What cellular game cameras? Recommendations?

[levers4life]

Thank you everyone for your input. This forum is always good for sage advice. Everybody have a great weekend!

 

[westexhunt]

I use cell cams year around for watching livestock water, on a pig brig hog trap and occasionally on a corn feeder. I've had SPYPOINT (trash), the Cuddeback system with multiple cameras running off a main (multiple issues and big money invested), had one other in the early days that was a big pain in my ***. Now I use Tactacam (mine are Reveal X Pro, my buddy that uses them for watching illegal aliens cross his ranch uses the Reveal X). They have been 100% reliable, battery life is great (I use the rechargeable AA from harbor freight and charge them in a digital charger), if you call customer service an American answers and can usually get ME straightened out. I've had issues on occasion but it was operator error not camera error.

 

[levers4life]

I use cell cams year around for watching livestock water, on a pig brig hog trap and occasionally on a corn feeder. I've had SPYPOINT (trash), the Cuddeback system with multiple cameras running off a main (multiple issues and big money invested), had one other in the early days that was a big pain in my ***. Now I use Tactacam (mine are Reveal X Pro, my buddy that uses them for watching illegal aliens cross his ranch uses the Reveal X). They have been 100% reliable, battery life is great (I use the rechargeable AA from harbor freight and charge them in a digital charger), if you call customer service an American answers and can usually get ME straightened out. I've had issues on occasion but it was operator error not camera error.

Using them year-round is my plan as well. We have a guest house on the other side of river that we want to put a cam or two on and I'll be putting them up at my gates. I plan on running 6-8 cameras so good customer service and recognizable English is important too. Thanks for the advice!

 

[OFtrash]

Ive used Covert and Tactacam but only use Tactacam now. Coverts were good but for the price it's hard to beat Tactacam.

 

[WGTX]

I recently switched from Spypoint to Tactacam. The Spypoint CS absolutely sucked, I had one camera die (out of warranty) 2 weeks after paying a yearly unlimited plan, when I asked to transfer it to another camera they basically said pound sand. So far I'm not impressed with the Tactacam. On the "unlimited" plan it will only send 1 picture of a burst, sends a boat load of pictures of nothing. I've played around with sensitivity, send, all settings etc to no avail. This one is in my backyard 150yd from my house so I can look at it when it sends me a picture of a deer/pig/dog or whatever that's not there like there's a delay sending. Spypoint never had this issue on the same cell network.

 

[Boss Hoss]

I have a number of the game cameras mostly for security at the ranch in NM and a couple here in Texas. Have a few though at my feeders. Tried several brands over the years and the Spartan (not the cheapest) pretty much puts them to shame. The Spy Points are the worst for managing the communications through the phone. Cameras require frequent manual reboots AND the batteries (internal and the external ones) have failed numerous times with the internal battery not being user replaceable. Have had to on all of the cameras use silicone to reattach the actual solar panel to its holder on the top as the sun and heat made the sealer and glue fail from what they used to build them with.

First pic is Texas this am and the 2nd is the IR pic from NM last night in a high wind even. What is really awesome is the ability to live stream video with sound and record it on demand.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Tactacam. Very few problems with them. Good support, and accessories.

I have 10 cameras on 2 different ranches. I have Tactacam solar panels on 4 of them and homemade solar setups on 2.

The Tactacam brand solar panels give me zero problems so far. Over a year on one setup without having to replace batteries.

I love the video option. A picture sometimes isn't enough but a video tells a different story.

 

[Dean2]

For about 3 weeks I have been running a new Tactacam x3.0 and a Reconeco on the sale post, one above the other, covering exactly the same area. I took the first X3.0 back yesterday and got a replacement x3.0 Pro model. Put it up yesterday afternoon on the same pole. The Reconeco captures MANY pictures of deer, fox and coyotes that the Tactacam misses completely. No picture of any kind.

The replacement one I got yesterday, figured the first one might be defective, is showing the same pattern. Over yesterday afternoon and last nigh, Reconeco captures animals, and about half the time, nothing on the Tactacam. These are not animals far out on the edge of detection range, they are dead square in the middle of the detection fields. This happens at night and during the day.Both Tactacams and the Reconeco are set for max sensitivity.

Am going to run this test a couple more weeks, but I can see the Tactacam going back for a refund and more Reconecos in the stable. A Game Camera that doesn't reliably capture game is not a lot of use.

 

[Dean2]

Decided to start a new thread.

 

[Dean2]

Last pictures from trial above as it only allows ten attachments per post.

Later that morning, caught by both the Reconeco and the Tactacam.

 

[levers4life]

Last pictures from trial above as it only allows ten attachments per post.

View attachment 616167

Later that morning, caught by both the Reconeco and the Tactacam.

View attachment 616168
View attachment 616169

Thanks for the pics!

 

[Dean2]

Thanks for the pics!

Thee are a bunch more on the thread I started called Reconeco versus Tactacam Reveal test

Reconeco Tested Against Tactacam Reveal 3.0X and 3.X Pro

Test results Have been running a Reconeco Kanuk, their latest model, and originally a Tactacam X3.0, not the Pro model, followed by the 3.0 Pro, on the same post, one above the other pointing in the same direction, in my back yard. Reconeco has one plan, $16 a month unlimited, $180 for the...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[Wolf76]

I run cuddeback cameras. They are OK. Pictures are decent but not great. I don't need to know how big each buck is to the nearest inch. The cell package is why I use them. Pay ~$21 a month for 2500 pics (that's a total for all cameras upto 21 on a system) Running 9 cameras on my 60 acres of timber makes this an easy option. If I hunted multiple properties, I'd look at something different.
Tried spypoint and the camera failed. Same with original tactical (probably got a lemon).