The Reveal SK by Tactacam is the first Reveal camera that comes standard with a solar panel that can be utilized to charge the camera, keeping this camera running all season long with ample sunlight. I picked up the Reveal SK as soon as it hit the market and I’ve been impressed with this camera since the beginning.
The Reveal SK by Tactacam is the most expensive cellular trail camera that Reveal currently offers but the price is higher for a reason. The built-in solar panel that comes with the camera is designed to keep the camera running all year long without the need of replacing the batteries as long as the solar panel receives adequate sunlight. If you were to purchase an external solar panel for the cheaper Reveal XB, you would actually have more money in it than if you just purchased the Reveal SK from the beginning.
Now, the Reveal SK isn’t for every application. It’s best if you utilize the camera on field edges or open areas where sunlight is prevalent. This allows the solar panel to receive enough sunlight to charge the camera and keep it running at night when there’s no sunlight. Keep in mind that snow accumulation will prevent the solar panel from charging the camera. Snow accumulation may be unavoidable for some, so be mindful of where you’ll be needing this camera before purchasing it. For me, I run this camera on a t-post in the center of a food plot. This ensures that I receive as much sunlight as possible and I don’t have to worry about the camera being shaded by vegetation such as trees in the timber. Here’s my review of the Reveal SK by Tactacam.
Tactacam Reveal SK Cellular Trail Camera
The Tactacam Reveal SK operates on both the Verizon and AT&T networks with the simple switch of the SIM card. There’s no need to buy cameras programmed to each individual network as these cameras can be changed in the field in seconds! Data plans are purchased through Reveal by Tactacam, starting as low as $4 per month. This cellular trail camera is equipped with a solar panel that’s capable of keeping this camera charged all year long.
Retail: $199.99
- AT&T and Verizon Network compatible
- 24MP / 12MP / 8MP Photos
- HD Video requests in-app
- Sub 1/2s Trigger Speeds
- Solar Panel included!
- Detect animals at 80+ft
- One year warranty
What’s the Difference between the Reveal XB, Reveal X, and Reveal SK by Tactacam?
The following chart will illustrate the differences between the Reveal X, Reveal XB, and Reveal SK cellular trail cameras. One of the biggest features that you will notice right out of the box is that the Reveal SK (and Reveal XB) comes with both AT&T and Verizon SIM Cards. This allows the cell cam to be switched between networks in the field quickly and easily. You don’t have to buy a different camera nor do you need to have a separate data plan. Reveal by Tactacam does all of that for you, all you have to do is figure out which network works best in your area. You’ll also notice that the Reveal SK has two antennas, which is supposed to provide better service.
Another notable difference between the current Reveal cellular trail camera line-up is that the Reveal SK comes with an external solar panel and has a built-in lithium battery that seems to hold up without issue. The Reveal SK and XB are both “low glow” cameras that reduces the flash and slightly decreased the detection range.
If image quality is a priority, then the Reveal XB or Reveal SK is where you’ll want to invest your money. The Reveal X takes up to 16 MP images whereas the Reveal XB and SK will take up to 24 MP images. Videos are not an option on the Reveal X but you can request videos through the mobile app with the Reveal XB and SK.
Another feature that makes the Reveal SK or Reveal XB more intriguing is the built-in GPS that will help you locate your trail camera in case it is stolen or misplaced. (Yes, I have forgotten where I put a trail camera or two in the past). The Reveal SK has a couple of features that the other two trail cameras don’t offer, such as a dual antenna, lithium battery pack, and solar panel.
How to Set Up the Reveal SK by Tactacam
Setting up the Reveal SK by Tactacam was quick and easy. However, this isn’t my first time setting up a cellular trail camera, so I had a little bit of a head start than most. Honestly, it is simple once you get the hang of it.
First, utilize the included charging cable to charge up the internal lithium battery pack. There’s no need to purchase expensive lithium batteries with this camera because it’s equipped with everything you need from the start. You’re going to need a charging block because they didn’t include one, which is unfortunate. Don’t skimp on charging the battery pack fully, as this will affect the health and performance of the camera when it’s time to use it.
Next, download the Reveal mobile app on your phone. Before you can register your camera onto the network of your choice, you will need to install both antennas and a Class 10, U3 SD Card (either 16 GB or 32 GB). Choosing quality SD cards is a must and they will impact the performance of your trail camera. Quality SD Cards are an investment that should not be overlooked.
Once you have both antennas installed, the internal battery fully charged, and the SD card installed, you’ll be ready to install one of the SIM cards that came with the camera. Do not switch the SIM cards around as they are supposed to stay with the camera they came with and are part of your registered cellular plan through Reveal by Tactacam.
