Security camera

[yoderjac]

How is the detection and image quality?

Because it is older technology, the image quality and resolution was good for its time. Many of the newer cams have better imaging because they are using the latest sensors. The trouble is they don't transmit images in that high resolution. The somewhat newer X80 is 5 megapixel and transmits at full resolution.

Detection is great! Cams use a PIR circuit and sensor. Most of the cheap cams have a short wide detection cone and they are slow to trigger. This means you often get just head and tails and they are subject to a lot of false alarms. These camera have a very fast trigger with a long narrow detection cone. Positioning is a bit more sensitive with these but you don't miss anything and the false trigger rate is low. Years ago we did a test mounting a bunch of cameras side by side and measure picture counts and false alarm rates. Reconyx and BEC by far scored the highest. Most of the inexpensive cams missed many game pictures and triggered more readily on wind and such.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Let me know how it works out. I'm torn between that and a regular trail cam; either the Reveal XB or the new Spypoint Flex coming out in a couple of weeks. I'd love to have the ability to pan/tilt my camera and view it live just to keep an eye on my pollinator planting.

These are a couple YT videos that I saw about that Reolink that made me really like it. They each have a couple videos about that camera:

Ben, I have spypoint link-dark, link-s-dark, and a reveal SK in the cam fleet with 6 browning cell cams (had 9 but i returned 3 last year) and 7 ridgetecs. I'd take a hard look at getting a ridgetec instead of either. You can run a ridgetec on video for $7/month and you get a more reliable and much more versatile camera than tactacam or spypoint imo.

 

[BenAllgood]

Ben, I have spypoint link-dark, link-s-dark, and a reveal SK in the cam fleet with 6 browning cell cams (had 9 but i returned 3 last year) and 7 ridgetecs. I'd take a hard look at getting a ridgetec instead of either. You can run a ridgetec on video for $7/month and you get a more reliable and much more versatile camera than tactacam or spypoint imo.

Thanks. I saw those, but never really looked into them. I'll add them to the list.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Thanks. I saw those, but never really looked into them. I'll add them to the list.

That's all I've been buying after trying a little bit of everything. They are a really nice package of functionality, reliability, at a lower monthly cost than most others. You pay a little more up front (I think MSRP is $399 but all of mine have been $299 or less) but I've come to realize that's way better than dealing with cameras missing critters, not having the settings i want to run, having to return to cameras to troubleshoot problems, etc. Far as I'm concerned having a camera away from home go down and needing to take time to trouble shoot it once is worth at least $50 towards a more reliable camera.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Because it is older technology, the image quality and resolution was good for its time. Many of the newer cams have better imaging because they are using the latest sensors. The trouble is they don't transmit images in that high resolution. The somewhat newer X80 is 5 megapixel and transmits at full resolution.

Megapixel ratings don't matter to me, 5mp is more than enough for a trail cam if it actually has a decent sensor. Most of these cheap Chinese cams with outrageous MP ratings only have a 2 or 3 MP sensor and then they interpolate fake pixels and blow up the file size almost all to market to uneducated consumers. The high megapixel ratings is a negative rather than a positive.

Detection is great! Cams use a PIR circuit and sensor. Most of the cheap cams have a short wide detection cone and they are slow to trigger. This means you often get just head and tails and they are subject to a lot of false alarms. These camera have a very fast trigger with a long narrow detection cone. Positioning is a bit more sensitive with these but you don't miss anything and the false trigger rate is low. Years ago we did a test mounting a bunch of cameras side by side and measure picture counts and false alarm rates. Reconyx and BEC by far scored the highest. Most of the inexpensive cams missed many game pictures and triggered more readily on wind and such.

Thanks,

Jack

Interesting. I don't think a wide detection cone has to negatively correlate with a lower trigger speed. I've been satisfied with the detection zone width, speed, and distance on ridgetec, browning, and spypoint cams.

