Forums46
Topics537,029
Posts9,719,584
Members86,989
|
Most Online25,604 Feb 12th, 2024
|
|
|
What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
#2910897
01/09/12 12:28 AM
|
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972
HuntTXhogs
OP
Veteran Tracker
|
OP
Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972 |
I had seen a Sprint service Scout Cam setup but from what i recall the monthly cost was too much. https://www.smartscouter.com/ssPurchaseWirelessPlan.aspxThis product came out a couple of years ago and I am hoping there is competition that is much cheaper. OR If someone wants to explain how they setup IP video cameras while they are on the hunting property this might be helpful as well. It would allow for hunting of one stand while monitoring of another simulateneously. Thx, BB
Last edited by Bennybone; 01/09/12 12:44 AM.
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#2912156
01/09/12 01:53 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,031
Vern1
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,031 |
I use wireless IP video cameras powered by a 6v golf cart battery which runs them for about 7 days between charges - those IR LEDS that come on at night suck down the power. I mount the camera on an aluminum tube which slides over a tpost. The tube is 12' long. I mount the camera at 8' and the beam antenna on top at 12' for maximum range. I have a wireless router loaded with DDWRT software that uses two antennas- one short one on the router itself (for inside the house wireless service) and the second antenna(long range) is a 2' omni directional dipole mounted outside on a 25' antenna mast. The wireless router is setup as a wireless hotspot and uses both antennas simultaneously. With this combination, if I get the beam on the camera pole aimed directly at the dipole with clear line of sight, I can get right at 1/2 mile range. The hotspot setup with external antenna has about 1000 foot range to a laptop with standard wireless card. If I use an external wireless USB amp with beam antenna, it will also communicate back to the hotspot at about 1/2 mile range.
I don't set in the boxblind with a laptop but sit in my living room and watch the IP cameras on one screen while I use the computer on the other one. I'm watching 7 does at one of my feeders while I am typing this!
The router is secured to keep others from watching my game cameras.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Vern1]
#2912235
01/09/12 02:16 PM
|
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 797
h20thief
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 797 |
Wow, I feel inept. Sounds like an awesome set up but my feeders are 272 miles away from my house.
H20thief ------------ Positive thinking may not solve all your problems but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Vern1]
#2913232
01/09/12 06:43 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,274
East
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 21,274 |
I use wireless IP video cameras powered by a 6v golf cart battery which runs them for about 7 days between charges - those IR LEDS that come on at night suck down the power. I mount the camera on an aluminum tube which slides over a tpost. The tube is 12' long. I mount the camera at 8' and the beam antenna on top at 12' for maximum range. I have a wireless router loaded with DDWRT software that uses two antennas- one short one on the router itself (for inside the house wireless service) and the second antenna(long range) is a 2' omni directional dipole mounted outside on a 25' antenna mast. The wireless router is setup as a wireless hotspot and uses both antennas simultaneously. With this combination, if I get the beam on the camera pole aimed directly at the dipole with clear line of sight, I can get right at 1/2 mile range. The hotspot setup with external antenna has about 1000 foot range to a laptop with standard wireless card. If I use an external wireless USB amp with beam antenna, it will also communicate back to the hotspot at about 1/2 mile range.
I don't set in the boxblind with a laptop but sit in my living room and watch the IP cameras on one screen while I use the computer on the other one. I'm watching 7 does at one of my feeders while I am typing this!
The router is secured to keep others from watching my game cameras. Ok, I am completely lost. I kinda understand what you are describing. My feeder is less than a 1/2 mile away. If I were wanting to pursue this what kind of cost would one be looking at?
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: East]
#2913336
01/09/12 07:05 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,632
Nathan at Fork
THF Trophy Hunter
|
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,632 |
Ive wanted to set up something like this. My feeder is around 1000-1500yards from my house. House is further up on a hill and I already have a 50ft antenna tower up at the house for internet.
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Nathan at Fork]
#2913996
01/09/12 09:40 PM
|
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972
HuntTXhogs
OP
Veteran Tracker
|
OP
Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972 |
Vern1 - Good S%it Man, what is the approximate cost of the antennas and gear. I take it you pay a straight up data fee for internet service with a kicker for the "aircard" or router to setup the hotspot. For those not following, what he is doing is essentially making his internet or cell phone plan a mobile hotspot, this 4G LTE stuff that Verizon is selling right now is a "router" or small box that you can feed internet to other devices while on the go. http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/explore/?page=mobile-hotspotsThen once you have established the IP camera to router connection you have another laptop with a wifi card in it (just like at home) borrow the kids laptop for the weekend, and you tap into the hotspot you created at the lease. In 5 years EVERYONE will have this setup on their hunting property. For those of you hunting on lots of acreage, lets just say more than a 1/3 or 1/2 mile max from deer camp or house, you are either going to be spending more $$$ for a setup like Vern is talking about or you are just going to be SOL for a few more years until technology bridges the gaps. Photos if you got em Vern, this is exactly what I am asking about. It beats the cellular service game cams because IP cameras are live video and you don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee or usage fee for the service. Alot of guys are already paying monthly cellphone bills or house internet bills and all that is needed additional is the "on the go" router to tap into the service. BB
Last edited by Bennybone; 01/09/12 09:46 PM.
