Spypoint MicroLink

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Camoface13
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Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby Camoface13 » Thu Dec 26, 2019 10:49 pm

Newbie to cell cams, any advice on setup, batteries etc would be helpful!


Southern slayer
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby Southern slayer » Fri Dec 27, 2019 2:46 am

My brother just purchased one and said he is using energizer AA batteries. He set it for a one minute delay. A friend of ours has a couple of them and so far hasn’t had any trouble at all.
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buttonbuck
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby buttonbuck » Fri Dec 27, 2019 5:23 am

Make sure to update the firmware first, https://youtu.be/eHJdo5Arvtw

If you have problems do not communicate through email, their French. Phone call will take 30min to get through but they help you. Email and they just tell you to return it.

When you turn it on it will take 2 photos first and send them to you but sometimes it takes time. I get pictures even if its 2 bars of service. Spypoint says you wont get em but I do.

If you have a time where you get 50 photos and then 50 more a day later then the camera took a lot of photos and sends them staggered, but it adds it to the date they were taken.

If you get the avid hunter plan that does not include transmission of photos. That's a separate charge.
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby sdonx » Fri Dec 27, 2019 5:42 am

I have a bunch and they all seem to have their own personality..lol
I have one out right now that has taken thousands of pics and still has 100% battery life set it out August 26th and it is going strong.
I used Energizer lithium batteries.
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crankn101
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby crankn101 » Fri Dec 27, 2019 8:05 am

Nothing but issues with mine. I just exchanged one this morning and it wont power up after sending only 3 pics from my living room. And like mentioned above they all have their own personalities, I have no idea how they are supposed to work or whats normal. Im going to be returning all 3 here in a few minutes as I dont want to deal with a finicky camera thats 6+ hours away.
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Sat Dec 28, 2019 12:40 am

sdonx wrote:I have a bunch and they all seem to have their own personality..lol
I have one out right now that has taken thousands of pics and still has 100% battery life set it out August 26th and it is going strong.
I used Energizer lithium batteries.


I have 4 with the same results, except the battery indicator. All have lithium Energizers and have been out since June. I went from a 100% battery to dead over night on 2. Not too bad since they lasted 5 months and I had them transmitting twice per day.

Pretty confident they pick up most activity inside 30 ft, outside of that the trigger speed is too slow. Ive also got them 8-9' up.
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buttonbuck
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby buttonbuck » Sat Dec 28, 2019 12:01 pm

sdonx wrote:I have a bunch and they all seem to have their own personality..lol
I have one out right now that has taken thousands of pics and still has 100% battery life set it out August 26th and it is going strong.
I used Energizer lithium batteries.


Lithium battery's will show 100% then die rapidly and are best for cold climates. Alkaline show true and have lasted me the entire season.
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Twenty Up
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby Twenty Up » Sat Dec 28, 2019 1:33 pm

They’re finicky.

You need lithium batteries, A FORMATTED Class 10- 32GB SD and ideally 3-5 bars of service.

Settings wise you NEED to use:

6 or 12 transmissions per day.
1 pic with a 1 minute delay (10 second is alright on scrapes/trails. NOT feeders)
Medium sensitivity
Trigger speed : optimal
Quality: Normal

Their Customer Service is very good on their website by using the “Chat” function (bottom right). DO NOT BOTHER CALLING OR EMAILING.

I hope this helps, I’ve owned several Link Micro’s for a little while ;)
Trust the Process~~ Lost Boys Outdoors ~~

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phade
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby phade » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:35 am

Some of the nationwide models are using 3g modems despite being a 4g claim. Someone opened one up and was able to determine it was 3g. Spypoint I think made a small statement that they'll "take care" of those impacted customers. Be aware if you have that.

Instant transmission will kill batteries faster than using the batch send. Battery life is decent. Set cam for 15-25 feet sweet spot. Closer, and pics washout sometimes, further, and images are too grainy for detail. They offer a $5 for 50 HD image upgrade.

Firmware upgrades are hit or miss OTA. Use the SD card and follow directions carefully. Cam is more susceptible to needing to be "restarted" or defaulted requiring a cam visit. Better options exist for those hours away IMO.

They hide very very very very very very well. Modem is cheaper so reception can be lesser than in other competing cams. Low reception but still sending pics will eat more batteries than full bars. Be aware that you should compare sent images to SD card. I've seen more missed or failed to transmit images on Spypoints than any other brand.

