# Security cameras



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I know this has been discussed a million times, I just went threw most of the topics and I think it has made my head spin more then help, probably because I am not a technical or electronic kind of person :/ 
So I'm looking up all these camera and reading these posts and decided I'm just going to explain what I want and my set up.
My "barn" has no electric! I have a extension cord that runs out to it and I also have a generator that I run extension cords that I run into it so there is only so many out let's. I would like to save those for the shop light I strung up and the heat lamps (I usually hardly use them but my luck I would need to and I would have to pick between the lamps and the camera)
This is my so called "barn"








So as you can see there is no wood to attach anything to. I read on one post about a camera that they used zip ties to mount and move it. I need something like that. It is 3 car ports put together so it is super long and skinny. If the camera could also move I would be in heaven! But I'm not sure since I can't totally secure it it that is possible.
I want it so I can view it on my phone or computer. My husband NEEDS his sleep and of course I never know who is going to go in the middle of the night so usually when one is showing signs I will just crash on the couch so I can get up and check without waking him up.
It needs WiFi not cables. I have thought how I would run a cable out there and that just isn't gonna happen. I have enough jerry rigged around here I better just not go there lol
Sound would be nice but not the end of the world.
Something I could keep adding cameras to would be nice but if I go that way being weather proof would be awesome because then I could just set cameras all over the outside pen and their main shelter and watch everyone but again not the end of the world.
What I think I really need is for someone that understands this and enjoys shopping and spending someone else's money lol take my list and tell me "this is what your gonna buy!" 
Seriously though if someone has something they think would work for me and can take the time to totally explain this to me I would be forever grateful because I really don't like getting out of my warm bed and checking everyone for no reason


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

Hey, I think what you need is a wire-free camera. I bought the Arlo wire-free cameras, got 4 cameras and base station for under $350 at Amazon. I'm not a terribly good judge of distance, but I now that I used a 100 ft extension cord to plug in the fencer before I had electric ran to barn. So let's say my range from base station to camera is about 130 feet, I get great reception.

Best thing about these cameras is they are indoor/outdoor, night vision, recording capable, as well as some features I don't use like an alarm. Absolutely best thing is there are no cables, you connect it to the base station and then you can put it anywhere. I've had my camera in the barn since I got the girls in June 2018 and love it. No issues. Nothing for them to chew or mess with. I ended up buying rechargable batteries and they've been working out great, too, made by Tenergy.

Mounting is pretty easy, it has a magnetic back, so you could probably fix something up if you can't nail in the mount. You can add additional cameras.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about, the price either went up or this one has more than what I bought. Lowe's has them too, if you get the 10% discount.

https://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Securit...&ie=UTF8&qid=1542287029&sr=1-13&keywords=arlo

Kelly


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Kelly, do you have to have WiFi? That is my challenge. No internet out here yet.


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

No internet in the barn or at the house? You would need internet access for the cameras to connect to the base station, which manages the cameras and allows you to view them online. 

If you have internet at the house, and the barn is not too far away, the camera should be able to pick up the wireless connection. If you have internet at the house and the barn is out further, you may need to get a wireless extender, allowing you to extend your house's wireless range. 

If you do not have internet at the house or barn, but you have a cell phone, you could use your cell phone as a hot spot, if you have that option on the phone.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

wifeof1 said:


> Kelly, do you have to have WiFi? That is my challenge. No internet out here yet.


I think that you can have wi-fi without internet. You set up an intranet, which is a LAN(local area network), a wi-fi router with no connection to WAN(wide area network). The wi-fi signal will go from the base station @friesian49 is talking about to the router, and from the router to your smart phone or whatever you have to watch the cameras.
Walmart usually has some really cheap tablets with wi-fi capabilities.
@MadCatX needs to explain this better, he is very skilled in this area.


