I Waited YEARS for This Camera! GardePro R3 Pro 3000 Feet WiFi Hub
Note: The following article is an adaptation of a video review created by the YouTube channel Hunting Farmer. We have transcribed and edited his original commentary to share his real-world testing and experience with the GardePro R3 Pro system.
Review: Why I Waited Years for the GardePro R3 Pro Long-Range Wireless Trail Camera
I have been waiting for this long-range tireless trail camera for years. I am talking about a true Wi-Fi trail camera.
For a long time, I warned consumers about cameras advertised as "Wi-Fi." In the past, those cameras emitted a signal that your phone could only connect to if you were standing right next to the tree. They couldn't connect to the internet, and they couldn't send you automatic notifications.
That has finally changed. The new GardePro R3 Pro is the first long-range wireless trail camera I’ve used that actually connects to my home's internet and operates virtually identically to a cellular camera—but without the cellular signal.
I put this system to the test to see if the claims of a 3,000-foot range were too good to be true. Here is my full review.
GardePro Link 1.0 System (R3 Pro + Hub)
- 📡 3000ft (1km) Long-Range Wireless Transmission
- 💰 Zero Monthly Fees for Photo Transmission
- 🔋 Large Capacity Rechargeable Lithium Battery Included
- 📸 Crystal Clear 48MP Images & 4K Video
How the Long-Range System Works
The key to this system is the GardePro Hub. Instead of the camera trying to connect directly to your router, the camera connects to this long-range hub, and the hub connects to your home internet.
Setting it up was simple. You plug the hub into your home router using the supplied ethernet cable (it is powered over ethernet, so no extra power cable is needed).1 Once connected, the hub sends a long-distance signal out to the cameras. You can link up to 16 cameras to a single hub.2
While the cameras need to be within range of the hub, you can be a thousand miles away and still receive instant notifications and photos directly to your smartphone via the GardePro Link app.
Read more: Wi-Fi Trail Camera vs Long-Range Wireless Trail Camera
Real-World Range Test
GardePro advertises a range of up to 3,000 feet in ideal conditions. But what does that mean in the real world?
I live in very hilly country with plenty of ridges and terrain. For my test, I paired three different cameras to the hub. I kept the hub inside my house on my desk and placed the cameras around my property. My furthest camera was nearly 1,000 feet away.
Despite the signal having to go through my house walls and windows, and across 1,000 feet of terrain, the cameras connected easily. I had zero connection issues.
If you live in a flat area with fewer obstructions, you might get closer to that 3,000-foot max range. Additionally, the hub itself is waterproof. If you mount the hub outdoors to minimize obstacles, you can maximize your range even further.
Image Quality and Features
No trail camera is worth its salt unless it has good quality photos and videos. The R3 Pro features:
- 4K Video capability
- 940nm No-Glow IR bulbs (invisible night vision)
- Rechargeable Lithium Power Pack
In my opinion, the daytime and nighttime clarity are exceptional. The night vision does a great job lighting up the area from edge to edge. Furthermore, if you run the camera on video mode as I did, the audio is excellent. You can clearly hear ambient sounds and animal movements.
Battery Life Performance
The long-tange trail camera comes with a 7,800 mAh rechargeable lithium power pack.3 I was surprised to see how well these cameras performed, even when running on video mode.
In fact, the R3 Pro seems to have better battery life than any of my cellular trail cameras. Using the long-range Wi-Fi connection appears to consume less power than searching for and transmitting via cellular signals.
Is It Really Free? (The Cost Breakdown)
One of the biggest questions people have is about fees. Does it require a data plan?
Here is the breakdown:
- Photo Transmission: Totally free. There are no monthly fees and no contracts to have unlimited pictures sent to your smartphone.4
- Video & Live View: There is a small monthly fee if you want videos sent to your phone or if you want to use the "Live View" feature to stream what the camera is seeing in real-time.
For many users who just want photo notifications for security or wildlife monitoring, the system is completely free to operate after purchase.
Pros and Cons
After using three of these units extensively, here are my takeaways.
The Pros:
- Connectivity: It takes my home Wi-Fi and turns it into a long-range signal. I never had to disconnect or troubleshoot the hub after the initial setup.
- Performance: Fast trigger speeds and long trigger distances. It captures animals even when they are far from the lens.
- Security: The housing is Python cable enabled, so you can lock the cameras in place.
The Cons:
- Notifications: When I receive an alert, the app simply tells me there was activity. I would love for a future update to specify which camera triggered (e.g., "Camera 1 has activity") right in the notification, rather than just a general alert.
Final Verdict
The GardePro R3 Pro Long-Range Wireless Trail Camera met and actually exceeded my expectations. I had reservations about whether a signal could really travel that far through my house walls, but it did exactly what it promised.
Whether you are monitoring your backyard for wildlife or using it for home security to see who is coming and going, this system is a real winner. I predict they are going to sell a ton of these.