Spypoint Link-EVO (Verizon) Review

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Spypoint Link-EVO Trail Camera Review spypoint link evo on a tree

The Spypoint Link-EVO transmits pictures to the Spypoint app on your phone. This is a great value cellular trailcam for anyone on a tight budget and even includes an entry level free data plan. - TCP Staff

Step-By-Step Setup Instructions Link-Evo

Model # Link-Evo-V

Link-Evo FAQs

Spypoint Link-Evo Owner's Manual

 


 

  • 2.9 Months of battery life
  • Free data plan (100 pics/month)
  • 0.3 s. trigger speed
  • Very easy setup process if you follow our directions

 

  • Limited flash range at night
  • Does not send video

 

The Spypoint Link-Evo uses an LTE Quectel EC21-VD module that allows this camera to operate on Verizon LTE towers. It is backwards compatible and should work on 4G/3G towers while they are still active. If you enjoyed taking photos on this camera, check out our Spypoint Link S Dark trail camera that is LTE-powered and offers free photo transmission.

The pictures can be retrieved by a smartphone using the Spypoint app or by connecting to myspypoint.com. You do NOT need a Verizon cell phone, any carrier's phone would work for retrieval. It is only important that the Link-Evo Verizon has 3 or more bars of Verizon reception.

If you have less than 3 bars of reception, we have had good luck with the Spypoint Booster Antenna. It currently enables a Spypoint Link camera to send in an area with 1 bar of reception. That does not mean it will work like that everywhere, but it certainly helps.

If you plan on using this camera please do the following three things:

  1. Only use Lithium batteries. We prefer Energizer Ultimate Lithium
  2. Have 3 bars of Verizon reception
  3. Read the quality of design section and follow our setup instructions. If you do not save the file to the SD card (we talk about this in the Q.O.D. section) the camera will not send you photos.

Picture Quality:

Photo resolution: 12 mpxl (interpolated)

Flash Type: Red Glow IR

Day pictures have good color and clarity but tend to be a tad dark when in shadowy areas. Overall, day pictures have good upside and realistic color making them solid overall.

Night pictures have a limited amount of flash range. The Link-EVO has three modes in the settings that control night image quality:

  1. IR Boost - Max flash range but higher frequency of blurry images
  2. Blur Reduction - Less flash range, but better clarity on moving animals
  3. Optimal - This is a compromise of the two modes above.

You will notice that we placed the Evo in short distance scenarios where the infrared light had plenty of objects to reflect off. In these setups, the night pictures were good enough. Placing the Link-Evo in a wide open field would not be beneficial as this camera doesn't have the flash range to compensate for the lack of objects to bounce light off of. Also, the pictures sent to the app are highly compressed and not full resolution. The full resolution pictures are stored to the SD card. The following images are full resolution.

[powr-image-slider id=bcf45287_1495646733]

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.92 ma

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 37.4 Ws | 41.2 Ws

The camera operates on 8 AA batteries. We only recommend lithium batteries for this camera, as they deliver a high and consistent voltage that alkaline and nimh rechargeable batteries simply can't maintain.

Many people like to argue about battery types with us. We can assure you, if you place alkaline batteries in this camera or any cellular camera, you are setting yourself up for many headaches. Do yourself a favor and use Lithium batteries.

If this camera took 15-day pictures and 15-night pictures every 24 hours, it would last 2.9 months on a set of lithium batteries. Keep in mind, this camera is accomplishing 2 months of battery life on 8 AA batteries rather than the typical 12 AA batteries all other cellular trailcams use.

lithium battery rechargeable pack

Rechargeable Battery Option

If you would like to utilize rechargeable batteries, we have had great luck with the Spypoint Rechargeable Lithium Battery Pack and Charger. You will get around 1.5 months with it (with the above formula), but you can continue recharging it. If you have two of them per camera you can always have one charged and ready to go - costing you more up front, but less over several years.

 

Detection Circuit:

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.34 s. | 32.5 s.

Detection Range: 60 ft.

The Evo has an extremely quick 0.3-second trigger speed and the Verizon Link-EVO recovers in a blistering 32.5 seconds. This must but due to the faster Verizon networks.

The detection range is 60 ft., which is average by today's standards. We have experienced some false triggering with the Link-Evo.

Overall, this camera detects very well for a cell camera and has a detection range and recovery that is average against its peers.

Quality of Design:

Dimensions: 4.4" x 5.2" x 3.3"

Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack: 12-Volt

The Link-Evo case design is similar to previous Spypoint cameras with a few notable improvements. The latch has been beefed up and is now one-piece construction. It opens and closes easily. The battery compartment on the back has an eject button that pops the cover open.

This camera has a built-in python bracket on the back of the camera and a 1/4" x 20 threaded slot on the bottom for a Slate River Mount. This camera does not have an internal screen for programming, all programming will be done on the Spypoint app on your phone.

Overall, the case design is very solid. The antenna seems a little flimsy, but we will keep an eye on it and if anything arises we will update this review.

Setup for the Link-Evo

As mentioned previously, all setup options are controlled via the app on your phone. In the past, cell cameras have developed a reputation for being clumsy and finicky during this process. The Link-Evo couldn't be easier to setup, even for the folks that aren't "techie."

After you have turned the camera on and loaded the app to your phone, simply follow the instructions on the app. You will need to setup an account and connect your new camera to the app. This takes no time at all. From there, you can select the camera settings, check battery status/cell reception, sd card storage, and view the pictures the camera has taken. The sim card comes with the camera and is located in the battery compartment.