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

So, yeah I am actually dealing with this same issue. Ive also had to install stuff like this for clients who had garages far from their house. There is a couple of options in the computer world you can use. The primary one is a WIFI directional antenna - they were like 80 bucks and what it does is it blasts a wifi signal directly to another point and then you can hook a wifi router to it. You can also use a WIFI router that has a larger range. I have one that reaches about 100 yds outside of my house in all directions. when it comes to cameras, they are generally low voltage, so as long as you can get 110 out there to them youll be set also - another option is the solar powered option.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

friesian49 said:


> Hey, I think what you need is a wire-free camera. I bought the Arlo wire-free cameras, got 4 cameras and base station for under $350 at Amazon. I'm not a terribly good judge of distance, but I now that I used a 100 ft extension cord to plug in the fencer before I had electric ran to barn. So let's say my range from base station to camera is about 130 feet, I get great reception.
> 
> Best thing about these cameras is they are indoor/outdoor, night vision, recording capable, as well as some features I don't use like an alarm. Absolutely best thing is there are no cables, you connect it to the base station and then you can put it anywhere. I've had my camera in the barn since I got the girls in June 2018 and love it. No issues. Nothing for them to chew or mess with. I ended up buying rechargable batteries and they've been working out great, too, made by Tenergy.
> 
> ...


Ok I THINK this is what I need! Please bear with me while I ask these questions and use not correct terms lol I just want to make sure I gave this right :/ 
So the home base (the box that comes with the camera) I can just plug into power in my house as long as it's roughly 100 feet from the camera? Do I have to have a cable that goes from my WiFi thing (the thing that is plugged into my phone line and shoots WiFi threw out the house)? If I do then do you or anyone know if there is a extender that will pick up the WiFi signal and then I can plug cable into it? I think it's Ethnet or something like that sorry I was born in the Stone Age. Actually I'm curious to know the answer to that even if I don't need it lol.
Next the camera have to pick up WiFi? It doesn't just kinda shoot the feed to the home base and then I can view it off my phone off that? Sorry I hope you understand what I mean but bottom line does the cameras NEED WiFi?
Next do these cameras move? I mean can I get on my phone, let's say, and make it look more left or right? It's not something I NEED just if they don't I'll need to probably go with the 4 instead of a few.
And last question I think lol does it have sound? I'm just simply curious on that one lol


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

So ill try to answer these:
So the home base (the box that comes with the camera) I can just plug into power in my house as long as it’s roughly 100 feet from the camera? - Yes

Do I have to have a cable that goes from my WiFi thing (the thing that is plugged into my phone line and shoots WiFi threw out the house)? - Not if the base unit is WIFI - it should pick up the signal - you may need to enter the wifi password


If I do then do you or anyone know if there is a extender that will pick up the WiFi signal and then I can plug cable into it. Yes Amazon and walmart places like that will have them. 

Next the camera have to pick up WiFi? It doesn’t just kinda shoot the feed to the home base and then I can view it off my phone off that? Sorry I hope you understand what I mean but bottom line does the cameras NEED WiFi? - this is based on the camera set up - the camera units will probably use their own signal to talk to the base unit. else they may need the wifi signal, which a extender can assist with. 

Next do these cameras move? I mean can I get on my phone, let’s say, and make it look more left or right? It’s not something I NEED just if they don’t I’ll need to probably go with the 4 instead of a few. some do - i dont see that these move on their own but you can buy them tat will.


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

The base station that Arlo requires will need access to power and ethernet connection from modem/router. The actual cameras have no wires - they'll connect to the base station via wifi. So you wouldn't need to run power or ethernet to barn. I used the 100 ft as a general rule, I think from house to barn for me is right around 130 feet-ish. I actually have been farther in the pasture and still picked up a signal on cell.

You can download the app and view cameras on your phone. When i first set it up, it allowed me to move it. I haven't "found" that option again nor have I really needed to look for it again.

