Cuddelink general Q&A recommendations

I currently have solar power on nearly all of my Cuddeback cameras. This is fantastic but has limitations. It is already possible to run the solar to charge an external dual battery pack consisting of rechargeable D batteries, which is connected directly to the camera as a power source.

I want to not use the D batteries and use rechargeable 12 volt batteries (which I already have). Cuddeback sells a connection wire and 12v to 9v adapter/regulator that I was previously using to connect between my 12v external batteries and my cameras. What would be great is to use the Cuddeback solar panel to charge the 12v external battery, which would power the camera. In order to do this, I am assuming I would need to have a splitter at the 12v battery source with one end coming from the solar charger and another going to the camera for both the positive and negatives. I am sure I can make this myself, I just want to know if this is a terrible idea before I go spending a bunch of time making the splitters.

The solar kit and the dual power banks from Cuddeback have color coded connections. The gray/brown is for actively powering the camera and the yellows are for if you are running rechargeables within the dual power bank. Are the yellows at a different voltage? Would I be able to use the existing external battery cable (that is also with brown connection) between the source (solar charger) and the external batteries?
 
I currently have solar power on nearly all of my Cuddeback cameras. This is fantastic but has limitations. It is already possible to run the solar to charge an external dual battery pack consisting of rechargeable D batteries, which is connected directly to the camera as a power source.

I want to not use the D batteries and use rechargeable 12 volt batteries (which I already have). Cuddeback sells a connection wire and 12v to 9v adapter/regulator that I was previously using to connect between my 12v external batteries and my cameras. What would be great is to use the Cuddeback solar panel to charge the 12v external battery, which would power the camera. In order to do this, I am assuming I would need to have a splitter at the 12v battery source with one end coming from the solar charger and another going to the camera for both the positive and negatives. I am sure I can make this myself, I just want to know if this is a terrible idea before I go spending a bunch of time making the splitters.

The solar kit and the dual power banks from Cuddeback have color coded connections. The gray/brown is for actively powering the camera and the yellows are for if you are running rechargeables within the dual power bank. Are the yellows at a different voltage? Would I be able to use the existing external battery cable (that is also with brown connection) between the source (solar charger) and the external batteries?
i cant give you ideas on how to frankenstein a set up but others have done so, and i think you can find them by searching this and other sites. That said the new 3600 panel with a 4 d camera has proven to last in excess of a year and beyond without touching them. You can also get an additional battery for the 3600 panel that gives you extra capacity. The new additional panel for 2022 will have more charging ability even in canopy but will be a higher retail. Ive been running a G cell unit all fall on a 3600 panel and it hasn't missed a beat.
 
i cant give you ideas on how to frankenstein a set up but others have done so, and i think you can find them by searching this and other sites. That said the new 3600 panel with a 4 d camera has proven to last in excess of a year and beyond without touching them. You can also get an additional battery for the 3600 panel that gives you extra capacity. The new additional panel for 2022 will have more charging ability even in canopy but will be a higher retail. Ive been running a G cell unit all fall on a 3600 panel and it hasn't missed a beat.
Thanks John. I had already purchased the 12 volt external batteries and was trying to incorporate them into my system. Also I was driving to move away from D batteries. I'm very intrigued by the new solar panels.
 
I've been out of this thread for a while and I apologize if this has been discussed, but I have a question about upgrading the Cuddelink antenna on the home unit. I found quite a bit of discussion about upgrading the cell antennas, but nothing on the Cuddelink antenna.

I currently have my home camera indoors and it has been working great. I recently purchased a new property that borders the existing farm and am trying to get a camera on a ridge top that is line of sight from the home camera roughly 1000 yards away. The home camera is behind a window indoors. The remote camera hovers around 17 signal strength and I would like to improve that if possible. My thought was to get an external antenna that I could install on the roof (or just outside the window) and connect to the home camera.

Has anyone connected an external antenna to the home camera (Model 1385)?
 
getting it up high will help, i have not noticed where anyone put a long or extension on an antenna that made much of a difference , its possible though.
 
I run a Dual Cell Cam with 4 J cameras. 3 of which are 4D batteries and 1 takes 12 AA.
I have external battery packs (6D) connected to all of them, yet a couple cameras do not show the "External OK" on the report.
Shouldn't the cameras run off the external first and reflect that in the report? Am I doing something wrong?
 

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Is the home camera a K, if so it will not show Ext because they are the same voltage and drain together. Same applies to the 12AA. Since you didn’t show whole report I can’t see battery days, so the connection either didn’t make or possibly a critter has chewed the cord. A suggestion would be to make external pack connection before installing batteries in the camera and verify connection. Then add batteries.
 
Is the home camera a K, if so it will not show Ext because they are the same voltage and drain together. Same applies to the 12AA. Since you didn’t show whole report I can’t see battery days, so the connection either didn’t make or possibly a critter has chewed the cord. A suggestion would be to make external pack connection before installing batteries in the camera and verify connection. Then ad
Thanks, here is a screenshot of full report. The Home is a K and the South LN camera is the 12 AA, the rest are 4D
 

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I have 9 Black flash J cans that have been pretty much flawless for the past 3 years. Couldn’t be happier with them. Just perfect for my use and needs. Have them all in for the winter and wondering if I should change the fresnel lens just as general maintenance? I haven't noticed a loss of pics but wonder what others think.
 
does anyone know what the battery life is on the cameras without being in on the cuddelink network?
 
John,

I know it's not a cuddelink cam, but what can you tell us about cuddeback tracks?
 
John,

I know it's not a cuddelink cam, but what can you tell us about cuddeback tracks?

