For those with wireless game cameras, how well are they working?

[windymtnman]

I'm looking into buying a wireless game camera to use at times when hunting season isn't open. (both to stay legal and to avoid thefts).
I think I read in a review, that they may need at least 3 bars of signal strength to function in sending photos to my phone? Does that sound about right? I'll never get that where I intend to use one, as I'm just too far from a tower. I may have the ability to make a cellular call from where I think I'd deploy it, but won't have 3 bars+.
Does anyone have experience and success using one that can weigh in on this? There's no point in my buying a wireless
model, and sacrificing the ability to have a cam with video capability, if the wireless feature won't work.
Thanks

 

[midwesthunter]

I ran a spypoint micro and a tactacam reveal last year.

I had nothing but problems with the spypoint. I started to switch to wireless since its over an hour each way to my whitetail property, having to go in and pull the cam three times to update doesn't work for me for a wireless cell cam.

The reveal had a stronger signal then my cell phone and I know the newer X is supposed to be even better.

There are others that offer stronger antennas.

 

[windymtnman]

I ran a spypoint micro and a tactacam reveal last year.

I had nothing but problems with the spypoint. I started to switch to wireless since its over an hour each way to my whitetail property, having to go in and pull the cam three times to update doesn't work for me for a wireless cell cam.

The reveal had a stronger signal then my cell phone and I know the newer X is supposed to be even better.

There are others that offer stronger antennas.

But as far as I know, the Tactacam brand/reveal (?), is sold out/ unavailable everywhere I've looked. The Spypoint sells an antenna booster, but there's another $60 to invest, and that much more to monkey with and have stolen at some point?

 

[midwesthunter]

I think Cabelas had the original reveals still in stock?

And the antenna wasn't the issue with the spypoint, its the software.

 

[midwesthunter]

I forgot to mention Exodus trail cams, my neighbor runs these and has been very happy with there cell version and non cell version. They have a 5 year warranty and that covers theft, I think you can buy a replacement because of theft for 50% of current price? You would need to review warranty info on their site

 

[shootbigbucks]

rumor has it, cabelas and bass pro are stock piling their Reveal X's and are going to have them in stock when their sale starts August 19th. That's a rumor and not from any credible source.

 

[Rzrbk]

I tried the spypoint and didn't like them. I run the Reconyx and have no complaints. Yes, you need about 3 bars to send photos. I bought some with AT&T and some with Verizon and that helps overcome some situations where one or the other is unavailable. I love the wireless features of the Reconyx.

 

[Gellar]

Sorry I know nothing about cellular trail cameras but I think I’m going to get some with some cabelas gift cards I have. Is there a cell provider that does better than others with the wireless cameras? I have Verizon for my phone. If I hang a camera in a bad service area and it can’t transmit the picture will it save it to a chip or am I SOL?

 

[Wildabeest]

Sorry I know nothing about cellular trail cameras but I think I’m going to get some with some cabelas gift cards I have. Is there a cell provider that does better than others with the wireless cameras? I have Verizon for my phone. If I hang a camera in a bad service area and it can’t transmit the picture will it save it to a chip or am I SOL?

I think they all save to an SD card and then transmit from there. At least that’s how my SpyPoint works. I would assume they all do that.

 

[windymtnman]

I'm looking into buying a wireless game camera to use at times when hunting season isn't open. (both to stay legal and to avoid thefts).
I think I read in a review, that they may need at least 3 bars of signal strength to function in sending photos to my phone? Does that sound about right? I'll never get that where I intend to use one, as I'm just too far from a tower. I may have the ability to make a cellular call from where I think I'd deploy it, but won't have 3 bars+.
Does anyone have experience and success using one that can weigh in on this? There's no point in my buying a wireless
model, and sacrificing the ability to have a cam with video capability, if the wireless feature won't work.
Thanks

I ended up buying a Tactacam Reveal X, and it works pretty well with two bars of signal strength. The customer service folks with this company are excellent and are even on Facebook groups helping solve issues.

 

[Guest member 25165]

Game cameras are like scratch off lottery tickets. There is like a one in five chance you will get something decent. My neighbor has the spypoint and has been getting regular pics sent to his phone but cell service is easy peasy where he hunts. Good luck with whatever scratch off you go with.

 

[grandfallsoutfitter.com]

Been wanting to buy a few of these gamecams, waiting to read some reviews and talk to some people who do use them.

 

[WIbiggame]

I have 8 of the reveal x out now and 2 of the original reveals. Split 5 on Verizon 5 on AT&T. Depending on area one provider works better.

I have 1 spot that I can't make a cell call on a Verizon phone and have a Verizon cam there with 1 bar and I still get regual pictures from it.

They have SD cards so even if they don't send I still get my pictures. I haven't had a time checking them where I had pics on the SD card that weren't sent. One thing to note is the reveals send only the 2nd pic in a 3 shot burst. Also they are thumbnail pics to your phone so will be far less quality than when you pull the card.

Battery life is amazing on the reveals, have some energizer alkaline batteries that have taken over 5000 pictures and still at 40%, 3500 of those pics were in December and January here in WI with sub freezing temps.

Been using bulk Duracell pro batteries from Amazon that past couple months and seem to be holding up very well.

 

[Beignet]

I’ve was gifted a SpyPoint that’s worked well. Their customer service was great with the one water related malfunction that happened. I have the one with the solar charger and have left it out all winter with no problems, getting photos of all sorts of fun critters zapped in daily. This was in the northeast though, where cell service is fairly hard to get away from. I think mine is the non-Verizon (maybe AT&T?) package. Whichever one doesn’t require an additional cell plan.

Out west, I just use it as a regular old trail cam and go fetch the cards cause cell service tends to croak right as soon as I get out of town. I still take it down before the season so as to not run afoul of the law, even if it’s not actively transmitting photos to my phone.

 

[kayak4me]

Absolutely love my Stealth Cam Reactors and Fusions. I prefer them over my Reveal X and Spypoints. If the Reveal app was more intuitive, I'd probably prefer theirs but even the Spypoint App is better than Tactacam.