I went and found the one I got, it has some of the questions posted that we've talked about here and it's $349. They have other models that may offer more features that you are looking for. If you have to pay another $50 for the Pro or other model and get the options you need, may be worth it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016LJMRCW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

Yep I agree with the above


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh no! This will be fine. I can look and see what is going on from inside the house, on my phone so I don’t wake up husband and it’s not going to take all my power outlets. That is the two things I NEED the others would be nice but not a deal breaker. 
Ok I think I fully understand this now and I’ll be getting this and I think I need the extender that takes the cable. It’s not that they are going to be far away, I can open the door and easily hit it with a rock, it’s that I have 4 walls between it and the Modem so the WiFi is a little spotty and slow out there. But easy fix! Now I just need to find the extender I need. 
You two are beyond awesome! I, my goats, and my easily frozen toes thank you!!! :hugs:


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

I'd try the camera's with current wireless first - may not need extender. I've noticed about a 5 sec or so delay, but with watching goats eat hay or sleep, I'm not missing much! Arlo comes with batteries for each camera, I went and bought that Tenergy recharable battery (2 sets of batteries) for about $70ish. Mixed reviews on Amazon, but they've been holding a charge for awhile for me. But I waited till I was down to last new pack before I bought. It takes those photo batteries, which are over$25 or more for a 4 pack, what camera requires. Good luck. Let me know of any other questions, glad to help!


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

friesian49 said:


> Let me know of any other questions,


I have a question... Do you teach online classes on this stuff? I mean on a "Complete Numbnutz" level?


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

No, sure don't! But I'm glad I was able to help with something I know - you all have been awesome with my goat questions!

There's a lot of free courses available online - Khan Academy is one I've used before for math and computer programming. 
https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/how-computers-work2.

I'll gladly help if you have a specific question!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yeah I’m defiantly going to go with the chargeable batteries. When kidding season hits I’m basically on house arrest and by the time it ends we are living off of canned food lol everyone makes fun of me about it and granted I have some great does and 99% of the time they don’t even need me but like my dad says “if the Andersons didn’t have bad luck we wouldn’t have any luck at all” lol 
Ok I’m going to hold off on the extender for now. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need it especially if I want to put the camera out in this smaller pen I’m going to make but going off the day I put the buck in I have till Christmas to play and get things ready. Going off when I saw a doe get bred I have 3 weeks longer
And I agree with Mariarose! Oh my gosh things electronic related I swear goes in one ear and out the other for me! While reading reviews on different camera yesterday I seriously would read it super slow and over and over and it still looked like nothing but gibberish to me!


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## WhiteFeatherFarms (Jun 29, 2017)

Ok, I'm exhausted, so I read the post but not all the comments. I do have experience with the camera stuff, so here goes...I bought several different ones last year, one was Arlo, one I can't remember & then the ones that worked the best for us & the cheapest-Zmodo. You can get 2 of them for like $60 on Amazon. So I'm also not a tech person, but here's what I do know: whether or not you need a WiFi extender or not depends on the distance & your signal strength, not so much the camera. Mine are not completely wireless, they plug in for power. This wasn't what I wanted originally, however the battery powered cameras did not last-AT ALL!! & they were much much more expensive & quality wasn't nearly as good. Mine are indoor/outdoor, have lasted a year in Dec. through cold, wind, rain, etc. I don't pay for their cloud service, but you could do that if you need it. I'll attach a screenshot here so you can see the quality. This is at night. It's color during the day.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

How about a deep cycle battery with an inverter? That's what I used when I had a working milking machine.
Battery seemed to last forever between charges. There are other, better ones, but this is what I got.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...nyAdDhcqFiQKoUgrD0AUjuS8VTYfUHyBoCGqEQAvD_BwE
Inverter has been easy to use








https://www.walmart.com/ip/1500W-DC...5WhqIlX7kP9y6H0dSAyxKbyV5SZUZV-xoC96AQAvD_BwE


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

I love deepcycle Marine batteries for these sort of things, they are designed for harder operation.

Im going to use net based IP cameras coupled with a media server. Itll be the cheapest way for me to do it.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh I’m loving that Mariarose! That is something no matter which way I go I think I NEED this in my life! Oh my gosh I am picturing my life not having to move the generator around depending on if I need it up at the kidding stalls or down at the corral to brand! I haven’t even bought it yet and my life just got better lol

Whitefewtherfarms this is with the Zmoto camera? 
I’m not too worried about the batteries lasting for days or even one day as long as they last for the night. During the day I pretty much live out there.
Friesian49 is your camera pretty clear?


