Spypoint Link-Micro S LTE Review
The Link Micro Solar’s obvious advantage is the built-in solar panel that can extend battery life. This camera also detects well and sets up in mere minutes. Subpar picture quality might scare some away, but if picture quality isn’t an issue for you, this is a reasonably priced, average performing cellular camera. – TCP Staff
Model #link-micro-s-att / Link Micro S Quick Start Guide
FAQ’s
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
73/100
Pros
- Excellent detection zone
- Very easy initial setup
- Inexpensive unlimited photo data plans
- Solar panel will help extend battery life
Cons
- Battery options are limited
- No time lapse (or video)
- Below average picture quality
Picture Quality: 74/100
Photo resolution: 10 mpxl (interpolated)
Flash Type: Red Glow IR
Day pictures are fairly average. They have great color but below average overall clarity. From what we have seen so far, they are fairly pixelated.
Night images have more flash range than we expected from a game trail camera with only four IR LEDs. Also, we have seen a lot of white out on close objects (when the camera is in IR boost mode) and some blurring on motion.
What if you purchase from us and aren’t happy with the image quality?
This is a common question and we have a very simple solution. Call, email, or chat with us and we can take a look at the images and offer suggestions or immediately tell if something is wrong with the camera. If so, we will warranty the Spypoint Link Micro S LTE AT&T cellular trail camera for you (with the free 2-Year warranty you receive from us) or return the camera for a full refund (within 90 days of purchase). You have control of the process, remember, we work for you.
Megapixel Ratings:
In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise. Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products. They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.
The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal, and to be expected.
Battery Life: 60/100
Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.11 mW
Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 55.6 Ws | 56.8 Ws
If this camera took 15-day pictures and 15-night pictures every 24 hours, it would last 2.5 months on a set of lithium batteries.
*We have calculated the battery life based on the internal battery pack (that you charge upon receiving the camera). We would like to incorporate calculations for runtime including the solar panel charging the battery pack but there are too many variables at this time. Even though we don’t have data to publish on this, expect runtime to be significantly better than 2.5 months with the solar panel collecting light. This rating does not accurately reflect what the solar panel is capable of.
Detection Circuit: 84/100
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.45 s. | 73.4 s.
Detection Range & Angle: 110 ft. @ 43.6° detection angle (42.2° field of view)
Trigger speed is solid but recovery time is a bit slow. With any cellular camera, this can depend heavily on your reception. The detection zone is awesome with a 110 ft. range and detection and field of view angles that nearly match up perfectly. Overall, the Spypoint Link Micro S LTE solar cellular trail camera has a very strong detection circuit.
Quality of Design: 76/100
Dimensions: 6.5” x 3.5” x 2”
Battery Type: Includes one Spypoint Lit-10 rechargeable battery pack
External Battery Jack: 12-volt
SD Card Size: Micro SD Card – Up to 32GB
Case Design
The Link-Micro is one of the smallest cell cameras we have tested to date. It is almost half the size of most modern cell cameras. The camera’s case feels flimsy and cheap when handling it. This is not completely unexpected as this is the least expensive cellular camera on the market. The latch to open the camera is large (easily opens) but feels like it could break if you tried to swing it open too far.
The Spypoint Link Micro S LTE AT&T cellular trail camera has a built-in solar panel that charges a removable battery. A similar system has been used on the Spypoint Link-S, with one notable difference: the Link-S has a battery tray as a backup (that you insert lithium batteries into). This camera has no backup and at the time of this writing, Spypoint does not sell the individual battery packs separately. This means, if your battery pack dies, you need to wait for the solar to get it charged back up, or, take the camera home and charge it. This is a big pain and having the battery packs available separately will be a big improvement. As it is, we wouldn’t recommend this camera in high traffic areas for the above reason.
The Link-Micro does use micro SD cards. Simply put, we do not like these. They are tiny, hard to handle, and require an adapter to download the photos to a computer. We are sure that Spypoint did this to save space, but it is not worth the trade-off.
The camera has a python lock bracket on the back-bottom of the camera and a 1/4″ x 20 threaded insert on the bottom for a Slate River Mount.