The HME solar panel and SLA combo fits with a little trimming of the male end plastic. It will run the cam a very long time. Although short of a feeder/mineral or plot set, lithiums should last a while.

QC is hit or miss. If you get a good one, you get one that will work for a while. If not...whoah painful experience. I had to stop selling these - I got more Qs and troubleshoot, and complaints from selling this brand for 6 mos. than I did all of my other brands put together for 4 years. I simply couldn't handle the support level due to the volume and halted sales of them. I hear they are investing in better support now, with outsourcing to Asia. They're really good people at that company, however.
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RagMonster
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby RagMonster » Sun Dec 29, 2019 1:02 pm

Thanks for the information Phade and others. I recently put a post on the Trail Cam page regarding cell cameras for use as site security on an old farm that is seeing considerable theft. I've been looking at the SP Micro Link solely due to cost as well as the Stealth Cam GXW which cost a little more. I can get each locally for $150 and $200 (fully aware they have been sold for better deals) so I may get one of those so I can start tinkering over the New Year Holiday. My biggest concern is theft and vandalism avoidance, thus, looking at inexpensive. But, if it doesn't work I'll end up spending $ on something of higher quality so its a wash...
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby hunter10 » Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:20 am

I have 3 link micros. When they work, they work fairly well. I own a bunch of cameras and place them out each yeAr only to get somewhat lazy/don’t want to put my scent in an area and leave them soaking too long. The cell cams help with that but, I’ve noticed that there is a big difference between how many pictures are sent to your phone compared to how many are on the SD card. The cell signal/transfer of pics is hit and miss. Battery life isn’t terrible overall
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phade
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby phade » Wed Jan 01, 2020 2:00 am

hunter10 wrote:I have 3 link micros. When they work, they work fairly well. I own a bunch of cameras and place them out each yeAr only to get somewhat lazy/don’t want to put my scent in an area and leave them soaking too long. The cell cams help with that but, I’ve noticed that there is a big difference between how many pictures are sent to your phone compared to how many are on the SD card. The cell signal/transfer of pics is hit and miss. Battery life isn’t terrible overall


That's a factor of the cheaper cams. Higher end cams such as the Ghost have a redial/resend capability. These help when signal drops occur. I've seen as low as 70-80% transmission on the Spypoints and lower price point cams and 95+% on the high end cams.
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Chuck72
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby Chuck72 » Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:00 am

i just got one of these and it seemed pretty easy as far as set up following the steps. Knowing this microlink is on the low end of the scale, i'll be curious if I run into any issues, now i just need to get the camera out prior to the next snow storm, dont' want tracks leading to my cam. :) Prior to this brand, I always ran cuddeback's which have always seemed to work well based on my usage. I always used bear boxes with my cudde's to avoid theft.

?????

Does anyone have any experience with one of these or a similar being stolen but later tracked down? There is a setting online where you can let spypoint know your camera was stolen. Maybe Spypoint would be able to identify where it's located rather quickly for a game warden to track down.
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phade
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Re: Spypoint MicroLink

Unread postby phade » Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:16 am

Chuck72 wrote:i just got one of these and it seemed pretty easy as far as set up following the steps. Knowing this microlink is on the low end of the scale, i'll be curious if I run into any issues, now i just need to get the camera out prior to the next snow storm, dont' want tracks leading to my cam. :) Prior to this brand, I always ran cuddeback's which have always seemed to work well based on my usage. I always used bear boxes with my cudde's to avoid theft.

?????

Does anyone have any experience with one of these or a similar being stolen but later tracked down? There is a setting online where you can let spypoint know your camera was stolen. Maybe Spypoint would be able to identify where it's located rather quickly for a game warden to track down.


No, they won't be able to tell you much. The distinction you make on the app is to prevent someone else from using it. Turn it on and basically they cannot register it, but you have to do it after you realize it's stolen.

These cams have a weak point in their security setting in that should someone take a screenshot of their cam details, posts online, then someone else registers, it'll allow them to do so. From there, they can get the images as I understand it. I'm sure the original owner would figure it out quickly, however, it causes an issue.

Another brand has the account ID and PW on the cam, so someone in theory could take it, log on, and see your images for all of your cams on the app.

These are the small things people don't think about when going with those lower price points. It's all pro and con list, but some people overlook some factors on the con side from my personal experience.

A more expensive model has an internal battery that will reflect GPS details, even if the cam is turned off by the crook. It isn't going to tell you what car in the walmart parking lot that it is in, but it'll get you very very close to it...
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