Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cellular Camera- Barn Owl Review (Avoid)

Thought I'd pass this on in case anyone is considering a cellular trail camera setup. Picked up a Barn owl cellular camera in November '22 to keep an eye on a hunting property. They're one of the more expensive options, and supposed to be better. Setup was fairly easy for both the camera and solar panel. Transmitted well for a month or two. Then it died randomly. They sent me another one in April '23.

Set that one up, and things were going great for a few months... until the same thing happened. It went from a 100% battery indication to 0% in one day. Then offline for weeks. Then I manually recharged the solar panel battery. Worked for another week or two and then it died again. Then this morning, it randomly started sending pictures again with a 100% battery indication.

I asked to return it and customer support said to kick rocks. So, I've got what appears to be a paperweight, as I'm certainly not paying a subscription fee for an inoperative camera to sit on a tree with the hope it may decide to start working.

Bottom line, both Barn Owl cameras I have received were junk. Avoid unless you want a game like the one they've had me playing.

Screenshots here for anyone interested.

I'm running six Moultrie Edge Cellular Cams, four of those for a year this March. Nary a hitch nor glitch!

ya!

GWB

Them and Reconyx is why I just go with cheaper stuff now, its all the same shot in the dark garbage. Try shelling out $700 for a Reconyx rig and being told “no refund”

That's almost where I am with these dweebs now. $600 ish bucks for a camera that has worked for about six weeks out of the last 18 months...

Spy point is what I use

Same here and they're relatively cheap.
So I don't feel so bad about chucking them should they fail or if a bear eats one.

I have 1 SPYPOINT and 2 Tactacam. One Tactacam was draining batteries in a week, sent it in under warranty and they sent me a new one as a replacement. Both brands do pretty good as security/ wildlife cameras.

I'm cheap....use $50 cameras from the Bezos store

They work...but even at the 'low' setting I still get many wind pics

Seems the deer & elk can hear it snapping pics

Problems are a by-product of cell cameras. Mostly batteries... Especially in areas with poor cell service, and the camera is set to send very hi definition photos.

The camera sends over the cell provider and if the signal is poor, it takes a long time to send the photo, thus draining the batteries quicker.

I use external batteries on some of mine hooked up to sturdy solar chargers and big 12v batteries. They work flawlessly.

Been running Stealth Cam for years. Not had one go down for the count yet.... Knock on wood.

Photo of dove taking off...

I like the browning cell cams, tactacam is total junk that eats up batteries in a few weeks!!!

I've had amazing luck with the cheap Muddy and Wildview cams at under $40 each, but I really like the immediate gratification afforded by the almost real time uploading of images by the Moultrie Edge cellular cameras. They take 16 double A batteries, but those last about 9 months in my cams.










ya!


GWB

Mine has an external solar charger and battery bank. Appears to be worthless. Might try a spypoint.

A couple years ago, the Spypoint’s were constantly having issues with “updates”. Haven’t had any issues in the last 12-18 months.

Not saying they’re “great”, but they DO have a program that offers 100 free cell photos a month. Not enough for a “game” cam, but for use as an inexpensive “security” cam, they work fine, and the free program pays for the price of the camera, in 12 months.

Those cheap battery banks and small solar chargers are chinese junk. I had 2 of them go tits up on me in no time.

I get a 20 watt, 12 volt solar trickle charger and hook it to a lawnmower battery, then run the cable from the battery to the camera.

No power issues after that. Even if I switched camera brands, I'd still hook them to power that way.

My cameras that don't take hundreds of photos a day, I just run alkaline AA's in them. Those last at least a couple of months.

Yeah it appears everything from this kit was cheap Chinese junk... which sucks, considering that it was the most expensive option.