Cuddeback's Cuddelink

[Bpressley]

John or anyone else,
Can you post the latest firmware versions for the G series, J series, and the cell home units? Right now I have 6.0.0 for my G series, 6.7.0 for my J series, and 7.3.0 for my cell home. On a side note, I really wish Cuddeback would have a listing of the latest updates on their site so everyone could do a quick check of the firmware to see if they are up to date. Also would like to see email reminders sent out for any new firmware updates so we could keep current as well. Thanks.

 

[john volkman]

John or anyone else,
Can you post the latest firmware versions for the G series, J series, and the cell home units? Right now I have 6.0.0 for my G series, 6.7.0 for my J series, and 7.3.0 for my cell home. On a side note, I really wish Cuddeback would have a listing of the latest updates on their site so everyone could do a quick check of the firmware to see if they are up to date. Also would like to see email reminders sent out for any new firmware updates so we could keep current as well. Thanks.

the latest firmware is always available on the cuddeback website, look under "support" here is a link to that page
https://www.cuddeback.com/support

 

[Bpressley]

Thanks John I appreciate it. But what I meant was, there should be a more convenient way to check the current firmware without having to download, unzip it, etc.

 

[john volkman]

Firmware updates are all encompassing , meaning a firmware update will and can apply to all series of cameras . I know others have asked before if cuddeback could detail exactly what each update accomplished but the fact of the matter is most updates are very minor fixes and any major updates I will update on here and often our site will call it out. Ownership has taken the stance that they do not prefer to divulge what each update does or why it was needed . I don’t see this stance changing anytime soon . That’s really all I can tell you at this time.

 

[john volkman]

Best advice I can give is to update your cameras once per year unless a camera has a major issue you are trying to trouble shoot or Cuddeback announces an immediate need to update( rarely if ever happens). I update mine before I deploy in the summer each year. Cameras do not all have to be on the same firmware to operate together.

 

[VTer]

I know I read this in the thread somewhere but can’t find it. H

ow do I find all the data about each camera that is in the photos? I have an IMac and can’t seem to find it. Thank you.

 

[Ed Brodt]

i also run an iMac. When I plug in the SD card from the home camera there is a folder that contains the data for each camera in my system.

 

[spaniel]

My four cameras have been out for a couple weeks now. Overall the performance seems good. I get my pics and reports each day.

I am wondering how well these cameras trigger on game. For the amount of sign on the trails I set the cameras, I get few pics. 1-2 a day across the 4 cameras, typically. Day pics are extremely rare. One camera is on an ATV trail where I previously had a regular game camera for 6 weeks. It would typically take 2-3 pics a day of deer, turkey, coyotes, and even a bobcat. That camera took 4 pics of me after I turned it on, and has not taken a single pic since. When I go back next weekend I am going to hook the regular game camera right under it and validate what is going on. Its signal and battery are strong on the report. I bought 2 more cameras to add to the system.

 

[john volkman]

My four cameras have been out for a couple weeks now. Overall the performance seems good. I get my pics and reports each day.

I am wondering how well these cameras trigger on game. For the amount of sign on the trails I set the cameras, I get few pics. 1-2 a day across the 4 cameras, typically. Day pics are extremely rare. One camera is on an ATV trail where I previously had a regular game camera for 6 weeks. It would typically take 2-3 pics a day of deer, turkey, coyotes, and even a bobcat. That camera took 4 pics of me after I turned it on, and has not taken a single pic since. When I go back next weekend I am going to hook the regular game camera right under it and validate what is going on. Its signal and battery are strong on the report. I bought 2 more cameras to add to the system.

if the camera senses you it will sense game animals, it is triggered by motion and heat - the only thing i have seen people do quite often is they set their cameras very high. I rarely set mine above waist high and usually thigh high. The only time i will set mine higher is on a scrape facing down towards the scraper from above. I used my cuddelink's all spring to scout turkeys and had no issues with them sensing them, i did put them on on poles about knee high to make sure i captured the turkeys.

 

[spaniel]

if the camera senses you it will sense game animals, it is triggered by motion and heat - the only thing i have seen people do quite often is they set their cameras very high. I rarely set mine above waist high and usually thigh high. The only time i will set mine higher is on a scrape facing down towards the scraper from above. I used my cuddelink's all spring to scout turkeys and had no issues with them sensing them, i did put them on on poles about knee high to make sure i captured the turkeys.

The camera was set in the exact position as the prior camera, waist height. This is why the difference in pictures stands out to me. There was a particular gobbler which I was hunting which appeared on the prior camera at least 2 out of every 3 days within a half hour window in the morning on the prior camera. This Cuddelink camera has not triggered a single time since 3 minutes after I set it up 2 weeks ago. The prior camera set up for 6 weeks had captured 2-3 legit images a day within 5 yards of the camera....and this Cuddelink camera has not triggered a single one in 2 weeks placed in the exact same place. Thus my concern.

The four I have deployed are IR cameras. My two new ones are black flash. For this particular location, I will replace the Cuddelink camera with one of the new black flash cameras AND hang the old normal trail cam right below it and see what happens. I will move that IR camera to a new location. I will let the data tell the story.

 

[john volkman]

The camera was set in the exact position as the prior camera, waist height. This is why the difference in pictures stands out to me. There was a particular gobbler which I was hunting which appeared on the prior camera at least 2 out of every 3 days within a half hour window in the morning on the prior camera. This Cuddelink camera has not triggered a single time since 3 minutes after I set it up 2 weeks ago. The prior camera set up for 6 weeks had captured 2-3 legit images a day within 5 yards of the camera....and this Cuddelink camera has not triggered a single one in 2 weeks placed in the exact same place. Thus my concern.

