SpyPoint Cell-Link Review (SEE UPDATES)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
- #jaseoutdoors #cell-link #spypoint
In this video I am unboxing and field testing the Cell-Link unit by SpyPoint. It is a device that allows you to send photos to your phone from any trail camera that uses a standard SD card. Please ask any questions you may have.
*UPDATE* 07/08/20 The Cell-Link has stopped sending photos. Waiting for response from tech support after they only asked for my SIM#
*UPDATE* 07/10/20 They respond to my emails once a day with solutions that aren't even close to being the problem. It's now getting frustrating
*UPDATE* 07/14/20 After a phone call and several more emails they determined that the SD card adapter is faulty and they want me to purchase a new one. It stopped working after 5 days and they want me to pay to fix it. I'm currently asking for a refund
*UPDATE* 07/20/20. They refunded me the money for the monthly payment and for the high res images. I told them I can't believe they're willing to lose a customer over a $13 item that probably costs them $5. They then asked me to send pictures of the SD card adapter to see if there was any physical damage. I did that and they are apparently sending me a new one.
*UPDATE* 08/05/20. Still haven't received the replacement part and they stopped responding to my emails
*UPDATE* 09/17/20. They still haven't sent me the replacement part after 3 more phone calls. I'm officially done with SpyPoint
*UPDATE* 02/01/21 They are changing me $5 for a plan I never picked. SpyPoint is TERRIBLE! - บันเทิง
Thanks for the field test I've been waiting patiently for this item to be released. Looking forward to trying them out myself. I've had great luck with all my Spypoint cell cams so far!
Good to hear! I'm hopeful this thing works as it is right now and I'll probably get a few more
@@JaseOutdoors I've had one up for about a week. Hooked to a Browning trail cam. Its in a poor service area. Actually loses signal for many hours each day but service increases up to 50% at times and still manages to send me all the pics it takes when service improves, usually during the evening. So far I'm happy with it.
Good good
Very good video for determining value and operation, thanks for making this real world and your own comments updating problems you encountered. Many DIY vids are painful to watch, this one is worth it if you plan on purchasing this product.
Appreciate that James!
I really like the skepticism in your voice. You aren't buying it for one minute and I love it! All I can find is paid ad videos from smaller channels
Skeptical because of all the negative comments I've read and I'm currently waiting for a replacement part because it already stopped working. Thanks for watching!
Jase Outdoors good to know. Like your honest review. Seems like a cool concept but man that is a battery hog.
I don't even know about the batteries yet because I'm still waiting on my replacement part. I'm done with them.
Thanks for the updates. I too am done with spypoints. Have one link micro out of five that somewhat works. Sold the other four. Recently bought a tactacam reveal. Happy so far. Good luck jase.
Yep, I'm done with SpyPoint also. Tactacam is definitely the way to go for the price
@@JaseOutdoors great content keep um coming 👍
@@JaseOutdoors yes I'm done also. My brother and I both bought one. After 2 months neither one of them is working properly and little to no help from customer service.
Sorry to hear that, but lesson learned, don't buy anymore SpyPoint products!
whats a better choice for Cell coverage? Nationwide or VZN?
Bought and tried to setup up on lease 5.5 hours away....only to have unit not even get signal. Came home to try...still no signal. Call/chatted with spypoint numerous times to NO avail. They say it is my SD card( they are new unopened packages). There adapter fits, but isn't that secure as it just will wiggle loose. Then called on 7.16 and support said they have migrated to new server with different firmware version-so the unit can't communicate with old version/server.
Thank you for telling us the whole story through your updates!!
I need to update it again because I still haven't gotten anything
Thanks for the review. The pros and cons, as well as your likes and dislikes sure makes it an honest review.
I never have to log in. Some reason it isn’t saving your log in credentials.
So has anyone when you receive pictures from say stealth cam threw the cell link it sends me pics but it’s got the info bar on bottom all on one side makes it hard to read an pics are not the best .. so what does it take to get good quality pics like looking at labtop with card.. the full hd option ??? Anyone have this issue or just me
Good video.
