I’ve got two of these originals and 9 other Wyze cams ranging from the first one all the way to the current pan cam v2. Multiples of each and I use them everywhere.
The outdoor cams on the other hand I always want to use but I don’t see the point as I can’t get them to transmit farther than what a regular Wyze cam with a battery box and a solar setup does. And I can get those out at the edge of my property.
The base stations seem extraneous as they are not weather proof which means you are locked into using it in the house or some sort of weather box. For if they do get wet they crap out immediately. I mean I’ve got close to my whole 11 acres with Wi-Fi. Seems like this could be done better.
Not sure if these were just marketed wrong or if I’ve got a bunk pair. And I see there is a v2…?! Maybe I’ll try those.
That being said a handful of the other Wyze cams I have are currently outside, in the weather, rain, snow, freezing rain, wind, 100+ degree weather. No housing. Naked. And they all work fine. Guess I was just hoping to use these little buggers farther than I thought was the point.
Sorry for the rant. Been struggle bussing for the last week with these. Next stop is the gun range. See if I can grab some nice 1st person slo-mo of them being on the receiving end of my AR.
The base station is needed to conserve battery, it offloads some of the processing and allows a better connection process between the internet and the cam. If you setup with a battery box and a wired camera works, great! The WCO is just meant to be an easier way of doing that, but it has its limitations.
I’m sure someone on this forum will be willing to buy your cams off of you for reduced price instead of letting them go to waste
You are free to use normal cameras with a battery and solar panels, but that is a lot of extra cost and expertise most users can’t fathom, or don’t want to do.
For regular users, the Base Stations conserve battery, as @IEatBeans said. But the the hope also is the Base station helps extend the range of those battery-powered cameras. You can switch the Base Station to WiFi, then place them halfway between (but obviously still indoors). If your router is already the closest point to the outdoor camera, then that may not matter. But it does for many.
I personally only recommend a sleeping battery-powered outdoor camera where you can’t run power. Where you can run power I recommend a 24/7 recording V3 or better.
