Cuddeback's Cuddelink

[Peplin Creek]

Does anyone have any pictures from the black flash model that they can post? Got some gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. Debating between the long range ir and black flash.

 

[12pointer]

Does anyone have any pictures from the black flash model that they can post? Got some gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. Debating between the long range ir and black flash.

 

[Peplin Creek]

Thank you

 

[12pointer]

Thank you

Your welcome! Sorry they were such random pictures, but I was at work and only had 1 SD card with me.

I currently have 8 cameras, 1 at my house and the 7 others set up at my camp covering about 100 acres. They will have been out for a month this Saturday and on Saturday I am going to go to camp and check them (pretty excited to do so) I intend to write a full review of my findings early next week! Tomorrow I will send you a google earth photo showing the mapping of my cameras and how they are set up! Stay tuned!!!

 

[12point]

Your welcome! Sorry they were such random pictures, but I was at work and only had 1 SD card with me.

I currently have 8 cameras, 1 at my house and the 7 others set up at my camp covering about 100 acres. They will have been out for a month this Saturday and on Saturday I am going to go to camp and check them (pretty excited to do so) I intend to write a full review of my findings early next week! Tomorrow I will send you a google earth photo showing the mapping of my cameras and how they are set up! Stay tuned!!!

That sounds good I can't wait. I'm using the IR's, I've got some black flash cameras just never liked the picture quality.
I prefer the white flash for the night time pictures. The Cuddelink has saved me a lot of driving over some muddy fields. I want some safety boxes to give me some peace of mind. But i'm well pleased.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I dont understand the white flash. In the 90's we basically had white flash. You put it on a bait site and you get one picture of the deer eating, then one picture of the deer running away. Then lots of pictures of nothing but squirrels, and birds, with a single picture of a random deer here and there. To me that told me the deer sure didnt like the bright flash. Why would we be going back to that? Even in the early 2000's with the ir systems, the red glow would spook the deer enough for them to stop going on a certain trail. I am sure the cameras a quieter now, and stealthier, but are you trying to say that a bright flash every 30 seconds or so isnt going to scare a deer away? I know ever since the black flash has came out, the deer dont even look at the cameras for me anymore. I can get 30 pictures of the same deer eating right in front of the same camera, with no care in the world. Sure the pictures arent as good as the white flash, but at least the deer dont get spooked and stop coming there.

I really must be missing something here?

 

[Peplin Creek]

I dont understand the white flash. In the 90's we basically had white flash. You put it on a bait site and you get one picture of the deer eating, then one picture of the deer running away. Then lots of pictures of nothing but squirrels, and birds, with a single picture of a random deer here and there. To me that told me the deer sure didnt like the bright flash. Why would we be going back to that? Even in the early 2000's with the ir systems, the red glow would spook the deer enough for them to stop going on a certain trail. I am sure the cameras a quieter now, and stealthier, but are you trying to say that a bright flash every 30 seconds or so isnt going to scare a deer away? I know ever since the black flash has came out, the deer dont even look at the cameras for me anymore. I can get 30 pictures of the same deer eating right in front of the same camera, with no care in the world. Sure the pictures arent as good as the white flash, but at least the deer dont get spooked and stop coming there.

I really must be missing something here?

I think your observations are correct for the most part. There’s a reason the industry went away from white flash. Even for normal IR cameras I don’t care to put them in plain sight anymore because they still notice something about that flash. Black flash is really nice for not spooking game but some companies have some ground to make up with that technology.

 

[SwampCat]

I used to get multiple pictures - of big bucks - with white flash. I think the red IR scares them because it is on so long and they have time to look at it and get scared. I think the white flash is so quick and blinding, they cant identify the source. I doubt you could take a burst of three - but I got multiple pictures of big bucks feeding 15 feet from the camera in a food plot. I think the white flash are better used on trails where only one Picture will be taken at a time than on a food source where the same deer stands there for ten minutes. And the night time pictures are so much better.

 

[12pointer]

I spent months trying to decide if I was going to buy the IR's or the black flash! I ended up buying the dual flash and will set them depending on location, even though you can get 4 for the price of 3 in the single flash models.

I decided on the dual flash, not because of the flash color or lack there of, but because of battery life. My main reason for buying this system was to be able to stay out of the woods and the 4 D batteries last twice as long as the 12 AA and this was the deal maker.

