Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
This seems like it could be really cool. If it's priced right, this could be a game changer for the average joe hunter.
http://www.cuddeback.com/cuddelink
http://www.cuddeback.com/cuddelink
Cuddeback's Cuddelink
- Thread starter Peplin Creek
- Start date
Mibowhunter91
A good 3 year old buck
The way I read it you have to buy the camera then the adapter to send the pics to the other cameras am I seeing that right? I also got in an argument with my dad about there's no way they will let you daisy chain the cameras together pretty sure I lost that battle haha
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Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
I just stumbled on it but to it appears like should work similar to the BEC system. Yes, it does look like you have to buy the camera and cap. Roughly $270 total if both units aren't on sale. I am curious to really see real results with setup and true overall functionality. I run 4 cell cameras now. so the fact that their cell service that comes out next year says 16 cameras on one data plan has my curiosity peaked. But even just being able to link up cameras back to one unit could be enough for me
hilltopper
5 year old buck +
Has anyone tried the new cuddelink system from cuddeback? Essentially you can set up a network of cameras and the pictures can all be collected at a "home" camera. It does not require wifi or cellular. It seems like an awesome idea, but I wondered what kind of range anyone had experienced. They claim 1/4 mile range in forested situations. Pics can be sent from camera to camera and get relayed to the home unit.
alldaysit
5 year old buck +
I'm in the same boat. To be able to pull up to the driveway, download all the pictures from all the cameras, then drive away.... it's worth a significant amount of time savings and the lack of intrusion would be great to keep tabs on those inaccessible areas ones afraid of checking cameras but once a year.
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alldaysit
5 year old buck +
The first company to come out with a system to adapt to make any camera daisy-chain will dominate the trail camera market.
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Mibowhunter91
A good 3 year old buck
That's what I said then I saw an ad of there's that used the word daisy chain
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Maddog3355
5 year old buck +
I like the idea. Sounds like a winner to me.
Mibowhunter91
A good 3 year old buck
Sorry mis read ur post but u are 100% correct would be pretty sweet if it ever happens
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Bill
Administrator
From what I briefly read it can be configured much like the BEC. They show a cuddeback home plus unit that can be attached to a PC in your cabin and receive pics from 15 different cameras. If you have internet at the location of the PC you can see your pictures from anywhere you can get on the net. Seems they have a remote streamer or you could install a second party networking streamer like splashtop streamer to remotely access the home base PC.
Having run BEC's for years let me say this to anyone looking to try the cuddeback's.
First if you want to remotely access your photos over the net be sure your base PC has a bios capable of being set up to restart automatically after a power failure. Nothing as frustrating as not being able to be there to hit the on button!!!
Look into the power source and find out if the cameras can be attached to external batteries with solar chargers.
Daisy chaining several cameras through each other to gain distance eats the battery's on the cameras doing the bouncing.
When and if someone buys one find out what the antenna connector is. Probably a standard mini BNC. This way you can upgrade the antennas. The rubber ducky antennas on the camera have limits but if external yagi antennas or high gain omni antennas can be adapted it will help with transmission speed and distance. This will be an important upgrade particularly at the home base. I've got a high gain about 35 foot high to do the recieving for BEC's
Looks like BEC may finally have some competition depending on reliability. I may have to give them a call. For the price of one BEC you could get 3 or 4 of these.
Having run BEC's for years let me say this to anyone looking to try the cuddeback's.
First if you want to remotely access your photos over the net be sure your base PC has a bios capable of being set up to restart automatically after a power failure. Nothing as frustrating as not being able to be there to hit the on button!!!
Look into the power source and find out if the cameras can be attached to external batteries with solar chargers.
Daisy chaining several cameras through each other to gain distance eats the battery's on the cameras doing the bouncing.
When and if someone buys one find out what the antenna connector is. Probably a standard mini BNC. This way you can upgrade the antennas. The rubber ducky antennas on the camera have limits but if external yagi antennas or high gain omni antennas can be adapted it will help with transmission speed and distance. This will be an important upgrade particularly at the home base. I've got a high gain about 35 foot high to do the recieving for BEC's
Looks like BEC may finally have some competition depending on reliability. I may have to give them a call. For the price of one BEC you could get 3 or 4 of these.
Bill
Administrator
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
This makes sense I guess. Conserves battery... I'm in your train of thought. I would like to see one in action first.
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
I did notice that it looks like they run on D batteries and then they can use cuddeback's powerpack. I am sure you can rig something up for them as well. With the system being so new there is just so many questions. It will be nice to get through a season and here the pros and cons of it. I currently have some go cams that are pretty tough on batteries, even externals. That seems to be the major flaw with any wireless system.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
??? BEC has been doing this for a very long time. They certainly didn't dominate the market because of the up front cost. It works great for BEC because they focus on reliability unlike the low cost cameras. My old Orion series runs for many, many months when the programming load is well balanced with the solar panel before I need to visit the camera. The potential issue I see with the cuddeback system is reliability. At that price point, it is hard to see how they will be able to achieve the reliability that BEC has but time will tell. The "daisy chain" function (which is called a "repeater" function buy BEC but is actually a packet routing) depends on reliability. If a single camera in the chain fails, data from all cameras further in the chain can't make it through.
One issue I had when using this function with my Orions is battery issues. A camera uses power both to take pictures and to send them. If a camera is sending pictures it takes and also routing packets from cameras further away in the daisy-chain, it significantly increases battery use. What I found was that the routing camera battery would drain much faster than terminal cameras and if it fails, the network is broken. The terminal cameras continue to take pictures until memory is full and then stop. Once I restore the battery in the routing camera the terminal cameras would begin to transmit all the pictures they had queued up. The problem is that with this heavy load of pictures to transmit back to back, the batteries in the terminal cameras would deplete and then the routing camera (having forwarded so many pictures back) would have its battery deplete. In essence, the battery issue would cascade. I resolved this by placing very large solar panels on each of the routing cameras so they essentially have perpetual power.
One more word of caution. Check the spec distance of the radios used. My older Orions have 5 mile radios. The spec number is the theoretical distance the link can be closed in perfect conditions say from mountain top to mountain top with direct line of sight. In practical environmental conditions with vegetation, weather, and interference, the maximum practical distance is less than a mile. The newer X-series BEC cameras have lower powered radios and don't reach as far (although they are less expensive). I don't know what the spec is on the Cuddeback radios, but I'd check that and keep in mind that practical distances are significantly less than the spec value and depend largely on your conditions.
Just some things to think about regarding wireless cameras in general. If someone does try these, please report back and let us know how well they work for you and how you are using them.
Thanks,
jack
alldaysit
5 year old buck +
I get that buddy. I should have written it a little clearer, if possible:
The first company to make an adapter for ANY trail camera to daisy-chain to a home base will dominate the market.
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yoderjac
5 year old buck +
That would require a standard interface on trail cams that no company will adhere to.
chickenlittle
5 year old buck +
Could be as simple as a WiFi/blue tooth wireless camera card. No need for a direct interface.
But in the end, cost, complexity, reliability mean the market for this is small. It has to work and be easy to set up. Not that many folks want the hassle of working with batteries, solar, antennas, etc. If it is plug and play, more would try.
But in the end, cost, complexity, reliability mean the market for this is small. It has to work and be easy to set up. Not that many folks want the hassle of working with batteries, solar, antennas, etc. If it is plug and play, more would try.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Whether the interface is hardware or software, the key is standardization. What company want's to standardize its output so some other company can take advantage of it? Certainly not in this industry. Each company will try to make sure it gets to sell the transmission equipment along with the camera.
Just my expectation...
Jack
