Camera advice please, new to CCTV

[andybate78]

Hi, im looking to put a camera up in my parents garden so they can watch the bird feeders without having to move to far (elderly) . im wondering if there is a camera that can be viewed straight on a android device without the need for a recorder. I have access to power near the camera.

Thanks in advance

andy

 

[Dan]

Hi, im looking to put a camera up in my parents garden so they can watch the bird feeders without having to move to far (elderly) . im wondering if there is a camera that can be viewed straight on a android device without the need for a recorder. I have access to power near the camera.

Thanks in advance

andy

All the cameras we sell are IP network-based so you would need to connect the camera to a local network as well as power. If the property has a router but there is only access to power close to the camera mounting position then a possible solution would be to use powerline devices that spread the properties network across the main power circuit. If you don't have a router & network in the property then you would need to look at Analog CCTV instead and you probably won't be able to set up remote viewing by the app. To make a camera recommendation it would help if you could give us a rough idea of the distance between the camera position and the bird feeder.

 

[macman]

There are "consumer" cameras, such as Reolink, which will record video to an internal memory card and be accessible over wi-fi if your parents have a router which delivers a wi-fi signal (directly or via a wi-fi extender) to the bird feeding zone. Some camera models need mains power while others use a rechargeable battery so need no wires at all. You can even attach a small solar panel to some rechargeable models so that you don't have to worry about the battery running down. They can be set to start recording when birds trigger the PIR detector but may not be suitable for continuous all-day recording.

 

[andybate78]

hi, thanks, the camera will be 1 meter away and there is wifi available , its more for live viewing rather than recording

thanks

 

[macman]

I have used a wires-free Reolink Argus camera to watch birds. Using the company's client software, I was able to easily watch on my PC, iPad, iPhone - and with a little creativity, on my TV. There's a wi-fi lag of 2-3 seconds between the live action and the viewed action but the birds don't know that.

 

[adamski_beats]

Hi Andy,
there are some pre-prepared kits which are quite fun, I think one is called Green Feathers,It has a nesting box and a cam I think its an IP cam from memory so you can watch on an app or via a smart TV/NVR.

Also there are cameras called 'Trail Cameras' - These are usually strapped to trees or fence/posts etc - They are used by hunters so seems counter-intuitive to use as a bird/animal enthusiast but they work very well -

I have 2 an Apeman camera on one of my trees and a Trailpark T30 - There about £40 each - you just pop an SD CArd and 8Lithium AA batteries, there not for live viewing though you have to retrieve the memory card but there perfect for monitoring and recording wildlife.

Also maybe some of the wireless cameras like Arlo Pro or a PTZ camera that can be zoomed into a bird feeding station - Another solution would be to put a bird box on one branch or the trunk of the tree and a small camera such as a WyzeCam overlooking it on another branch or the trunk of a nearby tree.