How is the recovery time on buckeye cams? are they faster than typical cell cams or do they delay while they are transmitting images wirelessly?

 

[yoderjac]

Megapixel ratings don't matter to me, 5mp is more than enough for a trail cam if it actually has a decent sensor. Most of these cheap Chinese cams with outrageous MP ratings only have a 2 or 3 MP sensor and then they interpolate fake pixels and blow up the file size almost all to market to uneducated consumers. The high megapixel ratings is a negative rather than a positive.



Interesting. I don't think a wide detection cone has to negatively correlate with a lower trigger speed. I've been satisfied with the detection zone width, speed, and distance on ridgetec, browning, and spypoint cams.

How is the recovery time on buckeye cams? are they faster than typical cell cams or do they delay while they are transmitting images wirelessly?

The 5MP on the X80 is actual image sensor spec, not an interpolated number. I wish my older Orion cams had a 5mp sensor. Because of the long detection range of these cameras (It is not uncommon for me to get triggers at well of 50 yards), the ability to zoom in can be important. I don't use bait piles because of the disease risk for cams, so the ability to zoom can also be useful at identifying individual bucks at longer distance.

There is no delay associated with transmission. The have internal memory and the camera keeps operating during transmission. The older Orion cams have a minimum delay between pictures that is related to the resolution you choose. I think the newer X-series has less minimum delay between pictures but I can't recall. Both cams have a burst mode that doesn't require a trigger for taking multiple pictures. The "video" mode is quite low frame rate at full resolution. They are basically taking pictures at with the minimum delay like burst mode but stitching them together into video format.

The reason I can't recall the minimum delays is because I don't use them. I'm collecting data to make QDM decisions. Deer tend to hang in small fields much more than in the woods. So, to normalize data collection a bit more, I set all of my picture delays of all cameras at 5 minutes. For the ones I use for security, I use burst mode and the minimum delay. The 5 minute delay I set for field use is fixed so I can trend data from year to year.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

Do a little bit of camera stuff at work - mostly grease monkey stuff at height. Not really a pro with WAN, LAN, Storage type stuff. Last year after an argument with a local drug dealer and I decided to build my own security cam set up. Went with Amcrest 4k Turrets. One really high dollar one at the front door. Built my own server using Blue Iris Software. Got sick of dicking with alerts problems (plus 5 4k camera drove my processor hard). Got an Amcrest NVR - set up in about 10 minutes with alerts on my phone.

You will need internet to get alerts (I would want motion alerts). But you could try it with a networked cell connection. Getting motion alerts via pics will not be that much data. Then run a constant video stream to a removable hard drive.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

I’m going to build a similar system at my property. Here’s what I’m ordering:

2 Amcrest PTZs
1 Amcrest NVR
8 TB Removable hard drive

Hardwire everything. Wi-Fi battery powered cameras = problems. Put 1 PTZ highly visible. Put another PTZ hidden to pick up license plates. Run your NVR to internet and have fun.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Let me know how it works out. I'm torn between that and a regular trail cam; either the Reveal XB or the new Spypoint Flex coming out in a couple of weeks. I'd love to have the ability to pan/tilt my camera and view it live just to keep an eye on my pollinator planting.

These are a couple YT videos that I saw about that Reolink that made me really like it. They each have a couple videos about that camera:

So I got one yesterday to test before I buy another but I’m an idiot electronically so I couldn’t figure out the whole SIM card deal. Went to Walmart, Best Buy and AT&T and no one could help me. I went ahead and ordered the mint mobile from reolinks site. We will see if it even works. They don’t make this process very straightforward.

 

[BenAllgood]

So I got one yesterday to test before I buy another but I’m an idiot electronically so I couldn’t figure out the whole SIM card deal. Went to Walmart, Best Buy and AT&T and no one could help me. I went ahead and ordered the mint mobile from reolinks site. We will see if it even works. They don’t make this process very straightforward.

There's a few YT videos out there on how to setup. Here's one: