Alfred Surveillance Camera App

[mtnbkr]

Has anyone else tried this?  I stumbled across it the other day (comment in an article) and gave it a try.  I loaded the app on two old smartphones and my personal phone.  I set the two "cameras" in our den, one to watch the choke point for anyone entering the house and the other watching the den at a lower level for animal monitoring (primarily the cat while we're out of town).  So far, it works quite well.  You can get audio and video, it supports crude night/lowlight vision, remote activation of the phone's LED "flash", and motion activated capture.   As a test, I set both cameras to motion activated capture and got notified when the cat entered the field or when my smart outlet turned on a light. 

With $20 phones available from Walmart (assuming you don't have a stack of old ones sitting idle), you can easily set up a large number of cameras as long as they have wifi connectivity.  The app is free, but it has a lot of ads.  The no-ad version is a one time payment of $17 and supports unlimited phones.  I'll probably buy a copy because it has already proved its utility and value.

https://alfred.camera/

Chris

[HeroHog]

No, but I just might.

[HeroHog]

Nope, I wont:

Does my Camera need to be connected to the Internet?

Alfred does not ask for a lot at all, but a stable Internet connection is like air for Alfred. Most Superheroes connect their Camera Phone with home WiFi, and their Viewer Phone with mobile network/office network.

https://alfred.camera/forum/t/does-my-camera-need-to-be-connected-to-the-internet/658

This means the phone has to be active and have an internet data plan.

See more here: https://alfred.camera/forum/t/frequently-asked-questions/607

[dogmush]

I read that as they need an internet connection, not necessarily a data plan.  You don't need a data plan if you're connected to the internet over a WiFi. At least my old phones don't.

I run a couple as mini-tablets without any SIM cards, just on wifi.

[HeroHog]

It works through Gmail so there's that...

[Ben]

I read that as they need an internet connection, not necessarily a data plan.  You don't need a data plan if you're connected to the internet over a WiFi. At least my old phones don't.

I run a couple as mini-tablets without any SIM cards, just on wifi.

Yup, I have one as a dedicated music device and just run it on wifi. About the only things you can't do over an inactive phone on wifi, AFAIK, is make phone calls (not counting skype or whatever).

[mtnbkr]

Nope, I wont:

This means the phone has to be active and have an internet data plan.

See more here: https://alfred.camera/forum/t/frequently-asked-questions/607

Wifi is all it needs.  The two phones I use as cameras don't even have SIM cards.  They both connect via my home wifi.  My "monitor" phone works with wifi or mobile data.

Chris

[HeroHog]

Cool.

[mtnbkr]

The more I play with this app, the more I like it.  They also seem to have strong support and customer interaction through social media and their web forum.  My next "challenge" is to see how I can position and mount the phones so they are easy to deploy and put away since I won't be leaving them up and running full time.  In order to keep from needing a power outlet nearby, I may pair each phone with one of these.  I have one already (great piece of kit, btw), so I can test with it. If I can get a solid week of operation, that will be just the ticket for a tactical monitoring solution.  I'll build a weatherproof enclosure that holds the phone and battery and provides a better way to mount it all to various surfaces (or allows you to stand it on a flat surface).

Phones like this provide a cheap camera option, though this specific example lacks a LED flash.

The nice thing is, in a household environment, nobody pays attention to a cellphone in a stand or propped up against a computer monitor.  These things will be more discreet than a security camera.

Chris

[freakazoid]

Yup, I have one as a dedicated music device and just run it on wifi. About the only things you can't do over an inactive phone on wifi, AFAIK, is make phone calls (not counting skype or whatever).

I use Magic Jack to make calls over wifi.

[HeroHog]

I use PhonePower.com for our "home phone." Used them for YEARS now and love them! I can call out/answer on the home handset, my cell or my laptop.

[dogmush]

Chris,

Are you still liking this app?

I want to add some more cameras to my home and shop, and this seems almost too easy vs running wires and installing a DVR set up.  Does it work well, save video, stuff like that?

[mtnbkr]

Chris,

Are you still liking this app?

I want to add some more cameras to my home and shop, and this seems almost too easy vs running wires and installing a DVR set up.  Does it work well, save video, stuff like that?

I haven't used it since the original post since I only needed it to keep an eye on the house while we were out of town for an extended period (left the cat alone, so wanted to be sure she was ok).  I think it worked fantastic.  It can save video that is triggered by motion, but it's not designed to continuously record like a DVR.  Also, because it runs on phones, you have to acquire old phones, find a way to position them, and find a method to power them continuously.  None of those problems are insurmountable, but they may not be as straightforward as installing a purpose-built camera.

That said, for my needs, it's perfect and I'll be using it again next time we're out of town for longer than a weekend.

Chris