Cuddeback's Cuddelink

[bjseiler]

Standardization would have to be at the SD card level I think. Either wifi/bluetooth or some uber thin cable that could go out through the case and into an external box that handles the networking stuff.

 

[yoderjac]

Standardization would have to be at the SD card level I think. Either wifi/bluetooth or some uber thin cable that could go out through the case and into an external box that handles the networking stuff.

Possible but keep in mind that transmission takes power. The "card" would need to stay on and recognize when a picture was written to it, then transmit it by whatever means. The staying on part takes power (as does the transmit). One of the keys to camera design is battery usage balance. When you add extra battery drain to the camera, you need more power. Could it work? sure. Would it be worth it? I doubt it.

ChickenLittle,

On the plug and play end, that won't ever happen with a private network in this frequency range. The only plug and play option will be with public cell towers which are high. Private networks need to deal much more with attenuation from vegetation and such and are restricted in power by the FCC. The only folks who will find them plug and play are those with little obstruction or operating over short distances.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bjseiler]

I meant this more as the only universal solution would have to be an outside device that somehow connects to the camera via the sd card. This device would have to have its own power. The camera would not change anything. Just write to the sd card. The outside device would then read from the sd card and transmit.

 

[yoderjac]

I meant this more as the only universal solution would have to be an outside device that somehow connects to the camera via the sd card. This device would have to have its own power. The camera would not change anything. Just write to the sd card. The outside device would then read from the sd card and transmit.

While that may be technically possible, I don't see it as very realistic. RF transmission takes a lot of power. My BECs run using 12 ah SLAs and still require solar panels to get the primary advantages of wireless. Certainly one option is to reduce the picture resolution like most of the cell based cameras do, but that defeats the purpose in may cases.

The largest advantage of wireless is the fact that you can collect and process data while keeping the camera free from human intrusion. In this case one would need to provide solar panels for both the camera an separate transmitter.

There are some real advantages to integrating the camera with the transmitter. I'm not sure it makes much sense to have a second device. Today, cameras are tightly integrated with every cell phone.

I'd love to see more competition enter the private network game camera market. I hope someone gets this cuddeback system and gives us a review.

Thanks,

jack

 

[John-W-WI]

I bought an Eye-Fi card for my DSLR camera 10 years ago. Makes an SD card Wifi connected. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Fi-Connect-Wireless-Memory-EYE-FI-4CN/dp/B003DV4234

As a BEC user, I've wondered for years why they didn't make a device (not all that much unlike their repeaters they make now) that would allow ANY trail camera with an SD card capable of being on the BEC wireless network.

I get it, any average joe probably isn't interested in becoming an expert (which can be required to successfully run a BEC system) they just want to turn it on and have it work.

But for all of the BEC users out there being able to add to their existing network with newer technology cameras seems interesting.

I'm in the process of leaving the BEC system this year. My farm simply has too much contour to reach the whole thing but I have awesome cellular coverage

I'm still testing the new cameras, but in all likelyhood I'll have a full BEC system for sale soon.

 

[yoderjac]

I bought an Eye-Fi card for my DSLR camera 10 years ago. Makes an SD card Wifi connected. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Fi-Connect-Wireless-Memory-EYE-FI-4CN/dp/B003DV4234

As a BEC user, I've wondered for years why they didn't make a device (not all that much unlike their repeaters they make now) that would allow ANY trail camera with an SD card capable of being on the BEC wireless network.

I get it, any average joe probably isn't interested in becoming an expert (which can be required to successfully run a BEC system) they just want to turn it on and have it work.

But for all of the BEC users out there being able to add to their existing network with newer technology cameras seems interesting.

I'm in the process of leaving the BEC system this year. My farm simply has too much contour to reach the whole thing but I have awesome cellular coverage

I'm still testing the new cameras, but in all likelyhood I'll have a full BEC system for sale soon.

John,

The problem is that the wifi card relies on power from the camera it is in. I did look at these years ago when they first came out. From a business standpoint, I don't think it would make any sense for BEC to do that. Like any company, they don't want to lose market share. Their repeaters really serve a different function. Since every BEC camera can also act as a repeater, why would anyone buy a repeater (close to the price of a camera) rather than another camera? The only real application that I can see that makes sense is for resolving contour issues like both you and I have.

They are limited by the FCC in how much power they can put out. When you run a long cable from the camera to an antenna (even 400 series) you lose transmit power for every foot of cable. So, even though an antenna high up on a tower or mast can give you line of sight and increase the power in some directions (depending on antenna type), you are starting from a lower power level because of the long cable run.

