Best outdoor security camera?

jeepinmatt

..l.
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Stanley, NC
Gonna throw a couple up around here before the next construction project starts. Looking at the Wyze cam. $20/ea, 14 day free rolling cloud storage, good reviews. Seems hard to beat. Is there anything else I'm missing?
 
I've got some outdoor Arlo cams that I really like. Not super cheap but very good for that type of camera, with a good interface and good app support.

I'd have power over Ethernet cams if I could, but I have mostly cathedral ceilings and don't have any easy way to run wires.
 
Gonna throw a couple up around here before the next construction project starts. Looking at the Wyze cam. $20/ea, 14 day free rolling cloud storage, good reviews. Seems hard to beat. Is there anything else I'm missing?
Those say indoor only, but your title says outdoor. Are you just putting them at windows? I have a Dropcam looking out a window and you can’t see shit at night due to the reflection.
 
Gonna throw a couple up around here before the next construction project starts. Looking at the Wyze cam. $20/ea, 14 day free rolling cloud storage, good reviews. Seems hard to beat. Is there anything else I'm missing?
The Wyzecams are hard to beat for the price. I've got about a dozen of them, and generally prefer them to most of my more expensive cams. While not meant to be an outdoor cam, I have several that have been holding up fine outside. Of course with a camera that cheap it's not without issues, but for $20 or $30 with panning capabilities, it's really hard to beat. IFTT integration is now here and there are some solutions underway for RTSP if that's your thing
 
I have an FDT and it is good

This is current pic I just took from my cell phone. You can even see my neighbor in his back yard :)


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I'm using blink cameras from amazon. I think wired would be slightly better but they are completely wireless so it's was just easier. Put 5 up and set up the app in 1.5hrs. I have 6 of them.
 
I'm using blink cameras from amazon. I think wired would be slightly better but they are completely wireless so it's was just easier. Put 5 up and set up the app in 1.5hrs. I have 6 of them.

thats the same ones I was looking at getting. like them?
 
thats the same ones I was looking at getting. like them?
Yeah, only downside is they only record when you have them armed and they detect motion.

I get an alert everytime it sees motion. Currently I have wasp hanging around my front porch. You can also set schedules when to arm/unarm. I would buy them if I had it to do over.

Can't beat the wireless at up.

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So how do these work? We don't have cable our internets Is through phones only. We use them as a hot spot for computers. We have basic satilite.

So do they steam data and run through out Verizon plan?
 
So how do these work? We don't have cable our internets Is through phones only. We use them as a hot spot for computers. We have basic satilite.

So do they steam data and run through out Verizon plan?
They have to be connected to wifi at all times to work correctly from what I understand. All videos are stored in the cloud. I think you might be out of luck but I'm not a tech guru by any means.

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I'll add more eventually but I need to upgrade the server, it is starting to max out the CPU from them.

Which one do you have? I thought they should be able to support 4-6, but I guess it depends on resolution, too.
 
I'm running the blink XT for the ease of setup/use.
Two issues with them. One in real busy areas, you want to figure out how to run micro usb to it to save on batteries. My kid and wife like standing on the porch talking to people, so I get about 2 months out of those batteries.
Two, if you mount the camera higher, I have mine just under the porch light, it will white out people's faces. If you mount it closer to doorbell level, the faces are really clear at night. (Daytime the height doesn't matter)
The other issue is sometimes where you mount them you find out you get birds etc. I have one on the back of a little free library to get the side of my jeep and my trailer, every morning at ~6:30 am I have a bird that flips it's tail feathers in front of it, and poops across the camera. it's my alarm clock basically.
 
Those say indoor only, but your title says outdoor. Are you just putting them at windows? I have a Dropcam looking out a window and you can’t see shit at night due to the reflection.
They will be either under a porch or in an enclosure. At $20, it almost doesn't matter if they last.

I've seriously been considering the Arlo because its weatherproof and battery powered. Went to Bestbuy this afternoon to buy the 4 pack that was on sale for $300, but the sale ended last night, go figure... I would really like to get the Arlo Pro 2 for the 1080p video instead of 720p of the first gen Arlo. @Fabrik8 how's the video quality at ~40-50ft? Any chance of reading a tag or reasonably identifying a person?
 
At those prices (4 for 300) I’d look into something better. I bought some Sibell series cameras from security camera king.com. Cameras were about 80 bucks each. Cost comes in with NVR and storage. Cameras are power over enthernet so they’re all wired but they work really well. Can be monitored over an app too, just have to have WiFi at the house.
 
Am I the only one that has trust issues with the notion of cloud storage for home security cameras?
Or really if you think about it, any case where you can get a video feed to your phone while away from home.
This means that feed HAS to be going through some other third party's server. Who knows what they are retaining or even selling it to. I'd be particularly paranoid about any case where you are not paying a notable fee for that service.

I'm not generally a tin foil hat kind of guy, but I've learned enough about the sale/trading of information to know this is dangerous. You especially won't find me tying it all together with a Nest, Echo, etc.
 
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