Reamed by Stealthcam

[Tesoro]

SO 4 years ago I bought two $220 state of the art game cams that transmitted video and hi res pics remotely to my iphone via Verizon. I stopped using them a few years back. Yesterday I decided to re-activate them for a project I had in mind. They couldn't get on Verizon network, even though the sim cards were re-activated.
So I call the company for help only to find out that their new app does not work with my cams. My app had auto updated in the back ground so I no longer had the old one. And they would not give it to me. The only solution was to mail back my perfectly good cameras and buy two new similar ones for half price on their full bore retail offer. Bottom line is I will now have two 300 dollar game cams when all the others cost 200 dollars! Or could have kept them as is and had standard 75$ game cams that cost me over $200.
Bastards.

 

[DShortt]

Is it Stealthcam or Verizon you're having difficulty with?
I've no experience with Stealthcam but Verizon double-billed me for data for months before I caught it. Then refused to refund the cost of the over charge. No more Verizon for me. They can go pound salt.

 

[hoz53]

Is it Stealthcam or Verizon you're having difficulty with?
I've no experience with Stealthcam but Verizon double-billed me for data for months before I caught it. Then refused to refund the cost of the over charge. No more Verizon for me. They can go pound salt.

I had problems with verizon several times also. Took a long time- like a year - to get a cell phone account canceled. Finally got it straitened out- no more verizon for me either.

 

[Tesoro]

Stealthcam remote viewing only works via their app. Stealtcam updated the old app so it wont work with the slightly older cameras for remote viewing. They could have easily left the old app as active and provided the new app for the new version cameras.

 

[Dimner]

I'm not versed in the cam that you have, or how stealth cam works. However, in a situation like this, I always turn to the wayback machine from the internet archives.

Basically it's a site that lets you browse a website from a specific snapshot in time. So for example, if your cam was new in 2020, you could goto the version of the stealth cam site in 2020 and see if you can find the old app to download.

Do this for any site : https://web.archive.org/web/

But for stealthcam:

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Looks like the link above has snapshots of the stealthcam site back to 2003. Although, in 2003, I doubt it was for trail cams. Looks like around 2014 it starts seeing alot of changes. So I would just click the link above, click on the year you bought the cam, click one of the dates and a little pop up will show you the snap shot link. So for example:

Click 2020
Goto May 16th and click
You will see a snapshot of 18:35:35
Click that link and now you can browse the stealth cam site as if it was May 16th 2020 at 18:35:35. Should be the full site. From here you might be able to find an app download.

I'm not sure if the wayback machine archives web app downloads, but it's worth a try. Another thought is to try to find an android app store archive. It's a common issue where an old version of an app works when a newer version had broken features. I have to think that someone has thought of and put together an app store archive.

 

[hogpatrol]

Having used cell phone connected game cameras since they were introduced, I've found they are like phones, designed in obsolescence. I had four Bushnells that went obsolete when their CelluCore were introduced.

 

[xr650rRider]

The older cameras used 3G network. It was shutdown 5/31/2022, so nothing an older app can do.

 

[Tesoro]

Yeah thx for the link but realized the older 4g app has to work in conjunction with the cell carrier, which they will have disabled. So yup it is planned obsolescence in purest form.

 

[shoot4fun]

Having used cell phone connected game cameras since they were introduced, I've found they are like phones, designed in obsolescence. I had four Bushnells that went obsolete when their CelluCore were introduced.

My hunting buddy bought a Bushnell trail cam with cell capability about six years ago.
It got moisture in it from a poor design. They offered him a $50 discount off full MSRP on a new camera just like it. He said no thanks.
A couple months later both of mine did same thing. I threw them in he garbage and Tactacam.
Never buy a Bushnell product again.

 

[ShtrRdy]

There are many things which operate with a cell phone that can get out of sync in terms of updated equipment or firmware. I really get upset when this happens but as far as I can tell there is nothing we can do about it. The latest problem for me is getting new hearing aids that won't work with my 3 year old cell phone. I'm told the cell phone is too old ( it was initially introduced in 2018 )

 

[LHSmith]

I got one cellular cam 2 years ago, a Spypoint which was recommended to me by a LE who monitors a watershed property. I had been using Bushnell Trophy (non-cellular) cams for years with good results. I downloaded the Spypoint app to my phone, mounted on a tree with-in sight distance from the ATT cell tower ~300 yards. I only opted for the free 50 pics because I was leery of the " upgrade plans". Well it did send me 50 pics that first month, but nothing after. Could not reach anyone on the toll-free number,even after on hold for up to 1 hour (my limit). Tried to resolve via their online "chat" where I was told how to download the latest app revision. NOTHING after multiple tries. I gave up, tried it as a regular cam, but got frustrated with those tiny micro cards. It is now used as a "dummy" to thwart trespassers. BTW the LE who recommended Spypoint had same issues with all their cams in short order. I have absolutely no desire to go down the cellular cam road again and will NEVER buy a Spypoint product again.
FWIW my Bushnell Trophy cams have been working since 2015 24/7. Since these are no longer made I have been using Brownings in various models and so far so good.