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Deep cell batteries and inverters (words I actually recognize and understand!) are great! My son had asthma growing up and a lot of the places we went had no power. (18 th century Living history events). The battery and inverter literally saved his life! We used the nebulizer machine daily for him.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Goats Rock said:


> (18 th century Living history events).


Would you happen to know my husband, Gerry Barker (the ox man)?


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## WhiteFeatherFarms (Jun 29, 2017)

Jessica84 said:


> Oh I'm loving that Mariarose! That is something no matter which way I go I think I NEED this in my life! Oh my gosh I am picturing my life not having to move the generator around depending on if I need it up at the kidding stalls or down at the corral to brand! I haven't even bought it yet and my life just got better lol
> 
> Whitefewtherfarms this is with the Zmoto camera?
> I'm not too worried about the batteries lasting for days or even one day as long as they last for the night. During the day I pretty much live out there.
> Friesian49 is your camera pretty clear?


Yep, that's a screenshot I took of 'Big Mama' lol
I keep them on all night & check frequently while I'm at work. Personally I hated having to keep the other batteries charging & swapping them out, it was a pain!! It takes everything I have to keep my phone charged all the time, so it just felt like one more thing to do!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Mariarose: I will ask DH. We have good friends in KY and go see them frequently. They all do the Living History stuff. (Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this) ops2:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Goats Rock said:


> Mariarose: I will ask DH. We have good friends in KY and go see them frequently. They all do the Living History stuff. (Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this) ops2:


Lol do you know how many times I have hijacked a post? You hijack all you want  
But after spending all day yesterday looking at both these cameras and what I think will work as well as pretty much every single camera mentioned ever on TGS, the reviews, anything posted about them on YouTube. Since I have had wonderful help understanding this all. I'm going to order the arlo pro today. It has everything I was after and has good reviews. The only real bad reviews I can find is when there is a defected camera and the company makes it right. So we will see and worse case I can return it since I still have time to get this right and I can start the hunt again. So I will update this once I get it and can try it out


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

I was caught up in the winter storm that wasn't much, but with the leaves on trees around here, took out power to a lot of us - 2 days without power and I was reverting to survival mode!! Finally got it back on and now nothing sits around without being cleaned or filled up - I've had the power go out a couple times, but thankfully come back on. 

I had a friend that wanted an outdoor security camera and didn't want to pay much, we got her a Zmodo for about $65 or so from Amazon. She likes it, but it requires a power adapter and the range seems to be pretty small.

Another reason I went with Arlo is that it's made by Netgear, a brand I trust. Almost everything is made overseas, so I always wander about the supply chain and what "free" stuff might be included. I'd like to be the only one that can see the cameras - not so much the barn, but when I use them in the house!

The Tenergy rechargeable batteries last me about a month, depending on how often I'm checking it or view it. 

I thought I had some saved pictures from it, but I can't find them. Here's the one from today at 1030. I'll take one tonight and post it, night vision is really pretty good.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh no your fine! I’m sorry a big storm came threw :/ 
But I just sat down and weighed the pros and cons of both and the arlo really is everything that I wanted and needed. I probably could have got away with the power converter with cameras just in my stalls because I can hide the cords behind the ply board but I just couldn’t figure out how to do it in their pen and their other shelter, which is also a car port but they have access to the out side of it so no hiding anything from them there. Plus these are water proof! But they will be here Wednesday so that gives me A LOT of time to figure out everything and also how long the batteries last. I’m just going to get one and mount it right by the feeder so I know what constant picking up things will do. 
My niece already has great plans for this though lol she wants to download the app too that way she can help keep a eye on things lol


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

Best of luck, let me know of any other questions! Good this with Arlo is the setup is super easy, maybe 5 clicks/steps to get camera connected to base station and then you just have to figure where to mount it! 

