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darz5150
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2025 10:15am
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Quoting: paulz Hey Darz, how you doing?
I am hanging in there. Thank you for asking.
Not sure about the cam. I leave mine on 24 hr record. Maybe I will go to the tf settings and try hitting no record, and see what happens. Maybe you can ask at the " help center".
In your pick above... I've never seen the privacy zone thing. Wonder if it's only on the new cam?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2025 10:40am
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That activity zone is at the bottom of the monitoring page. But I currently have mine All blocked and it’s still writing!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2025 01:03pm
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I can’t read that help section, tiny writing that doesn’t zoom in. Anyway think I discovered something. If I have it set to 24 hr recording like you do it writes to the card every 5 minutes no matter what. I changed it to Motion detection video records and it only recorded when the dog or me go out (even though still set to human).
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2025 10:00pm
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I tried turning off the record function.
Still records. Interesting.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2025 08:50am - Edited by: paulz
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I’ve about given up on the motion detection/TF card function. Even with it set to human detection, lowest sensitivity and motion detection recording or 24 hr it still puts 10 records on the card an hour with nothing going on other than sunlight moving around or trees blowing. Bugs fly by a bit.
Too bad because catching events is one of the main reasons to have it. Being able to watch the place live while away is cool though. Maybe if it were looking just inside a room the motion would work..
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2025 10:02am - Edited by: darz5150
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I use the text alert if I am going somewhere or at night. That way I can tell when/if something happens. It will give you a time frame to look at
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2025 10:15am
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I don’t use any notification, just look at/reformat the card. If I had text I would get 10 an hour.
On another subject, I have about 100’ of regular ac indoor extension cord wire (16 gauge stranded copper maybe) going from the cabin usb to the camera outside on a tree. Seems to power it perfectly. Long way for 5v.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2025 04:50pm - Edited by: paulz
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Hey Darz, how you doing? Haven’t touched my camera in awhile, still in the same spot with great view of the cabin. I did though spend some time trimming branches for a view of the yard down below. Here you can the pickup, it’s maybe 300’ as way down the hill. Not the greatest but at least I can see if a pal is coming over.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2025 06:06pm
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Hey Paul, I am hanging in there, taking it one day at a time. Thanks for checking on me. The isolation is the hardest part, but the offspring have been coming around as often as they can, which helps. 
Glad to see your camera is doing what you need
I still don't have any complaints really.
I have been keeping up with the forum daily, just not had a lot to add.
Glad everyone seems to be doing good.
Every Day's a good day. But some are better than others. Lol
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2025 07:17am
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Glad your doing OK Darz. Very tough I'm sure, but hopefully it keeps getting a little better day by day. At least more days than not.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2025 09:35am
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Thanks Fish .
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 5 May 2025 09:35am
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Glad you’re hanging in there Darz. You’ve certainly given me pause to think about life alone at the cabin.
Finally saw the friend I gave my other new camera to. He hasn’t tried it yet but plans to, even gave me the 30 bucks. So I want another one, just can’t see the yard well enough. They are still all WiFi only, no cell like the Spypoint (no real time of course on those)? I can leave the WiFi on, just rather not.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 May 2025 08:31am - Edited by: paulz
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I bought another camera. Figured I look at the Letscee solar ones but they are about 100 bucks, found this one for 20 delivered! I’ve been at the house for last few days but will be back at the cabin Monday to try it out. HopeFlex, bad as the Chinese battery names. Hope it works!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 May 2025 09:24am
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Got the new 20 buck camera going at the cabin. So far so good, we will see how well the solar works. It has a USB port (that I used for the initial built in battery charge) so running a charge wire to it would be no problem. It does pan and tilt, haven’t found a zoom button yet, nor need one. It does have motion detection, human tracking like the Letscee, which is now going down the hill for better yard coverage.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 13 May 2025 10:17am
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Looks good. Keep posting how it does. Not bad for $20.
I assume the app set up was easy. Free storage in SD card?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 May 2025 04:28pm - Edited by: paulz
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Ha, there’s nowhere to plug in an SD card Darz! The app does ask you to sign up for cloud every 10 seconds.. it does store videos from the motion detect, but when you try to view one you must get the cloud. Looks pretty cheap to do but not really in my thoughts so far. I really just wanted to make sure I shut the front door after I get back home!
The app, called Seeing, appears to be the same basic one the other cams use, with a bit of the sellers tweaking.
I moved the Letscee cam back down to the shop. One lens points at the yard and gate, the other 90 degrees away at the cabin road. No detection turned on there either, though I did pop in a card. I still have the old Spypoint down there, sending me images of cars or animals that show up. One this morning.
Getting to be MGM around here!
