I know im gonna get ripped on but best battery powered wireless cam?
- Thread starter Superior Security Experts
- Start date
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,891
- 21,407
Better to lose business than to deal with the negative reviews when the cameras don't work. The customer doesn't need you to install a battery powered camera they can just glue it or screw it in themselves or hire a cheap handyman.
Sometimes the truth can hurt....if you're going to be known by your username "Superior Security Experts", I highly recommend to disassociate yourself from battery-powered wireless cameras. 
True. But you
True. Been hardwiring for 23 years so I guess I need to market to higher end customers. Thanks for the advice!Sometimes the truth can hurt....if you're going to be known by your username "Superior Security Experts", I highly recommend to disassociate yourself from battery-powered wireless cameras.
Yeah. Some guys at adt called it "lick and stick "
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 16,116
- 27,079
Hi @Superior Security Experts
Best is have a resource which you can show the difference in quality and performance.
I would recommend doing a simple video which you compare results of various products, pros and cons.
If you want to get into the lick and stick diy work, that's up to you to determine if it meets your business model.
Personally, I'd not want to field too many calls - however, perhaps you can use this as a way to get clients to install better systems when they call you to complain about the battery operated system.
( "yes, battery power systems not recommended for your application - we'd be happy to upgrade your setup .. and remember we charge hourly to change out batteries for you .. " )
As others noted the vast majority of battery powered cameras are consumer grade. Which anyone can purchase from Amazon that’s spans $35 ~ xxx.xxx
There isn’t any money to be had in this field unless you specialize like any other industry.
As such there are lots of agricultural, commercial, and government opportunities that want & need a wireless solution. This is where the gravy starts to drip and the heavens open up!
Providing several tiers of solar, WiFi, cellular units that are mobile and offer long renewable operations has value for those with that need.
There are a few commercial packages already on the market by the likes of road sign makers etc.
Going with a all in one solution has lots of benefits as the components have been tested to provide X runtime with Y features. Nothing wrong having one of these as a customer option that can be ordered with a long lead time but offers very little profit / mark up.
A good balance is to offer a similar unit that you build using parts that offer more value which can be scaled to provide better performance, features, runtime.
If you randomly select any commercial solution and look inside the entire system isn’t very complicated. Yet don’t be fooled into thinking there wasn’t actual science, math, electrical theory involved to build the unit!
Some of the biggest reasons for failures is NOT using outdoor rated hardware. I mean that sounds so basic and simple! Yet everyday people will pick a camera, switch, POE injector, etc that isn’t outdoor rated to be exposed to extreme heat, moisture, and rain.
The hardest part is downsizing everything where it’s module, easy to install, deploy, and maintain. Every single item plays a role as to how it impacts the next. Bought a 6 port switch instead of a 4?!? Whelps that means you just spent more money on a larger IP rated box!
Installed a 25 watt solar panel instead of a 50 ~ 100 watt panel?!? Well, you’ll need to compensate for the lack of solar generation by using you guessed it a more expensive battery or more of them wired in parallel!
Decided to run a 12 volt system instead of a 24 / 48. Well you better accept you’ll be on site losing money replacing batteries. As seen above every component, wire, fuse, location impacts how the system performs. You’ll note we haven’t even talked about the method to communicate yet?!?
The vast majority use cellular as such these systems increases your / customers costs forever. But if it’s marketed right the long term costs vs reliability of connectivity makes sense for some. Where as a PTP solution strikes a good balance of initial cost but none later but assumes everything that has to do with the network is solid to provide reliable access and streaming.
If you’re weak in networking you better start cramming now to learn the basics.
At the end of the day this isn’t rocket science but does require common sense with respect to math, science, basic understanding of ohms law, electrical handling, networking, and a good working brain!
Good Luck . . .
There isn’t any money to be had in this field unless you specialize like any other industry.
As such there are lots of agricultural, commercial, and government opportunities that want & need a wireless solution. This is where the gravy starts to drip and the heavens open up!
Providing several tiers of solar, WiFi, cellular units that are mobile and offer long renewable operations has value for those with that need.
There are a few commercial packages already on the market by the likes of road sign makers etc.
Going with a all in one solution has lots of benefits as the components have been tested to provide X runtime with Y features. Nothing wrong having one of these as a customer option that can be ordered with a long lead time but offers very little profit / mark up.
A good balance is to offer a similar unit that you build using parts that offer more value which can be scaled to provide better performance, features, runtime.
If you randomly select any commercial solution and look inside the entire system isn’t very complicated. Yet don’t be fooled into thinking there wasn’t actual science, math, electrical theory involved to build the unit!
Some of the biggest reasons for failures is NOT using outdoor rated hardware. I mean that sounds so basic and simple! Yet everyday people will pick a camera, switch, POE injector, etc that isn’t outdoor rated to be exposed to extreme heat, moisture, and rain.
The hardest part is downsizing everything where it’s module, easy to install, deploy, and maintain. Every single item plays a role as to how it impacts the next. Bought a 6 port switch instead of a 4?!? Whelps that means you just spent more money on a larger IP rated box!
Installed a 25 watt solar panel instead of a 50 ~ 100 watt panel?!? Well, you’ll need to compensate for the lack of solar generation by using you guessed it a more expensive battery or more of them wired in parallel!
Decided to run a 12 volt system instead of a 24 / 48. Well you better accept you’ll be on site losing money replacing batteries. As seen above every component, wire, fuse, location impacts how the system performs. You’ll note we haven’t even talked about the method to communicate yet?!?
The vast majority use cellular as such these systems increases your / customers costs forever. But if it’s marketed right the long term costs vs reliability of connectivity makes sense for some. Where as a PTP solution strikes a good balance of initial cost but none later but assumes everything that has to do with the network is solid to provide reliable access and streaming.
If you’re weak in networking you better start cramming now to learn the basics.
At the end of the day this isn’t rocket science but does require common sense with respect to math, science, basic understanding of ohms law, electrical handling, networking, and a good working brain!
Good Luck . . .
- Nov 25, 2016
- 851
- 2,327
@mat200 and @Teken have provided some excellent advice. But having said that .... like almost everyone else on this board, I'll always recommend wired over wireless. But from my own experience, I know that many people will choose wireless over wired because the upfront costs are lower, and because all the people they know also have them. Even if maintenance and cloud fees make them pricier in the long run, and even if the performance is poor compared to a decent wired camera, people don't think logically about that. As you pointed out, you're losing bids because of this.
So in the interest of giving the customer what he wants, you might consider the following:
(1) Eufy, e.g. the EufyCam 2C or SoloCam S40. Human figure detection with no monthly fee (video storage is local), good build quality and good reputation as a wireless cam.
(2) Arlo, e.g. Arlo Pro 3. Can distinguish human figures, good build quality, but monthly fee needed for advanced features. Again, good reputation as a wireless cam.
Two (obvious) bits of advice: try out any camera yourself first, and make sure you bundle them with a service plan that makes them worth your while.