Security camera from old smart phone/phones

[aircommuter]

That is true for many cell plans. But if you use an app to do the tethering (like I do), to the carrier it looks like generic traffic. They don't realize its tethering. My plan is unlimited everything (call, text, data), but slow. The data bandwidth is capped at 3 or 5 mbps. That would be annoying for web browsing on a PC, but its fast enough for watching a camera live feed. Since its unlimited, I could watch the feed 24/7 if I wanted.

This was the cheap and easy option to test out my plans for using generic sercurity cameras as trail cameras. When we get a tiny house out there, we'll get starlink and instantly have fast wifi all over the property. But until we've got a place for the starlink, the cell phone is working well surprisingly well.

That's why I brought it up. If a person wants low cost wifi in the middle of no where, that's just fast enough to browsing live video feeds, it can be done cheaply.

My plan is all unlimited too except tethering of course. My speeds are 125 down and 10 up average. I have 25 cameras remotely located but I use a Mofi router and a 100gb card at $55.00 monthly to run them. Still hard to catch a thief since license plates are difficult to read. I guess I could save a few bucks if I could find an app and pay the monthly phone bill.

 

[Deanes]

I've installed 4 solar-powered wireless network cameras. They are working flawlessly, give notifications, have two-way voice, save to the cloud, and never get below 60% battery. I do have a good long-range wireless router that reaches everywhere I need security.
For remote use let me suggest this: use an old or cheap dollar store phone with a data only sim and hotspot off it. It can easily be powered with a relatively small solar panel and possibly with the one on the camera. I think you can get the data only sim for about $10 / month from most carriers. My Google Fi phone unlimited service sends me one free with unlimited data for a second device.
There are several choices, but these are working well for me.

Robot or human?

 

[aircommuter]

What about the cameras? Are they motion detecting with night capability than can record a license plate?

 

[jwmorris]

I have used a number of cell game cameras to see things and also have used cell phones to remotely control things, using DTMF control boards.

 

[mrmikey]

That's quite the ingenious system, very well implemented and explained, my compliments.

 

[aircommuter]

The problem is I need a self recording system that records during the night while sleeping and the video resolution is sufficient to read a license plate and provide facial recognition quality that law enforcement will accept.

 

[stevem5215]

Sorry, that doesn't exist yet. You would need 20 megapixels of resolution for that and a mechanical zoom lens that could automatically zoom in and get the license and photo of someone. AI is coming and will assist in the endeavor but it's not here yet. I bought a 16mp camera that has pretty good resolution from Reolink. Along with a DVR with AI (sort of) and you could almost get what you need. Here's a link to a 4+4mp Reolink 2 camera to publicly view. Pretty good resolution on that snapshot.

 

[aircommuter]

That’s the problem. I am twenty miles from the location and of course there are several buildings. I currently have 22 cameras and I can view every space but the zoom in resolution is the limiting factor. Also California license plates are reflective making them solid white to the camera. Then of course facial recognition is required to be good enough for law enforcement who doesn’t know the person. If it can’t do those things it is of no use. Any other system is just a toy.

 

[wilso]

We have brinks home security system and are pleased with it. However, turning old phones into security cameras is a brilliant way to expand coverage inexpensively. The app integration is key though, it needs to be reliable and user-friendly. Thinking of trying this for my mother's back yard. Thanks for the idea!