 

[Dimner]

I got one cellular cam 2 years ago, a Spypoint which was recommended to me by a LE who monitors a watershed property. I had been using Bushnell Trophy (non-cellular) cams for years with good results. I downloaded the Spypoint app to my phone, mounted on a tree with-in sight distance from the ATT cell tower ~300 yards. I only opted for the free 50 pics because I was leery of the " upgrade plans". Well it did send me 50 pics that first month, but nothing after. Could not reach anyone on the toll-free number,even after on hold for up to 1 hour (my limit). Tried to resolve via their online "chat" where I was told how to download the latest app revision. NOTHING after multiple tries. I gave up, tried it as a regular cam, but got frustrated with those tiny micro cards. It is now used as a "dummy" to thwart trespassers. BTW the LE who recommended Spypoint had same issues with all their cams in short order. I have absolutely no desire to go down the cellular cam road again and will NEVER buy a Spypoint product again.
FWIW my Bushnell Trophy cams have been working since 2015 24/7. Since these are no longer made I have been using Brownings in various models and so far so good.

I've had good luck with my spypoint force-10 trailcams. I bought a 4 pack super cheap in 2019. They are going strong still. The battery life on these cams are insane. I thought I lost one of my 4 cams one year. Put it out Labor day weekend, and when November came along, I coudlnt find it. I thought it was stolen.

A year later on labor day, I was putting cams out again and I found the one I had thought I lost. Full of great pics and still had 30% battery life (rechargable Ni-Mh).

And you are right about those Bushnell trophy cams. I have a really old one too. 2015 at least. Never failed me so far.

This is where I shop for trail cams: https://www.trailcampro.com/

They have really good reviews, well thought out and well executed. Their prices are also very competitive. They have a best of type review for every segment of camera.

 

[Tesoro]

Speaking of tech changes...in 2011 I paid $500 for one of the first no noise no glow Recon-x IR cams to catch a thief. It still works perfectly. Too bad back then cellular instant alert wasn't around or could have played some early morning baseball.

 

[hogpatrol]

I got one cellular cam 2 years ago, a Spypoint which was recommended to me by a LE who monitors a watershed property. I had been using Bushnell Trophy (non-cellular) cams for years with good results. I downloaded the Spypoint app to my phone, mounted on a tree with-in sight distance from the ATT cell tower ~300 yards. I only opted for the free 50 pics because I was leery of the " upgrade plans". Well it did send me 50 pics that first month, but nothing after. Could not reach anyone on the toll-free number,even after on hold for up to 1 hour (my limit). Tried to resolve via their online "chat" where I was told how to download the latest app revision. NOTHING after multiple tries. I gave up, tried it as a regular cam, but got frustrated with those tiny micro cards. It is now used as a "dummy" to thwart trespassers. BTW the LE who recommended Spypoint had same issues with all their cams in short order. I have absolutely no desire to go down the cellular cam road again and will NEVER buy a Spypoint product again.
FWIW my Bushnell Trophy cams have been working since 2015 24/7. Since these are no longer made I have been using Brownings in various models and so far so good.

Out of four brands, Spypoints were the least reliable. Between my brother and I, we had six of them. They went to the recycle bin.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Typical Verizon.

 

[Fire Dog]

Speaking of tech changes...in 2011 I paid $500 for one of the first no noise no glow Recon-x IR cams to catch a thief. It still works perfectly. Too bad back then cellular instant alert wasn't around or could have played some early morning baseball.

View attachment 1537817

At least you had a picture to give to the POlice... Perhaps a proximity trigger on it with a load of CS or pepper spray or some bright dye... You know, the sort that the banks put into bundles of cash during a robbery.

 

[Fire Dog]

I've had good luck with my spypoint force-10 trailcams. I bought a 4 pack super cheap in 2019. They are going strong still. The battery life on these cams are insane. I thought I lost one of my 4 cams one year. Put it out Labor day weekend, and when November came along, I coudlnt find it. I thought it was stolen.

A year later on labor day, I was putting cams out again and I found the one I had thought I lost. Full of great pics and still had 30% battery life (rechargable Ni-Mh).

And you are right about those Bushnell trophy cams. I have a really old one too. 2015 at least. Never failed me so far.

This is where I shop for trail cams: https://www.trailcampro.com/

They have really good reviews, well thought out and well executed. Their prices are also very competitive. They have a best of type review for every segment of camera.

Thanks, I've bookmarked their site for future use... {:~)

 

[Tesoro]

At least you had a picture to give to the POlice... Perhaps a proximity trigger on it with a load of CS or pepper spray or some bright dye... You know, the sort that the banks put into bundles of cash during a robbery.

Didn't need dye, we had his face and got him the next day. Still have that camera and still works well! The current version is $600.