I got one of these 2 weeks ago. So far, so good. I am using alkaline AA batteries and it just dropped down to 99% today. I have it set for all detection and have had it send about 300 pictures so far. It may be camera dependent, but I found that I have to turn the cell link on first or the camera will never send pictures. Also if not set for all detection, the interval thing can be tricky since it will send the first picture right away, but then won't send until the next scheduled time (2, 4, 6, etc. hours). There is also a start time which also messes with when pictures are sent. So for testing, set it to all detection on the app and then reboot the cell link to update that setting. Once you get it working, you can change the setting if you want.
I bought the HD package to see how well it worked and it does work pretty good. You have to wait until the next transmission (depending on how you set it) to get the new HD photo (it replaces the original). I do like that you can pick and choose which photos to switch to HD. In most cases, it is really not necessary, especially with night pictures.
I have a cheap camera that has few settings and there is no delay or other time options. Thus it sends a picture every time it sees anything. It detects well (too well) as it will catch even tiny birds. This will eat up the 100 free pictures a month fast. But, it would probably be cheaper to just pay the unlimited fee, than buy a new camera with more time settings.
That said, customer support is horrible. I sent an e-mail with some questions right when I got it, and it took like 4 days to get a ticket number. Then a few days later I got a follow up asking if their response solved my problem. Only problem is I never got a response (yes I checked spam). so here it is two weeks later and still no answer to my questions.
Yea, I'm still waiting for the replacement part and it's been 5 weeks now. The SD card adapter failed 5 days after I started using it so I can't really say if this Cell-Link is reliable. At this point I don't even want to give them any money for a monthly plan. I just might use the 100 free for as long as I can. Lol
Mark, YES their customer service is terrible. The photos I get sent to me or of a low-res quality. I don't know if anyone else is having that issue or maybe it's just me. I sent an email to them and once I got a reply this is what they said. They are low res to help save on your CAMERA which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The next thing they said you can get HD photos. My reply back, Why should I have to pay for HD photos when your competitors send higher-quality photos. And yes the camera I am using is set to a high-quality.
@@donpalmer2192 Yes, the photos are pretty low res. Most of the time it's not an issue, but there have been some pictures that I could not tell what was in it. I did order the HD pack and while much better, even those are not at the same resolution as the camera is set for. As for customer service, I never did get any real response to the two tickets I submitted. Both times all I got was a reply a few weeks later asking if the resolution they sent solved the problem. Huh?? What resolution. I told them I never received a resolution and they replied they wanted the SIM card number. I sent that and never heard back on either. Luckily I figured out the issues on my own. Other than the horrific customer service, the unit had been working fine. I am about at 6 weeks or so and the batteries are 92%.
Finally got my Cell-link to work with a trail cam bought from Amazon.
Lots of trouble in the beginning but after updating the firmware on the Cell-link, everything started working as advertised.
Another problem was the sd card with the Cell-link cable attached to it can VERY EASILY come detached and NO PICTURES will be transmitted by the Cell-link.
After route the sd card in a "S" right where it leaves the camera cover, all working excellent.
Btw. When updating the FW, first unzip the files and copy it to a sd card which was formatted in the trail camera.
Thanks for the info!
WOW I just read comments and updates, I'm not a follower, but you should do a follow-up video and link it in the video and comments section. Thanks for the updates and well founded review.
Hi Al, thanks for watching! You're right, I should do a follow up and I hope to.
I've been running one attached to a Browning Strike Force HD Pro since 6/22 with no problems. If you select "Remember Me" on the login of the app you won't have to put in your username and password each time and it will basically keep you logged in. And yes, it's cellular. A cellular signal is a requirement. You can't expect it to work on marginal signal.
Is it still working? I just bought one and all the bad reviews are making me think i got scammed!
only 7 day trial? Not like buying a complete new camera with the free month?
Absolutely Magnificent, 12 feet hight hidden, and a speed bump to have a perfect plate number of identification,..
That should work
Have you made an update video? I’m interested to see how this works and battery life over the last 3 weeks thinking about taking one to Ohio in a couple of weeks that will sit until November
I've been updating my situation in the description, but maybe I should just make another video. I haven't even been able to use it cause the cord went bad and after battling with SpyPoint they finally agreed to send me a new one. However it's been over 2 weeks and I still haven't received it
What you're misunderstanding is the connection between the Cell-Link & your phone are separate connections. I have an Link-EVO & a Link-W & both are using Verizon (AT&T was an option as well) & my cell phone carrier is also Verizon. But I could have Sprint, AT&T, METROPCS, US CELLULAR etc. As long as the Cell-Link,/Connected trail cam has good connection you're good. The pictures are first sent to the SpyPoint server then forwarded to your account, which sends you a push notification to your phone, which like I mentioned, can be a different network. You can also go online from a computer & see your photos as well. I've seen people asking "Will it work with X carrier, so yes, your cell phone carrier is pretty irrelevant. Just like being able to call someone on another network or landline.
