Has the tech advanced yet?

[SD51555]

I've been waiting for someone to invent a closed circuit wireless network camera system. I don't know if I'm using those words correctly, but here are my constraints.

I don't have line of sight in my woods. It's thick.
I don't get reliable cell signal, so conventional cell cams don't transmit.
I don't have grid power or wifi at the cabin.

I've been waiting to build some sort of wireless surveillance system on my place, where I'd have solar panels on power supplies in the woods for the cams, and then either run a cable back to the cabin, or use wireless antennas to get the data back to a hard drive. But it seems like I'm the only one on earth that needs this, so nobody has invented a way to do it. Have I missed the advent of a system that does this, or a person that knows how?

 

[MW22392]

I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but look into the cuddle link system. You can put the home device at your cabin and the other cameras will transmit to it. At least that’s what I’ve read.

 

[Daydreamer]

I've been waiting for someone to invent a closed circuit wireless network camera system. I don't know if I'm using those words correctly, but here are my constraints.

I don't have line of sight in my woods. It's thick.
I don't get reliable cell signal, so conventional cell cams don't transmit.
I don't have grid power or wifi at the cabin.

I've been waiting to build some sort of wireless surveillance system on my place, where I'd have solar panels on power supplies in the woods for the cams, and then either run a cable back to the cabin, or use wireless antennas to get the data back to a hard drive. But it seems like I'm the only one on earth that needs this, so nobody has invented a way to do it. Have I missed the advent of a system that does this, or a person that knows how?

Didn't MOBuck have a similar set up to this at his old place in Missouri? No clue how he did it.

 

[SD51555]

Didn't MOBuck have a similar set up to this at his old place in Missouri? No clue how he did it.

I'm almost certain he had grid power and wifi, and his cams were wireless.

 

[Foggy47]

FWIW.....I have the Cuddelink set up at my place. I have seven total cameras. All pictures are sent to the Base unit where they are stored on a SD card in that camera. If the further cameras are not within radio range of that home camera.....it will submit through the closest camera in a "daisy chain" type of event as long as the cameras are within about 1/4 mile apart or less. Therefore cameras could be miles from the "base" camera and still get the pictures to that base unit. Typically (for me) most cameras are in direct radio contact with the base unit......and two of my cameras use the daisy-chain system. (no difference in performance if all batteries are good). I have about $1700 invested in my system.

Once they are stored on the Base unit SD Card......the Base unit can simply store the pics......or transmit via cellular to you computer or phone. Works slick. I look at my pictures each morning and evening. Can really see the effects of a "lockdown" or nocturnal behavior. Now going on since the rifle opener. Best of all.....the cost is only $10 / month (depending on number of pictures transmitted via cellular)......as you only pay for the BASE camera and not the others.

Finally, I keep solar collector on the base camera and rechargeable batteries. I have not had to change those batteries in over three years of steady use. Most of the rest of my cameras use 4 D-cell batteries. They last from 60 to90 days depending on the number of pics taken. I buy D batteries in bulk.....and I figure my annual battery cost to be about $70 / year with pictures from July through December. I keep two cameras on for security purposes in the winter. Take the others down and store indoors.

If no cell service......you can simply take the chip out of the base camera and go thru your pics at your cabin when you get there. Not sure if that works for you.

EDIT: With rechargeable batteries and a solar panel.....the cameras could operate operate for extended periods of time and no need to go to the camera. For me.....going to a camera every few months to replace the batteries trumps paying for all that solar gear. I know others feel differently on the solar...but I figure it costs more than a few batteries.


I like the fact that I can monitor my area each day.....even when I am in OZ (Arizona).

 

[SD51555]

FWIW.....I have the Cuddelink set up at my place. I have seven total cameras. All pictures are sent to the Base unit where they are stored on a SD card in that camera. If the further cameras are not within radio range of that home camera.....it will submit through the closest camera in a "daisy chain" type of event as long as the cameras are within about 1/4 mile apart or less. Therefore cameras could be miles from the "base" camera and still get the pictures to that base unit. Typically (for me) most cameras are in direct radio contact with the base unit......and two of my cameras use the daisy-chain system. (no difference in performance if all batteries are good). I have about $1700 invested in my system.

Once they are stored on the Base unit SD Card......the Base unit can simply store the pics......or transmit via cellular to you computer or phone. Works slick. I look at my pictures each morning and evening. Can really see the effects of a "lockdown" or nocturnal behavior. Now going on since the rifle opener. Best of all.....the cost is only $10 / month (depending on number of pictures transmitted via cellular)......as you only pay for the BASE camera and not the others.

