SpyPoint's Cell Link...

[BHC]

This new product seems like a great option to turn almost any trail camera into a cellular camera.....It sells for $59.00. From what I have seen/read it works off Verizon or At&T you pick....I can't find any reviews cause it's new and I don't think it has been released yet. I did email Spypoint  asking questions, and did the same on a few trail camera forums . Link below is to the product with a video

https://www.spypoint.com/en/products/cell-link

[mazzgolf]

I looked this up earlier when you mentioned it in another thread. It looks really cool. You don't even need to hook it up to your own phone service account - so even if you have, say, AT&T, you can still get verizon. You pay SpyPoint directly. And I like the 100/pic/month free account. You can do that and just test your set up and make sure you like it, then you can change month-to-month if you need more than 100 pics/month. And its only $15/month for unlimited per month - so you can pay that for the hunting season (say, Oct, Nov, Dec) and only pay $45 for unlimited pix those 3 months. You can go up and down month-to-month to limit costs (they have a 250 pic/month and a 1,000 pic/month version too - so it could be even less than $45 for 3 months). See: https://www.spypoint.com/en/spypoint-experience/plans

My only concern is their claim it works with any camera with an SD card. I think I understand how it works (they just have an adapter SD card that looks like a regular SD card except it has a ribbon cable that runs from the SD card adapter (which is put inside the old camera SD slot) to the spypoint box. But what if the door that closes over the SD card slot is too tight and it crimps that thin ribbon cable? I don't know if ALL cameras have a access door that will allow for that ribbon cable to pass through it.

That is, assuming it works like I think it  does (with a ribbon cable from the SD card adapter to the spypoint box). Is that how you see it working @BHC ?

[barrike]

I'm very interested to see how they work.  I've been wanting to try cell cams for a few years, but none of the cams available inspired me enough to purchase.

[BHC]

3 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

I looked this up earlier when you mentioned it in another thread. It looks really cool. You don't even need to hook it up to your own phone service account - so even if you have, say, AT&T, you can still get verizon. You pay SpyPoint directly. And I like the 100/pic/month free account. You can do that and just test your set up and make sure you like it, then you can change month-to-month if you need more than 100 pics/month. And its only $15/month for unlimited per month - so you can pay that for the hunting season (say, Oct, Nov, Dec) and only pay $45 for unlimited pix those 3 months. You can go up and down month-to-month to limit costs (they have a 250 pic/month and a 1,000 pic/month version too - so it could be even less than $45 for 3 months). See: https://www.spypoint.com/en/spypoint-experience/plans

My only concern is their claim it works with any camera with an SD card. I think I understand how it works (they just have an adapter SD card that looks like a regular SD card except it has a ribbon cable that runs from the SD card adapter (which is put inside the old camera SD slot) to the spypoint box. But what if the door that closes over the SD card slot is too tight and it crimps that thin ribbon cable? I don't know if ALL cameras have a access door that will allow for that ribbon cable to pass through it.

That is, assuming it works like I think it  does (with a ribbon cable from the SD card adapter to the spypoint box). Is that how you see it working @BHC ?

yeah I was thinking a SD Card with a cable to the the device... Now on TrailCamPro this what I read about it:  

The Spypoint Cell Link gives you the ability to turn almost any of your existing trail cameras into a cellular camera.

Confirmed compatible cameras:

Bushnell Core cameras

Stealth Cam G45NG Max

Confirmed incompatible cameras:

All Browning Cameras

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on):   0.09 mW

Picture Power Consumption to Transmit 1 Photo:   39.5 Ws

Before buying I want to confirm if it will work with my Moultrie 888i cameras, I own 5......so the question I sent to Spypoint, Chasing Game, and Trail Cam Pro

[mazzgolf]

The other nice thing about this is - the unit doesn't have anything in it other than the technology needing to send pictures over cell. So you don't have to worry about "if the camera technology breaks - the flash, the camera itself, anything - you lose everything." As we all know, cameras don't last long. If the camera breaks, just swap it out with another one and you keep the cell feature (I would plan on using cheap trail cameras for this setup if possible). If an all-in-one cell-trail-camera breaks, you have to buy everything again, even if the only thing that broke is the camera part.

I'm assuming the cell technology will last longer than the camera technology.

[barrike]

Most of my cameras are Browning.

Edited June 5, 2020 by barrike

[BHC]

6 minutes ago, barrike said:

Most of my cameras are Browning.

from spypoint: 

IS THE CELL-LINK COMPATIBLE WITH MY CAMERA?

The CELL-LINK is compatible with a wide range of cameras and we are working towards making improvements to expand the compatibility. Currently the CELL-LINK will NOT work with cameras 25mp or higher.

Email them with your model # to see what they said, I did the same for my Moultries, waiting on reply

Edited June 5, 2020 by BHC

[barrike]

1 minute ago, BHC said:

from spypoint: 

IS THE CELL-LINK COMPATIBLE WITH MY CAMERA?

The CELL-LINK is compatible with a wide range of cameras and we are working towards making improvements to expand the compatibility. Currently the CELL-LINK will NOT work with cameras 25mp or higher.

Email them with your model # to see what they said, I did the same for my Moultries, waiting on reply

I'll have to do that.  thanks.

[mazzgolf]

Since it has cell connectivity - I wonder if they can update their firmware while the unit is out in the field? (like how you can update your smartphones).

[BHC]

9 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Since it has cell connectivity - I wonder if they can update their firmware while the unit is out in the field? (like how you can update your smartphones).

they claim to be updating it, so I would assume thru the their App

How many pictures does this equal too?

WHY THE CAPACITY OF THE SD CABLE ADAPTOR IS ONLY 480MB

[BHC]

best price I found with free shipping :  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1545340-REG/spypoint_cell_link_v_cellular_trail_camera.html

[mazzgolf]

45 minutes ago, BHC said:

WHY THE CAPACITY OF THE SD CABLE ADAPTOR IS ONLY 480MB

I suspect it has to do with the electronic properties of the cable and wire itself - voltages and whatever won't allow high transmission speeds from the adapter to the cell-link so it probably won't be able to transfer large images (images with high resolution, for example).

[BHC]

well still waiting on two replies from them

make sure it will work on my camera, and the 480MB then make a decision to order....

[BHC]

They emailed me back my Moultrie is compatible,  also easy set up from this video by Trailcampro.com, I think i will order

 

[mazzgolf]

Looks good. I guess the cable can be crimped like that when the hatch door on the camera closes and it still works. Let us know how it goes.

I'm curious what kind of anti-theft features they have... if this thing gets stolen, is there a way to track it (like "Find my iPhone" or something). I don't know if the thing has a GPS in it, but at least there should be a way to track it or disable it in case of theft.