I'm intrigued by the target cameras that are out there, but not really looking to spend $400 - $900 for one.  I have a GoPro with the app on my iPhone and it works well, what would it take for me to boost the wifi range of the GoPro and can it be done cheaply?  Looking to get 800yds out of it if possible. 

 

I've done some searching and it would be great to hear from someone who may have done this and could share (in very simple terms) what would be needed. 

 

Thoughts? 

Pretty sure that's dependent on the wifi antenna in the gopro itself.  Since it's so small and battery powered, I doubt you'll get much out of it at all.  Max range in OPTIMAL CONDITIONS is 600' so 200 yards.  I doubt you'll get more than half that.

 

Why not setup a Spotting scope, and put the camera on that?

Thought this looked pretty cool. I can't see small holes with the Simmons spotting scope I have so if I could get a wifi booster for cheap thought it may work like one of these commercial units.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/512717/caldwell-ballistic-precision-lr-1-mile-target-camera-system

800 yards possible? Sure.

Cheaper than buying a factory built system? Not a chance.

300 Yard range for $350

http://www.uniquetek.com/product/T1596

 

External Antenna 1 mile range is $700.

I've looked into making my own. The answer is that you really can't outdo the $350-$400 systems without getting outside of legoing together plug and play stuff. you'd get about the same performance and it'd be a more clunky PITA to drag around, or you'd spend even more  to package it nicely and overshoot the lower end pre-fab 

 

But the simple way of doing it when I looked about a year ago. 

 

Downrange: a wired IP camera + wifi access point (preferably something dd-WRT capable so you can up the output power) + cantenna + lead acid battery with inverter setup to power it  or make a DC PS for each that is voltage and amperage appropriate. 

Uprange: wifi router + power supply + cantenna, plus a laptop or phone you already own. 

 

Although there are starting to be wireless 1080p ip cameras with external screw on antennas, whcih you can try to can-tenna and see how much juice it has. 

 

If you can't looks at your pile of semi-obsolete gear and find half that stuff sitting around, you probably oare going to spend enough cash experimenting to not bother unless experimenting is fun for you. 

Ok, this inspired me to go look anew. 

 

1080p wireless ip cam, ~$60. 

yagi directional antennas 2@$30

cables to connect antennas to wifi stuff 2@$9

routger - preferably repurpose an old one, the cam is 2.4ghz and so are the antennas. 5ghz would 1.5-2x the price on most of that gear. 

low wattage inverter 2@ $18. 

12 volt batteries 2@???? depends on what level of usage you go for, but going cheap maybe you can get awy with the 4ah landscapig batteries? 2 @17. 

 

So you are at $210 before you package that all up into something. 

 

Both the router and the camera are likey 12v 1A draw, so you could probably build your own 18650 based multi cell packs for them if you wanted. Maybe $20-25 a piece. easier packaging and setup, more initial work. 

 

Still no idea what range you'll get off of any of it though. 

 

Realistically, you SHOULD be able to do a monitorless cam like this for like.. $100-150 no batteries. But the reality is it's  aniche thing, so that's $300. 

Ok, guess it's not as simple as getting a higher power battery operated wifi for the GoPro that my phone can pick up. Half of this is over my head but I get it, spend the $400!if I want one!!!!!