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#2915017
01/10/12 01:29 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,031
Vern1
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,031 |
Sorry for going "out there"....spent 30 years working corp IT for DOD contractor...
You don't need to set up a wireless hotspot to do it. I have a wireless internet service but you don't need internet service to implement this. You can just setup the wireless router to talk to your cameras and PCs. The PC will need to be hardwired to the router to set it and the cameras up.
For your house you will need: A computer with wired network card and an ethernet cable. A wireless router with two small removable antennas on back - I use a Linksys WRT54G - it will work just fine without any additional software - 50.00 or so on ebay. An external antenna - I picked up a 2' 2.4Ghz one off ebay for 20.00 or so. It's a white fiberglass dipole about 24 inches long and about an inch in diameter and is omnidirectional. Antenna cable/adapters to hook your antenna to your router - I don't remember off the top of my head the connectors, but 30' of cable and the adapter ran about 30.00 on ebay. I mounted it on a simple push up TV antenna pole - it's skinny and doesn't need any guy wires.
The camera is a standard wireless IP camera I bought off ebay for about 75.00. It is an outside rated camera with IR LEDs - can't see very far at night but does pretty well in moon light. It has lived outside thru rain and cold for 9 months so far. It comes with an AC adapter and I just splice on some additional wire with alligator clips to hook to battery. The antenna is a simple 2.4Ghz beam antenna with a 4' lead that connects directly into the back of the camera in place of the short rubber ducky one that came with the camera. The camera runs on 5.5 volts but lives on a 6V golf cart battery just fine.
Once you setup the router, use an ethernet cable to the the camera to set it up and let it find an IP.
Each camera has built in web server that talks to your router. You open up Firefox or Internet Exploder and type the IP address into the browser for each camera, hit enter and log into the camera. You can change brightness and contrast as well as passwords, etc. from the browser.
You can run multiple cameras and just open a different window for each with their unique IP address.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Vern1]
#2917027
01/10/12 05:13 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,269
GriffGruff78
Pro Tracker
|
Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,269 |
Wow. That's heavy, Vern...
If you are in the living room watching your feeders, how would you go about exporting that video to a remote computer? For example, one in a house or, I dunno, an office building about 50 miles from your property? Impractical?
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: GriffGruff78]
#2917086
01/10/12 05:35 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 642
Tru_texan36
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 642 |
Vern, could you watch the video feed from a smartphone if you were connected wirelessly to the router? By just typing in the IP address in your smart phone browser?
I think I am going to try and work on setting up a system like you have going. Is there any way by chance you could post a few pics of the antennas and cameras you are running? Maybe the whole outdoors set-up? Thanks again!
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Tru_texan36]
#2917274
01/10/12 06:29 PM
|
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972
HuntTXhogs
OP
Veteran Tracker
|
OP
Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,972 |
Vern -
Thanks for all the information !
BB
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6265235
04/18/16 04:30 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,121
mow
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,121 |
any updates on technology that has changed in 4 years?
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6265248
04/18/16 04:37 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 22,630
Cast
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 22,630 |
Vern's way will still work, but it's way easier to get a Covert 3G camera. There is currently a good thread going on cell cams.
Cast I have a short attention spa
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6265253
04/18/16 04:39 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
|
Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
mine don't have wires... just sd card
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6267136
04/19/16 08:39 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 663
Beckett
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 663 |
I have an HCO cell camera. My first one lasted 3 years before a flood claimed it and I liked it so much I bought another. The MB500 is about $350.00, built an ammo box with 3 batteries and three solar chargers, added a sim card to my AT&T plan for an extra $15.00 a month. Works great! This was emailed to me yesterday.
NRA LIFE MEMBER
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6267153
04/19/16 08:50 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 352
HOG RUSH
Bird Dog
|
Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 352 |
I need some camera set ups too. I tried to run my shop system through a wireless routed with net service using a verizon usb air card and it would not work. The guy said I needed a stastic IP address. Those were $500 for each entity from verizon.
www.hogrush.com"There Will Be Blood" "ONE SHOT...ONE SQUEAL" Home of "Overlord"
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: Beckett]
#6267156
04/19/16 08:53 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 352
HOG RUSH
Bird Dog
|
Bird Dog
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 352 |
I have an HCO cell camera. My first one lasted 3 years before a flood claimed it and I liked it so much I bought another. The MB500 is about $350.00, built an ammo box with 3 batteries and three solar chargers, added a sim card to my AT&T plan for an extra $15.00 a month. Works great!
