Trail Camera Accessories You Actually Need for Cuddeback Cameras (and Why)
Trail Camera Accessories You Actually Need for Cuddeback Cameras (and Why)
Cuddeback has really done a good job of offering whitetail hunters cost-effective trail cameras for just about any scouting scenario.
If you need a singular cell camera for a spot here or there (like on public land), the Cuddeback Tracks fills that role well.
However, if you have large private property to cover, the Cuddelink system gives you the networking ability to cover it all with super cheap cellular service, or you can even opt to just check the SD card on your home camera for free!
Even though both the Tracks and Cuddelink cameras offer the great advantage of not having to visit each camera to view pictures, that can be thrown out the window if you have to visit those cameras to replace batteries or adjust a camera position because the stick you used to angle the camera fell out.
In this article, I’m only going to cover the top, most beneficial accessories for your Cuddeback cameras.
What makes Cuddeback accessories different
I couldn’t find an exact launch date, but I have some 10–15-year-old Cuddeback cameras that have their proprietary Genius Mounting System on them. So, it has to be at least that long since they came out with it.
The Genius mount was made to make it easy to remove the camera from a tree without having to take the strap off. This would keep your camera positioned exactly where it was when you slid it back into the mount after checking the SD card, changing batteries, or adjusting settings.
Cuddeback still uses the Genius mounts today on all their Cuddelink and Tracks cameras, as well as all external power options like battery packs or solar panels.
Another proprietary Cuddeback accessory is their power cords. Over the years, they have gone through a few different variations of plug types, but thankfully they have standardized them all in the last few years to the C2-style plug. These plugs are nice because they have a twist-locking feature to keep moisture out and prevent the plugs from being pulled out by a critter.
Are there more generic mounts or power plugs that will work with Cuddeback cameras? The short answer is yes, they do have a ¼-20 thread on the back of them and can accept standard power plugs. However, I’ve found the purpose-built options from Cuddeback to work the best.
Power Solutions (CRITICAL for Cuddelink Cameras)
The Achilles heel of any cellular trail camera or a wirelessly transmitting camera is battery life. And since the whole idea of these cameras is to not disturb your hunting areas, going in to change batteries would defeat the purpose.
So, making sure we have a dependable power supply to get us through the season is essential.
Now I will make a note on this — the Tracks cellular camera gets phenomenal battery life on just the 4D batteries inside it, so in most cases you won’t need external power with this camera.
However, if the cell reception is poor in that location, the Tracks will consume a lot more power (like any other brand of cell camera or cell phone will). In those scenarios, I would add a solar panel to keep a constant resupply of power to the camera.
The Cuddelink system is a bit of a different animal. The Cuddelink system operates off of a radio frequency, much like a two-way radio. So, since the cameras (radios) are constantly on and in communication with each other, they consume a constant supply of power.
The downside is that you will need to add external power to extend run time in most cases (with just the 4D camera batteries, expect about 1½ months of battery life). The positive side is that the power draw is consistent, so you can pretty accurately predict battery life.
External Battery Pack – The Dx6
The Dx6 battery pack is a cost-effective way to keep your Cuddeback camera powered through a deer season.
It holds 6 D batteries in about as compact of a package as 6 D batteries can be in. When combined with the 4 D batteries inside a Cuddelink camera, you can expect 5–6 months of run time — about the perfect length to cover deer season.
Solar Panel – The PW-3600
Of all the external power options, Cuddeback’s PW-3600 solar panel is the one I use the most.
It’s a great balance of affordability and long-term power, pretty much eliminates the need to buy batteries. If your property is far away or your camera location is hard to reach, then adding the 4 D batteries inside the camera as a backup is a good idea. However, in most of my PW-3600 setups, I leave the camera empty, and the PW-3600 has powered the camera continuously for years. The only drawback to this solar panel is that it does need a good sunlight location, such as on a field or food plot edge, or in a grassy area that offers plenty of sunlight.