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paulz
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# Posted: 14 May 2025 07:23am
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After a full day and night of use, with maybe a couple of hours of direct sunlight, the battery still shows 100%. Got me wondering, when exactly and how much juice does it really use? Nothing perhaps when just sitting there, maybe the camera just turns on when the app is opened to look at it. But if motion sensing is turned on it must do that all the time. Here is a photo at night, a bright LED comes on when you open the app, stays on only while app is open.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2025 09:56am
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Hey. That seems to work pretty good.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2025 10:29am
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Seems to. The downside is no SD card capability for video storage. This is what you see when you click on ‘events’. But when you try to watch it just gives you the sign up for cloud screen. Looks like it’s only about 30 bucks for a year but there goes the cheap price.
The handy part is you can just plunk it anywhere it will charge. No power cord or wiring, but you do need WiFi and Bluetooth.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2025 12:22pm
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We get a no charge cloud storage up to a certain amount. Look into it, with your low needs maybe you can too?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2025 01:16pm
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I may get free Apple cloud, don’t use that either, but this is the screen you get when you select one of those videos it stores, somewhere.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2025 10:05am
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Last update, I hope. Came back to the house overnight, left the WiFi on at the cabin to look at where I’d rather be. New solar cam working fine, holds 100% battery always.
Down the hill at the shop, I mounted the old ftz cam on a 20’ stick to see above the nearby small trees. Great view of the front yard, gate and road, can even watch the cars go by. And tracking cam looks at the shop doors.
Still no monitoring on any of these, if I turn on it quickly fills up with generally nothing. But the old Spypoint still works fine and sends just one image of anything it sees. Not sure what that is, fox or coyote..
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paulz
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# Posted: 28 May 2025 10:41am
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Next last update.
Well I fried the 5v camera I had down at the shop/yard. I was messing with the location and must have arced or reversed the 100’ extension cord. Turned out to be a god thing, other than tossing away $30, because I moved the new solar cam down there. WiFi still reaches the cabin, and no worry about powering it. Solar still keeps it at 100%, though I only check it a couple times a day. It may only use the internal battery when looking at it, though it does have motion detection which must mean something is always on, if that’s turned on, which I have not tried, since it would send that to iCloud, which I haven’t fallen for (no SIM card).
I have bought a second one to put back up for cabin view.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2025 11:18am
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Our PTZ camera worked pretty well all winter coupled with the 24v system in the shop with self heating lifepo4 batteries. A Victron inverter and charge controller with 750w of solar kept the Starlink up 99% of the time. Only had a few weeks when the camera was down. Too much snow/cloudy weather then negative temperatures that kept the camera battery from being able to charge. When the battery ran down it apparently reset the camera. Friendsvwent up and got it back up and connecting to the wifi.
Overall pretty impressed by the LiTime self-heating batteries. Kind of had my doubts but they worked fine all winter.
Here is a picture from a few minutes ago. Hard not being up there but between my emergency surgery and my wife's spine surgery we just couldn't move up in April as we usually do. We are both recovering pretty well so hoping to go up for a week or ten days around the 6th of June. Too many doctor's appointments to move up yet... hopefully by the middle of July.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2025 02:10pm
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Glad to hear you seem to be mending well 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 May 2025 09:13am
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I’m all set. Two solar cams, same app. Like to get rid of the iCloud pitches, oh well. Sure is nice not worrying about power wires. The yard one is about 250’ from the cabin WiFi, and picture reaches my gate 250 further.
I’m sure they sell these solar cams with SIM card capability. I still have the Spypoint to report any motion shots so not worried about it.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 30 May 2025 05:08pm
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Dang I shouldn't have posted.... my camera didn't re-aquire the wifi signal yesterday or today! Hopefully it will find it and hook up soon.
We are heading up to the cabin for a week/10 days the end of next week. I'll be able to fiddle with it then. I think it is programed for the main wifi signal which isn't that strong where the camera is. I have an external wifi extender that should provide a better signal. I'll see if I can get it on that one.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 May 2025 08:51pm
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My router has no extension jack. I moved the router to a window pointed at the camera, did the trick. Only about 15’ closer.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Jun 2025 08:56am
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I’ve been working on the roof at the city house last few days. When I left the cabin I turned off the WiFi, so no ptz camera looks. The Spypoint sent a photo of the usual wildlife passing by and got me wondering about Spypoint, my camera being an old cheapie.
Turns out the new Spypoint Flex series has something called Instant mode, where you can communicate and take an immediate photo or video, sent over cell. I don’t really need that but if you’re concerned over snow fall, intruders or whatever you can check on your place without needed WiFi. It also comes with built in solar and battery so really all you need is cell service.
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 2 Jun 2025 08:29am
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Quoting: Nobadays I have an external wifi extender that should provide a better signal
Wondering what you have (Wavlink?) and if you like it. I have a Orbi mesh network now with 2 satellite boxes in the windows so they can see my buildings which works OK, but I just finished up a guest house and I'm trying to get the internet out to that building at high speeds so we can work from there. Its about 100 feet from my house.
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