I would like to put on of these on my driveway. What's the best option for the money? What quality night pics do they take? I need it to have clear enough pics at night to get tag numbers

The reflective properties of the tags make it tough to get tag numbers.

Depending on how long your driveway is there are probably other routes you could go besides cellular game cameras that would be just as cheap and require no monthly payments.

If you're set on the cellular cameras Spartan GoCam gets my vote.

We sale the Snyper Commander 3G for $249.95. Having to place another order for them next week.

If you're shopping for cellular cameras, don't forget to consider the data plan options. They're different for different camera makers, and the commitment requirements are different, too. Most don't require more than month-to-month plans, however, so you shouldn't have to get locked in to any long-term contracts. I'd just hate to see you get caught with an unexpected expense. How far from your house will the cameras be located? Cuddeback is coming out with a new system that transmits the photos via radio signal with about a 1/4 mile range in the woods, longer if it's open terrain. No data plan, plus you can daisy-chain cameras together to cover up to 4 miles. You would need at least two cameras for the Cuddeback system, though, one to take the pictures and one to act as the "home" camera where you would receive the images. You can get the cameras for about $200 each, and the add-on piece that makes it wireless is an additional cost ... I think $79, also per camera. Cameras can be set to black flash for complete invisibility.

That sounds interesting. I wonder if you can download the photos remotely as long as you are in range to view the ones taken earlier when you were not in range. That way you could set one up very securely as kind of a base station and view the pics from the other cameras that are in an area more likely to be stolen etc.

You have to physically be at the "home" or "master" camera to download the images. The cameras are all the same, but you designate one to be the master via the settings. Then the other ones all automatically talk to each other to get the pictures to the master camera.

So, what you mention is how it works, as long as you can actually get to the master camera. Again, it can be whichever one you designate it to be. For example, for primitive properties with no buildings or sheds, you just pick the camera with the easiest access, designate it as the master camera and get the pictures from it.

However ... when I talked to Mark Cuddeback last week (I'm working on an article about remote-capable trail cameras) he said they're going to be offering a cellular option for this system by the end of summer. They'll also be offering a web-based option by the end of summer, but the internet unit will have to be indoors and hooked up to the internet to function.

I should also add that the photos sent to the master camera are all low-res versions, which are organized into folders by camera name. The hi-res versions of the pictures remain on each individual camera's memory card.

Oh, and the benefit of having a cellular version for this system is you can run up to 16 cameras and would still have only one cellular data plan, and you wouldn't have to physically visit the home camera. With other cell cameras, every camera has to have its own data plan. I didn't know that until this past hunting season when I got a Moultrie Mobile cell camera and modem. I liked it so much I ordered another, only to then realize I would need a second cell plan/bill. So it's still in the darn box.

1/4 mile gives pretty minimal range.

That would be ideal if the base camera would work on a single cell plan and transmit remotely to you with the photos from the other cameras. Seems a little complicated and I would bet it will take a while to work out all the glitches with more than a couple cameras.

It sounds complicated, and I have not used them personally, but Mark specifically said they held off putting the system on the market until they could get the cameras to do all the setup and talk to one another automatically.

Then again, I know NOTHING about how adding the cell unit would add to the equation in terms of complication.

One thing I definitely like about the Cuddeback system and the Moultrie system I own is the cameras for both systems are standalone, completely functional and full-featured cameras with the remote equipment added on. That ensures you get a good camera, and it keeps costs down.

I think he was being a little conservative with the 1/4 mile figure, plus that was the bottom end of the range capability, but yea I can see your point. I think I'll mention to him that they should consider offering just transmit units that can complete the daisy chain without a camera involved. I'm betting the key circuitry involved is located in the camera though, and not the transmission unit, which would make it almost a moot point to offer such a solution since it would cost almost as much to make a self-functioning transmission unit as it would the whole camera.

Reconyx makes cameras specifically designed for capturing license plates. I think your standard trail cam won't work very well. Beware, Reconyx cams are expensivo.

I have one of their trail cams and the photo quality is excellent. No video or wireless on mine. They're not the best value, but they are top of the line. I got mine used relatively cheap.

Good luck.

http://www.reconyx.com/page/compare-security-cameras

Just got another order of Snyper Commander G3 Cellular Cameras. We got some of the metal security boxes for them, also. So far so good, it seems that those who have purchased the Snyper have had great results and in most cases better signal than their cell phones. Come by and get one and we will help you set it up at the store. Just need to bring $240.00, 8 "AA" batteries and at least one 8GB SD card. The SIMS card comes with the camera.