Solar Panel – The PW-003 Sun and Shade
Are you looking for the best “do-it-all” power option? Then the PW-003 Sun and Shade Solar Panel would be it.
You don’t have to put much thought into whether this power option will work in a certain location — the Sun and Shade solar panel will work anywhere. In the timber or on a field, the PW-003 will power your Cuddeback camera indefinitely — set it and forget it. The PW-003 has 2x the solar panel surface area and 2x the internal battery storage capacity compared to its little brother, the PW-3600. It’s a long-term powerhouse.
Armored Power Cords – PW-005 and PW-002
For years, this has been one of the most recommended upgrades for Cuddeback power sources. Nothing’s more frustrating than a squirrel chewing off your power cord.
If you already have Cuddeback power options and need an armored cord, you can get them here.
If you’re brand new to Cuddeback and looking to purchase a battery pack or solar panel, I have good news. They recently decided to include armored power cords with all the power options! So that will save you some money and frustration in the future. Just note that some Cuddeback dealers may still have old stock that doesn’t include the armored cords, so if you want to make sure you get the free armored cords, be sure to check out U Outdoors’ inventory of power options.
Mounting Systems
Getting your trail cameras aimed properly is one of the most critical things in a good camera setup.
Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most common mistakes I see from customers having issues with detection.
Some brands of trail cameras have a pretty broad detection area. Others, like Cuddeback, are fairly narrow, but in either case, to get the most reliable detection, they should be set up the same way.
Here are a couple of quick analogies to think about when positioning your camera.
When you look at an image from your camera, make a crosshair on it like you would find in a rifle scope. For the best, most reliable detection, make sure that crosshair is on the spot where you intend the body of that animal to be.
Think of your motion detection sensor as a laser beam. Position that laser so the animal would need to break that beam to trigger the camera (like in the movies, where all those lasers trigger an alarm).
With the aiming of the camera being critical for reliable detection, here are some great mounting options that will allow you to dial it in perfectly.
Genius PTL Mount – Model 3488
A leaning tree, sloped ground, or a crooked post can make aiming your camera a pain.
The Genius PTL mount makes it easy to compensate for these things with the ability to tilt, turn, and pan.
You have the option to strap it to a tree, screw it to the tree or wood post (it comes with screws, but I’d replace those with better-quality deck screws), or attach it to a metal T-post with a hose clamp. Personally, I like to use screws to attach it to trees — it’s rock solid that way.
Tree-Free Post Mount – Model 3556
My collection of Cuddeback post mounts seems to get bigger every year. They’re just so handy to use.
Many times, there isn’t a tree exactly where you want to put the camera. The post mount solves that problem. In the summertime, when those velvet giants are hiding in the corn fields and eating soybeans and alfalfa away from the timber, the post mounts are the perfect tool.
The newest version of the Cuddeback post mount has 2 integrated tilt mounts (one facing each direction), which makes aiming the cameras super easy. Using 2 Cuddeback cameras back to back (on the same post) facing opposite directions is a great way to cover a food plot or field.
Genius Tilt Mount – KA-001
Sometimes just being able to tilt the camera a bit is all that’s needed to get it aimed properly.
The tool we’ve all used has been the trusty stick we found in the woods. Unfortunately, the stick isn’t always so trusty and somehow finds a way to fall out, even though we had the strap as tight as it could get without breaking the camera housing.
A simple tilt mount (made of metal) eliminates the time searching for the perfect diameter stick (tougher than it sounds, right?) and keeps the camera aimed in the same spot all season. The Genius Tilt Mount (2-pack) has the option to either strap or screw it to a tree. Both work, but the base that contacts the tree is rather small, and rough, deep tree bark can make the strap looser, so I’d recommend screwing it to the tree for the best results.
Security Accessories (Protect Your Investment)
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes the things we leave in the woods can grow legs.
Whether theft is a problem in your area or you just want to make sure it doesn’t become a problem for you, there are solutions to protect your Cuddeback camera investment.