Now you’re ready to register the camera for service, which is quickly accomplished by opening the Reveal app on your phone and then scanning the barcode on the interior door. You should receive a message within a couple of minutes verifying the registration. Notice how the Reveal SK does not have a fancy digital screen so you will utilize the Reveal App and wifi feature of your phone for setup. Start by moving the switch on the Reveal SK from off to the setup selection. Open the wifi connection on your phone to find the corresponding Reveal SSID and connect using the password. To verify connection the wifi LED will change from blinking to solid. Open your account on the app and now you will see the Reveal SK camera.
The next step was well thought out, an industry first, and helps you determine the detection zone of your camera. Open the camera connection on your phone to display the detection zone preview live on your camera. There is a red line running through the middle indicating the optimal detection area where the camera is pointing. Adjust the image to your satisfaction by centering the red line. To review what a picture will look like when transmitted to the App push the Test button and a photo will immediately be sent to your phone. Continue to adjust the settings on the camera or move the switch to the On position and the camera is operational.
Features of the Reveal SK by Tactacam
Pictures are color during the day and black and white at night. For a camera, with a near $200 retail price tag, the pictures are decent. I don’t want to oversell the photos as some of them that I’ve gotten have been blurry on moving animals and there are cameras on the market that take prettier photos. However, I’m using cellular trail cameras to kill deer, not gather Instagram-quality photos. Now, they’re not poor quality by any means, but there are better photo quality cameras on the market but for a cellular camera, these are hard to beat.
Photos are stamped with the battery level, moon phase, temperature in F and C, the date, and time. When accessing through the app on your phone pictures also include an easy-to-read overview in white lettering showing the date and time, property location as well as camera name. For night pictures there are two settings that help in capturing better pictures.
The ability for photos to be transmitted directly to your phone is great but not uncommon for today’s technology. However, I do like the fact that the pictures being received are not full HD pictures but only detailed thumbnail images. HD Photos can be sent to your phone upon request but you have to pay $5 per 50 that you send. There’s only been a few images that I’ve requested HD images of because I gathered the necessary data that I was looking for from the lower quality thumbnail images. If the camera is set to video, like the photo, only a thumbnail photo is sent. It will require a trip to the camera location to retrieve the video via the SD Card.
Image Resolution:
The Reveal SK allows for photo or video selection. Photo image sizes are 8, 12, 16, and 24 megapixels. When images are delivered to your phone, it’s a low-quality thumbnail to reduce the amount of data transferred. You can select individual images within the mobile app and have them delivered in HD though. However, all of the images recorded on the SD card are HD. To be honest, the lower-quality thumbnail images are more than adequate to help me determine which buck I’m looking at.
Video Quality:
For video, the Reveal SK allows for FHD-1080P, HD720, or WVGA. The higher the resolution the less video an SD Card can capture. The video length can be set from 5 to 59 seconds. Photos as noted earlier can be captured in 8, 12, 16, and 24 megapixels. Up to three images can be captured per detection and the interval between multi-shot can be set from 0, 1, or 2 seconds.
How is the Battery Life on the Reveal SK by Tactacam?
The Reveal SK is different from the other cameras in the Reveal line-up as it doesn’t require the use of AA batteries. The battery compartment is one solid rechargeable lithium battery. Just be sure to fully charge the battery before putting the camera into service as it will impact the life of the battery and negatively impact your experience with the camera if you don’t.
The Reveal SK can also be powered from an external power source, such as a 12v solar panel. This might be necessary for applications inside heavily vegetated areas that do not receive enough sunlight. However, if you utilize the camera in areas that receive a lot of sunlight, an additional solar panel is not necessary. You could probably get away with leaving this camera up all year long without having to bring it home for a recharge as long as it’s getting ample sunlight.
So far, my Reveal SK is still going strong and it’s been out for months. However, I followed the initial charging instructions to a “T” and I placed the cellular camera on a field edge with really good sunlight. I will say that the solar panel will get covered in debris, sometimes bird poop, and it will influence the charging capabilities. So if you’re in the area, be sure to clean the solar panel from time to time.
Other Notable Features:
Viewing photos:
You’ll need to remove the SD card from the Reveal SK to review photos. In order to save cost and provide a better product for the money, they removed the large LCD screen from the original Reveal. I think this was a smart move and it’s a feature that isn’t as practical as many trail camera companies would have you believe. You can utilize the mobile app on your phone to see images transmitted through the app at any time.
Multi-Shot:
Multi-Shot can capture up to 3 photos when the sensor is tripped, but only the second picture is sent to your phone. The others are captured and stored on the SD Card. You can also adjust the delay between photos from 0 to 2 seconds.
Delay Timer:
The delay is the actual time between photographs when the sensor detects motion. The setting can be as little as five seconds up to 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds. I have my Delay Timer disabled as I want all of the photos that I can get.