Also, there's a rechargeable battery for the Cell-Link which is pays for itself, 8AA's add up quickly.
All true, especially the batteries! They do add up, even more so with lithiums. Thanks for watching
@@JaseOutdoors I was interested in getting a Cell-Link to use with my Stealth Cam, awesome photo quality but the main reason is it uses No-Glow instead of my current SpyPoints Low-Glow lights.
I really liked the Cell-Link until it stopped working after 5 days. Battles with tech support for 3 WEEKS! Finally they're supposed to be sending me a new one. Still waiting
picked up two of these. at home using moultrie w40i cameras they are working fine. ill be putting these in land between the lakes ky side by ky lake, public land.
Update. Set up one of these in woods. Had 1 red, 1orange, 1 green. Sent 5 pictures when i got to my truck, of me setting up cameras. Been home about 15 miles away. Says cell link has 90% and battery is 100%. I'm not getting anything the last 20hours yet.
Update on cell links. Not for me. Just not good enough. Had great reception also. Pic for me just weren't good. I can see this working right over bait pile, licking limb, scape. Seems ok with closeups pictures,but not mid to far pictures. My cameras were 30 miles away. I ran mine on photo/video mood. It work good. I went back to my wi40 cameras, with video. Video just gives me much more information. I'll wait to see more improvement in cell camera options latter. I ran mine 2mos.
On the cellular plans does it just send the 100 free photos or can you pick and choose which ones are sent?
It sends all the photos. And this is happening to me right now where the cam sends me the free 100 photos and stops sending the photos but the camera keeps taking photos. So when the free plans starts over it sends all the photos it was storing at once. I had over 100 pics stores so I burned my free plan before it ever started. Best thing to do it sent your cam to take 1 photo every 5 minutes and you might not burn through your 100 photos so fast
So you need a cell link for each camera or can you link multiple cameras together?
Need one for each camera
I have 2 cell links love them, I don't have to log in. it send me that I have a picture and go to it but make sure I'm on the right camera to get that picture
Got mine set up on a higher end browning trail camera and my service is in the green on the cell link and with it set to send pictures on every detection they come in very sporadic or not at all. I have full bars on my phone also. I dont know what to think about the cell link.
Ive had nothing but problems. On my second unit after returning the first one for a defective SD cable. Second one now just stopped communicating only after two days. Has plenty of bars of service in field but shows 0% on my app. Went out and reset everything and inspectes foe damage, nothing physically wrong with it. It just decided to give up after two days of work i guess. Customer service was terrible and kept disconnecting me after i gave them all my info and inquiring about what the cause of this could be. Returning this unit now and im done qith this garbage. :(
Yep, I'm still waiting on a new SD card adapter. Custom service is a joke. I'm done with SpyPoint
I've wondered about these and how well they do in low reception. Sucks about loging into the app everytime. I might grab one of these after seeing this.
It's not a big deal logging in if you have reception or wifi. It doesn't always do that, just seems to do it more when you don't have cell service. It did however send the photos in very little reception area so that was really good! Thanks for watching!
They need to just have a pin setup to log in.. way faster
Move away from AA batteries. Get a 12v battery, a weatherproof ammo box, a cheap ebay cable and you are good for the entire year and more without ever changing batteries. Charge it in the offseason and good to go, plus never worry about AA battery leaking and ruining your camera. Spypoint says the cell-link can also use a 12v battery.
I have a 12v on my Spypoint link micro and it still eats through it... have a small solar panel on it as well....
Thanks for sharing!
I have 5 micros and an Evo run them for months on lithium AA batteries and 12 volt rechargeable batteries set em and forget em. Love mine looking to add a few of these also. 👍
Can I set it up in Wisconsin to check trail cam from Florida
Sure can! Works anywhere in the country as long as you have cell reception
thanks for the review. interested in this, but seems iffy. I did see a couple people mention. Lithium batteries always read 100% till they die. No way around it.