Also, the dual flash will be able to be upgraded to the powerhouse black flash (I think that's what they called it) and get better range. I figure if your in for a couple thousand, what's $500.00 more :-)

I am a firm believer that the deer see the IR glow! Some avoid it and some don't really care! My avatar is a deer I had on 3 different cameras on my property last year and only once on any one camera!!!! The 3 pictures were taken in the course of 6 weeks and within 0.25 miles from each other, so I know he was living their and just avoiding the cameras!

 

[12point]

I spent months trying to decide if I was going to buy the IR's or the black flash! I ended up buying the dual flash and will set them depending on location, even though you can get 4 for the price of 3 in the single flash models.

I decided on the dual flash, not because of the flash color or lack there of, but because of battery life. My main reason for buying this system was to be able to stay out of the woods and the 4 D batteries last twice as long as the 12 AA and this was the deal maker.

Also, the dual flash will be able to be upgraded to the powerhouse black flash (I think that's what they called it) and get better range. I figure if your in for a couple thousand, what's $500.00 more :-)

I am a firm believer that the deer see the IR glow! Some avoid it and some don't really care! My avatar is a deer I had on 3 different cameras on my property last year and only once on any one camera!!!! The 3 pictures were taken in the course of 6 weeks and within 0.25 miles from each other, so I know he was living their and just avoiding the cameras!

Battery life is much better on IR or Black Flash models. I'm interested in the powerhouse/super black flash models. I went with the IR models to get into the link system at lower cost. I am like you about deer seeing the IR glow, I've watched older bucks walk around these. They may of walked around any flash type.

 

[12point]

I used to get multiple pictures - of big bucks - with white flash. I think the red IR scares them because it is on so long and they have time to look at it and get scared. I think the white flash is so quick and blinding, they cant identify the source. I doubt you could take a burst of three - but I got multiple pictures of big bucks feeding 15 feet from the camera in a food plot. I think the white flash are better used on trails where only one Picture will be taken at a time than on a food source where the same deer stands there for ten minutes. And the night time pictures are so much better.

That is what i like about the white flash is how much better the night pictures are. It frustrates me to get a blurry distorted IR/No Flash picture and I can't tell what it was. Each have good qualities and are so much better than the old plunger type 35 mm unites that I had a long long long time ago. No more running to get film developed, i'm just being picky when I can do what we do now.

 

[12pointer]

Battery life is much better on IR or Black Flash models. I'm interested in the powerhouse/super black flash models. I went with the IR models to get into the link system at lower cost. I am like you about deer seeing the IR glow, I've watched older bucks walk around these. They may of walked around any flash type.

if I understand correctly the expected battery life of the J series cameras (AA batteries) is up to 6 months when used as stand alone cameras, but 30 to 60 days when used as a linked up network. I believe that right now there is no additional battery booster pack available for the these J series cameras and that is expected to be out some time this summer. The battery expectancy with the dual flash cameras ( D batteries) is up to 12 months when used as stand alone and 60 to 120 days when linked up! (So twice as long) and there us already a battery booster pack that contains 6 D batteries available for these! I believe with the battery booster pack ($20.00) ill be able to leave my cameras out unattended from mid April until December, which is what my goal is!

The dual flash are and extra $250.00 for a set of 4, and I think the upgrade ability and the double the battery life with the D batteries makes them worth it!

Also, if I understand correctly the J series cameras can not be upgraded to take the powerhouse module for either the increased black flash or increased IR, but the dual flash cameras can! I believe the user can just buy the powerhouse and change the flash modules themselves. It seems that the dual flash allows better upgrades later on, where as the with the J series you get what you got unless you buy a new camera.

 

[FredG]

if I understand correctly the expected battery life of the J series cameras (AA batteries) is up to 6 months when used as stand alone cameras, but 30 to 60 days when used as a linked up network. I believe that right now there is no additional battery booster pack available for the these J series cameras and that is expected to be out some time this summer. The battery expectancy with the dual flash cameras ( D batteries) is up to 12 months when used as stand alone and 60 to 120 days when linked up! (So twice as long) and there us already a battery booster pack that contains 6 D batteries available for these! I believe with the battery booster pack ($20.00) ill be able to leave my cameras out unattended from mid April until December, which is what my goal is!