Finally, I keep solar collector on the base camera and rechargeable batteries. I have not had to change those batteries in over three years of steady use. Most of the rest of my cameras use 4 D-cell batteries. They last from 60 to90 days depending on the number of pics taken. I buy D batteries in bulk.....and I figure my annual battery cost to be about $70 / year with pictures from July through December. I keep two cameras on for security purposes in the winter. Take the others down and store indoors.

If no cell service......you can simply take the chip out of the base camera and go thru your pics at your cabin when you get there. Not sure if that works for you.

EDIT: With rechargeable batteries and a solar panel.....the cameras could operate operate for extended periods of time and no need to go to the camera. For me.....going to a camera every few months to replace the batteries trumps paying for all that solar gear. I know others feel differently on the solar...but I figure it costs more than a few batteries.

Do the daisey chain cams require line of site to transmit to one another?

 

[Foggy47]

Do the daisey chain cams require line of site to transmit to one another?

Nope. That pic of the turkeys is about 1/4 mile from the base cam.......and I have a cam about 800 yard further away that will transmit through this cam. None have line of sight on my property.

 

[T-Max]

My cameras are often obscured from one another by terrain or vegetation and sometimes both. My home unit is over the crest from any of them. As you set them you can check the "link level." My total system spans well over 1/2 mile. My home unit is a cell unit, but could just as easily be an SD unit I can check from time to time.

 

[Foggy47]

My cameras are often obscured from one another by terrain or vegetation and sometimes both. My home unit is over the crest from any of them. As you set them you can check the "link level." My total system spans well over 1/2 mile. My home unit is a cell unit, but could just as easily be an SD unit I can check from time to time.

Yeah....but if you had no "Base" unit (or as Cudde calls it "Base Camp") the others would not have a camera to forward the pics to.....right? If your going to each camera to get pics....you could buy cheaper gear. In the Cuddelink system that Base Camp (home) camera is everything.

EDIT: Re-read your post T-max.......and I think I mis-read. Your saying that you could simply do a card pull from that base camera (I think). If so, we are on the same page. Sorry.

 

[T-Max]

Correct. My home is a cell, but I used to use a normal camera as the home. It was my least intrusive camera and I would go pull its card once a week or so.

 

[Foggy47]

Correct. My home is a cell, but I used to use a normal camera as the home. It was my least intrusive camera and I would go pull its card once a week or so.

I did not know you could operate as a system without having the "Home" Camera without a cellular cam. I guess I never considered that. The benefit being you only are checking ONE camera right? But how do you know (or chose) which camera is going to store the pics?

 

[Foggy47]

One thing I am anxiously waiting for (from Cudde) is the ability to take a thumbnail and have it "enlarged" via the cellular system. That way when you get a really good pic.....you could download that pic with more pixels and better clarity. The thumbnail pics suffice for most things.....but once in a while I want that full size print.

That 'thumbnail" prevents me from entering pics in the monthly 'picture contest" we have on this site......and just for my own personal satisfaction. Not sure the cost on this new feature.....but it likely will be worth it on occasion to have a thumbnail enlarged. I mostly own my cams to keep an "inventory" on the critters using my land and for security purposes too. A cam system lets you know what to expect for each season.

FWIW: I bought my first set up as a four camera package from Archery Country. Great Stores! They set all my cameras for the first time.....and I placed them in my yard to gain a little know-how on the workings......which is actually quite easy once you get past the fear of tech. I later added 3 more cams......and a solar collector for my base cam. Been pretty fool-proof for me.....likely because I had someone to answer questions and get me past the confusion of such tech during the early 'whitewater" days (which really do not exist). Also the thread on Cudde and Paul Volker here on this site are priceless.

 

[SwampCat]

Pics sent by cudde system - not off camera card “thumbnails”

 

[T-Max]

I did not know you could operate as a system without having the "Home" Camera without a cellular cam. I guess I never considered that. The benefit being you only are checking ONE camera right? But how do you know (or chose) which camera is going to store the pics?

If you remember when you set up the system you had to set each camera as a remote? I think that may have been the default actually, but you can choose remote, repeater, or home. You simply set one of the cameras that would normally be a remote to home and all other cameras will transmit there. When you pull the SD card there are two folders on it. One contains that camera's images and the other folder has subfolders for all of the other cameras that have sent pictures to it. They are the same thumbnail quality as the cell transmitted ones.

I agree with you on the ability to get an HD image on demand. I absolutely hate the Stealth Cam I have with the only desirable feature being the ability to download an HD image.