Man she just had those pigs. Like that day. AT&T no go here. Rural reception where pigs are needs verizon. Anyone know how I can set up 20 cameras on the cheap? Got traps and lots of land that I need to see real time when a pig come out there. Thanks
www.hogrush.com"There Will Be Blood" "ONE SHOT...ONE SQUEAL" Home of "Overlord"
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HOG RUSH]
#6270120
04/21/16 05:45 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,292
oldoak2000
Extreme Tracker
|
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,292 |
I have an HCO cell camera. My first one lasted 3 years before a flood claimed it and I liked it so much I bought another. The MB500 is about $350.00, built an ammo box with 3 batteries and three solar chargers, added a sim card to my AT&T plan for an extra $15.00 a month. Works great!
Man she just had those pigs. Like that day. AT&T no go here. Rural reception where pigs are needs verizon. Anyone know how I can set up 20 cameras on the cheap?Got traps and lots of land that I need to see real time when a pig come out there. Thanks Sandisk Eye-fi SD cards (wifi) ($20ea) inside of Moultrie cameras (sd-wifi capable) ($70ea) and a Verizon Mobile Hot-Spot device ($99 + 15/mo) within range of the cameras. MAY have to get more than one hot-spot if Cameras are far apart, or tons of pics coming in. will probably want to setup with rechargeable batteries & solar panels on everything (wireless stuff WILL eat-up regular batteries) Toshiba has also now come out with a (different) sd-wifi card, called FLASHAIR . I'm still researching these - they actually can work as a wifi-access point themselves to connect directly to your smart-phone (within range) would be cool for FEEDER-cam to BLIND direct access!
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6270216
04/21/16 06:50 PM
|
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091
CharlieCTx
Extreme Tracker
|
Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091 |
I've never heard of a Wi-Fi SD card before, that's pretty amazing. I think the limiting factor is going to be the distance (has to be short) to your hotspot and the data cost to use it.
I've got a Covert camera running across an AT&T account that's up to 5GB for less than $40 with taxes. I just cancelled a Verizon Hot Spot I used for work that was costing me $52 a month for around the same data capacity I believe it was.
If you're focused on "$", I think it's going to be tough to beat the ATA&T/T-Mobile or Verizon-based Covert pic texting option.
Charlie
Kel-Tec RFB + Griffin Sportsman Ultra Light 300 + Pulsar Apex XQ-50 M&P-10 + AAC Cyclone Remy 700 + Leupold VX3 3.5x10x50 CDS
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: HuntTXhogs]
#6271247
04/22/16 03:27 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841
DocHorton
THF Trophy Hunter
|
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841 |
I have the Stealthcam GXW cameras. I set up two of them but I'm gonna get two more. The cameras are expensive, but with AT&T SIM card it is only $10/mo for each camera with basically unlimited pictures. I love the whole set-up. I know you can get any wireless company to run the cameras as long as you have the SIM card...it just runs off the local cell phone tower.
Stealthcam has a sweet Iphone App that can manage every setting on the camera directly from your phone and it sends the pictures instantly. I bought the external battery pack and solar charger and after running it for over a month I still have 100% battery life.
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: DocHorton]
#6271656
04/22/16 08:40 PM
|
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091
CharlieCTx
Extreme Tracker
|
Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091 |
but with AT&T SIM card it is only $10/mo for each camera with basically unlimited pictures. Are you or were you an existing AT&T customer to get that plan? I was not and the cheapest I could get it from them was the $35'ish a month. I'll also add that AT&T dropped the SMS capability out of their signal, so for the older 3G Covert Code Blacks, there's no more remote command capability. Charlie
|
|
|
Re: What is the overall cheapest option for wireless game cam setups?
[Re: CharlieCTx]
#6277937
04/27/16 10:03 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841
DocHorton
THF Trophy Hunter
|
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,841 |
but with AT&T SIM card it is only $10/mo for each camera with basically unlimited pictures. Are you or were you an existing AT&T customer to get that plan? I was not and the cheapest I could get it from them was the $35'ish a month. I'll also add that AT&T dropped the SMS capability out of their signal, so for the older 3G Covert Code Blacks, there's no more remote command capability. Charlie Yes, current AT&T customer. I already had a data package so just activated a new SIM.
|
|
|
Moderated by bigbob_ftw, CCBIRDDOGMAN, Chickenman, Derek, DeRico, Duck_Hunter, hetman, jeh7mmmag, JustWingem, kmon11, kry226, kwrhuntinglab, Payne, pertnear, rifleman, sig226fan (Rguns.com), Superduty, TreeBass, txcornhusker
|