The CuddeLink Cell Camera Ended My Two Year Search for Dead-Zone Signal

The Cuddeback CuddeLink Cell Camera ended a two-year search for a cell cam that actually works in the field.

Cell cameras changed how hunters pattern game – but they only work if you have service.

For two seasons in the dead-zone mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, I burned through brands, returns, and customer service calls trying to solve a problem that most manufacturers pretend doesn't exist.

The Cuddeback CuddeLink Cell Camera system is what finally worked. Here's why.

The Problem: Cell Cameras and Dead Zones

Well, generally speaking, the best game does not hang out where there is cell service. Thus, my two-year-long battle, one failed season, an eternity of customer service calls, and enough purchases and subsequent returns to frustrate even St. Hubertus, the patron saint of hunting.

This all began when Hook & Barrel began leasing its now infamous testing grounds. We are located in the mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, near Honobia, Oklahoma, in the heart of where the locals swear Bigfoot lives. It's easy for you to find – pick up any cellular provider's map of service. You'll notice a dead zone in the region – that's us. It is mountainous with sharp elevation changes, overgrown with vegetation, and as remote as it gets, outside of the Rockies or Alaska. We should have known better, but we decided to try several brands of cell cams – all failed. And by failed, I mean epic disaster. Guess it's like they say, "You can tell a Texan, but you can't tell him much."

I had all but given up on my hopes and dreams of consistent game images populating on my phone when I came upon some good luck. There is one spot, on the very top of a mountain, that when the wind blows just right, gets a bar or two of service. Conveniently, it is also a great spot to hunt.

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How the CuddeLink System Works

There we staked our claim: one tree, with a booster antenna run 25 feet up into the branches, and reaped the reward of a season of pictures rolling in. Naturally, we became greedy and wanted more locations to work, so again, the cycle of insanity repeated. And again, we failed. But if there is one thing you absolutely can't tell a Texan, it's "It's impossible." After the season, I stewed on the problem. I built antennas that the military would approve of, scoured Google Earth for similar terrains on the lease, and even stalked cell cam companies at hunting expos from Fort Worth, Texas, to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with one singular objective: figure out a solution for more working cameras.

That's where Cuddeback's CuddeLink system changes the equation. Instead of relying on cell service at every camera location, CuddeLink runs on a proprietary mesh network of radio frequencies – no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth. The cameras transmit images from up to 24 remote cameras to one home image collection camera. Range varies based on terrain but generally, camera to camera, it reaches up to a quarter mile in dense forest and much further in open terrain. The key is the CuddeLink Cell Camera (Cuddeback Model K, $200), which connects via AT&T or Verizon towers – you don't need either service on your cell phone, the camera just needs access to their network.

Here's how it works: the CuddeLink network of cameras sends images to one home collection device equipped with a cellular modem. That device collects and transmits images from all remote cameras. So instead of worrying about cell service at every location, you only need it at one. We placed the home CuddeLink cellular camera on the one tree with service we'd found the year before – and it worked. Six cameras, all sending images reliably. The system daisy chains automatically to extend range to miles from the home camera, transmitting via the path of least resistance. If one cam goes down, the system redirects to find the home cell cam.

Setting Up the Network: A Step-by-Step

With the home cell camera secured and locked in a CuddeSafe ($35 – worth it in any remote area, in our case for both theft and bears), we fanned out setting up new hunting locations. Pro tip: once you install your home camera, activate the next camera at the location you just deployed. It will link up via radio. Then walk to the next area keeping an eye on the radio connection as you build out the network. Think of it like testing walkie-talkies. Connection level ranges from 99 to 1 – 99 being best. The system will function at level one, though it isn't recommended. It just has to stay above zero.

Our first setup was a half mile from the home camera, up and over a steep hill. The signal dropped in one location that wasn't a known hunting area anyway – and we were surprised how far it did reach given the terrain. Where we needed to push further, we deployed Cuddeback's secret weapon: the CuddeLink Repeater ($130). This straightforward tool repeats the signal and got us to our prime hunting area another quarter mile out. With that camera locked to a tree, we continued deploying the next cam and so on. I couldn't believe it was that simple. Two years of issues and hours of research, solved by Cuddeback. It was like a Booner walking out broadside at 20 yards, just as you'd written off the morning. Finally, I had solved my issue.

Camera Models and Accessories: What We Used

Depending on the location, we ran either the Cuddeback Model G ($300) or Model J ($209), based on the IR range we needed for night imaging. The auxiliary battery packs ($50) are non-negotiable – the company recommends them and so do we. The cameras run on D batteries, which adds up fast across a system of this size. Without the aux pack, expect around three months of life. With it, six. Given the remoteness of our setup and the need to keep human scent out of the area, the extra spend was an easy call.

The Verdict

Bottom line: there are cell cameras out there, all expensive, all complicated. Don't be fooled by promises of service, big antennas, glitzy screens, and fancy apps. At the end of the day, you want reliability and no headaches while in the woods. This system delivers and then some. For full specs and current pricing, visit cuddeback.com.