I was checking it constantly when I first installed it, especially with these girls being my first goats. But once I got to know them and their routine, I dialed back. It's still lovely if you are away from home, bad weather, or late at night. I know you have kidding on mind, I'm sure this will help you stay calm!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol right! The only time I really leave is to get kids from school and I’m only gone for maybe 45 minutes and as soon as the kids get out it’s like “run to the car we need to go” lol just to come home to no one doing anything. But really it’s the night that gets to me. I like my sleep to start with and having to wake up every 3 hours, get dressed, walk the whole dang 5 acre field (which I’m fixing to section a smaller section off) and then come in warm up and fall back asleep and repeat 3 hours because I just did all that for no reason makes for a tired and cranky Jessie! I’m sure I will have questions! My brother in law is pretty smart about electronics just not camera so I’m going to keep him busy on Thursday


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

Here's the night vision at work - thought they'd be in there cause it was raining, but guess they went out for a bit. Good luck!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That looks clear to me! Even if it isn’t totally clear I got the pro so if one is off by herself I can just listen and if I hear major grunt pushing sounds I know something is up. But that looks clear enough to me


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am going to hijack this thread, if it is OK? LOL
I hate doing it but, I have been wracking my brain on what I need to get as well, as in a camera setup to watch my goaties.(embarrassed)

I was wondering what is best for my situation.

I have my barn, 180 feet away from my house. 
I do have wi-fi, I will need a wi-fi extender as well as the camera setup. So it can work from puter, cell phone. 
What do you recommend?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No your fine Pam! I know I watched so many topics on cameras and it was still just flat out over my head. I have a LOT MORE understanding of how they work now. But I’m not even gonna attempt to think I know it all so I’ll leave it to someone else. But it does sound like the camera whitefeatherfarms mentioned might be ideal for you if you have power outlets. From what I got out of it is you just need WiFi signal and power and then you download the app. There are other ones like that too just look for ones that don’t have the home base I would have went with that one if it was weather proof because it just seemed super simple to me


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok I LOVE these! They came early and I got them hooked up. Super super easy! And that is coming from a very electronically challenged person! I didn't have a whole lot of time to play with it before I had to feed and it got dark but here is a day time shot with only one bar of WiFi signal








No one is in that area yet I just wanted to see if it would reach to the farthest point which it does, hardly, and it makes it a 34 second delay. This is also just in signal at the feeders because I want to see how long the batteries last and also how the night vision works. This is from a T post on the other side of the fence about 25-30 feet away. I can clearly make out my Sissy. 








I just need to figure out how to make my phone turn notifications off every 3 seconds lol but I have used 9% of battery with them constantly moving in the last hour and a half.
But I think to make it less or a delay I need the extender. I think what I'm going to do is buy the converter that Mariarose posted about for the converter and home base and have it out there so it for sure has good signal. I keep one of the stalls as a "storage" stall to keep straw and what not in so it will be away from mouths.
I can't say thank you to all of you enough! I am over the moon!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice. 

Thanks


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Pam honestly this one was more money then a lot of other ones out there. Definitely worth it with everything it comes with: chargeable batteries, magnetic (the pro comes with things to mount them) and most of all being weather proof, and a speaker. I’m gonna tell you though I give it 5 stars! I figured out that the longer I watch the feed while the camera is just inside WiFi range the more there is a delay but. So just getting on it and checking real fast to see if anyone is doing anything there’s only a 2 second delay. I got to play with them more today and the picture is very clear even from a good distance away. Most of all I’m totally loving how easy it was to set up. I’m not sure if you really want all the extras that I did but if you do or just want something someone swears by I would get this. I just took the camera down because it was just stuck to a T post and we are going to get high winds are buckets of rain but it’s been 22 hours and the battery is at 60%. That’s after 198 motions detected just last night alone lol but the camera whitefewtherfarm mentioned is much much cheaper then this is


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

@Jessica84 - glad you got them and like them! Don't they just take a huge weight off your mind?! I'd keep track of how long the non-rechargeable batteries last for you - the first set I used lasted less than a month, but I was checking it all the time. I will close the apps if I'm not watching them, seems to preserve battery life.

@toth boer goats - I have personal experience with 3 cameras, 1 being a D-Link indoor only camera. Jessica bought the Arlo Pro, I have the plain Arlo, which is around $50 or so less - think I paid roughly $350 on Amazon - for 4 cameras.

I got tagged to help a friend with a security camera at her house, it's a Zmodo outdoor camera that requires electricity. It records last 36 hours to the cloud for free, you can buy plans that will save it for 7 or 30 days. I think she went with the 7 day plan and loves it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074J7142K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All the cameras that I've had has an app you can download for phone or a website you can log onto.

