What Is CuddeLink and How Does It Work?

How CuddeLink Works

Cameras Communicate Wirelessly

I've mentioned the wireless mesh network and radio frequency a few times in this article so far, but let's dive a little deeper into that.

Most other "wireless" trail cameras on the market are using either cellular transmission or Wi-Fi to communicate wirelessly with phones or other devices.

Traditional cell cameras use cellular transmission, which is fine but requires you to have cell reception and to pay for a separate plan for each camera.

The Wi-Fi-capable cameras use free transmission, but Wi-Fi has a very short range, which makes it impractical for hunting applications.

CuddeLink, on the other hand, uses radio frequency for its wireless network. This works much like a 2-way radio or walkie-talkie does. You set your CuddeLink cameras to the same channel (frequency), and they can then communicate with each other like you would on 2-way radios.

Like a 2-way radio, the CuddeLink system can reach considerable distances, and it's free.

A good visual for how the CuddeLink system works is a bike wheel with spokes. The hub is the "home base" unit, and the spokes are cameras. All of the cameras will wirelessly transmit their images to the hub "home base," where you can view them.

But what if you can't put your "home base" in the center of your property?

And let's say there's a hill blocking your furthest camera from directly connecting to your "home base."

Have no fear! The CuddeLink cameras can "relay" images from camera to camera to reach the "home base," much like a relay race or daisy chain.

So if you have a camera in a bottom area, you can use other cameras to help transmit (relay) those images up and over the hill to reach your "home base."

The Home Camera

What I have been referring to as the "home base" is the central hub of the CuddeLink network.

This unit is where all of your cameras will send their images.

There have been many different versions of the "home base" since CuddeLink was introduced 10+ years ago, but I'm just going to cover the current options to cut down on any confusion.

There's essentially 2 options for your "home base" unit.

Option 1 - The L Cell Home Unit

The L Cell Home is essentially a transmitter and receiver box. It doesn't take pictures.

Its sole job is to receive all of your pictures and store them on an SD card for you to check. This unit is also capable of sending the images to your phone if you activate the cellular plan.

Since it isn't an actual camera, you don't have to think about putting it in a spot to get pictures. You can place it where it's most convenient for you to check your SD card (like on your porch, cabin, or field edge) or, if using it cellularly, place it where you have the best cell reception.

Option 2 - Any CuddeLink Camera

If you plan to just check the "home base" SD card to view pictures (which is free, with no plan cost), then you can simply use any CuddeLink camera!

All you have to do is set one of your CuddeLink cameras up as the "home," and the other cameras will send their images to it.

I think this is a highly underrated way to use the CuddeLink system.

Think about this: You roll up to the field edge (which you probably have a camera on anyway) on your UTV, and without even getting off, you swap the SD card and drive away. You've just checked every camera on your property with minimal disturbance.

Pretty cool, right?

Now, what if you want to have the pictures sent to your phone in the future? Simply get an L Cell Home unit and take the camera you were using as your "home" and change it back to a "remote" camera. Now it's just another camera (like your other CuddeLink cams) that sends pictures back to your new "home base."

This is a great way to get started with CuddeLink.

CuddeLink Range: How Far Can CuddeLink Cameras Reach? 

How far will these CuddeLink cameras reach?

The answer: it depends.

If you had your "home" elevated, like on high ground, and if you were looking over a flat, open area, you could potentially reach miles.

However, that's not going to be the scenario for most of us.

Many things come into play that affect signal strength—things like terrain, leaves/foliage, humidity, etc.

So even times of the year (think fall/winter vs. summer) can affect the signal strength you have.

Because of CuddeLink's ability to "relay" or "daisy chain" cameras, you can really cover a lot of area with a system.

Your typical 40- or 80-acre property can easily be covered by a handful of CuddeLink cameras.

Much larger properties can be covered as well, but the factors listed above and where you have your cameras positioned will determine how far you can spread your cameras out.

It's really hard to give an absolute answer because every property is different.

However, I have multiple CuddeLink systems deployed that can serve as examples.

One covers about a mile-wide area (home is in the center and elevated). Most of these cameras are connected directly to the home (no relay). I could cover much further if I had more land there.

Another property I have CuddeLink cameras on is 0.9 miles from the furthest camera to the furthest camera. The home is located near the middle.

However, this property has a lot of elevation change, with many cameras on the sides of hills and in bottom areas without direct line of sight to the home camera. Even with that terrain challenge, I don't have more than 1 relay (called a link) to reach the "home base."

Many of the spots on this property don't have cell signal. CuddeLink makes covering this property and getting these images sent to my phone possible.