Best Cell Cam Provider 2025

[Newbie]

Looking for recommendations for the best cell cams on the market right now. I’m running some tactacams now that I’m lukewarm on & have had mixed experiences with moultrie.

Brother just bought a new place & I was going to grab him a good cell cam as a gift. He doesn’t have any others at the moment so he can start fresh with a good camera company.

 

[bwoods11]

I’ve heard good reports on WiseEye…. I don’t own one yet. My neighbor in Iowa has em, and love the cameras.

 

[Kooch]

I have several SPYPOINT cameras. Mediocre. I don’t hate them. I don’t love them.


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[Foggy47]

If you plan to run multiple cell cameras.....I think the Cuddelink system has the most bang for the buck. They have also just enhanced the picture quality from the small thumbnails to full size images with better resolution (tho that has not been a huge factor for me). The link system allows you to use just one camera for the cellular transmitted pics (the home camera) to which all the other cameras forward their pictures to via an ingenious radio transmitted system. That way you only have one cell bill of ten or 20 dollars a month....depending on the picture quantity. You can have up to 24 cameras and only have the one home camera on your cellular set up.

I currently have 8 cameras. Works great. Lots of guys on this site with this set up. Look in the trail camera thread.

Here are a few samples (day and night) of the thumbnails I get. Good enough to do "inventory work".....and I can get the full size pics off the cards if I want them.

 

[swat1018]

Do the Cuddelinks still eat 'D' cell batteries like crazy? I couldn't keep that system going, as hard as I tried. They had the worst trigger of any camera I ever used, tested side by side with a non cell Browning. Got less that 25% of what the Browning got.

 

[T-Max]

I think I am getting close to a hunting season out of the 4 D’s in the camera. Nearly a year with the added battery pack. Over 2 years straight with some on solar with no issues


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[RGrizzzz]

Do the Cuddelinks still eat 'D' cell batteries like crazy? I couldn't keep that system going, as hard as I tried. They had the worst trigger of any camera I ever used, tested side by side with a non cell Browning. Got less that 25% of what the Browning got.

Depends how many pics youre taking. Most people use solar panels on them, and don't have to worry about D batteries.

The default trigger setting is a lot less sensitive on my L series Cuddebacks than others. After turning up the sensitivity, I get more pics which is usually from longer distances, close to what I get standard with other brands.

 

[West_Fork]

I like my stealth camera for the rapid transmission and the photo quality looks nice because it's enhanced. Detection sucks, lots of garbage. The one I have up is going on three years.

Cuddebacks have been bullet proof and there is no way I could afford this many connected cameras with other systems. The detection on the cuddebacks has been the best of any camera I have ever used. The photo quality is more accurate.

AI is going to change some things I think.

 

[Foggy47]

Do the Cuddelinks still eat 'D' cell batteries like crazy? I couldn't keep that system going, as hard as I tried. They had the worst trigger of any camera I ever used, tested side by side with a non cell Browning. Got less that 25% of what the Browning got.

I know lots of guys put solar on their cameras and are pretty happy with that set up. Most of my cameras are run off of four D batteries....and I get about 60 days on a set of bats. I find that cheaper and easier than using allot of solar on my cams. I do run solar and a battery pack on my home camera unit......and that home camera was in the field for three years before I replaced it with the new L Camera. Never did touch it. I may spend about $75 per year on batteries to tend to my set up. Not sure adding solar would be cheaper. Solar collectors and rechargeable are not cheap either. Maybe a push? You do the math.

 

[356]

I run SpyPoint, StealthCam and Cuddeback systems. If I had just one system, it would be the Cuddeback. I have cameras that have been untouched for three years using the PW3600 solar panel. I added some of the current L series cameras and am very happy with the picture quality and reliability. The support Cuddeback provides is much better than the others. Stealth support is non-existent, and SpyPoint support is subbed out to another continent (but at least they respond).

In the past I ran a Moultrie Mobile system. The current generation is OK, but the cameras are on par with SpyPoint.

 

[SwampCat]

Another thing you have to compare with the cuddelink and other cell cams is the difference in price of a year’s worth of service. You can buy a lot of D batteries - or solar additives for the cuddelink system over what you will pay for a years worth of system for most other cell cam systems. I think I pay about $250 a year for ten cuddelink cams and about a $1000 a year for 8 or 10 tactacams. I have never (knock on wood) in five years have a cuddelink camera quit. Cant say that for tactacam

 

[gurgalunas]

I went with Ridgetec cell cams. Didn't have a good experience with spypoint, which quit connecting to the network. Apparently the Spypoint were 3G, which went out of service in my area due to cell network upgrades. I had been trying to call Spypoint customer service for a week and put on permanent hold for hours at a time. I never did get to talk to anyone there, but discovered the issue myself while online. I get that they don't control the service in my area, but should have at least had a way to communicate and problem-solve...

