What is the best Cuddelink power option?

What is the best Cuddelink power option?

Oh boy, “what’s the best” of anything is always a loaded question.

I see this type of question all the time online, especially in Facebook groups. It’s typically followed by every option known to man and they’re all the best!

To answer questions like this more info is usually needed, and so questions to find these things out are better than my personal opinion based on my situation.

So let's start by listing out the possible external power options for Cuddeback and Cuddelink cameras.

1. Dx6 Power Bank (PW-001)
2. Dual Power Bank (PW-3563)
3. Solar Power Bank (PW-3600)
4. Sun and Shade Solar Panel (PW-003)
5. 12v Power Cord (PW-3617)
6. AC Power Adapter Wall Plugin (PW-3655)

Now that we know the options, let’s get into the questions.

The first question is this: How long do you need the camera to last between visits?

Are you only using cameras for a couple months during the season (say October, November, December)?

Are you putting them out in late summer and not wanting to visit the camera location until after the season is over (say August/September through January)?

Or are your cameras deployed 365 days a year?

The second question is this: Where are your cameras located?

Of course I would think this has a lot of different answers even on the same property. Some are deep in the timber, others on a field edge, and one might even be in your house. Your access to these cameras could be easy and unintrusive or it could be a sensitive location near bedding areas or stand locations that you really don’t want to intrude on to mess with a camera battery.

The third question is this: What power option is the most cost effective?

Some of these power options can cover all your bases. Whether you use them a few months a year, in the timber, or on a field, it doesn't matter. They would power your cameras in all those scenarios, but is it overkill? Could you have powered your cameras with a cheaper option and gotten the same results?

The fourth question is this: How much messing around do you want to do?

Some of us would rather pay a little more up front, check the box as done, and not have to worry about buying batteries. Convenience has a cost, but sometimes it’s well worth it.

Now that you have the right questions, let's cover each power option with some more details.

Dx6 Power Bank (PW-001)

This is a battery pack that holds 6 D cell alkaline batteries. When combined with the 4 D batteries inside most Cuddelink cameras you can expect to get 5-6 months of run time with this setup. So for most guys who are just going to use their cameras during the deer season this should get you through it on one set of batteries. This pack is also pretty slim and compact, so if hiding your cameras is important this option is the most concealable.

Dual Power Bank (PW-3563)

This is a battery pack that holds 12 D cell alkaline batteries. Now there was an option to put 6 rechargeable D batteries in this pack and then hook up a solar panel to it but that extra port on the PW-3600 solar panel has been discontinued so this isn’t going to be an option going forward. So these numbers are purely for 12 alkaline batteries. With the 12 D batteries and the 4D in most Cuddelink cameras you can expect 8-10 months of run time, maybe even a hair more. Since this pack does hold 12 D batteries, it is fairly large.

* Note - this battery pack was recently discontinued for 2026.

Solar Power Bank (PW-3600)

This is a solar panel and it contains its own rechargeable battery inside. Of the 2 solar panels Cuddeback offers this is the smaller one. I recommend using these in good sunlight areas like field edges, grass lands, etc.. In these scenarios I have many PW-3600 panels that have been powering cameras continuously for over 2 years.

Sun and Shade Solar Panel (PW-003)

This is a solar panel and it contains its own rechargeable battery inside.This is the largest solar panel Cuddeback offers and it has twice the panel surface area and twice the battery capacity of the smaller PW-3600 panel. This panel could be used anywhere, in the wide open sun or in the timber. With its sheer size and battery capacity it can keep your camera going even with only ambient light to charge it. It’s the most expensive option but the most set and forget option as well.

12v Power Cord (PW-3617)

This is purely a power cord with a 12v to 9v converter. Cuddeback uses 9v for all its external power so a converter is needed to use 12v batteries. I personally did some testing with 12v batteries the last few seasons. This year's test was with some 12v 10ah lifepo4 lithium batteries, these lithium batteries cut out at 10v. The 2 cuddelink L series cameras both died on the same day (cuddelinks power draw is very consistent), they lasted 2 ½ months on a charge. On a different test using a sealed lead acid 12v 12ah battery I got 4 months of run time, however one of those batteries also never took a charge after that so I think it ran longer because it didn’t have a power cut off but running it down damaged the battery.

AC Power Adapter Wall Plugin (PW-3655)

This is a 120v plug in for your typical power outlets in your home with a plug to connect to your camera. Unless you have power outlets to all your camera locations it’s not going to be viable to use on your cameras. However it is nice to use on a Home unit placed near your buildings or even inside your home. This is a great option for Home units on non cellular systems (which I feel are far underutilized).

Now let's look at the numbers.

For batteries I’m using Rayovac High Energy D alkaline batteries (I highly recommend using these in all your Cuddeback cams and battery packs). At the time I’m writing this article a 12 pack of batteries is $12.97 (from places like Menards, Amazon, and Walmart) which comes out to $1.08/battery.

Hard costs:

Dx6 - $19.99 - Batteries (4 + 6) = $10.80 per 5-6 months run time

Dual Power Bank - $49.99 - Batteries (4 + 12) = $17.28 per 8-10+ months

Solar Power Bank PW-3600 - $52.99 (no batteries required)

Sun and Shade Solar Panel PW-003 - $95 (no batteries required)

(I’m not going to do a cost comparison on the 12v battery cord/setup as that can vary greatly depending on the battery used. I’m also not going to do one with the AC power plug due to its limited use.)

This should give you a good idea on which battery option might be the best for each camera location you have and how you plan to use them.

If you ever have questions on Cuddeback external power options or Cuddelink cameras please let us know!

God Bless and Good Luck this Season!

- Brandon