Work Timer:
When the work timer is activated the camera will only take pictures between a start and end time. For example, if you use the Reveal SK on a feeder and only want the camera operational during shooting light, then it will save you a lot of battery life.
Motion Sensitivity:
The sensitivity detection is adjustable from 1 to 9 with a default of 7. The manual states a range of 80 plus feet and I haven’t measured the detection range of most of my photos but I don’t feel that I’m reaching that distance with the Reveal SK. That’s ok though because I’m still getting plenty of photos due to how I set the camera up. I try to have a strategy when placing trail cameras in areas but if I’m not getting photos of deer where I think I should be, I simply adjust the sensitivity level up to 9. I did have to do this on one camera because it wouldn’t pick up deer at my feeder and the sensitivity change on the camera took only a few seconds to change.
Trigger Speed:
The trigger speed is ½ second and is more than adequate on most of my pictures. It captures the subject near the center of the frame in most circumstances. Running animals seem to be an issue for this trail camera but that’s to be expected by the speed that deer and other big game animals can produce at any given time. Walking animals seem to be in focus and high enough quality that I can identify which buck is walking by in most cases. I will stress that there are a lot of variables that contribute to the equation, but for the most part, 90 plus percent of pictures are captured within the viewing frame. The trigger speed is the same as the Reveal X and there is no significant difference in capture times.
Phone Interface:
The easy-to-use iPhone interface on my phone allows me to make changes to the camera at a moment’s notice. With a few clicks on the menu, I can instantly review each of the camera’s specific details such as battery level, cellular signal strength, SD card status, and even temperature. Any changes that are made to the settings on the camera are delivered within a 24-hour timeframe. The reason for this is the camera will check-in for updates once in a 24-hour period if no motion or pictures are captured.
Cameras are set up individually and the pictures can be placed in their own folders. For example, I have three cameras, each identified by name with their own folder. When accessed from my phone I can look at the picture of each camera individually via their folder or view all pictures at one time, scrolling through the sequence they were taken.
The great feature of the interface is that you will receive a notification on your phone when a picture is captured and delivered. Any setting that I can set on the camera manually can be set from the phone interface as well. I can also email or text individual pictures to family or friends.
Mounting can be accomplished by utilizing the included cinch strap or by the two tripod mounting options located on the bottom or back of the unit. The solar panel can be removed from the camera and adjusted as necessary to obtain maximum sunlight. This is useful depending on camera placement but isn’t required. So far, I haven’t had to do this nor have I had the desire to change the location of the solar panel.
PROS:
CONS:
Which Cellular Providers Work w/ the Reveal by Tactacam?
Verizon and AT&T are the two providers that the Reveal SK supports. You don’t have to choose one or the other until you get to the field and figure out which network provider has better coverage in your area. The Reveal SK has dual network capabilities which means all you need to do is swap the supplied SIM cards out in the field to switch between AT&T and Verizon.
The cellular plan is billed through Tactacam and is dependent on the number of pictures per month per camera. There are three plans available and the billing cycle can either be yearling or monthly. The yearly plans are billed upfront, and depending on the plan chosen can save you from approximately 8 to 12 percent. Here is a breakdown of each plan and the cost.
- Pro Plan: Unlimited pictures per month, $120 yearly, or $13 billed monthly for the initial camera. If you add additional cameras each camera is $96 dollars yearly or $12 dollars monthly.
- Intermediate plan: 500 photos per camera per month. $85 yearly or $8 monthly. Each additional camera is $75 yearly or $7.50 dollar monthly.
- Starter Plan: 250 photos per camera per month. $55 yearly or $5 monthly. There is no discount for additional cameras.
- Monthly plans can be stopped/paused at any time.
- Which is the plan that I utilize because I don’t need cellular trail camera data all year long.
Tactacam Reveal SK Cellular Trail Camera Summary
In conclusion, I really like the Reveal SK by Tactacam. I found the SK to be easy to set up and program, as well as easy to use in the field. I love the fact that this trail camera can be switched from AT&T to Verizon so easily. I hunt areas in which one network is better than the other and the ability to change SIM cards (networks) on the fly is a game-changer. Also, the addition of the built-in solar charger has paid for itself in batteries already.
I fully recommend the Reveal SK cell cam for areas that offer decent to great sunlight as the built-in solar charger is the only reason I would buy this camera over the Reveal XB by Tactacam.
Ready to buy? Click here to find the Tactacam Reveal SK Cellular Trail Camera in stock at the best price.
Hi, I’m Camron is the owner of Hunting Gear Deals. I’m an avid bowhunter with a knack for finding smoking deals on hunting gear. Currently, I work in the oil & gas industry as an Environmental, Health, and Safety professional but my goal is to continue to grow Hunting Gear Deals and turn it into a full-time job.
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