Security Camera Thread: The Mother of...

[MBAtarga]

I happened to catch the majority of an infomercial just this weekend about the Blink camera system. They are wireless - and they claim the 2AA Batteries last about 2 years in the camera. I just googled to their page - they are an Amazon company (didn't know that until just now) and they integrate with Alexa.

[Cajundaddy]

We have 3 wifi cameras that are viewable from any mobile device including smartphone, ipod ($199) ipad, or any mobile device that can load the app. These are motion activated along with several motion activated outdoor lighting.

I think cameras alone have limited value but along with a gated property, big black dogs, motion activated lighting, secure mailbox, cars always garaged, very secure doors and windows, bear spray, Remington 870, it is unlikely that any bad guys will choose to come around. They like easy pickings, not hardened targets. We have been in this house 15 years and the only problem we ever had was 3am mailbox gremlins. Solved that with a hardened mailbox and the 3am skels don't come around anymore.

[A930Rocket]

We had the blink system at our old house and it worked well. For whatever reason, I can’t get them to work at our new house. I must have tried 100 times and gave up.

Our wifi password has an ! In it and I think blink doesn’t accept it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by RWebb

which reminds me...

anybody know of a security cam wired to a set gun?

Phalanx system, OBVIOUSLY.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by RWebb

which reminds me...

anybody know of a security cam wired to a set gun?

There is the video of the guy that hooked up his paintball gun to a system that detects motion. Pretty sure it's out on youtube.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

I happened to catch the majority of an infomercial just this weekend about the Blink camera system. They are wireless - and they claim the 2AA Batteries last about 2 years in the camera. I just googled to their page - they are an Amazon company (didn't know that until just now) and they integrate with Alexa.

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

We had the blink system at our old house and it worked well. For whatever reason, I can’t get them to work at our new house. I must have tried 100 times and gave up.

Our wifi password has an ! In it and I think blink doesn’t accept it.

FYI: regarding Blink, I just ran across this article that states:

the indoor camera is missing night vision and the free data storage is only good for up to two hours of footage. That’s not enough to cover a whole night, let alone a weekend trip out of town. Plus, Blink doesn’t give you a local storage option.

And this:

Only (up to) 60 seconds of recording after motion is detected
No on-demand recording when in live view mode

[Baz]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I have an Arlo doorbell and camera system, you can use it with either a smartphone or computer. Overall I’m happy with it, the video quality is good, the audio is ok, and it has been stable. I personally like that they aren’t affiliated with a major company like Amazon, particularly since Ring has a history of providing customer camera footage without permission and data breaches. The cameras are wireless and battery powered, for my installation I put them all close to a power source so I don’t have to worry about charging batteries. My cop friend recommended them to me, he uses them on battery and said they are good for 2-3 months on average if you aren’t recording 24/7. I would do it again, it’s nice peace of mind especially when I’m gone.

Originally Posted by craigster59

I have both Arlo (4 cameras around the perimeter and in garage) and a Ring floodlight/ camera on the front of the garage facing the street and cars.

Hands down the Ring is a better device. We've had the thefts from unlocked vehicles in our area but it has dropped to zero since my neighborhood is LEO, fire and studio "Jabonis" like me.

Every morning the Wife likes to review the footage. Raccoons, deer, cats, rabbits and one skunk who luckily me and the dog have never met in person.

I'm looking at Arlo right now, but wondering why Craigster said Ring is a better device.

Arlo Pro 3 - Home Security Camera System | Wire-Free 2K Video with HDR, Color Night Vision, Spotlight, 160° View, 2-Way Audio, Siren | Works with Alexa | Add-on Camera | Requires Arlo Smart Hub

[sammyg2]

[Baz]

Ran across the very recent video that does a good job reviewing the Arlo Pro 3. They've come a long way with the rechargeable batteries for the cameras!

[jyl]

I have a bunch of Blinks. They are very good for what they are designed to be. An inexpensive, moderate picture quality, completely wireless security camera that captures movement.

The outdoor camera has night vision, the indoor camera does not, only about $10 price difference. Both have a visible illuminator which gives a much better nighttime image than the infrared. The cameras run about 6 months on a pair of lithium AAs, more if rarely triggered. They are not meant to let you watch your birdfeeder or babysitter live all day, they only capture short clips. The maximum distance between camera and control module is limited, about 50-70’ in my experience if there are wood walls between. You can receive alerts and view clips or trigger a 60 live view from anywhere you have a smartphone. Everything is recorded on the cloud. They won’t let you read a license plate at 100’ or anything like that. They are easy to conceal, if you want to mount behind a picture with a little hole for the lens, or something like that. There is a blue LED lit when recording but you can turn that off on the outside camera, or simply tape it over. They are easy to set up, pretty reliable, no need to run wires, a basic but convenient and inexpensive option.

I have a set inside my house and garage, a set outside that watches the porch and entrances to house and yard and are colocated with motion lights, and a couple in the office. Each set (multiple cameras linked to one control module) has its own arm/disarm schedule. When we’re away, I set them to be armed 24/7 and wherever someone steps on my porch or comes onto my driveway I get an alert, then can watch the clip and/or check live view. When we’re home, I set them to be armed at night (for the office, weekend too). My son is at home this college term so I’ve had to adjust the schedule for his night owl habits.

I am slightly concerned that Amazon doesn’t seem to be emphasizing them, not impossible to see them dropped eventually, but that’s the same for all this cloud / IOT stuff - none of it is guaranteed to be functioning in 5 years, so I wouldn’t spend more than a few hundred $.

[jyl]

Here’s screenshots of the Blink iOS app. Each camera shows a snapshot, you can take a new snapshot or trigger a live view, or switch to a different set, or view clips.

[stevej37]

Here's one of my Nest Cams....
https://video.nest.com/live/4Lc0WbToTr

[id10t]

https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/21/05/17/0147243/alexaecho-owners-become-part-of-amazons-massive-sidewalk-mesh-network-by-default

[onewhippedpuppy]

Exactly why I didn’t consider those devices for cameras. Btw Ring has been sharing camera video for years with law enforcement and other sources without individual approval or permission.

[hbueno]

Disable it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZ4VSNFMBDHLRJUK

[john70t]

"The only winning move is to not play the game"
-War Games movie

[john70t]

Why would anyone buy from a monopoly bazaar owner who is creating a remote neighborhood surveillance system?

[Tobra]

Ready to share, like you are not already

[GH85Carrera]

If they are just the doorbell cameras pointed outside it is not the worst thing. I can't imagine having a camera inside my home. My DVR security system has multiple cameras outside. If some super hacker got through the firewall and passwords they will see some amazing action. About once every week a rabbit gets in our back yard and the dogs love to chase it. And the dogs crap in the back yard, that would be some great video. And cars driving down the street.I guess the video of me mowing and edging would be a big seller. I might have to start giving autographs if that went viral.

[911boost]

I have a Ring that points outside and I could care less about anyone seeing it.