Wireless Security Camera

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FlashlightFun

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I am looking for some type of quick/easy solution for identifying what type of animal(s) might be digging holes/tunnels and eating plants. (This is not the type of problems I'd normally expect to see in my neighborhood, so I'm not sure of the cause.) I was thinking that some type of weatherproof, wireless security camera might be able to shed some light on the issue. I'd prefer to purchase a quality camera (that could be re-purposed when no longer needed for this application), rather than buying a cheap one with limited usability. In other words, a waterproof Wi-Fi camera that: * Is quick/easy to install/use * Includes a reliable motion detection feature * Has 1080p (or higher) resolution * Produces very clear day/night video clips * Offers some type of (optional) video recording capability * Would be stable if placed on a horizontal surface (such as a cement patio, patio furniture table, etc.) Any suggestions?
 

chmsam

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Got a trail cam or know someone who hunts and who'd let you borrow theirs? They're made for it and if you're only going to need one for a few days, why buy one? Not WiFi but a lot do video as well as still and use an SD card. Google it to see if one would work.
 

FlashlightFun

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Got a trail cam or know someone who hunts and who'd let you borrow theirs? They're made for it and if you're only going to need one for a few days, why buy one? Not WiFi but a lot do video as well as still and use an SD card. Google it to see if one would work.

chmsam -

Thanks for the suggestion.

Since I don't know anyone who hunts, I decided to look at reviews for various trail cams – which has been a far more confusing/frustrating experience than I had expected.

Any suggestions? For example, in a suburban setting... do you think a "no glow" infrared trail cam would work well or would a "red glow" infrared one make more sense?
 

FlashlightFun

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Sounds like you need a netgear Arlo setup. Also a VSN V360 camera will work as well, but not so well in the dark is the only problem.

Glenn7 -

Thanks for the suggestions.

Unfortunately, the worst wildlife problems appear to happen at night – which means I need very clear night video capability.

Have you, by any chance, used NetGear Arlo 1080p cameras outdoors, at night? (I noticed there were a number of negative reviews for those models.)
 

Lou Minescence

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Bushnell game cameras are good quailty.
Buy one from Cabelas. If you dont like it they have a great return policy.

If you are looking to take pictures of rodents, a flash is ok. If you want to take pictures of people, get a 'no glow' flash. The range of the illuminated area will be smaller than a flash that is visible.
If you want to take pictures of cars and bicycles, get a camera with a fast 'wake up' speed. Some cameras take a few seconds from the time they sense something untill they actually take a picture. A car going 20 mph will already have gone past the camera by the time 2 seconds has gone by in 'wake up' time.
Cameras that take AA batteries are the best.
In cold weather run lithium batteries.
Bushnell cameras have probably the best battery life of all.
 

PhotonWrangler

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I have a Moultrie Trace Premise MCS-12639 wildlife camera. I think I paid around $60 for it a couple of years ago. It has an 8mp camera and IR flash. It doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi but it supports the Wi-Fi enabled SD cards. It's been useful for spotting little critters around our home. This camera falls into the "good enough for the price" category for me.

Sample footage (from somebody else) from youtube.
 
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chmsam

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Check video & sample shots from the manufacturers and YT videos to see what will work best for you. I don't have a lot of experience with them, there are several brands, and everybody's needs are a bit different.

My only thoughts would be are we looking for small critters, bigger ones, and 2 or 4 legged.

That and the fact I'm not willing to throw a few hundred bucks at what in my case would be more curiousity than anything else. YMMV.

Do a bit of homework and good luck!
 

PhotonWrangler

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+ What chmsam said. Look at sample footage and pictures. Some manufacturers cheat on their specs, claiming "HD" when they actually use a lower resolution sensor and interpolate the pixels to reach a pixel count that could be considered HD. When you look at the actual pic, it's an SD image stretched across an HD raster. I've gotten burned a couple of times with inexpensive cameras that do this.

There's currently a glut of ~$40 dashcams that fall into this category.
 

Glenn7

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Glenn7 -

Thanks for the suggestions.

Unfortunately, the worst wildlife problems appear to happen at night – which means I need very clear night video capability.

Have you, by any chance, used NetGear Arlo 1080p cameras outdoors, at night? (I noticed there were a number of negative reviews for those models.)
Yes Arlo do work in the dark - as far as I have seen trail cams aren't able to to be viewed remotely only after the fact as in take out the SD card then view. But on reviews YouTube is your best friend.......
 

FlashlightFun

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Bushnell game cameras are good quailty.
Buy one from Cabelas. If you dont like it they have a great return policy.

If you are looking to take pictures of rodents, a flash is ok. If you want to take pictures of people, get a 'no glow' flash. The range of the illuminated area will be smaller than a flash that is visible.
If you want to take pictures of cars and bicycles, get a camera with a fast 'wake up' speed. Some cameras take a few seconds from the time they sense something untill they actually take a picture. A car going 20 mph will already have gone past the camera by the time 2 seconds has gone by in 'wake up' time.
Cameras that take AA batteries are the best.
In cold weather run lithium batteries.
Bushnell cameras have probably the best battery life of all.

Lou -

Those were some great tips. Thanks!
 

FlashlightFun

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I have a Moultrie Trace Premise MCS-12639 wildlife camera. I think I paid around $60 for it a couple of years ago. It has an 8mp camera and IR flash. It doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi but it supports the Wi-Fi enabled SD cards. It's been useful for spotting little critters around our home. This camera falls into the "good enough for the price" category for me.

Sample footage (from somebody else) from youtube.

PhotonWrangler -

Thanks for all the information.

I guess I'm so used to plugging a USB cable into a camera to download photos that I never considered using a WI-FI SDHC card. I guess I'll have to look into it.
 

FlashlightFun

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Check video & sample shots from the manufacturers and YT videos to see what will work best for you. I don't have a lot of experience with them, there are several brands, and everybody's needs are a bit different.

My only thoughts would be are we looking for small critters, bigger ones, and 2 or 4 legged.

That and the fact I'm not willing to throw a few hundred bucks at what in my case would be more curiousity than anything else. YMMV.

Do a bit of homework and good luck!

chmsam -

Actually, after your initial suggestion regarding use of a trail cam, I did a LOT of homework – then purchased a "no glow" infrared one, so that it could be used for security as well as wildlife. It will be interesting to see how well it works.
 

FlashlightFun

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+ What chmsam said. Look at sample footage and pictures. Some manufacturers cheat on their specs, claiming "HD" when they actually use a lower resolution sensor and interpolate the pixels to reach a pixel count that could be considered HD. When you look at the actual pic, it's an SD image stretched across an HD raster. I've gotten burned a couple of times with inexpensive cameras that do this.

There's currently a glut of ~$40 dashcams that fall into this category.

PhotonWrangler -

Thanks for the warning.

It's so irritating when companies "cheat on their specs". How many people carefully review specs before purchasing an item, only to be disappointed when they try to use it?
 

FlashlightFun

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Yes Arlo do work in the dark - as far as I have seen trail cams aren't able to to be viewed remotely only after the fact as in take out the SD card then view. But on reviews YouTube is your best friend.......

Glenn7 -

I am going to be experimenting with a number of different security measures/applications, so I will definitely look into Arlo camera systems. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

salmantitly

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so... how bad morally, ethically, legally, etc... is it to use neighbors non-encrypted wireless connection to access hyeforum, when you have no internet access at home?
 
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