Another SpyPoint RANT

So after my 1st camera quit spypoint sent me a new camera out "so far so good", camera arrived i put fresh AA in and long format the class 10 micro SD and installed new firmware everything working out great. Hung from a tree in my back yard for a week 90% signal Im thinking bloody marvelous so off to the bush, put camera up check signal 90% whoop new AA and hooked up 12v external and went to work. Pictures started coming thru then overnight NADA check status signal strength down to 25% tried altering settings nothing worked so call the 800 number. told the service tech the issue and was told to move it to another location i replied its a game camera i want to monitor where i plan to hunt, then was told to put away from heavy foliage again I said its a game camera its strapped to a tree you do understand what a game camera does?. I was then told signal strength was showing 25% yes that why im calling?, was told its could be the provider. Good god signal from towers dont drop signals like that LOL, did i check before setting up in the the bush yes for a whole week and also before setting camera in the bush both areas showed 90%. If spypoint dont hire tech who know what a game camera is how can they be expected to understand its settings come on SPYPOINT get your act together.If I knew who to phone direct at spypoint they would be on my speed dial LOL.

Antenna reception is a big factor in any mobile communicating device. It appears the closest antennae in the bush dropped some wattage. You can confirm that by also looking at your phone to see signal strength. I know that power output from towers may vary based on atmospheric conditions. So, if your phone reception is down so would the camera if on the same mobile network. Just a troubleshooting tool for you.

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Originally Posted by impact

Antenna reception is a big factor in any mobile communicating device. It appears the closest antennae in the bush dropped some wattage. You can confirm that by also looking at your phone to see signal strength. I know that power output from towers may vary based on atmospheric conditions. So, if your phone reception is down so would the camera if on the same mobile network. Just a troubleshooting tool for you.

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Did that I have more bars where I hunt than I do at my house LOL

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

Did that I have more bars where I hunt than I do at my house LOL

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Well, there ya go...you have a piece of crap camera...lol

With the amount of poor reviews with Spypoint I've seen over the last 2-3 years I'm surprised they even sell anymore. Lot's of horror stories on Ontario Trail Cams too, although surprisingly one guy posted the other day that he'd had two going well on his third year now. I sure wouldn't buy one.

i have same issue with 25% signal and phone has 5 bars beside it and cell tower is so close...im beyond frustrated as well. im in a rogers area and would get 25% with bell phone ,

IMO, It's either their cameras that are cheap, made by the lowest bidder overseas, or their systems that are not performing as they should - Remember, before it comes to your phone, the info has to be processed by them. I have some and although they are working, they are very spotty. As the OP said, sometimes the signal is 90% and sometimes its zero. Sometimes they go to "sleep" then 2 or three days later suddenly wake up. They constantly miss their transmissions times, even though the signal is 90%. I cant figure them out. I am gradually replacing them with Tactacams who so far for me have been champs, without the above problems.

I get wildly varying signal strengths on various devices. And one thing to remember, your signal strength on your spypoint won't update until you get communication from the camera. If it was 90% prior that setting holds in the display until you get a check in from your camera.

I can move from one side of a tree to the other and go from 75% to 25%. That's just reality of signal strenghts. Stop looking at bars on your phone and think it means anything, look up how to actually get the db ratings on your phone and what they mean, and then go check the spots where you want to put your camera. And not just close, but right against the tree.

While I admit spypoint has some issues, they don't control signal strength in your area. So go see what is available and it might be as simple as moving from one side of the tree to the other. Again, wait to get a communication from your camera to see what it is.

I'm not trying to defend spypoint, but have run into many issues with them and 90% of the time the issues were mine and not understanding how these things actually work. Once I have figured the issues out, I'm quite happy with mine. Will miss the odd check in due to atmospheric conditions, like heavy rain or fog, but I have the same issues with reception on my cell phone in those conditions.

Cell cameras have limitations, read reviews on the others and you will read the same issues. Many more with spypoint, but that is just due to the volume of them out there compared to the others.

Uh oh, my Micro has not connected for a couple of days, and it had been every other day recently. The problem could be the signal (the camera is in a river valley), or that the camera needs the firmware update. Unfortunately I have to wait until the deer hunt in 2 weeks to get it figured out and run the firmware update.

If you are thinking of buying a cellular camera, take a look at the new Tactacam Reveal SK that will be available in November 2021 - 2 antennas and solar powered!

I think it will sell for about $179-199US.

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

Did that I have more bars where I hunt than I do at my house LOL

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So woke up this morning phone dinging away camera sending pics checked signal 90% so thru out day checked signal on the hour (give take a few mins) and watched pictures roll in then at 6pm back down to a red 25% lol.