If you purchase more than one camera, you can use the same account for all the cameras but each camera will have its own data plan.

This step is very important. In order for your camera to send photos, you MUST DO THIS. Simply take the SD card out of the camera and plug into your computer. Open the file that has a colored icon and says "Evo." Make sure it is set to cellular and then hit the save button. This saves a file on the SD card that will get the camera activated. After that, just place the SD card back in the camera and you should be good to go.

For setting options, the Spypoint Link-EVO is one of the few cellular trail cameras that 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 camera does not have an option to send a photo on command 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:

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, setup on the Link-Evo 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 on the Link-Evo had been great for most of 2018/2019 but hit a snag at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019. In late November and early December, Verizon Spypoint trail cameras started having connectivity problems. Cameras stopped sending pictures for days or weeks at a time. We believe this issue has now been resolved. At the beginning of 2019, we saw an outbreak of cameras that would not connect to the network at the turn of the year. This required customers to go to their camera, turn it off, and then turn it back on. If all went as planned, this would update the camera with the newest software and it would start to work again. This worked in the vast majority of cameras but not all.

Due to these events, warranty rates on Spypoint Link-Evo Verizon cellular trail cameras have gone up significantly over a short period of time. This was an anomaly in an otherwise dependable line of cameras. We will continue to update this review to reflect the most up-to-date information available.

 

Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.


FAQ's: Spypoint Link-EVO-V 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. This is a cellular camera, so the pictures are sent to the Spypoint App on your phone. Here are the other ways to view the pictures.

  • 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.
  • View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
  • 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: Yes. This is a red glow Spypoint Link-Evo Verizon cellular 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: Will the Link-EVO take pictures through glass?

A: No. Trail cameras can't detect animals through glass.

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. If that isn't enough, we give you an 16 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime.

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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Manufacturer Specifications

  • Verizon cellular trail camera
  • 12-Volt External Battery Jack
  • 12 Mpxl interpolated photos
  • Red Glow IR Flash
  • Date, time, temperature and moon phase stamp on photos
  • Time Lapse Mode
  • Multi-shot up to 2 photos per trigger
  • Photo + Video mode (takes picture and then video - only sends picture to app)
  • 4G Photo Transmission
  • Preactivated sim card included
  • Requires 8 AA batteries (we recommend lithium)
  • First 30 days of cellular data is free with unlimited photos
  • After 30 days, Spypoint includes a plan that is Free and sends up to 100 photos
  • Accepts up to 32 gig SD card
  • 4.4" x 5.2" x 3.3"
  • 7-Day Start/Stop time programming

trail camera warranty

Buy your next trail camera or accessory from us and we will protect your purchase with our 90-day return policy and our exclusive 2-year warranty.

Most manufacturer warranties are only one year. In our opinion, that isn't good enough. Our customers get a two-year warranty, directly from us.

Trailcampro's 2-Year Warranty

If the Spypoint Link-Evo Verizon cellular trail camera you purchase from us goes defective within two years of your purchase, we will quickly replace it.

We strive to make the warranty process as quick and easy as possible. Simply fill out our warranty form.

Trailcampro's 90-Day Return Policy

We believe you have the right to return any game camera that does not meet your expectations within 90 days.

Our return policy lets you field test products, at no risk to you!

  • Buyer's remorse? Return the camera to us for a full refund (minus shipping).
  • Purchased the wrong camera? We will ship you the right camera.
  • Something wrong with the camera you received? We will replace it at no cost to you.

Want to talk to a trail camera expert? Contact our friendly staff.

Read our Customer Testimonials to find out what our customers have been saying about us!

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    Spypoint Link-Evo Verizon Accessories

    Here are a few of the accessories we like to use in the Trail Camera.

    security case for spypoint

    Spypoint Evo/Dark Security Case

    $31.95

    - Use this to protect your new camera from bears and thieves. It provides much-needed peace of mind when leaving your camera out in nature.

     


    booster antenna

    Spypoint Booster Antenna

    $79.95

    - Use this to boost the signal for your Spypoint Link camera. We have found it works really well and is sending pictures for us in an area with only 1 bar of reception.

     


    lithium battery pack

    Spypoint Rechargeable Lithium Battery Pack

    $59.95

    - This is a rechargeable lithium battery pack with AC charger. It fits in the battery pack compartment and lasts 1-2 months under normal circumstances.

     


    8 aa lithium batteries

    Energizer Ultimate Lithiums | 8 Pack

    $15.95

    - There is no downside to using lithium batteries. Long battery life, extreme durability and better night pictures. You will be happy you did.

     


    python lock

    6 Foot Python Cable Lock

    $19.95

    - Use this with the security case, or just the camera itself. The Link-EVO has brackets on the back specifically for this lock.

     


    sd card

    Extra SD Cards

    Start at $9.95

    - SD cards store your pictures and videos for easy removal. We give you a free SD card with the Link EVO, but most people use two SD cards. If you have two cards, you can swap them out when you retrieve the pictures.

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    We ensure that every customer review comes from one of our real customers and not someone who works for the competing trail camera manufacturer. These are verified customer trail camera reviews that you can trust.

    We would love your feedback if you purchased this trail camera from us. We want your honest feedback, these reviews are a vital part in helping consumers choose the right game camera.