The place where I can see a repeater being useful is if it is mounted high on a tower or mast very close to the antenna and a power cable run to the ground where a battery/solar panel would sit. The would maximize the power and if the antenna is high enough, it would be a configuration similar to a cell tower where there would be limited vegetation between cameras and the tower. If one is going to put the repeater on the ground, you might as well just buy another camera.

You are certainly right that adding newer camera technology to the BEC network would be great. It turns out that the radios are separate units inside the box and are fairly modular. I bought one of the early X7Ds when they first came out for testing. They put in a less expensive low powered radio so they could sell them for significantly less than the Orions. They got enough customer feedback about the short distance of the radio, the quickly came out with the X80. It was the same camera with a different radio. They also offered a discount to existing Z7D users for the upgrade. I sent my back for the upgrade. They simply removed the original radio and replaced it with the new higher powered one. The radios are off the shelf products made by other companies. They each have their own protocol so you can't mix and match. Radios in all the cameras need to be the same. That is why the X-series can't talk to an Orion base and vise versa.

There is also a higher level protocol used to talk to the radios by the cameras and base. I really would have like to see BEC offer the same radios used in the Orions as an option in the X80s to keep them compatible but evidently that wasn't done. It could be that the radios used in the orions were no longer available.

By the way, which BEC system do you have? I can't recall.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[John-W-WI]

By the way, which BEC system do you have? I can't recall.

I agree with your points Jack... Just a random thought I've always had.

My BEC system is the Orion. 4 cameras and all the fixin's.

-John

 

[yoderjac]

I agree with your points Jack... Just a random thought I've always had.

My BEC system is the Orion. 4 cameras and all the fixin's.

-John

Some of mine are 10 years old and still running fine, but who knows how long parts will be available if/when they eventually have issues. While I'm not interested in expanding my network at this point, but depending on price, I may be interested as backup cams if no one else is interested in buying the system for operational use. When it comes time to sell it, if you don't get any takers, let me know.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

I was at cabelas in wheeling WV earlier today. They had the cameras and caps but not the home base.
I would have impulse purchased just to see how it really worked. No home made it a no deal for me.

 

[Peplin Creek]

It looks like the base units aren't on sale yet. So it looks like you would have too make one camera a base unit to start with. Ever since I found out about this system, I have been fighting my urges to pick two cameras up and test out all the distances on my property.

 

[alldaysit]

It would make perfect sense for BEC to do that. There market share potential would be every trail camera ever sold. They would essentially be able to attach onto a Moultrie, Reconyx, XYZ or Cuddeback. The number of sales opportunities would jump through the roof for them. It's to dang bad they haven't, because I then would own them. I can't justify spending the current price on them, but I can on the Cuddeback system.....

Last year when my city boy buddy had his Moultrie and wireless cellular camera base in the woods, I was jealous of the pictures he was getting during the day during our work meetings. I've been running cams for years, he bought his first one last year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yoderjac]

It would make perfect sense for BEC to do that. There market share potential would be every trail camera ever sold. They would essentially be able to attach onto a Moultrie, Reconyx, XYZ or Cuddeback. The number of sales opportunities would jump through the roof for them. It's to dang bad they haven't, because I then would own them. I can't justify spending the current price on them, but I can on the Cuddeback system.....

Last year when my city boy buddy had his Moultrie and wireless cellular camera base in the woods, I was jealous of the pictures he was getting during the day during our work meetings. I've been running cams for years, he bought his first one last year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I doubt you would own them. They make well tested reliable products with a long life-span unlike most of the others (Reconyx perhaps being somewhat of an exception). So, let's take their repeater for example. It has all of the radio and communications functions in a reliable package with a battery and access for a solar panel. Your idea would need all of that plus the interface to the other camera. Look at the price of their repeater compared to their camera that includes the repeater function in it. Not much savings buying the repeater over another camera.

Then the cost of testing would be unreasonable. Again, unlike much of the completion which is almost disposable, BEC does rigorous testing. So many inexpensive camera models out there that change so quickly. Do they really want the nightmare of customers blaming issues on there box when the issue is likely with the third party camera? We even find that some cameras work well with certain SD cards and not so well with others.

I think it would be a bad business decision and there would be little market for it at the price range necessary to keep their stellar reputation for quality and lifespan.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[swat1018]

I bought an Eye-Fi card for my DSLR camera 10 years ago. Makes an SD card Wifi connected. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Fi-Connect-Wireless-Memory-EYE-FI-4CN/dp/B003DV4234

As a BEC user, I've wondered for years why they didn't make a device (not all that much unlike their repeaters they make now) that would allow ANY trail camera with an SD card capable of being on the BEC wireless network.

