Tactacam Reveal XB - no 4g signal

[TNReb]

I live in an area where I always have full phone signal with Verizon - even 5g coverage.

I bought 3 of the Tactacam Reveal XB's. I went through the setup process of each one - inserting the Verizon sim cards - attaching the antennae, etc.

The app said that each of these are activated, but none of the 3 cameras show a 4g signal. The signal indicator is red for each of them (in Setup mode).

Any suggestions?

I'll take them somewhere else tonight and see if it's just something funny occurring at my house. I don't want to drive 3 hours each way to put them up tomorrow if they aren't going to work!

 

[TheLBLman]

Any suggestions?

Possibly, they require a little bit of time to get going in Tactacam's system.
This especially could be the case if you're a new subscriber, not already in their system.
If not that, may be "user error" (on your behalf),
or you may just have 3 lemons.

Really doubt the problem is with the cell service if your phone is also Verizon and working in same location.

They may start working later this evening or in the morning.

 

[TheLBLman]

By the way, most of my friends have had similar initial "issues" getting their cell cams going. Follow the directions, nothing works, but then, for no known reason, they may start working after while.

Any possibility you put the sim cards in backwards, or turned wrong side, etc.?

 

[Andy S.]

Not sure what's going on, it could be a number of things. If you or a family member are on Facebook, join "Reveal Cellular Camera - User Group" and "Reveal by Tactacam" groups. They both have a few Tactacam Reveal technicians that are members and monitor questions/discussions. The technicians will typically weigh in with invaluable advice and solutions, many times looking in Tactacam database and solving problems impromptu.

As you are experiencing first hand. always "test drive" cellular cameras for a few days in your yard, pointing camera at garage, driveway, etc so they will trigger and send pics to the app on your phone. I do this with all cellular cams so they can "prove themselves" before I drive offsite and deploy them.

 

[tellico4x4]

No idea, the XB I got last week booted right up per their instructions. Weird though that same issue with all 3...

 

[Andy S.]

What SD card are you using? Post as many details about it as you can. For best operation, follow Reveal's requirements below.

• Class 10 / Not Class 4
• U3 / Not U1
• 16GB or 32GB , No more, No less
• Minimum read speed of 90mb/s
• Full-size SD card (Not micro-SD)

 

[TNReb]

SIM card is in correctly. I checked and it'll only go in one way.

Using SanDisk Extreme 32g, Classs 10, U3.

I will boot them again in a little bit and see if anything changes.

 

[TNReb]

Turned them back on and they all worked just fine. Already transmitted pictures. Weird.

 

[Andy S.]

Good deal, you should be good to go now.

 

[Hunter0678]

Just a FYI from what Tactacam told me when I was setting up my SK's and was having similar issue. The cameras are only allowed to transmit through certain towers so even if you have great cell service, it doesn't mean that any of the local towers are ones that the camera can transmit through... its hit and miss. I went with the SK so I have the option of having both ATT and Verizon services to chose from. Where my Verizon phone gets service the camera has 0 connection. I switched to the ATT card and both my camera's were able to find towers for service.

 

[TheLBLman]

I've found that more rural hunting areas tend to be serviced more by AT&T than by Verizon, but the nearest tower can be one of either.

Regardless whether a particular cell tower is AT&T or Verizon, either "can" be "rented" to each other by either. In high population areas, AT&T and Verizon will "share" the same tower. But in more rural areas, AT&T has tended to place more towers, and Verizon refuses to pay rent in those areas, which become the reason your Verizon phone will not work when your buddy beside you has great service on his AT&T phone.

For this reason, more of the cell cams are now coming with both AT&T and Verizon sim cards. Just keep in mind you can only use either/or, and it's very easy to lose the other sim card before you might need it.

 

[Andy S.]

I went with the SK so I have the option of having both ATT and Verizon services to chose from.

All Reveals have this option nowadays (2 sim cards).

 

[Andy S.]

I've found that more rural hunting areas tend to be serviced more by AT&T than by Verizon, but the nearest tower can be one of either.

My experience too in SW TN and some parts of middle TN.

 

[Hunter0678]

All Reveals have this option nowadays (2 sim cards).

Really, I just purchased these last fall on sale, I know you can purchase cameras with both services but you have to chose when purchasing the camera, I still see this most of the time as the package says one or the other.

 

[Hunter0678]

I've found that more rural hunting areas tend to be serviced more by AT&T than by Verizon, but the nearest tower can be one of either.

Regardless whether a particular cell tower is AT&T or Verizon, either "can" be "rented" to each other by either. In high population areas, AT&T and Verizon will "share" the same tower. But in more rural areas, AT&T has tended to place more towers, and Verizon refuses to pay rent in those areas, which become the reason your Verizon phone will not work when your buddy beside you has great service on his AT&T phone.

For this reason, more of the cell cams are now coming with both AT&T and Verizon sim cards. Just keep in mind you can only use either/or, and it's very easy to lose the other sim card before you might need it.

Im just going off what the lady told me, even if there is 5 towers in the area the cell companies only allow particular towers to carry the cell cams data transfer. Either way, my place on the plateau has horrible service no matter what carrier.

 

[Andy S.]

Im just going off what the lady told me, even if there is 5 towers in the area the cell companies only allow particular towers to carry the cell cams data transfer. Either way, my place on the plateau has horrible service no matter what carrier.

Have you tried an extended external antennae? Extended Range Antennae

 

[Hunter0678]

Have you tried an extended external antennae? Extended Range Antennae

Andy, Thanks, i didn't even know this option was available, Im going to order one and see if I can get one of my cameras to work in some of our dead zones... if it does work then I will be ecstatic. Thank you very much for the link.

 

[Andy S.]

^^ You bet, best of luck!

 

[redblood]

I live in an area where I always have full phone signal with Verizon - even 5g coverage.

I bought 3 of the Tactacam Reveal XB's. I went through the setup process of each one - inserting the Verizon sim cards - attaching the antennae, etc.

The app said that each of these are activated, but none of the 3 cameras show a 4g signal. The signal indicator is red for each of them (in Setup mode).

Any suggestions?

I'll take them somewhere else tonight and see if it's just something funny occurring at my house. I don't want to drive 3 hours each way to put them up tomorrow if they aren't going to work!

Just swap to the at&t sim card.

 

[redblood]

My experience too in SW TN and some parts of middle TN.

Same here. They run much more smoothly for me on at&t