Anybody have experience with these home security cameras?

[Zeke 5,504]

http://arlo.com/en-us/use-cases/home-security-systems/?cid=PSarlogoogleps10.26BG-Brand&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand&utm_term=arlo%20security%20cameras

 

 

 

Looking at 5 for about $600.

 

Seems like we have security pros here. Any feed back is appreciated

[glockamole 0]

I got the 4 pack about 5 months ago. Simple install and easy to set up. Works flawlessly and the video is good. I have a few inside covering doors and one in the back yard outside. No WiFi signal issues. All the cameras still show full battery. They record only on motion. I turn mine on when I go to bed and whenever I leave the house. Any motion and within a second I get the notification on my phone. The app is easy to use also. I recommend it to some other people and they love it.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Zeke 5,504]

Thanks for the feedback gmole!

 

How long do your batteries last in the outside cameras.

[virpacalis 1]

I have four outside too. More than a month with full life showing for the batteries. Their completely wireless design is necessary where they're mounted.

[Zeke 5,504]

Easy install. Working on the fine tuning for unwanted recording.

Wife is happier

[ted527 21]

Best buy has them on sale, 4 pack for 399.00

[John Boy 6]

Reviews ... http://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Smart-Security-Camera-System/product-reviews/B00P7EVST6

[SW9racer 262]

I am looking to get a cheap camera to keep an eye on the dogs while I am out. Something with pan/tilt that I can access from my iPhone. I picked up a Foscam during the sales, have not tried it yet, but wanted opinions as I am in the return window.

What are the better options for this?

[Zeke 5,504]

I have 6 Arlo 's. We are happy with them.

[mikeyjones 88]

I really hate the idea of wireless/battery powered for something as critical as security cameras.  

 

I would instead get a few decent POE-capable cameras from Swann, Foscam, or another mid-range Chinese brand and record everything to an old computer with Blue Iris.  That way you can set up a POE switch on a UPS backup and never be worried about them failing if power goes out.

[Zeke 5,504]

I really hate the idea of wireless/battery powered for something as critical as security cameras.

 

I would instead get a few decent POE-capable cameras from Swann, Foscam, or another mid-range Chinese brand and record everything to an old computer with Blue Iris. That way you can set up a POE switch on a UPS backup and never be worried about them failing if power goes out.

ups?

So a battery.

[mikeyjones 88]

ups?

So a battery.

As a backup only. Primary source is poe.

 

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Vzguy 13]

I was checking out these.. 

 

http://blinkforhome.com/

 

They are brand new to the market, no outside cams yet. But seems reasonable for 5 cams $289

[Barms 98]

What's your experience with the video not starting until after motion is derected? I returned my Ring.com because of was similar set up. The recording only started until well after motion sensed. And sometimes I would only get like 50% of what I wanted on video. For example in testing, i would get the back of the mailman leaving not any of him waking up onto the property.

[Zeke 5,504]

What's your experience with the video not starting until after motion is derected? I returned my Ring.com because of was similar set up. The recording only started until well after motion sensed. And sometimes I would only get like 50% of what I wanted on video. For example in testing, i would get the back of the mailman leaving not any of him waking up onto the property.

I've set up the cameras 90 to traffic patterns. The motion sensitivity is adjustable. I think it's a 1 second delay I have right now.

 

2 months so far and all cameras show full battery.

 

I need to get a battery backup/ surge protector for my modems and router 's. From what I understand you want that inline for generator use anyway.

[Avalanche 42]

I cant imagine having to change batteries in the cameras is something anyone would want to do.  The reviews are all over the place and in cold weather I have been reading about people having to change the batteries weekly. 

 

A decent PoE system is about the same price, that's what I would go with. 

[Barms 98]

I spent like two hours reading reviews of the motion detection and it appears almost exactly the same as my Ring.com disaster.

 

It's not motion, it's HEAT. and cars that were driving by would set off the sensor if I had it aimed at my font lawn. If I turned down the sensitivity to only do the front step the delay in start filming was poor. There was one youtuber who had a review and said "let me show you how it works. Here I am walking through my front door" and all you saw was the door closing because he was already inside before it started. I lost count of how many times I did laps on my front lawn trying to get the perfect combo of "alert me if someone is on my lawn" (anybody snooping at round at night) and have it be a reliable alert, but not so much that it sets it off every car that drives by.

 

This would be excellent for backyard but for front it was frustrating me. I give them A for effort though in creating a weather proof DIYer camera. Most of us know you get no night functionality out of an indoor camera looking out a window because of glare.

[Zeke 5,504]

Alanche and Barms

I suggest you follow your hearts.

My wife and my experience with this product has been good thus far.

 

I'm not selling Arlos, I started this topic before I purchased them.

[bhunted 887]

In order to understand motion detection devices, you need to understand passive infrared, doppler, microwave and ultrasonic detection. All of them have their caveats which is why the industry came up with duel technology.

 

If you want something cheap that is wireless with ptz, I suggest trying out just one Foscam unit to experiment with. I've used them for years with hardly any probs. I currently have 6 set up and they work fine and do what I need them to do.

PS: I was a technician for a major company for over 20+ years

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bhunted 887]

Oh, not familiar with that door bell vs motion. Not everything is determined by heat. Example, a camera's detection field set up to trigger via software within a certain grid has nothing to do with typical motion detection.

