I got with AA when they first came out and I sold them. I have G series with the D battery packs well over 100 days. I just bought a new J to try again. Just waiting for the D cell battery pack to show up in the mail.

 

[RRAB58]

I continue to be very impressed with my j cams with d cell battery packs. This camera shows 119 days and battery voltage still 7.6. I am going to change them Sept 1 no matter what but for my use this system has been incredible.

7.6v is approaching dead. Where are you reading 7.6v? Are you testing with a meter?

 

[Trlblzr3]

I have a few questions. I recently purchased 4 - j1415 and a k5789. I replaced all the battery with the d cell packs. I went thru the set up process and placed them. The furthest being about 250 yards from the home camera. I get the report every morning but it has never shown camera 5. But it does show when I go to the home camera and check using the cL info. Any suggestions?

 

[Booner21]

Real world experience for a new set up... Please offer suggestions if there are ways I can optimize my setup for best performance.

After a LOT of research I decided to go with the Cuddelink system. I have used cellular cameras in the past but wasn't real excited about purchasing multiple cellular units to monitor different spots so I dived in with a Cuddelink cellular home unit and 8 G cameras. Verizon cellular service is not the best at our camp. To get the best connection possible, I mounted the home unit about 30 ft in the air by using a pvc pipe on top of a 20ft high shooting house. The home unit connected to verizon without any trouble. Next, as suggested in the manual, I booted up the first camera and started walking in the direction where I wanted to mount it. By most reports, I was expecting to get about 400 yds from the home base. Notta. I made it 300 yds before the connection level dropped below 20 (minimal recommended signal strength). The location is in dense woods but completely flat. On to camera 2. Again I booted up the next camera and connected to first camera. This time I made it only about 200 yds before dropping in to the weak signal zone. I posted a map below with the camera locations so you can get a visual on my setup. Ultimately, I got to the main location I wanted to scout but unexpectedly it took me 2 extra cameras to establish the link. I have read reports on less than ideal reception in the summer. Hopefully, as the leaves start to fall I will be able to remove maybe one of the cameras and still be able to connect to the camera labeled 6. The setup of these cameras took about 3 hours. I didn't have time to do the others. I plan to head in the opposite direction with the remaining cameras to a scout a series of food plots. I did purchase 2 battery packs one of which a put on the home unit. I am waiting to see what kind of longevity I get out of the batteries on the cameras before I pulled the trigger on more battery packs.

If you any of you more experienced users have any suggestions please chime in. Thanks

I had several cams read right on the fringe of not connecting like fluctuating between 10 to 20 percent last year at close distances. I really wanted cameras in those locations so let them go and I never had trouble receiving pics. I also had a group on different farms transmit pics over 1.5 miles to the home unit on the other group.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[RRAB58]

I have a few questions. I recently purchased 4 - j1415 and a k5789. I replaced all the battery with the d cell packs. I went thru the set up process and placed them. The furthest being about 250 yards from the home camera. I get the report every morning but it has never shown camera 5. But it does show when I go to the home camera and check using the cL info. Any suggestions?

I had 2 to do same thing. They came and went on home cam. Finally went and did not come back. I knew they were questionable to begin with. It may be something to do with my body and the signal while standing by home camera. They would not show up, I would scroll thru my settings, and all of sudden they would appear. Walk off and come back same thing, they would be gone.

I get signals where I think I shouldn’t and then can’t get a signal where I think I should. May be just the wrong type or size tree in between that scatters and hinders signal. If 2 cameras are mounted on opposite side of the trees, that makes 2 trees that are in between radios from the get go. I am going to make or buy the post to mount them on. That will provide a lot more choices to mount cameras.

 

[Bpressley]

I have a few questions. I recently purchased 4 - j1415 and a k5789. I replaced all the battery with the d cell packs. I went thru the set up process and placed them. The furthest being about 250 yards from the home camera. I get the report every morning but it has never shown camera 5. But it does show when I go to the home camera and check using the cL info. Any suggestions?

Have you received any pics from camera 5? You could also try to change to a different channel. It's possible that camera 5 linked up to another network using the same channel number.

 

[Bpressley]

7.6v is approaching dead. Where are you reading 7.6v? Are you testing with a meter?

Probably using the exif data from the pics.

 

[JLemon]

I just put out a J series long range IR and all the night pictures are washed out. It’s on the edge of a field overlooking an old mineral spot. I have it set to field but should I set it to close? Is it to low and reflecting off the grass?

 

[Bpressley]

I just put out a J series long range IR and all the night pictures are washed out. It’s on the edge of a field overlooking an old mineral spot. I have it set to field but should I set it to close? Is it to low and reflecting off the grass?

I would definitely change the setting to far or close. I prefer far.

 

[FredG]

I would definitely change the setting to far or close. I prefer far.

What Bpressley said

Field mode largely, but not entirely, ignores the metering system and dials in a very long range exposure whether you want it or not. I've never used it because the results are typically ugly and IMO white flash on time lapse is a better method of achieving large field monitoring. On the positive side, Field mode does tend to make you appreciate the Far and Close modes just as the following makes you appreciate yellow rain coats.

 

[Trlblzr3]

Have you received any pics from camera 5? You could also try to change to a different channel. It's possible that camera 5 linked up to another network using the same channel number.

No I have not received any pictures. I highly doubt it’s hooked up to another network since it’s an urban area. I’ll check today to see if it has any pics on the sd card and what the cL level is. Trying to make sure I know how to set theM up.before I take to Ohio at the end of this month. That’s a nine hour trip and want them to work.

 

[Gdgros]

What batteries has everyone has luck with that last the longest

 

[Bpressley]

No I have not received any pictures. I highly doubt it’s hooked up to another network since it’s an urban area. I’ll check today to see if it has any pics on the sd card and what the cL level is. Trying to make sure I know how to set theM up.before I take to Ohio at the end of this month. That’s a nine hour trip and want them to work.

It also could have been a bad battery and the camera has powered off. Let us know what you find.

 

[Trlblzr3]

It also could have been a bad battery and the camera has powered off. Let us know what you find.

I checked and the CL Level was 46 but I had forgot to put a SD card in it or someone tried to steal it and because it was cable locked to the tree and they did not want their picture available. The camera indicated 12 internal images. Now I have to figure how to get internals out of the camera. will they connect to the home with the SD card missing? I moved one of the other camera in the system to this location and put this camera where the other one had been located, so we'll see.

 

[Bpressley]

I checked and the CL Level was 46 but I had forgot to put a SD card in it or someone tried to steal it and because it was cable locked to the tree and they did not want their picture available. The camera indicated 12 internal images. Now I have to figure how to get internals out of the camera. will they connect to the home with the SD card missing? I moved one of the other camera in the system to this location and put this camera where the other one had been located, so we'll see.

I'm not sure about that. John would know. Hopefully he sees this. You could also call CS and hear what they have to say.

 

[FredG]

I checked and the CL Level was 46 but I had forgot to put a SD card in it or someone tried to steal it and because it was cable locked to the tree and they did not want their picture available. The camera indicated 12 internal images. Now I have to figure how to get internals out of the camera. will they connect to the home with the SD card missing? I moved one of the other camera in the system to this location and put this camera where the other one had been located, so we'll see.

I believe you have to have an SD card in the remote cam for the link to work... the cam needs a card to write the thumbnail to the transmission queue and put pics in line for uploading to the home cam. The stored images in the internal memory will automatically transfer to the SD card when the next picture is taken with a card in the camera, but it would be doubtful that those pics will be transmitted to the home cam... but one or two may make their way into the transmission queue.