I really like the customer service with Ridgetec. They answer the phones, and track issues with a computer ticketing system. You get emails asking if issues are resolved before the ticket is closed due to inactivity. This spring, I even got an email saying my cams were not operating optimally- their computers caught it and notified a tech. They were still working, but apparently not up to their level of expectation. It was right in the middle of turkey hunting, so I didn't want to run out to fix, so they agreed to tackle the issue later when it was convenient. They said whatever the issue was, it would be fixed while on the phone, or they would replace the cams.

I run my cams with 12v batteries. The AA batteries don't last as long as I want with my settings, and a 12V will run all fall and into the winter. I plan to get solar with rechargeable batteries made for the cam at some point.

No experience with other cellular cam brands.

 

[Mtyhunter]

'ol 356 post above should tell you alot. He owns and uses several different cell systems/manufacturers, and his pick is cuddelink. I have been very satisfied with my cuddelink setup the last 6 yrs, 10 cams and a home unit.
Buy a 4 cam+home unit bundle and use it for a season. If you don't like it, put them up for sale used at 75% of the cost, and you'll likely have them sold within a few days.

 

[john volkman]

I know lots of guys put solar on their cameras and are pretty happy with that set up. Most of my cameras are run off of four D batteries....and I get about 60 days on a set of bats. I find that cheaper and easier than using allot of solar on my cams. I do run solar and a battery pack on my home camera unit......and that home camera was in the field for three years before I replaced it with the new L Camera. Never did touch it. I may spend about $75 per year on batteries to tend to my set up. Not sure adding solar would be cheaper. Solar collectors and rechargeable are not cheap either. Maybe a push? You do the math.

you can actually run cuddelink cameras empty without batteries when using our solar panels, my home is on 3 years thru wi winters with solar and no internals, only risk is if something pulls or wrecks your solar cable you have no back up. in the cuddebacks you put alkaline in the camera as back up and the solar panel runs the camera with its own internal battery so no rechargeables are needed.

 

[Foggy47]

you can actually run cuddelink cameras empty without batteries when using our solar panels, my home is on 3 years thru wi winters with solar and no internals, only risk is if something pulls or wrecks your solar cable you have no back up. in the cuddebacks you put alkaline in the camera as back up and the solar panel runs the camera with its own internal battery so no rechargeables are needed.

^ I did not know this. Hmmm. May consider more solar in the time to come. Thanks John!

 

[Newbie]

Thank you guys so much for the input. Wishing I went with Cuddelink back when I got started. I've got tactacam now and the bill for running multiple cell cams is substantial, brilliant move on cuddelink with 1 primary home station.

 

[Foggy47]

you can actually run cuddelink cameras empty without batteries when using our solar panels, my home is on 3 years thru wi winters with solar and no internals, only risk is if something pulls or wrecks your solar cable you have no back up. in the cuddebacks you put alkaline in the camera as back up and the solar panel runs the camera with its own internal battery so no rechargeables are needed.

John, would rechargeable batteries also charge via the solar panel? I assume so.....but this would be good to know.....and may provide the ultimate set up if you have distant cameras.

 

[RGrizzzz]

John, would rechargeable batteries also charge via the solar panel? I assume so.....but this would be good to know.....and may provide the ultimate set up if you have distant cameras.

I know you can do this with the dual power bank(Model PW-3563). One of the trays is supposed to hold rechargeable D batteries, which get recharged via the solar panel. I looked into this, and the rechargeable D batteries are very expensive. The solar panels are well made and hold plenty of juice to keep the cameras running. I believe John mentioned the dual power banks were discontinued because they weren't selling well.

One thing I recently learned is that the cheaper solar panels can hold two batteries. They only ship with one, so if you find out you need more juice, you can add a second battery. They also announced they're upgrading the smaller panel to have a battery indicator that the bigger Sun/Shade panels include. That's a handy upgrade.

Cuddeback Replacement Parts Solar 7.2 Volt NiMH Battery Pack Model PW-3686

Cuddeback Replacement Solar 7.2 Volt NiMH Battery Pack Model PW-3686. Replacement Battery for PW-3600 Solar Panels.

farmsteadoutdoors.com

 

[PatinPA]

I have several SPYPOINT cameras. Mediocre. I don’t hate them. I don’t love them.


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Agree with this statement. I have 3 of the flex. I do like the free option for 100 photos a month for offseason. I just pulled all of mine though because they all stopped transmitting photos although they all have signal, battery, and storage space? Contacted customer service but they couldn't find anything wrong while they were in the field so I had to pull them.

 

[john volkman]

John, would rechargeable batteries also charge via the solar panel? I assume so.....but this would be good to know.....and may provide the ultimate set up if you have distant cameras.

no, not in a 4 D camera - you only use alkaline, even with a solar panel - and the cost is not worth it either. rechargeables don't have enough power to run the camera in cool temps , yes tot run solar with camera empty or 4 alkaline batteries (rayovac is what we recommend) in the camera