Posts made by jerrypgoodman_329099093635295

Hi Reolink,

What follows is my report on the "Reolink Go" trial during this breeding season. The 2E looks like it may have some useful applications too ?? A opportunity to trial it would be great.


Pagham Harbour - Tern Island Trial Report 2020

Trial Background & Assessment
The remote camera was sited some 2.5 km away from the Visitor Centre, out in Pagham Harbour, on Tern Island.

The camera was mounted on a fence post and powered by a built-in battery pack and solar panel. Two way communication with the device was via a 4g Mobile Network (data only link). It was deployed from early March 2020 to September 2020.

The camera provided a feed of “live” video (pictures and sound), both during the day and also at night (utilising its built-in Infra-red lighting). Colour pictures were received in daylight and monochrome in Infra-red conditions.

We also had the facility to make video recordings (pictures and sound), triggered both manually and by the built-in motion sensor. I have downloaded those pictures from the camera's on board memory (16Gb) via the internet / data link. Again, both day and night time recording was achieved.

Monitoring of the system demonstrated that the camera's battery power was consistently maintained at over 80%, although it is fair to say that we probably didn't fully exploit the streaming possibilities owing to the CV-19 Lockdown. However, I think that the system would deliver as much as we could reasonably need / expect it to.

On inspection, after recovery, the camera and solar panel were in good condition. There were no obvious signs of undue 'wear and tear' after 6 months continuous exposure to the harsh Marine environment. In that time, we had the full spectrum of weather conditions ranging from glorious sunshine to heavy rain and a gale, or two.

The only equipment problem we experienced was with the Solar panel's mounting point. This arose during installation on Tern Island. We had no opportunity to replace it owing to tidal timings and the CV-19 Lockdown that followed immediately. However, our 'temporary fix' worked for the duration of the trial. (The solar panel will need replacing ~ £25)

Monitoring of the Camera's output was successfully achieved via Android, Windows and Apple compatible devices, using the appropriate proprietary Applications provided by the camera's manufacturer. We had no difficulty installing this software on “stand alone” devices and configuring it to suit. These applications appear to be secure and robust. There is a manufacturer's 'help facility' on line.

We have also successfully “cast” the Tern Island camera video (both live and recorded) from an android tablet and mobiles into the existing Television monitoring screens sited within the Visitor Centre for the multiple nest box cameras.

Because of Lockdown, we have not been able to test streaming of the trial camera's feed onto Facebook, but I am confident that can be achieved without difficulty, as it is a known process.

Summary
The trial of the remote camera on Pagham Harbour's Tern Island has proved that both the kit and the technology works !

Conclusion
From a trial point of view, I think the Reolink Go camera has been a great success - especially for a Capital cost of ~ £250 and Revenue cost of £16 !

(Note - A previous system was costed in 2013 with a Capital cost of £3,750. However, I don't believe the proposed transmission link would have worked and additional infrastructure funding would have been required. It also only provided a fixed point camera / transmitter installation, whereas the Tern Island trial system gives complete flexibility of location)

The nature of this camera kit means it can be deployed quickly and almost anywhere. However, there is one point to note which is that, owing to it's physical construction, care must be taken with its siting as it could be vulnerable to vandalism / theft, although this applies to any installation to a greater or lesser degree.

Jerry Goodman

Volunteer
RSPB Pagham Harbour