Kelly


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Good to know on the app! I was checking them like a bad man lol but even checking them and having it at a busy area the battery still lasted well over night so that’s all I really care about. I can’t thank you enough for your help!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

WhiteFeatherFarms said:


> Ok, I'm exhausted, so I read the post but not all the comments. I do have experience with the camera stuff, so here goes...I bought several different ones last year, one was Arlo, one I can't remember & then the ones that worked the best for us & the cheapest-Zmodo. You can get 2 of them for like $60 on Amazon. So I'm also not a tech person, but here's what I do know: whether or not you need a WiFi extender or not depends on the distance & your signal strength, not so much the camera. Mine are not completely wireless, they plug in for power. This wasn't what I wanted originally, however the battery powered cameras did not last-AT ALL!! & they were much much more expensive & quality wasn't nearly as good. Mine are indoor/outdoor, have lasted a year in Dec. through cold, wind, rain, etc. I don't pay for their cloud service, but you could do that if you need it. I'll attach a screenshot here so you can see the quality. This is at night. It's color during the day.
> View attachment 139265


 Do you have a link to amazon for that camera and extender you are mentioning?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Thanks again Jessica, this camera for the barn thing is mind boggling. (headsmash)mg:


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Jessica84 said:


> I was checking them like a* bad* *man*


Jokes are scrambling to get through my fingers, Jessica! But I'm being good.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh my! I need to learn to proof read! This is the second time you have found spell check making a fool of me! But I have stopped checking like a bad and mad man all the same lol


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## Goat town (May 6, 2018)

I assume this thread is still about cameras. I have a different problem. I have a camera but no night vision so I put up a 40watt bulb. My girls seem to stay out a lot now at night instead of coming in to sleep. Does light bother them? I put up a nightlight last night but really not enough. Thanks for any input


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

My girls are sleeping on the outside platforms, too. I read they are supposed to have excellent night vision, but I went and bought a motion detector light that I'm going to put in today. I wear a headlamp and they seem to enjoy that light at night when I'm out there showing them nothing is in the barn! We'll see. Any additional light you can put in would help the camera.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I think they just like to be able to see what is going on outside, they probably feel like they can watch for predators better out in the open. Unless it’s raining or the ground is super wet mine won’t sleep in a shelter either. They are defiantly ok with light because their one pen my back light will shine on them when they lay in one area and that seems to be their favorite spot. But maybe it’s not bright enough to mess with them seeing things?? 
If your using the camera for kidding though I would think they would still want to go into the barn to kid. Or if there is a way to just lock them in at night. I know I can’t do that that’s why I ended up getting 4 cameras so I could watch the outside too :/


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

@Jessica84 - do your goats not like the doors closed or do you not have that ability? I have the dutch door, but you'd think I was closing them in a ring of fire or something. I've been closing the upper door for awhile each day, just to get them used to it. Figured if it's bad enough out, I can close that one and keep most of snow out, while they can still stand in the doorway. Echo just loses her mind, almost wall walks and swings her head around. Repetition works best with them.


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## Goat town (May 6, 2018)

Thanks I can close them in but the weather is not that bad and they’re not close to kidding yet. Just like to watch them


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I can’t lock them in. I could make a wall and door but they are safe and they like the outside so I don’t really see a point.
Goat town you could look and see if whatever camera you are using if they have a upgraded one. That’s one thing I noticed after looking at all the different ones. If you go on amazon it’s easy to compare and see if they have a night vision one. Just search for what you have and scroll down it there’s a compare section. If you actually want to go that way that is.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok next question!!!! 
So I guess going threw 2 walls and farther distance then my kidding area, which is closer, one wall and a tarp, was not a good trial run  for some reason the cameras are NOT picking up the WiFi well, which makes no sense since it’s closer then when I just played. But I got a extender and put at the back door, which is still close enough to the WiFi thing (router?? The main thing in my house that puts out WiFi) but that is not helping a whole lot. So the question: so can I get another extender and put out in the stalls, if it is close enough to the first extender, will it pick up the WiFi and shoot it out farther or does it have to pick it up from my main box??? I’m going to first get the extender I have and put out there and see if that does the trick, I just wanted to ask if that fails because after Monday I’m on house arrest. But hopefully my question made sense :/


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## SandyNubians (Feb 18, 2017)

Doesn't look like you can with much success. I don't know maybe others have more experience, and hopefully I'm wrong.