Genius Deluxe Metal Mount – MT-002
The first and cheapest option for keeping your camera locked to the tree is the Genius Deluxe Metal Mount.
It pretty much functions the same as the standard plastic Genius Mount that comes with all Cuddeback cameras — no tilting adjustments. However, its metal construction makes it much tougher, and since it’s metal, it can be secured to a tree, wood post, or building with screws. Along with that, it also offers you the option to use a padlock or cable lock to secure the camera to the mount and tree.
The downside to this mount is it doesn’t prevent someone from opening the door and messing with your camera settings or stealing the SD card.
Cuddesafe Bear and Security Box – SL-001
If bears are a problem in your area, then having a Cuddesafe box to protect your camera is a good idea.
Likewise, if theft of SD cards or tampering with your camera is an issue, then the Cuddesafe will offer more protection for your Cuddeback cameras.
The Cuddesafe fully encloses the camera in a metal box. It has 2 different options to secure the door: the first is a padlock, and the second is a cable lock that can not only secure the door but also be wrapped around the tree to secure the box to the tree as well.
While the box does have a Genius mount on the back (slides into all Genius mounts) and can be strapped to trees as well, my recommendation is to use lag bolts through the inside of the box (it has predrilled holes for this) to securely fasten it to the tree and use a wedge (like a door stop) behind the box to get it aimed properly.
Upgraded Fresnel Lens (greatly improves detection)
This might be the most important and impactful accessory upgrade you can make for your Cuddeback camera.
For some reason, Cuddeback installs “wide”-angle Fresnel lenses in the cameras from the factory.
In our experience, the model 90002 “centered” Fresnel lenses are far superior. In fact, we’ve had customers claim they got twice the pictures out of the same camera, and all they did was change the lens.
The improvement is so noticeable that we install 90002 centered Fresnel lenses in every Cuddelink and Tracks we sell (at U Outdoors) before we ship them out. We want everyone to get the best performance right out of the box and not have to come back to buy another thing just to make it work like it should.
I think we’ve been doing this for 7+ years now, and while it’s second nature to us at this point, I meet people every year who don’t know how big of a difference this makes in detection.
The sensitivity and detection distance with the 90002 Fresnel lens are definitely worth it.
Storage
Every Cuddelink and Tracks camera requires an SD card.
However, unlike most other cellular trail camera brands, Cuddeback cameras don’t require a special high-end and expensive SD card.
They work well with good, affordable SD cards. The one we recommend is the Sandisk Ultra 32 GB with 100 MB/s write speed.
Common Mistakes Cuddeback Users Make
So, what are the common mistakes I have seen over the years when it comes to Cuddeback cameras?
Typically, I would say the first is getting the settings correct, especially with the Cuddelink system. Most of this just comes from learning how the camera menus work and what they mean. Once that’s understood, life becomes much easier, and setup becomes pretty simple.
The second big mistake I see is camera positioning. I covered this a bit already in this article, but it’s super important to have the cameras aimed properly for the best detection from Cuddeback’s sensor. Upgrading the Fresnel lens helps with this as well, but I do see a lot of poorly positioned cameras on the internet.
Other mistakes would include not using external power to keep cameras running all season and not using armored power cords to keep the juice flowing.
Quick Checklist: Essential Cuddeback Accessories
- External battery pack or solar panel (Dx6, PW-3600, or PW-003)
- Genius mount (PTL, Tilt, or Post)
- Armored power cord (PW-005 or PW-002)
- Upgraded lens (90002 centered)
- SD card (Sandisk Ultra 32 GB)
Conclusion
Having the right tools can make a job so much easier and enjoyable.
The same can be said for having the right accessories for your Cuddeback cameras.
With the right accessories, you’ll be able to get your cameras dialed in and covering all your hot spots all season long without having to go fix a camera.
And when you have your Cuddelink system set up to run like a well-oiled machine, you’ll love it!
If you ever have questions on anything Cuddeback, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help.
God Bless and Good Luck this Season!
– Brandon
Author
Brandon Urmanski
Business Owner
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