The four I have deployed are IR cameras. My two new ones are black flash. For this particular location, I will replace the Cuddelink camera with one of the new black flash cameras AND hang the old normal trail cam right below it and see what happens. I will move that IR camera to a new location. I will let the data tell the story.

hang them side by side for a true test , hanging one camera above or below the other wont give you the test results you need. You could also hang one a above for a period of time and then swap them. Also keep in mind that cuddeback's have a narrower detection zone designed into them. With faster trigger speeds Cuddeback can get away with a narrow detection zone and still capture the animal in the center of the frame. Many other trail cameras have a extra wide detection zone to make up for poor trigger speed. Often times, these cameras will take more pics but the percentage of useful photos is less. Our g series allows the user to pic either wide or narrow detection with a flip down feature on front of the camera. Im guessing you are using the J series so that would not be an option.
When you check the camera , if you can walk in front of it at a 90 degree angle and it doesnt sense you and take a pic, call CS and send it in for replacement or repair.

 

[spaniel]

Of course just hours after I say something, it snaps this pic...clearly it's not a dead camera. I think I'll just swap for another and move this one, and see what happens.

I can't hang the other next to this one as it's a tree. (Modified to add - guess I could screw a board to the tree and try this....)

These are J cameras. Setting up the 2 new ones tonight I noticed you can choose Aspect Full or Wide. This is just the photo and not the sensor angle?

And I will say you are correct about the triggering issue. To this point I've used exclusively cheaper cameras and it's not unusual to get 200 pictures and only 20 are good...sunset typically wreck havoc on them and the trigger repeatedly as the sun goes through a certain arc. Multiple brands, same issue. Thus far I have gotten about 55 images from my four Cuddebacks and only one image did not contain an animal.

 

[john volkman]

Of course just hours after I say something, it snaps this pic...clearly it's not a dead camera. I think I'll just swap for another and move this one, and see what happens.

I can't hang the other next to this one as it's a tree. (Modified to add - guess I could screw a board to the tree and try this....)

These are J cameras. Setting up the 2 new ones tonight I noticed you can choose Aspect Full or Wide. This is just the photo and not the sensor angle?

And I will say you are correct about the triggering issue. To this point I've used exclusively cheaper cameras and it's not unusual to get 200 pictures and only 20 are good...sunset typically wreck havoc on them and the trigger repeatedly as the sun goes through a certain arc. Multiple brands, same issue. Thus far I have gotten about 55 images from my four Cuddebacks and only one image did not contain an animal.

just based on the pic you attached, i would say you need to lower your camera quite a bit, and change the angle if possible. The illumination and the position of the deer in the frame tell me this. that alone will increase your image captures.
Aspect is just the photo, but "zone " setting will have an effect on detection angle , although on the J series it wont be much at all. "Zone" setting on the G will have a greater effect and is what model camera that option was designed for.

 

[spaniel]

just based on the pic you attached, i would say you need to lower your camera quite a bit, and change the angle if possible. The illumination and the position of the deer in the frame tell me this. that alone will increase your image captures.
Aspect is just the photo, but "zone " setting will have an effect on detection angle , although on the J series it wont be much at all. "Zone" setting on the G will have a greater effect and is what model camera that option was designed for.

I agree the camera appears mounted higher than it really is, all I can guess is the way the safe attached to the tree it is pointed up a bit and I will correct.

What do you mean by change the angle apart from that?

 

[john volkman]

I agree the camera appears mounted higher than it really is, all I can guess is the way the safe attached to the tree it is pointed up a bit and I will correct.

What do you mean by change the angle apart from that?

it appears from the way the background is illuminated that the camera is angled down and its high . I would try to lower it and make sure the camera is as level as possible . The way it is set now , the cone angle is such that the detection area is smaller than it should be, thus a deer has to be in a very defined area to be detected.

 

[spaniel]

it appears from the way the background is illuminated that the camera is angled down and its high . I would try to lower it and make sure the camera is as level as possible . The way it is set now , the cone angle is such that the detection area is smaller than it should be, thus a deer has to be in a very defined area to be detected.

Regardless the optics of the image, the camera is set at hip height looking over level ground. I agree the pic doesn't look that way but that's the reality of it. I will revisit the site and determine the solution. My guess comparing this image to the prior camera hung in the exact same spot on the tree...which did show more of a downward angle...is simple the vertical angle the safe forces the camera to take.

 

[FredG]

The green rectangular overlay is an approximation of where the PIR sensing zone is located relative to the picture on the J cameras. At present the camera is tipped too high allowing for a lot of critters to walk under the PIR sensor undetected, especially relatively close and short ones. Also, you could shorten your delay time from 15 seconds down to 5 seconds to possibly get more pictures per trip of the PIR.

 

[VTer]

Is there a way to see all the camera info that is embedded in the pictures on an iMac? I know how to do it with Windows but cant figure it out on a Mac. I am talking about the info like Battery % BP.

 

[Ed Brodt]

Is there a way to see all the camera info that is embedded in the pictures on an iMac? I know how to do it with Windows but cant figure it out on a Mac. I am talking about the info like Battery % BP.

Go to photo icon at bottom of your home page. Double click on the photo you are interested in. When it opens up look at the top bar. You will see box with a circle and a small i in it. Click on this and your data will come up

 

[spaniel]

The green rectangular overlay is an approximation of where the PIR sensing zone is located relative to the picture on the J cameras. At present the camera is tipped too high allowing for a lot of critters to walk under the PIR sensor undetected, especially relatively close and short ones. Also, you could shorten your delay time from 15 seconds down to 5 seconds to possibly get more pictures per trip of the PIR.

View attachment 24526

Very informative -- thank you!