 

[Foggy47]

If you remember when you set up the system you had to set each camera as a remote? I think that may have been the default actually, but you can choose remote, repeater, or home. You simply set one of the cameras that would normally be a remote to home and all other cameras will transmit there. When you pull the SD card there are two folders on it. One contains that camera's images and the other folder has subfolders for all of the other cameras that have sent pictures to it. They are the same thumbnail quality as the cell transmitted ones.

I agree with you on the ability to get an HD image on demand. I absolutely hate the Stealth Cam I have with the only desirable feature being the ability to download an HD image.

Huh.....I did not know this.....or ever give it much thought I suppose. I do remember seeing those options......but he guys at Archery Country set up my system so, for me, it was pretty much ready to go out of the box. Likely a good thing too....because I really had allot on my plate at that time in life......and did not have time to fool with cameras. Gotta say.....the system has been more foolproof than I imagined it would be......and it seems like a fair price for such a system. If I had seven cameras in use for 6 months the cost would be $420 / year in cell costs. I hate those high monthly costs.

Tho....some of the pics I see out of those Tactacam's are spectacular. Maybe Cudde's new HD pics will solve that issue. Sometimes on the more distant pics it gets hard to determine what you have without better resolution.

 

[Mtyhunter]

been using cuddelink for i think 6 years now. it's a little pricey at first, but, all the benefits easily outweigh the costs, so its a good value for your money for sure. cams are durable, only had one cam failure in 6 years, which cuddeback took care of. i have 3 others that hunt with me on our lease, and they bought cuddelink cams, and i let them link up on my system, so we can all see all the pics. the wireless tech this system has still amazes me. i have one cam 900 yds away from the home unit, thru the woods and hills, and it still connects and send pics.
for those that think its not a good system, try to find used cuddelink cameras for sale. good luck

 

[john volkman]

One thing I am anxiously waiting for (from Cudde) is the ability to take a thumbnail and have it "enlarged" via the cellular system. That way when you get a really good pic.....you could download that pic with more pixels and better clarity. The thumbnail pics suffice for most things.....but once in a while I want that full size print.

That 'thumbnail" prevents me from entering pics in the monthly 'picture contest" we have on this site......and just for my own personal satisfaction. Not sure the cost on this new feature.....but it likely will be worth it on occasion to have a thumbnail enlarged. I mostly own my cams to keep an "inventory" on the critters using my land and for security purposes too. A cam system lets you know what to expect for each season.

FWIW: I bought my first set up as a four camera package from Archery Country. Great Stores! They set all my cameras for the first time.....and I placed them in my yard to gain a little know-how on the workings......which is actually quite easy once you get past the fear of tech. I later added 3 more cams......and a solar collector for my base cam. Been pretty fool-proof for me.....likely because I had someone to answer questions and get me past the confusion of such tech during the early 'whitewater" days (which really do not exist). Also the thread on Cudde and Paul Volker here on this site are priceless.

this is coming, as soon as the speed the remotes transmit is where it needs to be , im testing gen 3 right now and its close.

 

[West_Fork]

If you remember when you set up the system you had to set each camera as a remote? I think that may have been the default actually, but you can choose remote, repeater, or home. You simply set one of the cameras that would normally be a remote to home and all other cameras will transmit there. When you pull the SD card there are two folders on it. One contains that camera's images and the other folder has subfolders for all of the other cameras that have sent pictures to it. They are the same thumbnail quality as the cell transmitted ones.

I agree with you on the ability to get an HD image on demand. I absolutely hate the Stealth Cam I have with the only desirable feature being the ability to download an HD image.

It took me a month to figure out how to download the HD file on my stealths. I like the auto tagging stealth does. I can filter all of the pictures to just pics of vehicles, or foxes, or people, or maybe even deer. I was impressed with the deceptor model, that was good unit with a good sensor, but it burned up. I am much happier with cudde.

 

[Foggy47]

this is coming, as soon as the speed the remotes transmit is where it needs to be , im testing gen 3 right now and its close.

My bad....I wrote Paul instead of John. I kinda knew something was amiss when I wrote that....but what the hay.....I'm getting old. grin. Thanks for all you do John (aka Paul, grin).

Edit: If memory serves, Paul Volker was the Fed Chairman or something of similar importance.....that is why John's name is in that top file drawer. lol

 

[Wind Gypsy]

doesn’t the buckeye system that @Bill uses have a similar type of wireless mesh? More expensive made in USA setup iirc though?