Cell network trail camera.......

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cfmartin1833

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Does anyone have any experience with the trail cams that work on cell networks. I want one that work on the Verizon network and want some advice on what other people have experience with! What is everyone's experience with them.
 
As far as I know the only ones that offered plans were att and you bought your plan based upon number of pictures you want to receive and you can put your plan on hold for so many months out of the year and pay a reduced monthly charge!! That's how It was a couple years ago, don't know if or how much has changed.
 
The idea certainly has advantages. But due to the cost for each camera, the lack of cell service in many rural areas, and the low quality of the images transmitted, I won't be jumping on that idea any time soon.
 
The picture quality posted in the above link looked really good!!
its 8mp so that is definitely good enough quality to blow up rather large 8x10 or even larger!! The whole point of any trail camera is to pattern and figure out game animals so as long as they are reliable,give me good enough pictures to see what im dealing with, Im happy!!
 
TITANSFAN2104 said:
The picture quality posted in the above link looked really good!!
its 8mp so that is definitely good enough quality to blow up rather large 8x10 or even larger!!
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Most cell systems downsize their pictures dramatically before sending them--usually down to 1.3 MP--to cut down on data transmission time/cost. Now the camera will still store the original image in full resolution, but that still requires visiting the camera to get the full resolution image.


The whole point of any trail camera is to pattern and figure out game animals so as long as they are reliable,give me good enough pictures to see what im dealing with, Im happy!!
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Actually, the trail-camera was invented as a research and herd monitoring tool, not a scouting tool, although that's is what many owners now use them for.
 
BSK said:
TITANSFAN2104 said:
The picture quality posted in the above link looked really good!!
its 8mp so that is definitely good enough quality to blow up rather large 8x10 or even larger!!
Click to expand...

Most cell systems downsize their pictures dramatically before sending them--usually down to 1.3 MP--to cut down on data transmission time/cost. Now the camera will still store the original image in full resolution, but that still requires visiting the camera to get the full resolution image.


The whole point of any trail camera is to pattern and figure out game animals so as long as they are reliable,give me good enough pictures to see what im dealing with, Im happy!!
Click to expand...

Actually, the trail-camera was invented as a research and herd monitoring tool, not a scouting tool, although that's is what many owners now use them for.
Click to expand...
The pictures in the link andy posted didnt look like 1.3mp and a full 8mp image is only 350kb or so which isnt anything for the cell network or the data network. How do you know it downconverts if youve never had one??
The point is they are used to moniter game animals for whatever reason i never said what they were initially marketed for. Although the wreason the cameras we see today on store shelves are there are because they ARE marketed towards hunters for the intentions of patternig/scouting , not to win a photo contest :)
 
TITANSFAN2104 said:
The pictures in the link andy posted didnt look like 1.3mp and a full 8mp image is only 350kb or so...
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That depends on how the manufacturer designs their system. Some camera makers use a file compaction firmware that stores images in small files. Others don't.


How do you know it downconverts if youve never had one??
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Using trail-cameras and keeping up with trail-camera technology is a big part of my job. On the side, I also test cameras for manufaturers. I've tested cameras for Buckeye, Reconyx, Stealth, Moultrie, Cuddeback, HCO, and Uway.


The point is they are used to moniter game animals for whatever reason i never said what they were initially marketed for. Although the wreason the cameras we see today on store shelves are there are because they ARE marketed towards hunters for the intentions of patternig/scouting , not to win a photo contest :)
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Some are specifically marketed to hunters, some are not. The higher-end units are still marketed to those managing and monitoring herds, and that's why image quality is important in these units. The bottle-of-the-line cheap stuff sold in hunting stores is certainly marketed to hunters, and that's why quality in these units is not a major consideration. The cheapest price possible is the prime selling tool for those units.
 
8 POINTS OR BETTER said:
I've had good luck with the Covert Special Opps and the quality of the pictures are top notch for a black flash camera.
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My buddy has a couple of them and he has good experience with them so far. He has had to tweak them a little because if they are in the direct sun, they may blow up your phone with images. But they take decent pictures and don't seem to affect the deer.
 
I really like the night-time illumination of the Covert black-flash cams--probably the best going of all the AA powered cams. However, I find the night images just a tad fuzzy.
 
fairchaser said:
8 POINTS OR BETTER said:
I've had good luck with the Covert Special Opps and the quality of the pictures are top notch for a black flash camera.
Click to expand...

My buddy has a couple of them and he has good experience with them so far. He has had to tweak them a little because if they are in the direct sun, they may blow up your phone with images. But they take decent pictures and don't seem to affect the deer.
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I have always had the best luck facing north/south as well as at least stomach high or higher!! I learned the.hard way back in the day of 35mm and only pitting them knee high :( . To bsk , what are some of the better cameras in reliability regardless of cost because as much as you hear cuddebacks name, I have heard horror stories about them!!
 
My favorite saying about Cuddeback is: "Friends don't let friends buy Cuddeback."

Unfortunately, right now no one short of BuckeyeCam is making flawless cameras. Buckeye makes a cool series of wireless cams (communicate with radio frequencies, not cell-signal), but they are expensive. Even the great reputation of Reconyx has been sullied of late due to problems with the new Hyperfire series of cameras (but their older models were flawless systems).

Honestly, I'm at the point of buying the $200 Chinese-made cameras and taking my chances. So far, the cameras I've seen run the longest are the HCO SG550 series, the Coverts, and Bushnell series cameras. But any Chinese-made camera can be a lemon right out of the box. Quality Control is an unheard of process in their manufacturing.

Of all the cameras I'm running right now, my favorite is the newer Uway VH200B black-flash ($200), especially with a black-flash flash extender attached ($80). That solves the problem of short illumination distances at night. However, this is a newer model camera, so only time will tell if it's reliable over the long hual.
 
BSK said:
My favorite saying about Cuddeback is: "Friends don't let friends buy Cuddeback."
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x 2

BSK said:
Of all the cameras I'm running right now, my favorite is the newer Uway VH200B black-flash ($200), especially with a black-flash flash extender attached ($80). That solves the problem of short illumination distances at night. However, this is a newer model camera, so only time will tell if it's reliable over the long hual.
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I feel the same way about Uway that I feel about Cuddeback: Junk

I went thru several Uway cams last year and all that happened was a waste of both my time and money.

Best bet under $300 for some chance of lasting value is probably the 2012 Bushnell HD series. At least they come with a 2-yr guarantee and Bushnell probably won't be going out of business any time soon. Not sure you can say that about the others.
 
Wes Parrish said:
Best bet under $300 for some chance of lasting value is probably the 2012 Bushnell HD series. At least they come with a 2-yr guarantee and Bushnell probably won't be going out of business any time soon. Not sure you can say that about the others.
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VERY good camera. I have the previous year's model and like it a lot, other than the fact it is red-glow. But very reliable and takes great pictures.
 

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