The dual flash are and extra $250.00 for a set of 4, and I think the upgrade ability and the double the battery life with the D batteries makes them worth it!

Also, if I understand correctly the J series cameras can not be upgraded to take the powerhouse module for either the increased black flash or increased IR, but the dual flash cameras can! I believe the user can just buy the powerhouse and change the flash modules themselves. It seems that the dual flash allows better upgrades later on, where as the with the J series you get what you got unless you buy a new camera.

I think you're right on target with what you've written above 12pointer! I would guess though that the J model with 12 lithium batteries might rival the G model with just 4 internal D cells on run time. But the G model with 10 D's (4 internal and 6 in the Cuddepower) would be hard to beat and much more economical.

There are a couple of other points to consider with the J vs. G model comparison. The G model is advertised as having conformal coatings on the electronics and no such claim is made on the J's (possibly better longevity with the G's?).* Also, the modular nature of the G model is comforting to me. If, after the camera is out of warranty, something goes haywire with either the flash array or the Cuddelink cap they are easily replaceable by the user at a reasonable cost and without having to send the camera in.

I'm still in the process of testing a G model with the 850nm Powerhouse flash in stand-alone mode and I simply can't say enough about how impressed I am with it... it's a game changer IMO for both IQ and motion blur control! I'm gonna have to order the Black 940nm Powerhouse now because it might finally bring usable black flash into the picture for me on shorter predator sets and tight trails.

The bottom line is that the G wins out for me but I would have no qualms about mixing in some long range J model cams for use on appropriate sets.

*Edited to amend... This is likely just an oversight on the spec sheet for the Long Range IR J model. See Below

 

[12pointer]

I think you're right on target with what you've written above 12pointer! I would guess though that the J model with 12 lithium batteries might rival the G model with just 4 internal D cells on run time. But the G model with 10 D's (4 internal and 6 in the Cuddepower) would be hard to beat and much more economical.

There are a couple of other points to consider with the J vs. G model comparison. The G model is advertised as having conformal coatings on the electronics and no such claim is made on the J's (possibly better longevity with the G's?). Also, the modular nature of the G model is comforting to me. If, after the camera is out of warranty, something goes haywire with either the flash array or the Cuddelink cap they are easily replaceable by the user at a reasonable cost and without having to send the camera in.

I'm still in the process of testing a G model with the 850nm Powerhouse flash in stand-alone mode and I simply can't say enough about how impressed I am with it... it's a game changer IMO for both IQ and motion blur control! I'm gonna have to order the Black 940nm Powerhouse now because it might finally bring usable black flash into the picture for me on shorter predator sets and tight trails.

The bottom line is that the G wins out for me but I would have no qualms about mixing in some long range J model cams for use on appropriate sets.

I didn't realize you could already buy the powerhouse module for the for the 850nm flash!

Do you know if I buy the G module now, if I can upgrade to the powerhouse myself or does it have to be done by feedback?

 

[12pointer]

I also forgot to add that it looks like the IR flash camera in the J model does not have the conformal coating on the electronics, but the black flash does.

 

[FredG]

I didn't realize you could already buy the powerhouse module for the for the 850nm flash!

Do you know if I buy the G module now, if I can upgrade to the powerhouse myself or does it have to be done by feedback?

You just remove the 5 screws holding the trim plate on and swap flash modules. The camera's firmware will automatically recognize which flash module you have installed so there's nothing more you need to do. If you swap flashes in the field be sure to do it on a little towel or something so you don't drop one of the little brass screws in the leaf litter. Don't ask me how I know...

 

[FredG]

I also forgot to add that it looks like the IR flash camera in the J model does not have the conformal coating on the electronics, but the black flash does.

Hey, you're right! I hadn't noticed that. I'll bet they just made a mistake on the Long Range IR's spec sheet and left that off. I feel better knowing they didn't skimp on the J's.

 

[12pointer]

Can you already get the powerhouse modules for the dual flash cameras?

 

[FredG]

Can you already get the powerhouse modules for the dual flash cameras?

Yes... On their "Shop" page. http://www.cuddeback.com/shop

 

[Peplin Creek]

I actually just put out to J series cams for the first time today with lithium’s in them. We’ll see how battery life is.