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Originally Posted by smitty55

With the amount of poor reviews with Spypoint I've seen over the last 2-3 years I'm surprised they even sell anymore. Lot's of horror stories on Ontario Trail Cams too, although surprisingly one guy posted the other day that he'd had two going well on his third year now. I sure wouldn't buy one.

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I'm in that group as well, I have 2 that are over 3 years old and work well...when you have a good signal!. I have one camera with a so-so signal and it's very sporadic when it sends pics. The other one is in a good area and no issues. I just wonder if quality control has gone down in the last couple of years. TC

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

So woke up this morning phone dinging away camera sending pics checked signal 90% so thru out day checked signal on the hour (give take a few mins) and watched pictures roll in then at 6pm back down to a red 25% lol.

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I have two of these cams (link-s). The were okay until this year. Now I'm experiencing the same problem you have. Photo transmission is very intermittent. Cell signal shows okay when you power cycle it, but falls off over the next few days. They give you the BS about moving the camera or adding an antennae extender. The tech support guys are not very technical and do not at all grasp how the cameras are used in the field. Particulary when they tell you to move them away from areas you are trying to monitor to higher ground.

This stuff used to work (2018,19,20). Spypoint broke something this year and is either to dumb to realize it or won't admit it.

Today I got alerts for 54 pictures - which were charged to my account. Checked the phone and then their web site. Only one picture today.

The cameras seem to work okay in the US. Most of the people having problems are in Canada, I think.
I doubt they will be selling in Canada in a couple of years. They've ruined a great product with bad software updates and there are better and cheaper options now. The only reason I bought the spypoints is bushnell didn't have a cell cam that worked in Canada.

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Originally Posted by trky chsr

I'm in that group as well, I have 2 that are over 3 years old and work well...when you have a good signal!. I have one camera with a so-so signal and it's very sporadic when it sends pics. The other one is in a good area and no issues. I just wonder if quality control has gone down in the last couple of years. TC

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But what does it take to "get a good cell signal". I can see the lights on the tower from the camera. It's less than 1.5km away.

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

So woke up this morning phone dinging away camera sending pics checked signal 90% so thru out day checked signal on the hour (give take a few mins) and watched pictures roll in then at 6pm back down to a red 25% lol.

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And back up to 90% lol

My most recent cell link from spypoint was stuck in a loop and kept sending the same 9 pictures over and over ( and I mean thousands of times ) although they couldn’t see it on their end. All the firmware was updated and both the cable and the card were formatted. An over the air update was done on their end. I basically told the guy that he and the conversation we were having was spypoint’s last chance. The replacement arrives tomorrow. In the meantime I picked up a Tactacam Reveal X and a Bushnell Core 20.

So giving an update dialed the 514 number not the 800 one and spoke with a spypoint tech who was very knowledgeable on the camera, she is sending the latest firmware (just released) remotely. Plus when i mentioned my experience with their call center she fell over backward to apologize for the response they gave me. So fingers crossed this works

Ha i have seen the same on my camera red 25 % reading next day 100 % signal.
the problem has to be from there side.

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

So woke up this morning phone dinging away camera sending pics checked signal 90% so thru out day checked signal on the hour (give take a few mins) and watched pictures roll in then at 6pm back down to a red 25% lol.

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

So giving an update dialed the 514 number not the 800 one and spoke with a spypoint tech who was very knowledgeable on the camera, she is sending the latest firmware (just released) remotely. Plus when i mentioned my experience with their call center she fell over backward to apologize for the response they gave me. So fingers crossed this works

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Quick update since spypoint updated from .29 to .30 remotely im getting pictures even when signal shows 25% so well done spypoint

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Originally Posted by Rick_ca

Quick update since spypoint updated from .29 to .30 remotely im getting pictures even when signal shows 25% so well done spypoint

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That’s good. Now they’ll get them working as should and discontinue them. Lol

Yesterday I had to pull one of my Cell Links out of the farm. The two Spypoint Cell Micro's are working well but the one cell link stopped working and the other is intermittent. I will play with it over the weekend and see what happens. I will advise.

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Originally Posted by 410001661

Yesterday I had to pull one of my Cell Links out of the farm. The two Spypoint Cell Micro's are working well but the one cell link stopped working and the other is intermittent. I will play with it over the weekend and see what happens. I will advise.

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There could be a firmware update for them.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

There could be a firmware update for them.

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Aaaah yes. I will look into that. Thanks for the heads up

can you use rogers or any provider thanks

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Originally Posted by warningshot

can you use rogers or any provider thanks

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You don’t have to choose. Unlike in the US where you have to buy a camera for ATT or Verizon, the units in Canada work with any provider. You don’t have to worry about the provider as Spypoint takes care of it. You just pay spypoint for the photo transmission plan which ranges from free for 100/month to $15/month for unlimited. Each unit needs a micro SD card which stores each photo.