Cellular Cams..

[hickslawns]

I'm shopping. Bringing this one to the top. I really want to try the Spypoint but cannot bring myself to do so given the horrible experiences I had with them previously. I've done a lot of Bushnell camera purchasing over the years. Been happy (for the most part.) Can't seem to find the Bushnell/Verizon combo in stock anywhere. Moultrie experience for me is limited. My first camera was a Moultrie the size of a garage door opener which used D cells. Good pics. Horrible battery life. Haven't tried them since but don't have anything against them. Maybe I will give Matt Houghan a call and see if I can get some more details on them. I couldn't find any independent reviews and Cabelas reviewers are not always the best.

 

[Sgt Fury]

I'm shopping. Bringing this one to the top. I really want to try the Spypoint but cannot bring myself to do so given the horrible experiences I had with them previously. I've done a lot of Bushnell camera purchasing over the years. Been happy (for the most part.) Can't seem to find the Bushnell/Verizon combo in stock anywhere. Moultrie experience for me is limited. My first camera was a Moultrie the size of a garage door opener which used D cells. Good pics. Horrible battery life. Haven't tried them since but don't have anything against them. Maybe I will give Matt Houghan a call and see if I can get some more details on them. I couldn't find any independent reviews and Cabelas reviewers are not always the best.

If you’re checking out cellular cams, don’t overlook spartan. Verizon charges $5 a month and spartan $36 per year for pics to be downloaded to their app. If you do go cellular, no matter what brand you choose, I’d check into aftermarket 5-10 watt solar chargers. The smaller solar chargers used for most feeders can’t keep up with the demands that cellular cameras put on the batteries.

 

[Fletch]

Since we have a Spartan out in Illinois and its been working great, I'm going to order one next week to put out in Aug.on the same farm... So I should be posting some decent buck's come Sept... Fury if I get a solar charger, does that mean I have to get rechargeable batteries as it stands to reason???

 

[Sgt Fury]

Since we have a Spartan out in Illinois and its been working great, I'm going to order one next week to put out in Aug.on the same farm... So I should be posting some decent buck's come Sept... Fury if I get a solar charger, does that mean I have to get rechargeable batteries as it stands to reason???

No, I use energizer lithium as they are a backup. The solar charger uses a different battery that it charges. I’ll post pics of what I use. They are on my phone and I’m on my iPad right now.

 

[Sgt Fury]

I just checked and I already had posted the info on the charger and battery on this thread...it’s on page 1.

 

[Fletch]

Damn!!!! I worked with a guy years ago who broadsided a cow on a 2 lane state route down in Louisiana around Barksdale AFB....
Same results.

I just checked and I already had posted the info on the charger and battery on this thread...it’s on page 1.

Yeh .. I thought the same thing.. THANKS

 

[hickslawns]

If you’re checking out cellular cams, don’t overlook spartan. Verizon charges $5 a month and spartan $36 per year for pics to be downloaded to their app. If you do go cellular, no matter what brand you choose, I’d check into aftermarket 5-10 watt solar chargers. The smaller solar chargers used for most feeders can’t keep up with the demands that cellular cameras put on the batteries.

Too bad Cabela's doesn't sell them. I've got several hundred in gift cards and Cabela's bucks saved up. My time is getting more limited. I may need to go the cellular route. It is July and I haven't even put a camera out yet. Rather unlike me.

We have a good assortment of reviews. I may just go with the Moultrie so we can have another TOO review. It is time to replace a couple other cameras. Just need to decide if I am going 2 cellular cams or one cell and one or two standard.

 

[Fletch]

Too bad Cabela's doesn't sell them. I've got several hundred in gift cards and Cabela's bucks saved up. My time is getting more limited. I may need to go the cellular route. It is July and I haven't even put a camera out yet. Rather unlike me.

We have a good assortment of reviews. I may just go with the Moultrie so we can have another TOO review. It is time to replace a couple other cameras. Just need to decide if I am going 2 cellular cams or one cell and one or two standard.

What the heck... Get ,2 cellular and about 8 regular cams... This way you'll have all angles covered...

 

[Sgt Fury]

Too bad Cabela's doesn't sell them. I've got several hundred in gift cards and Cabela's bucks saved up. My time is getting more limited. I may need to go the cellular route. It is July and I haven't even put a camera out yet. Rather unlike me.

We have a good assortment of reviews. I may just go with the Moultrie so we can have another TOO review. It is time to replace a couple other cameras. Just need to decide if I am going 2 cellular cams or one cell and one or two standard.

The great thing about cellular cams is that you don’t have to visit the camera to get your images. The bad part is that you pay for that convenience....not so much with the service (Verizon/spartan app) but the initial price of the camera. If you can’t get to the area often or you want minimal disturbance, then it’s the way to go. Let us know what you end up with.

 

[hickslawns]

What the heck... Get ,2 cellular and about 8 regular cams... This way you'll have all angles covered...

