Posts made by md

All brands have limitations and have had firmware and app problems. If you want to use cameras that work with other systems they need to be ONVIF and RTSP. Most if not all of these are wired ethernet or coax. I don't know of any battery cams that have this, maybe a few do. Some of Reolink's wired cameras are ONVIF and RTSP, they will work with other brand systems or third party software like Home Assistant or Blue Iris for computers. Contact other major brands like Ring, Eufy, Arlo, Nest, Blink, Lorex, etc. and ask them if their battery cameras work outside their own system. Let us know what you find out.

Ring and other brands do require you to pay subscription fees Cloud service for full functionality. Reolink is one of the few companies that do not "force" you to use their Cloud service for their cameras to work. You can save videos from the SD cards to your phone, take the SD cards out and download to your computer or get their NVR. You don't need their Cloud subscription unless you want it for backup and have a little easier way to manage videos. THANK YOU Reolink for this!!!!

Did you check your phone volume settings? My android phone has a master ring volume, I pull it down and it shows separate volume controls for media (music) and notifications. See if your notifications volume is all the way up.

Good idea Jose, I didn't think of that.

Did you buy the new E1 Outdoor cams? I don't have one yet, but on Reolink Reddit community someone said these have an ethernet port to plug into an NVR, but they are NOT POE, you still need to plug in the low voltage to power the camera. I don't know if new indoor E1, E1 Pros, etc. also have ethernet ports. If so, they still need to be powered with low voltage adapter. You should be able to control the camera with Wifi phone app without plugging its ethernet into your router. The camera should also be controlled by a Reolink NVR when it's ethernet cable is plugged into it.

The decibel level of a phone is determined more by the phone specs, not the Reolink app or a music player app.

1. I have the Reolink client on my laptop. When it gets notifications it is a very loud beep, much louder than the phone. Maybe you could set one up close to your bed and leave it running all night.

2. Your phone should have an audio output jack for earbuds. You could get a small stereo system or radio with an input/auxiliary jack for your bedroom. Get a chord with correct jack size, I think 1/8", to plug from your phone into the stereo input/auxiliary jack. Turn your stereo volume up. Whatever sound comes from your phone will be played on the stereo system. Yes, this is a hassle. Don't blame me if this does not work for you. All I know is I tried it on my stereo system and it works.

3. I assume people with NVRs can turn the volume up on their display screens and run them 24/7. But this would require you sleeping close to the display/TV.

I'd like a camera that could see license plates clearly. But good license plate reader cameras that can capture plate numbers while a car is moving and used at toll gates, business parking lots, by law enforcement, etc. are expensive, way higher than the $100 or so price range most homeowners want to spend. On YouTube, the channel LifeHackster did review the Reolink 12MP and it could read license plates on cars parked in front of his house if I recall correctly. At night IR light usually reflects the light on the plate and bright outs the image making the plate unreadable.

The town I live in had a record low last night. At 6am is was -27⁰ F. I have an Argus PT, two Argus 3, one 510A, two 810A cameras. They all functioned fine at this low temperature except for the Argus PT. It failed to connect until the temperature got up to about -5⁰ F then it started working again. Reolink says their cameras can work down to 14⁰ F. I have had lower temperatures than 14⁰ F about twenty days this winter so I know these cameras work below that. I like my Reolink cameras.

Sorry you are having false alarm issues with the Argus 3 cams. I have two of them. I also have two of the new 4K 810A cams with person vehicle detection. One covers my driveway, the other by my front door. They work good and the AI has helped reduce false alerts a lot. They don't trigger with blowing leaves or shadows. It's winter where I live and heavy snow still sets off alerts so I turn the sensitivity down when it snows. I don't know about spiders and flying insects yet, I'll wait til Spring for that. I think all camera brands may struggle in your situation with light reflecting off of water. Most cameras have sensor ranges of about 20-30 feet for humans and about 50' for vehicles. I suggest you point the cameras away from the water/trees and toward your building doorways? I'm jealous that you have water/palm tree views! I also have a Blink camera by my front door. It has street view and constantly sent notifications every time a car drove by or people walked on the sidewalk. I wanted the sensitivity high to catch movement asap by the door. So I put a piece of tape on the top half of the motion sensor to block out the street (Blink's motion zones do not work). Now it still has
has street view but I do not get notified with cars and pedestrians.

I know it's frustrating to buy cameras only to have them outdated in about a year. Technology changes fast. Companies put out new product models almost every year, TVs, computers, cell phones, etc. Competition wise, Reolink has to put out new models regularly or they will get behind the curve with new features like person human detection, perimeter alters, higher MP, auto tracking, etc. I like the Reolink brand. Their cameras are a good value for the money. I've had good customer service with them.

I'm excited about the new Reolink 811A and E1 Outdoor cameras coming soon that are in trials! Lots of features users want. Will these be available by early summer in the USA? I will definitely buy a couple of these.

Does Reolink have any future plans for a doorbell camera or PTZ camera with built in mic and at least 8x optical zoom?

I got a stronger bracket on Amazon that works for my Argus PT. Several Amazon sellers have them in black or white and different lengths. Be sure they are long enough and the correct thread.
Amazon-brackets.png

I did not know there was a Scene mode in the app. I've had Reolink cameras less than two months and obviously I'm still learning. Thank you Cynthia for telling me. I'll do some setting up with it.

Hello,
I have an Argus 3, Argus PT, E1 Pro. I like them, they are working fine. I just ordered two RLC-810A and one RLC-510A that I will run through a POE switch using SD cards. I might buy an NVR in the future. When I mow the yard or the grand kids are at my house playing, I turn off the camera recording setting and push notification on the Argus 3, Argus PT so I don't get a lot of unwanted recordings or alerts. When I get my POE cameras I assume I'll have to do the same with each camera, turn the settings off/on with each camera, or maybe turn off the POE switch so they will all be off line? Is there, or I wish there was, an entire system on/off button in the phone app so I could easily turn on/off all cameras with one button? With an NVR you can shut down the whole system temporarily. My Blink cameras app has this whole system on/off button and it is very convenient.

Thank you Cynthia, that's good to know.

I saw on Amazon some 4K 810A cameras with human vehicle detection are available. I ordered one to try it out.

Same 810A cameras go with with NVR, the name 810B4-A is for the system.

I saw the new 4K 810A cameras on Amazon with human vehicle detection. The NVR system has 810B4-A, I don't know if there's any difference. On YouTube channel securitybros, he has a review of the 810A.
Screenshot_2020-11-20-Amazon-com-Reolink-4K-Outdoor-Security-Camera.jpg
Screenshot_2020-11-20-Amazon-com-Reolink-8CH-4K-Security-Camera-System.jpg

I'd rather have Reolink take their time and get the new camera releases right. In 2019 Arlo released their new Ultra 4K. It was a disaster. The cameras had so many problems Alro withdrew them from the market for several months. I am very glad Reolink is getting AI human detection as other brands. Beta versions from other companies were not that good until updated firmware was released. I understand Reolink customers want this feature soon to reduce false alerts. I plan on buying. But I don't think Reolink wants unhappy customers if their AI doesn't work well out of the box.

The model number is MG-1823 but it looks like Amazon changed models of their Amazon Basics mouse, so who knows which/if a certain model number will work.

I looked again at digiblurDIY video about the Amazon mouse he says works on Reolink NVR. Here is the link he provided:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EJH6Z4?tag=digiblur-20