Home Methodology
How we build every page Sources first and gaps marked
Every number on this site comes from one of four places: the camera's FCC filing, the maker's own documents, a published independent test, or the maker's plan price list. We link the source next to the value and date it. When we can't find a source, the value reads not yet verified.
Where the Numbers Come From
| Data | Source | How we use it |
|---|---|---|
| LTE bands, output figures, test lab, filing date | The camera’s FCC equipment authorization, read through fccid.io, a public mirror of the FCC database | Copied from the grant’s frequency table; band labels are ours |
| Modem and LTE category | Module FCC IDs and markings in the filing’s test reports and internal photos, plus the module maker’s datasheet | Named only when the filing shows it |
| Maker claims | Product pages, spec articles, manuals and catalogs from Tactacam, Moultrie, Spypoint and Browning | Quoted as claims, never as test results |
| Measurements | Published reviews and shootouts from TrailCamPro | Quoted with a link; we don’t run tests |
| Plan prices | Each maker’s plan page | US list prices on the date shown |
Every value on a camera page carries a link to its source and the date we checked it. The current data set was checked on October 21, 2026.
We Don’t Test Cameras
We don’t run hands-on tests. Performance figures on this site are either the maker’s claim, labeled as such, or a published independent measurement with a link to who measured it. Where neither exists, we say so. We think that’s more useful than a ranking built on one person’s backyard, and it means you can check every number yourself.
Reading an FCC Filing
Every cellular trail camera sold in the US needs FCC authorization for its LTE radio. Most brands file under their own FCC ID (Tactacam’s grantee code is 2BBNQ, Moultrie’s parent company files under 2AJQ6, Browning’s under 2ALGT). Spypoint is different: its manuals say each camera “contains” a pre-certified modem’s FCC ID, so the band data on Spypoint pages comes from the modem maker’s own grant.
From each filing we take:
- Frequency rows. Each row is an uplink range the camera was certified to transmit on. We label the LTE band from the range: 699–716 MHz is Band 12, 777–787 MHz is Band 13, 788–798 MHz is Band 14, 824–849 MHz is Band 5, 814–824 MHz is the lower part of Band 26, 1710–1755 MHz is Band 4, 1710–1780 MHz is Band 66, 1850–1910 MHz is Band 2, 1850–1915 MHz is Band 25, and 663–698 MHz is Band 71. A row of 1860–1905 MHz fits both Band 2 and Band 25, so we label it “B2/B25”.
- Output figures. Grants list power as ERP below 1 GHz and EIRP above 1 GHz. We show the highest figure for each range. These show what was certified, not how well a camera holds a weak signal; reception depends on the antenna and modem, which the grant doesn’t score.
- Modem. Filings often name the cellular module in test reports or show it in internal photos. We name the modem only when the filing shows it, and say how we found it.
- Multiple filings. Some cameras sold under one name have two FCC IDs, usually because the maker changed modems. We show both, because the label on your camera tells you which one you have.
Independent Measurements
TrailCamPro publishes trigger speed, recovery time, detection distance and angle, transmission time, battery-life models and standby power for most cellular cameras, plus an annual shootout that scores every camera on the same walk-by passes. We quote those numbers on camera pages with a link to the review. Where a review covers an earlier version of a camera, we say so.
Plan Prices
Plan prices come from each maker’s plan page. We record monthly price, yearly price, what each tier includes and the price of extra cameras. The calculator uses only those figures. When a maker’s own pages disagree, as Spypoint’s do on the Insiders Club fee, we show both.
“Not Yet Verified”
A value marked not yet verified means we haven’t found a primary source for it. It doesn’t mean the feature is missing. We’d rather leave a gap than fill it with a retailer listing or a guess.
Affiliate Disclosure
Trailcam Specs may earn a commission when you buy through some retailer links, at no extra cost to you. As of October 21, 2026, the site has no affiliate links; every camera page has a price box ready for them. When links are added, they’ll be marked “Check Price” with a disclosure right beside them, and they’ll use rel="sponsored". Commissions will never change our data, our picks or the order we list cameras in, and every camera gets the same box whether or not it earns us anything.
Corrections and Updates
Prices and plans change often, and makers revise specs. If you spot an error, the fix is to point us to a better source; we update the value and the checked date.
- October 21, 2026: launched with 10 cameras, 4 plan lineups, 5 comparisons and 5 guides. All data checked October 21, 2026.
Glossary
- Trigger speed: time from motion detected to photo taken.
- Recovery time: time before the camera can take the next photo.
- Detection range and angle: how far and how wide the motion sensor (PIR) reacts.
- Low-glow / no-glow: infrared flash that shows a faint red glow, or none, at night.
- Interpolated: a photo enlarged in software beyond what the sensor captured.
- LTE category: the 3GPP class of a modem. Cat 1 and Cat 1bis top out at 10 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up; Cat 1bis does it with one antenna. Cat M1 is a low-power, low-speed class.
- ERP / EIRP: effective (isotropic) radiated power, the FCC’s way of listing transmitter output including the antenna.