I get it, any average joe probably isn't interested in becoming an expert (which can be required to successfully run a BEC system) they just want to turn it on and have it work.

But for all of the BEC users out there being able to add to their existing network with newer technology cameras seems interesting.

I'm in the process of leaving the BEC system this year. My farm simply has too much contour to reach the whole thing but I have awesome cellular coverage

I'm still testing the new cameras, but in all likelyhood I'll have a full BEC system for sale soon.

Sir, please consider me when you are ready to sell! I'm not that far from Bill, and could possibly lean on him for advice.

 

[yoderjac]

Looks like it didn't take long to generate interest!

 

[alldaysit]

John,

The problem is that the wifi card relies on power from the camera it is in. I did look at these years ago when they first came out. From a business standpoint, I don't think it would make any sense for BEC to do that. Like any company, they don't want to lose market share. Their repeaters really serve a different function. Since every BEC camera can also act as a repeater, why would anyone buy a repeater (close to the price of a camera) rather than another camera? The only real application that I can see that makes sense is for resolving contour issues like both you and I have.

They are limited by the FCC in how much power they can put out. When you run a long cable from the camera to an antenna (even 400 series) you lose transmit power for every foot of cable. So, even though an antenna high up on a tower or mast can give you line of sight and increase the power in some directions (depending on antenna type), you are starting from a lower power level because of the long cable run.

The place where I can see a repeater being useful is if it is mounted high on a tower or mast very close to the antenna and a power cable run to the ground where a battery/solar panel would sit. The would maximize the power and if the antenna is high enough, it would be a configuration similar to a cell tower where there would be limited vegetation between cameras and the tower. If one is going to put the repeater on the ground, you might as well just buy another camera.

You are certainly right that adding newer camera technology to the BEC network would be great. It turns out that the radios are separate units inside the box and are fairly modular. I bought one of the early X7Ds when they first came out for testing. They put in a less expensive low powered radio so they could sell them for significantly less than the Orions. They got enough customer feedback about the short distance of the radio, the quickly came out with the X80. It was the same camera with a different radio. They also offered a discount to existing Z7D users for the upgrade. I sent my back for the upgrade. They simply removed the original radio and replaced it with the new higher powered one. The radios are off the shelf products made by other companies. They each have their own protocol so you can't mix and match. Radios in all the cameras need to be the same. That is why the X-series can't talk to an Orion base and vise versa.

There is also a higher level protocol used to talk to the radios by the cameras and base. I really would have like to see BEC offer the same radios used in the Orions as an option in the X80s to keep them compatible but evidently that wasn't done. It could be that the radios used in the orions were no longer available.

By the way, which BEC system do you have? I can't recall.

Thanks,

Jack

True that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yoderjac]

I finally got around to looking at the Cuddelink documentation. Sounds like the radios are pretty low power. They don't provide hard specs, but from their description I'd guess they are in the same power class with the X7D that didn't end up as practical. Looks like they will be a fun toy for folks who want to put a few cams out close to the house.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[John-W-WI]

Sir, please consider me when you are ready to sell! I'm not that far from Bill, and could possibly lean on him for advice.

I will post a link here in the for sale section with details when I decide to sell. Won't likely be very long. I think the BEC system is more suited to the terrain in MO than it is in my mountains in WI.

Thanks,

-John

 

[tcook8296]

Id like to see Cuddeback put out one camera that works as it should before I buy a bunch of them. I have had several Attacks and they are junk. I am now in the same boat with the Covert cell cams. Having issues with the new ones. Being over 800 miles away I need a reliable camera.

 

[Peplin Creek]

Id like to see Cuddeback put out one camera that works as it should before I buy a bunch of them. I have had several Attacks and they are junk. I am now in the same boat with the Covert cell cams. Having issues with the new ones. Being over 800 miles away I need a reliable camera.

I think that's with most companies. My longest running cameras are cuddeback's and haven't had issues. A couple of my close friends have had problems with theirs. it seems like you either love them or hate them. As for cell cameras, you should check out the Spartans, I have a couple and they just seem to work.

 

[g squared 23]

I'd love to hear from someone that has actually tried this system. In theory it seems perfect for our farm as it is very sensitive to pressure and we have terrible cell reception eliminating cellular cams as an option.