Whoa Fletch! I don't make the big bucks yet. I'm only up to $18000 a year. In a few years I'll be up to $22k and I'll splurge. Lol

 

[jagermeister]

Whoa Fletch! I don't make the big bucks yet. I'm only up to $18000 a year. In a few years I'll be up to $22k and I'll splurge. Lol

Phil, that old spypoint I got years ago was the worst camera I've ever owned. By far. But I have been pleasantly surprised with their cell cameras. Customer service has been great too. Last fall, there was a firmware issue with some of their Verizon cameras which resulted in loss of service. At the time, I didn't even have my cameras deployed. However a week later I received emails and was instantly credited with free 3-month unlimited data plans on two of my cameras. I was never affected by the outage, and I never asked for anything, yet still received the free data packages. I thought that was pretty cool. I guess what I'm saying is don't base your opinion of spypoint solely on your previous cameras. They seem to have improved over the years.

Covert is also another great cell camera option.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Something out of character for me is I've been sitting on $270 worth of Visa gift cards for months. Usually I burn up gift cards within days. For whatever reason, I stuck these on the fridge and forgot about them. That said, a cell cam has been on the short list of things I've considered using them on. I appreciate all the insight you guys have shared. Spartan has a good deal that ends today. After reviewing all the comments here, I may give them a chance. I still have PTSD from my dealings with Spypoint, and while I trust JB's eval, I'll pass just because of how Joe and I were treated behind the scenes when we had our "deal" with them. Spartan gets love from Ben Rising (among others) and generally speaking, he's one of the few hunting celebs I respect and whose opinion I trust.

 

[Sgt Fury]

Something out of character for me is I've been sitting on $270 worth of Visa gift cards for months. Usually I burn up gift cards within days. For whatever reason, I stuck these on the fridge and forgot about them. That said, a cell cam has been on the short list of things I've considered using them on. I appreciate all the insight you guys have shared. Spartan has a good deal that ends today. After reviewing all the comments here, I may give them a chance. I still have PTSD from my dealings with Spypoint, and while I trust JB's eval, I'll pass just because of how Joe and I were treated behind the scenes when we had our "deal" with them. Spartan gets love from Ben Rising (among others) and generally speaking, he's one of the few hunting celebs I respect and whose opinion I trust.

Fletch has them in Iowa I believe...a buddy of mine uses a couple in Indiana, and I’ve had no problems with mine in Ohio. I think you’ll be happy with the spartan. When you setup your camera, you download the spartan app...they sell credits which is another way of saying months. The more credits(months) you bundle, the cheaper it is. 12 credits are $36. Verizon charges $5 per month to add the device to my account...so that’s $60 per year. After buying the camera, solar charger and battery, you’ll be looking at a cost ofaround $96 (Verizon + spartan credits) per year. Not a bad price per year for not having to physically go to the camera to get your pics.

 

[bowhunter1023]

This cam would become the "gate cam" and would work as security as much as scouting. $100 a year is well worth that and honestly, my dad would probably give me that for the security portion cause he's been asking about them for that very reason.

 

[Sgt Fury]

This cam would become the "gate cam" and would work as security as much as scouting. $100 a year is well worth that and honestly, my dad would probably give me that for the security portion cause he's been asking about them for that very reason.

Just make sure you get a security box and lag bolt it down and place the solar charger up as high as you can get it.

 

[hickslawns]

Spartan sounds good. Unfortunately my gift cards are not "VISA" cards. They are Cabela's cards. Cabela's didn't have the Spartan cell cam. Limiting factor for me. Ugh. I know it shouldn't weigh into the decision but it does in this case.

 

[Fletch]

Just make sure you get a security box and lag bolt it down and place the solar charger up as high as you can get it.

Fury... He doesn't live in New Jersey, I wouldn't put a $300 camera out in New Jersey cause we have more theifs than most other states... Jesse we have one Spartan that's running flawlessly in Illinois ..... That's what I'm buying...

 

[Sgt Fury]

Fury... He doesn't live in New Jersey, I wouldn't put a $300 camera out in New Jersey cause we have more theifs than most other states... Jesse we have one Spartan that's running flawlessly in Illinois ..... That's what I'm buying...

I knew you had one out somewhere but wasn’t sure if it was Iowa or Illinois.

 

[Fletch]

Yeh it's in Illinois.... It's working great... Just no decent bucks on it yet

 

[hickslawns]

Update: I went with 2 Bushnell standard cameras. Found them on Amazon for $99. No glow 24mp. Glad I didn't go the Moultrie cellular route. Current Bass Pro reviews look like a major black eye for Moultrie. I think there were 10 reviews with 5 of them being 1 star. The others looked like they almost all had some sort of issue. For $129 (after rebate) they are priced right. Maybe when they get the bugs out I will go this route. Until then, I'll be swapping cards.