Blink mini cam remote CCTV monitoring
- Thread starter Zave
- Start date
Love this sort of thing.
Assume you need a MiFi setup as well for this to work?
Good, cheap way of keeping an eye on your van against carpark incidents or someone taking an unhealthy interest but if it gets broken into and they take the sync module, don’t they also get the recordings?
Or is there a cloud recording element?
How much data does it use?
What sort of current does the whole setup take?
Assume you need a MiFi setup as well for this to work?
Good, cheap way of keeping an eye on your van against carpark incidents or someone taking an unhealthy interest but if it gets broken into and they take the sync module, don’t they also get the recordings?
Or is there a cloud recording element?
How much data does it use?
What sort of current does the whole setup take?
I have a number of Blink Mini Indoor and Outdoor cameras in a variety of locations so here are my thoughts. Blink Indoor cameras are good but.... they are sensitive to changes of light and also attract insects, so the one in my living room goes off when the bin lorry goes past with flashing lights at 7am, and the one in my shed is frequently activated by spiders and wasps crawling all over the lens, so actually they're not really appropriate for a van setting with car headlights going past all the time. I would recommend the Blink wireless camera because it is a camera triggered by a PIR sensor so is impervious to passing traffic. Just for the sake of clarity, there are indoor wired (from a power perspective) and wireless version with 2 disposable 1.5v lithium batteries, and a wireless outdoor version again wihtt he 1.5v lithium batteries.
I use the recommended Blink Sync Module 2 which reduces the power consumption of the Wifi sensor as it uses a lower power network for control and only WiFi when sending video. My wireless camera is an outdoor one and can be run via the micro USB socket on the back (as can the indoor plug in version obviously). I'm not sure whether the wireless indoor camera has a micro usb socket or not though. I made some measurements this morning and found that the Blink Indoor camera takes 50mA quiescent and 150mA when streaming video. However, the Outdoor quiescent current doesn't even register on my USB in line current monitor, but jumps up to 80-100mA when streaming video.
So in summary I would say the Wireless Blink is a much better bet for a van. You still need a Wifi network of course, but if your van is within range of your home network then obviously that's ok. If you want to site a router specifically for the van then you might want to consider this wifi extender which either acts as an extender or can create it's own network by plugging it into the ethernet port on your home router. It has a higher power setting which can be set up, although I'm not quite sure how that might conform to the permitted maximum power levels. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B1Q1HDNL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Otherwise, a MiFi-type device would be needed, which might possibly cause excessive battery drain over time.
Hope that sheds a little light on things!
I use the recommended Blink Sync Module 2 which reduces the power consumption of the Wifi sensor as it uses a lower power network for control and only WiFi when sending video. My wireless camera is an outdoor one and can be run via the micro USB socket on the back (as can the indoor plug in version obviously). I'm not sure whether the wireless indoor camera has a micro usb socket or not though. I made some measurements this morning and found that the Blink Indoor camera takes 50mA quiescent and 150mA when streaming video. However, the Outdoor quiescent current doesn't even register on my USB in line current monitor, but jumps up to 80-100mA when streaming video.
So in summary I would say the Wireless Blink is a much better bet for a van. You still need a Wifi network of course, but if your van is within range of your home network then obviously that's ok. If you want to site a router specifically for the van then you might want to consider this wifi extender which either acts as an extender or can create it's own network by plugging it into the ethernet port on your home router. It has a higher power setting which can be set up, although I'm not quite sure how that might conform to the permitted maximum power levels. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B1Q1HDNL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Otherwise, a MiFi-type device would be needed, which might possibly cause excessive battery drain over time.
Hope that sheds a little light on things!
Brief update on my system so far:
1. It eats data if you sync to the cloud. So I've turned that off.
2. Car headlight set it off. So I've turned off notifications.
3. I use the Sync module and it doesn't seem to bad on USB storage. Initial USB set-up was a faff with formating but seems ok now.
4. I think I need to re-format when USB full, not sure if it loops.
5. I used window mounts from Amazon and used some spacers to point the cameras down a little. I think they need to point down more though.
6. I'm using indoor usb powered mini cams. I turn off night vision so they work through windows. I heard the battery cams use PIR and you can't use these through glass.
7. I don't know what the amp hours they are consuming. I've got a lithium leisure battery and solar panel and I've not really noticed any dents in the battery.
8. Yes, a robber could take the USB and hence the footage.
9. What I like is I get live view. Ideally I'd like a 360 dashcam but these don't seem to provide live view.
10. I bought them for when I often have to park on the street whilst working.
11. It gets internet off a mifi thing in the van from TP-Link.
1. It eats data if you sync to the cloud. So I've turned that off.
2. Car headlight set it off. So I've turned off notifications.
3. I use the Sync module and it doesn't seem to bad on USB storage. Initial USB set-up was a faff with formating but seems ok now.
4. I think I need to re-format when USB full, not sure if it loops.
5. I used window mounts from Amazon and used some spacers to point the cameras down a little. I think they need to point down more though.
6. I'm using indoor usb powered mini cams. I turn off night vision so they work through windows. I heard the battery cams use PIR and you can't use these through glass.
7. I don't know what the amp hours they are consuming. I've got a lithium leisure battery and solar panel and I've not really noticed any dents in the battery.
8. Yes, a robber could take the USB and hence the footage.
9. What I like is I get live view. Ideally I'd like a 360 dashcam but these don't seem to provide live view.
10. I bought them for when I often have to park on the street whilst working.
11. It gets internet off a mifi thing in the van from TP-Link.
Ah yes - you are correct- the PIR sensor would only work within the vehicle as it doesn't work through glass! So that would only trigger on intruders in the vehicle.
Regarding storage, if you can live with a 10 second recording of events then that gets sent to your phone anyway when the camera is triggered, so you don't need any other storage medium.
Regarding storage, if you can live with a 10 second recording of events then that gets sent to your phone anyway when the camera is triggered, so you don't need any other storage medium.
The three camera set is on offer at John Lewis and Amazon ATM for £99.99. the sync module is sold separately at £29.99. took a punt on both
Would have been cheaper to buy either of these 2 kits.
@Ali-G is that all you need? Or do you need to buy an Alexa with camera on it etc?
No need for Alexa, you need a camera, the "Sync Module" and Wi-Fi.
Mine arrived today. Set one camera up. Pretty straight forward though some delay before live stream kicks in when accessing the camera via the app.
I’m using a TP Link Tapo camera to do something similar
Which gives me this…
Interested in the multi camera views though
@Zave please can you take pictures of how/where you’ve mounted the actual cameras?
Thanks
Which gives me this…
Interested in the multi camera views though
@Zave please can you take pictures of how/where you’ve mounted the actual cameras?
Thanks
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Cheers
Anyone having issues recently? Wireless cameras just stopped syncing with sync module2? Sync module version is 16.0.8. camera version is 10.64. Tried resetting and re-pair numerous times. Using 256gb usb stick.
Managed to find an unopened sync2 module that I forgot I bought which is running 4.3.2 and now one of the two cameras is working fine.
Not finding much info on this issue, I can only guess communication with Blink servers has been borked with sync2 update?
Managed to find an unopened sync2 module that I forgot I bought which is running 4.3.2 and now one of the two cameras is working fine.
Not finding much info on this issue, I can only guess communication with Blink servers has been borked with sync2 update?
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