Camera Setup
Setup takes barely anytime at all. The camera itself does not have a setup screen, so everything is done via the app.
Cellular Setup
- Download the Spypoint Link smartphone app. Open the app and select “Activate New Device.” Choose “Link-Micro S” as the model.
- Use your phone to scan the Sim ID barcode located behind the battery compartment. You can also manually type it in.
- Follow a few self-explanatory steps to complete activation. Spypoint will text you your login info and password (unless you already had an account). Your camera should now be linked to your Spypoint Account.
- To add another camera, login to your account, select the drop-down near the top of the app, and select “Activate New Camera.”
Camera Setup
- Insert micro-sd card.
- Turn the camera on. A blinking green light means the camera is searching for a signal.
- Once the signal is acquired, a steady green light means a good signal, orange is a fair signal, and red is no signal.
For setting options, the Link-Micro S can be programmed to be on or off on certain days of the week. For instance, you can have the camera on from 5 pm to 8 am Mon-Fri., but on 24 hours a day during the weekend. This is an underrated feature.
This game trail camera does not have an option to send a photo on command (this is typical of most cameras) but you can set the frequency it connects to the network checking for other setting changes. The app is very easy to navigate and will not leave you confused.
This app is where you will set your data plan, your first month is unlimited photos for free. We LOVE the fact that Spypoint offers a free data plan (100 pictures a month), so you can run the camera for no cost, year-round. If you need more than 100 pictures a month, here are the costs of the other data plan options (effective 5/3/19):
Monthly Plans Free Basic Standard Premium Photos Per Month 100 250 1,000 Unlimited Month-to-Month Free $5 per month $10 per month $15 per month Annual subscription Free $4 per month $7 per month $10 per month
Viewing pictures is super easy. You can scroll left or right on the images and they react instantly. Overall, set up on the Link-Micro couldn’t be easier even if you don’t consider yourself the most technologically advanced person in the world.
“The Spypoint Experience”
This is an additional cost on top of the data plans (if you choose to go with Active Hunter or Avid Hunter). If you have used a Spypoint Link camera in the past, you are familiar with many of these features and you used to get them for free. Unfortunately, Spypoint is now charging for many of these popular features. You can find the prices and information below.
Casual Hunter Active Hunter Avid Hunter Cost FREE $49.99/year $79.99/year Cameras qty allowed/account Each camera Up to 5 Up to 10 Photo view history for each camera/account Last 30 days Last 6 months Last 12 months BUCK TRACKER species (A.I. Image Recognition) Buck only Buck, Deer, Turkey Buck, Deer, Turkey Permanent cloud storage of favorite photo – – 500 Moose & Coyote – – Yes Specific notifications by species No Yes Yes Add-on – – Camera add-on (5) $19.99
Durability
If anything arises in this category we will update the review accordingly.
Keep in mind, our 2-year warranty program is your free insurance program in case something goes wrong with a camera you purchase from us. This warranty protects you from any manufacturing defect the camera might experience for two years.
Since 2005, our mission has to been to provide consumers with unbeatable value, advice you can trust, and customer service that exceeds expectations. There are plenty of places you can choose to do business with, if we are lucky enough to earn your support, we promise to give you our undivided attention. Trailcampro has grown each year not only by relying on your happiness but on the assumption that if we blow you away with customer service, you will brag about us to your friends (have you seen our referral/reward program?).
As always, if you have additional questions, feel free to call, email or chat with us. We look forward to helping you find your next trail camera!
Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.
FAQ’s: Trail Camera
Q: How do I view the pictures?
A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera. Here are some other methods for viewing images:
- View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn’t have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
- Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don’t have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras.
Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?
A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 – 20 ft.
Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?
A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can’t see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect. It’s also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.
A: This is a low glow trail camera, meaning it has an extremely faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. We rate cameras as low glow if we can see the glow within 15 ft., but have a much harder time seeing it at a greater distance.
A: Yes. This is a red glow trail camera, meaning it has a faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. Humans and animals can see this if looking at the camera. This does not “light up” the woods, though.
Q: Where can I purchase this camera?
A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise.
Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.
We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.
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