It would be ideal if camera could detect motion through window glass. This way, we can hang the camera inside (with suction caps) to monitor trafic outside - w/o the need of exposing the camra to wheather outside.
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I would like a outside camera with battery.
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Every feature you all have mentioned could be part of a simple, modular system in a future revision of Wyzecam.
Inductive power would work just fine. There is no reason you canât have a semi-permanent adhesive dot in the center that keeps it secure on a glass pane throughout heavy winds. I think inductive charging is a wonderful idea and would make news headlines for the ingenuity there.
Make the base detachable and upgradable. Have a base camera that comes with a standard, detachable mounting base. Have an option to purchase an outdoor case (think gopro style box) that fits around it and has mounting points to attach the base to. The camera base can attach to the outdoor case or the camera itself, depending on if that option is purchased. Because of this design, any camera can become an outdoor camera in seconds.
Have the base contain the power connector with simple pogo pin connectors (pictured hereâŚ) to securely transfer power up to the camera module. If youâre using the outdoor case, just have another set of pogo pins in it to pass the power from the actual base to the camera. With the low voltage, this is still safe and weatherproof. You could add a rubber on the outdoor enclosure that presses against the base though if there are any concerns otherwise. You could do the same for the USB connection port on the base so that the base is outdoor ready / moisture resistant.
This addresses making the camera outdoor ready. Outdoor is now an easy, modular addon to existing cameras giving you the ultimate control in how you use it. Changing the power location and pogo pins would not add more than another dollar or so to the cameras cost. Heck, you could recoup that by bumping up shipping by a dollar while still keeping the eye-catching $20 price point on the camera itself.
This also allows any camera to be made into a window mounted device with an optional inductive charging base since an inductive base would have the same âuniversalâ mounting connection. Just like with the weatherproof housing, make it an upgrade option at checkout.
External battery is now possible too. Just have it be a snap fit battery pack that attaches over the base and plugs into its charging port. However, I think at that point you would want to couple this with a solar panel for that feature and simply have a larger battery pack attached directly to the solar panel. These arenât designed to be glorified PIR sensors like Arlos are, so the power consumption will always be unrealistically high to consider these being exclusively batter powered. Tack on a solar panel though and there you go. The battery would last long enough to get you through the night before the sun powers the camera and recharges the pack.
Now, this last bit is off topic, but Iâm waiting to see if you guys can do ONVIF/RSTPâŚGet RSTP happening and youâll have my attention (and money =D )
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Please NO battery. I had Arlo cams, and I found it useless and annoying. Sure it sounds cool, but if you want good recordings every time thereâs motion, I was charging the thing like once every 3 weeks.
IMO, just make a waterproof case for the existing cam.
Here are my use cases for external viewing,alerting and recording
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Fix the issues with motion detection first - I get too may false positives and it misses cars and trucks, humans and deer regularly.
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Give me the option to to turn off the IR at night time. I have external motion sensor lights that offer adequate lighting to identify objects. This would be the easiest fix.
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Make a weatherproof ( heat, cold, humidity , wind) case and mounting option that can be plugged in to a wall. Someone called in Immediately Outside. It will still be able to use my home wifi. I would have more than one of these, and somewhat concealed. So, I am not worried about a team of bad guys running at once and taking off with all the cameras. I will also have some mounted inside, but pointing outward.
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You can turn off the IR. You have 3 choices in the settings. OFF, AUTO, ON.
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Case? well there is this:
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however, it looks rather bad, and wire management is not handled very wellâŚ
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The bird house case is cute but it is not waterproof so it wouldnât work outside. I found one that with a little modification would work.
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The current model is working in -20 below this winter in Lake Placid, New York.
Keep them dry in a garage as I do, and even in a chicken ? coup !!!
I have had NO issues with temps this low.
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Agreed ⌠the fastest and easiest way to provide this need is adding a water / snow weatherproofing enclosure for the current perfectly performing model in low temperatures.
I ordered one of the bird house covers just to see how it works. It arrives today. Iâll report back about how useful or not useful it is.
I love the camera, but I bought mine to cover a spot in my front yard through the front window. Hereâs what happens: at night I can only see the reflection of the camera in the window. So, I disabled ânightvisionâ so the LEDs wouldnât illuminate and I would be able to see through the window. I also put a IR LED array in the window at the opposite corner in hopes the IR would be visible to the camera. This resulted in total darkness except for a couple of porch lights accross the street. So, now I have my Wyze cam outside on the window ledge in the weatherâŚalong with the separate LED arrayâŚand it looks GREAT! Except that it is vulnerable to the weather and theft. The power cables are run through the window.
It would help me to be able to turn off the cameraâs IR LEDs while still having IR light detectable to the camera. This simple software mod would make my use case work much better.
Motion detection on âLOWâ is constantly triggering due to a light breeze or no apparent movement at all. Changing the sensitivity value from a three value choice to a slider or numerical percentage would give the user much better control and accomodate unforseen user needs. This would also seem to be a small software tweak.
Thanks for making a great affordable hi-res camera with local storage!!!
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With the current firmware and app, when you turn off the IR lights you also disable night mode (black and white) with its higher level of sensitivity. At night you need the higher level of sensivity for better night imaging. Wyze needs a way to disable the IR lights without disabling night vision at the same time. This would permit using the camera through a window (with no glare) while producing superior night images if thereâs enough light outside already.
I read somewhere that someone taped over the IR lights on the cam and then placed that in front of the window. It âturns off the lightâ while keeping the night vision feature on. Said it worked fine. Not sure if they had the external IR lights outside or not - just passing along info - hope it helps someone!
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+1 for POE
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I couldnât agree more!
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I would love to disable only the IR leds and keep the night mode on.
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What I have done is cover the IR with black tape, but it still âleaksâ. I have an IR illuminator outside and placed my camera indoor, by the window.
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I give it a B+ for my creativity⌠but itâs not good yet.
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I did it⌠its not perfect, but I can see my backyard if I place the camera with a certain angle from the window glass.
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Me too, just water resistant (moisture). Many of the features asked for here would drive the price up so high Iâd probably not purchase. See: Arlo (amazing camera; great features; high price).
Thanks. After hearing that a few people were using theirs outside, I set one up in my garage and one under my covered front patio.
Working like a charm!
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Another vote for POE (for networking and power).
Would like a more robust mount. Would most likely mount under eves and run wires to a POE switch in the garage. Might even mount something like this indoors too.
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