Yes, that is correct...as I since learned. This unit isn't bad if u already have a good camera. It's a cheap option. The one thing I've learned is you have to keep the firmware updated or it stops working
Another thing to consider is the ribbon cable. Heat from UV destroys ribbon wire. Also be weary of the damn squirrels. They will chew through that in 30 seconds. Other than that I’m curious on the post review from you jase. Battery life, hiccups in sending data etc. let me know before I trigger one? Thanks man
I was going to say that when I said I kinda wish that cord was longer. Squirrels would probably just mess that up. So far it working well. I'm over 550 pics so far. Battery life still says 100%. Can't imagine that's accurate. I'll keep ya posted!
Any word on your situation with ur camera? Just seen this on sale at my local academy for $49 and thinking bout picking one up..thanks
I'm still waiting for SpyPoint to send me the SD card adapter. It's been a month. I'm done with them but If u can get it cheap it could be worth it as long as it's lasts.
@@JaseOutdoors thanks...never had success with there camera's so not sure
Tough one. Wish I had better advice but I lost hope with SpyPoint. For $49 I'd say it's worth a shot and the SD card adapter is only $13 if that goes bad
Jase I got 4 photos since putting out Friday but there is nothing in pics
Good luck with these, is about all I can say! I have one that works well, and they other has been a joke, but not as big of a joke as their customer service
At 2.10 you will use 16 battery's. Use a external 7 ah12 volt battery in a cheap ammo can with a 10 watt solar panel to run both. Pay for it self in no time.
Good Idea, thanks!
I bought 5 with 5 sd cards from Spypoint website and the first one worked for 2 weeks then stopped working. I tried a second cell link and it didn't work out of the box. I have spent hours on the chat line with Spypoint and they couldn't get either unit working. When I asked for a supervisor they got rude and when I asked for a return label for a refund they blamed the new batteries and the fully charged 12 volt that the problem was my power source. Great idea but my experience the product has a very weak transmitter or it just doesn't work. Spypoints customer service is terrible.
Yep. I'm done with Spypoint. Called them 6 times and they still haven't sent the replacement part
I want to update. One hour long phone call I finally received a RMA, return merchandise authorization. But prior to receiving the return approval I had to argue that I was seeking the RMA within 30 days of purchase and prove proof of purchase from the Spypoint website. Lucky I had saved the emails that I had sent to Spypoint which are time stamped. The email showed I had asked for a return and because Spypoint lack of communication has extended this as a result of terrible customer service. Spypoint was only going to allow me to send one defective Cell Link back at my expense but I'm glad to be done with this company.
My suggestions don't buy from Spypoint website if you have issues I'm sure other sellers are much easier to work with.
I have a Cell-Link that now won't send the photos. I don't even want to deal with tech support again. Think I'll eat the loss and buy another Tactacam
Houston, we have a problem. My camera does not recognize the SD Cable Adapter, and keeps giving the message ‘no card’. According to my FB poll, many people have this issue. Most responded that it only works with some cameras. Additionally, Spy Point no longer groups the phots by species, like yours did. They want you to pay an additional $99! for that service. - screw that. Excellent review though. Thanks
I've never had that issue. Try a firmware update
@@JaseOutdoors I was on the phone with technical support for about an hour and a half. They are sending me a new wire
Their tech support is a joke
Any updates on it? Thinking about purchasing one, what do you think?
Yep, check the description. I'm still waiting for a replacement part. It stopped working after 5 days
@@JaseOutdoors did they have u do a firmware update on it??
What camera did u connect it to?
I'm using a Victure HC600 (I also reviewed that cam) and it's a cheap cam that performs really well!
@@JaseOutdoors i just hooked mine up to a trail hawk made by stealth cam...junky cam but its sending pics
Is the cell link in your opinion bad because of service issues ? What is the biggest problem with it?
It stopped working after day 5. Their tech support has been so bad that it's more frustration than its worth. I will no longer buy anything from them because they refuse to fix the problem. Don't just take my word for it though. Go on their Facebook page and read all the negative comments. If you already have an expensive camera and you want to pair this with it, it might worth the risk but just know going into it it might not last long
Thanks man
Good luck!
