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Home Security System

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Looking for insights / info on Home Security Systems.

I'm looking into a wireless system. So far Arlo Smart Home Security System with 3 HD Wire-Free Cameras and Night Vision looks very good.

Arlo will email or text a video clip if the motion detector camera is set off. Or you can set it just to view when you connect via your cell phone to view what (if anything) is happening in your house. Reviews on the camera have been great from what I've seen.

Do anyone have this or a comparable product. Please share good and bad points of whatever you have.

Amazon seems to have the best price. Even better than Sam's club.
$258 for two camera set up
$347 for a three camera set up
$474 for a four camera set up.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P7EVST6/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

The base unit with up to 5 cameras gets you free 1gb storage on the cloud (6 to 10 cameras gets you 10gb of storage for 9.99 per month). All videos are encrypted and written to the cloud. You can retrieve them, delete them or whatever anytime you want. You can set the camera to be motion activated at certain times of day automatically, much like a auto thermostat, or you can manually change the mode so it's not recording you when you are at home and do not need, or want the notifications. 300ft range from base gives me hope a camera will work in my pole barn which is about 170 ft from the house. The 300ft is line of sight so walls and trees can impact that range.

Cameras can be powered by 3 batteries which last around 6 months depending on how much activity they get, or they can be powered via a micro usb connector.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
more research:

You set the cameras for however long you want them on each day. If you don't want them on when home, then the battery life would be much better. If one leaves the Arlo cameras on 24x7 like I need in my pole barn the battery life is shortened dramatically. So while these are capable of working wirelessly it can get expensive.

There is a few second delay before the motion detector kicks in. By then a person can be out of range or unrecognizable if back is turned. Or culprit is completely out of the shot by the time the camera kicks on. Would not be much use to us or police. Other brands might have this issue also.

The Arlo cameras do not have rotation or zoom capabiity. Nor do they have audio. While this saves battery life if you can run wired you can get better functionality with other cameras that have this capability.

PC Mag did a review on the Arlo Security Camera and pointed out most of this and offered alternatives. So, I'm still learning.

http://www.pcmag.com/review/332272/netgear-arlo-security-system-vms3230
 

jwstewar

Active member
I've been installing FOSCAM IP cameras in barns, including our own. Granted these are for a different purpose, it is to keep an eye on livestock during kidding season. I use these. Hard wire them in the barn and then send them back to the house via a wireless bridge. I then use a software package call Blue Iris that does the monitoring. It can email/text you if it senses motion. It will also record however much hard drive space you have. A little different purpose and different solution, but if you have an old PC lying around it can work pretty well. The wireless bridge claims distances up to 5 miles, most I've used it so far is about 500' or so.
 
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