I'd like to know if it'll work with the current Cuddelinks. I read somewhere they will but the info could have been wrong...or it was for a different model yet to come.
 
does anyone know what the battery life is on the cameras without being in on the cuddelink network?

I lost a home unit and had 3 g series with 6d extenders and they were out a full calendar year and still had battery life left when I pulled They were on the CuddeLink for about 3 months of the 12


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have 9 Black flash J cans that have been pretty much flawless for the past 3 years. Couldn’t be happier with them. Just perfect for my use and needs. Have them all in for the winter and wondering if I should change the fresnel lens just as general maintenance? I haven't noticed a loss of pics but wonder what others think.
yes, i do it very 3-4 years at a minimum
 
I'd like to know if it'll work with the current Cuddelinks. I read somewhere they will but the info could have been wrong...or it was for a different model yet to come.
tracks will be a stand alone cell camera that competes with the other cell cams on the market that need a plan for each camera. Tracks will not link with cuddelink cameras.
 
tracks will be a stand alone cell camera that competes with the other cell cams on the market that need a plan for each camera. Tracks will not link with cuddelink cameras.

I went back and the talk I saw on Facebook was that ,I'm guessing another different one , will replace the J-series...is that also in the works?
 
I went back and the talk I saw on Facebook was that ,I'm guessing another different one , will replace the J-series...is that also in the works?
there will be at least one new model but supply chain has the when and how many in question. Moral of the story is, i wouldnt sell your J series yet and if you want to add cameras to a network or build a new one i would not hesitate , supply of the existing units will run out soon and the new model will be severely limited unless changes in supply chain allow things to move much faster than they have the last couple years. Many segments of the outdoor industry are going to struggle this year, price increases, supply and shipping are going to make this the most challenging year of the last 3 years for many manufacturers.
 
I currently have solar power on nearly all of my Cuddeback cameras. This is fantastic but has limitations. It is already possible to run the solar to charge an external dual battery pack consisting of rechargeable D batteries, which is connected directly to the camera as a power source.

I want to not use the D batteries and use rechargeable 12 volt batteries (which I already have). Cuddeback sells a connection wire and 12v to 9v adapter/regulator that I was previously using to connect between my 12v external batteries and my cameras. What would be great is to use the Cuddeback solar panel to charge the 12v external battery, which would power the camera. In order to do this, I am assuming I would need to have a splitter at the 12v battery source with one end coming from the solar charger and another going to the camera for both the positive and negatives. I am sure I can make this myself, I just want to know if this is a terrible idea before I go spending a bunch of time making the splitters.

The solar kit and the dual power banks from Cuddeback have color coded connections. The gray/brown is for actively powering the camera and the yellows are for if you are running rechargeables within the dual power bank. Are the yellows at a different voltage? Would I be able to use the existing external battery cable (that is also with brown connection) between the source (solar charger) and the external batteries?
I have some of the older 3501 panels and the output is 9volts. No idea what the 3600 output voltage is. I have some J's with no internals, with the cuddeback cable to input 9v to camera from 12v SLA battery. Looking to add solar. I'm thinking I need specifically 12v solar Maintainers which have circuitry to prevent over charging and battery drainage at night. I've ordered piggyback wire connectors which allow two female connections to blade connectors on battery. One for cuddeback cable to cam, other for solar Maintainer.
Now question is how many watts are needed to offset what the camera consumes. Think I'll experiment with 5 watt panel. Learning that letting SLAs discharge too far and they're toast.
I do have a J with 12AA rechargeables and a 3501 panel getting 5 hours great sunlight running perfectly.
 
I have some of the older 3501 panels and the output is 9volts. No idea what the 3600 output voltage is. I have some J's with no internals, with the cuddeback cable to input 9v to camera from 12v SLA battery. Looking to add solar. I'm thinking I need specifically 12v solar Maintainers which have circuitry to prevent over charging and battery drainage at night. I've ordered piggyback wire connectors which allow two female connections to blade connectors on battery. One for cuddeback cable to cam, other for solar Maintainer.
Now question is how many watts are needed to offset what the camera consumes. Think I'll experiment with 5 watt panel. Learning that letting SLAs discharge too far and they're toast.
I do have a J with 12AA rechargeables and a 3501 panel getting 5 hours great sunlight running perfectly.
3600 is approx 8.4-8.7 volts at full charge, ive had multiple cameras including the cell home unit running on a 3600 with 4d back up in the camera this entire year. 4D Cameras switche to the internal alkaline back up when voltage drops below 6volts ( which rarely happens )and usually shortly after the 3600 recharges the internal solar battery and it switches back. The additional new panel they are bringing out for 2022 that is for tree canopy will work the same without the 5-6 hours of direct sunlight the 3600 needs. You may want to hit up a retailer on special cost for the 3600 or the new panel to compare costs to what you are attempting to do with an external 12v battery and panel. .
 
3600 is approx 8.4-8.7 volts at full charge, ive had multiple cameras including the cell home unit running on a 3600 with 4d back up in the camera this entire year. 4D Cameras switche to the internal alkaline back up when voltage drops below 6volts ( which rarely happens )and usually shortly after the 3600 recharges the internal solar battery and it switches back. The additional new panel they are bringing out for 2022 that is for tree canopy will work the same without the 5-6 hours of direct sunlight the 3600 needs. You may want to hit up a retailer on special cost for the 3600 or the new panel to compare costs to what you are attempting to do with an external 12v battery and panel. .
John, no doubt that 3600 with ideal sun exposure is best option. I was responding to Hoytvectrix thoughts of incorporation of 3600 into external 12v hookup. Will need 12v panel there.
I bought 7 J's from individual, included five 3501s and rechargeable AAs. Culling weak batteries and setting up a few more cams to see what life I can get.
 
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