My cam has a micro SD card and I bought an adapter cable from SD to micro SD and it works great.
Lithium’s batteries will show full just before they die. Lithium batteries will hold their voltage at 1.5+ volts until right before they die unlike alkaline batteries which gradually lose voltage as used.
yea, that kinda suxs. How ya supposed to know when they're getting low?? hah. I'm starting to have issues where it's not sending photos.
Jase Outdoors that’s how it is with most cameras using lithium. Indicators can’t be accurate because they go by voltage.
I just feel like there's gotta be a way. Lol. But I'm having bigger problems at the moment. I'll keep ya's posted
@@JaseOutdoors What is the bigger problems? Thx
My go to church ade to my email the pictures how to fix it put on my phone I see the pictures
I'm not really sure what you're asking. This doesn't email photos but sends them to your phone via the SpyPoint app.
Can you have a SIM card to have data instead of going through spypoint
Nope
What Lawrence said
I jus bought one and I hope mines work if not I’ll be doing the same thing calling emailing and everything else 🤣🤣🤣
Great video..Hows the cell link holding up. Wanted to try one out but looking for someone's review that is using it
Not good. I'm having the worst time with it and SpyPoint's tech support is a joke. All I can say, for the price it's worth a shot but there's a good chance it won't work very long. Just go and read all the comments on SpyPoint's facebook page. Good luck!
Same here, spypoint customer service is BAD, they do not stand behind their products
What settings do you set the cell link for pictures
I'm not sure exactly what you mean. There isn't many options. Basically turn it on and you set your camera settings to how you'd like and it sends you the photos
@@JaseOutdoors like in settings first transfer time and transfer freq?
I have mine set to send them as detected. Apparently you can save battery life if you have them sent only once per day, but I never tried to test that. Typically I want to see what's happening right away
will it send video? i have a camera that supports video
Does not send video
got one .. instant regret!
can you view videos audio too or pictures only
You can have your cam set to do videos but it won't send them to you. If you set your cam to take a photo and video, it'll send you the photo and record the video to the micro sd card and you'll have to remove the card to view it.
@@JaseOutdoors Thank You !
i have one cell-link ,is working ok, i have poor signal but still works, bought a second unit, i activated it, shows as a second unit on my app, but no info on status not even battery, i don't know what to do
I was surprised how well it sent photos with very little cell signal. I didn't experience what you're talking about. I'd give tech support a call and as long as you can understand what they're saying, they do try and help. Although I'm still waiting on my replacement part
What is a python lock?
It's a cable lock to lock the camera to a tree. Aka a bike lock
Dammit been researching and the reviews are split, don't think I want the headache of spypoint customer service though...
That's exactly why I won't buy SpyPoint anymore. Customer service is horrible!
Your to skeptic and anxious. You could be a bit more optimistic. Sounds like it worked just fine to me. We all know you must be within Cel service range. I think there is a signal booster for it if you need to push the perimeters. Otherwise a good demo. Thanks.
I get anxious when I call spypoint. Then I get skeptical and pissed off.
What Lawrence said! LOL I can no longer deal with SpyPoint. They can really piss you off
If they claim the SD Card on the ribbon wire is at fault they should send you a new one since it comes with a 2 year warranty
So after I said I want my money back they said to send photos of the card and wire. I did and they said they'll send me a new one.
@@JaseOutdoors I had placed a pre order for the cell link back in late May...I then asked Spypoint numerous times thru email and phone if the model camera I had would work, they kept telling Yes, then No...this went on for weeks....I finally got a cell camera top of the line RidgeTec Lookout Duel and I'm very pleased with it....Then I saw someone claiming the Cell-Link worked with a Moultrie camera, so I called once more and asked to speak to a person on the tech side of things, he assured me it will work, so I got it. It worked at home, took it to the area I hunt and it worked but took 5 min for my phone to get the pictures....Same spot with the Ridgetec and my phone got the pictures within .30 seconds...Cell-Link will be out at the end of August put over a scrape....just waiting on the Camlock box for it, too many bears in my area
Any updates to this?