 

 

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[mikeyjones 88]

In order to understand motion detection devices, you need to understand passive infrared, doppler, microwave and ultrasonic detection. All of them have their caveats which is why the industry came up with duel technology. If you want something cheap that is wireless with ptz, I suggest trying out just one Foscam unit to experiment with. I've used them for years with hardly any probs. I currently have 6 set up and they work fine and do what I need them to do. PS: I was a technician for a major company for over 20+ years Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

To piggy back on this, Foscam has several lines of cameras, I'd stay away from their cheapest offerings for a few reasons:

- Lower resolution

- No hardware encoding of video (only a big deal if you're storing the video somewhere)

- No native PoE support - which can be overcome w/ a $20 adapter

 

 

Also, you might not need PTZ depending on where the camera is being set up. Fixed cameras are almost always cheaper.

[mipafox 438]

 

I spent like two hours reading reviews of the motion detection and it appears almost exactly the same as my Ring.com disaster.

 

It's not motion, it's HEAT. and cars that were driving by would set off the sensor if I had it aimed at my font lawn. If I turned down the sensitivity to only do the front step the delay in start filming was poor. There was one youtuber who had a review and said "let me show you how it works. Here I am walking through my front door" and all you saw was the door closing because he was already inside before it started. I lost count of how many times I did laps on my front lawn trying to get the perfect combo of "alert me if someone is on my lawn" (anybody snooping at round at night) and have it be a reliable alert, but not so much that it sets it off every car that drives by.

 

This would be excellent for backyard but for front it was frustrating me. I give them A for effort though in creating a weather proof DIYer camera. Most of us know you get no night functionality out of an indoor camera looking out a window because of glare.

 

I am not familiar with that camera, but it is not a matter of motion vs. heat. It is a matter of signal change. Most basic motion systems, and thus some low end camera systems, use IR/NearIR (sometimes with UV discrimination) so you can turn up the gain on the IR without getting noise from a lot of small non-human sources (such as blades of grass blowing around). It will still pick up moving objects but discriminates animals and vehicles with greater sensitivity. Higher end cameras often do not work this way.

 

Glare is not the only problem with windows. Windows have 100% internal reflection to IR. If you take a thermal camera and try to look out a window you will see a thermal reflection of yourself but nothing outside. Because of this, typical residential motion sensors incorporated into cameras may not work through glass to activate video depending on the wavelength.

[ChrisJM981 924]

I hate to resurrect this thread, but can somebody that has the Arlo system let me know how far out their cameras record? There is a lot of shady activity going on across the street from me, and I'm curious if the camera will catch it. Maybe 50 yards between houses. Audio would be a plus.

[Malsua 1,422]

I hate to resurrect this thread, but can somebody that has the Arlo system let me know how far out their cameras record? There is a lot of shady activity going on across the street from me, and I'm curious if the camera will catch it. Maybe 50 yards between houses. Audio would be a plus.

 

Do you have this already? 

 

I've purchased a half a dozen GW security cams recently to augment the system were I work and I'm pleased with the quality.  I've had a couple analog GW cams on my house for a couple years now without issue, these were my first IP POE cams.

 

They are 5 megapixel, 4-12 variable zoom(manual on the camera) power over ethernet.    We were getting pallets stolen and our other cams didn't have a good vantage on license plates so I installed several of the ones pictured below and 2 of GW's license plate reader cams which can capture plates up to 28mph.    Works great and has been in place for a few months now.   We did get the plate of the thief and turned it over to the police.

 

You can buy them from Newegg or from GW security on ebay...my boss did a "best offer" on two of the 5mp cams for $215 and they accepted.   They list for $130 or so.

 

Anyway, you could buy one cam for $130 or so, buy a cheap POE injector, fire up an old computer with blue iris and get what you're after.

 

Day and Night.   The cam is set at about 6mm.   I had it test zoomed in all the way and it will bring up the detail further away.  For what it's worth, the end of the pallets along the fence is about 225 feet away.

 

 

 

[ChrisJM981 924]

Thanks Mark. I do not have any cameras currently. My wife is concerned with goings-on occuring on our block. I'm reluctant to contact the police until I have some confirmation. I am hesitant to put up a conspicuous camera though, as once I do that the cat will be out of the bag as to who made the call, should it come to that.

[Malsua 1,422]

Put the camera in a bird house with the lens up to the hole.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Put the camera in a bird house with the lens up to the hole.

Brilliant. Thank you. ☺

[DeletePLS 178]

i have the Arlo wirefree and the Arlo Q for about 3 months now, no major problems with them.  Sometimes the NV which i have set to off would turn back on after the camera had to reset itself but that's only happened twice now.  No problems with battery life and the Arlo Q is pointed in such a way that i get a good angle of everything going on in the neighborhood.  It records motion across the street and my next door neighbors.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

Put the camera in a bird house with the lens up to the hole.

What happens when the birds poop on it?

[Malsua 1,422]

What happens when the birds poop on it?

 

They get a headache when they fly into the lens.    The birds will be pissed, it's a fake out!   This ain't no low income housing for the neighborhood starlings.  Hell, after a month, they'd have the landing post tore off and there would be shit all over everything.