I'm still waiting for the replacement part. I'm officially done with SpyPoint
@@JaseOutdoors Thats sucks...i was interested in buying until I saw your review. Such a good idea tho. Thanks for your input
It's cheap so it's worth a shot, BUT, the Tactacams are performing really well for a bit more
curious about the battery life as well. looks sweet.
So far I've had over 500 photos sent and the battery life still displays 100%. I find that really hard to believe, but time will tell. Check back in the description for updates. I'll keep ya's posted!
@@JaseOutdoors probably pick one up tomorrow
@@MudMonsterRacing4 Good luck with it! So far it's doing well for me! Let me know if you run into any issues
Mine has sent over 1400 pictures in a little over a month, many while it was set on each detection. Using the same Energizer Lithiums in the video. Still shows 100%
@@kennyking3255 yea, the battery level won't be accurate with lithiums
Thanks almost bought one!
Almost?
@@JaseOutdoors yeah was going to buy one then said maybe i will look around for a review and I didn’t cause i watched your review and read all the grief you had with them
Well, I can add to it. Just yesterday I was on the phone with tech support because they charged me $5 when I've been on the free plan. Spoke with 3 different people and the best they would do is give me $5 in spypoints. I said I'm not spending another dime on you people just because your tech support sucks so bad and now you're stealing money from me
@@JaseOutdoors lol spypoints
Yea, exactly. I said I don't care about your spybucks or spypoints, whatever it's called. I'm just done with them
Too bad it seems to be low quality, it's a great concept. I may give it a little time to mature and see if it gets improved. My one cell trailcam now is a Browning Defender. Awesome in every way except both the cam and plans are pricey. And it takes 16 batteries just like this Link and most cameras bundle. I've been on the same lithiums since Feb. though so they last pretty good.
In the app you can request a high quality image. Think you have to pay 5 bucks for 50 HD images.
there is a firmwear update
Yes, but I haven't received my new SD card adapter yet, so once I get that I will update it and try again
Sends pics infrequently, stops often, not too happy at this point. It is only day 3.
uh oh! I hope these things can be fixed with firmware updates. Let me know if it gets worse! Good luck!
Any updates with you? Mine no longer sends me photos and tech support isn't helpful
Jase Outdoors
Hey Jase
So, I tried everything. Changed SIM cards, batteries, I mean I gave it every effort. I took it back and got refunded. I do believe that spypoint makes quality products but this one isn’t quite there yet. I’m going to sink my money into a cellular camera. Take care and best of luck.
John
@@johndellacamera565 thanks! They think my SD card adapter is bad and I'm currently waiting for an email on what to do next. I'm hesitant on getting more like I was hoping to do. Might try Tactacam's new one
They have switched their servers that had old firmware. So there is an firmware update v1.15.10-20
2 x rechargable battery packs would be better
Thanks was getting one but not now
I'd say it's only worth it if you already have a good cam to pair it with but there's a good chance down the road it'll stop working, like most of SpyPoint's products
@@JaseOutdoors I have a stealth cam fusion now that I like the ease of setup but still iffy on the the way it operates ,will get pics pretty regularly then go with nothing for couple days
Check out the Tactacams. I have a review on those and I ended up buying more. They're pretty good and still pretty cheap!
@@JaseOutdoors yeah I been reviewing those ,but having trouble finding them in the stores
Yea, that's what I've seen. Most places are sold out. I found mine at the Sportsman's Warehouse
Bought two different ones from tractor supply I can't get neither one of them to work bought a camera from spy point also from Walmart can't get it to work garbage Don't waste your time
Bought one and it seems to work ok except i will not be using it. I refuse to be held hostage buy this company for 99 dollars a year to see anything other than bucks. Will be buying a different kind of trail cam.
You're saying you only want it to send pics of bucks? I only pay for about 4 months of the year and the rest I just use the free 100 photos in the off season
@@JaseOutdoors No I want it to take photos of other animals but without joining their club for $99 a year for them to unlock it bucks is all it will take photos of. And if they drop their antlers well you just screwed for that time of year. I thought I bought a trail cam not a buck cam
I never looked into their club so I'm not sure what it does. Their customer service is so bad I won't buy anything more from them
Very good video for determining value and operation, thanks for making this real world and your own comments updating problems you encountered. Many DIY vids are painful to watch, this one is worth it if you plan on purchasing this product.
Really appreciate that James!
Agreed