Somethings I picked up online.

"Wireless repeaters greatly degrade the speed you get. Even if it were possible using 2 would likely make the signal unusable. Because of how a protocol called WDS works you can not connect a repeater to a repeater.

You are almost always better off using a weak signal directly from the router than a strong signal that has been though a repeater. You would only use a repeater when your options are no signal from the router or a strong but slower signal from the repeater."

*"Do* not wirelessly *connect one extender* to *another*. Performance for *the* second *extender will* usually be unsatisfactory. Therefore, *each extender* should *connect to the* main router. Both *extenders* should not broadcast *the* same SSID as *the* main router"


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

It may be possible that your router has an antenna that is removable. If this is the kind you have, you can buy a length of co-axial cable to run the antenna high on outside of house on the side where barn is.
https://www.amazon.com/Hawking-Technology-Wireless-300N-Repeater-HOW2R1/dp/B003O7MY1E
That link has a powered extender. I read in the product description that the limting factor on wifi is the range of the weakest part. "if your extender has a range of a thousand feet, and your camera has a range of a hundred feet, then a hundred feet of range is all you have". 
So idea of moving extender to barn may be the only thing that will work


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Thank you guys! Ok I’ll move the extender and cross my fingers!


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I use an amcrest security system and run wire from the camera to my house. No electric needed since it gets power from my house. With you kidding pens being boards you won’t be able to see inside each pen though. I had to use cattle panels for kidding pens. Unless you find a camera that you have sound on then you can hear a doe in labor. I’ve seen many recommendations for the camera and monitor from harbor freight


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You must have my house bugged lol yes on the wooden stalls! I tried to move the cameras 100 different ways and I couldn’t get more then one full stall in a shot. It was driving me nuts but as you said, it has audio so worse case I can listen. Once I get some money I will be adding a few more cameras. I don’t think I can get away with the cattle panels or anything they can see their neighbor. Some of them are overly protective of their kids and they would have it torn down. Last year I had to staple feed sacks on gates because I had some try to kill does just walking by.
But I got my phone and watched when the WiFi signal from the house started to get weak and used a extension cord and put the extender there and that seemed to do the trick! Still not 100% perfect but at least I have a clear picture and it stopped cutting out. Other then not being able to look in every stall it’s good! When I defrost I’ll get pictures of what I did to mount the cameras since they are magnetic. Now all I need to do is cut a few zip ties and I can move them if I need to watch someone in a stall. I’m mostly worried about one being too stupid to get in a stall or shelter to kid anyways


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Jessica84 said:


> You must have my house bugged lol yes on the wooden stalls! I tried to move the cameras 100 different ways and I couldn't get more then one full stall in a shot. It was driving me nuts but as you said, it has audio so worse case I can listen. Once I get some money I will be adding a few more cameras. I don't think I can get away with the cattle panels or anything they can see their neighbor. Some of them are overly protective of their kids and they would have it torn down. Last year I had to staple feed sacks on gates because I had some try to kill does just walking by.
> But I got my phone and watched when the WiFi signal from the house started to get weak and used a extension cord and put the extender there and that seemed to do the trick! Still not 100% perfect but at least I have a clear picture and it stopped cutting out. Other then not being able to look in every stall it's good! When I defrost I'll get pictures of what I did to mount the cameras since they are magnetic. Now all I need to do is cut a few zip ties and I can move them if I need to watch someone in a stall. I'm mostly worried about one being too stupid to get in a stall or shelter to kid anyways


I am glad moving the extender worked. It is tough having an extension cord running across the yard though. That is the only way I have electricity in barn and garage.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I think next year I’m going to get the converters that Mariarose posted. I have so much jerry rigged I no longer care about looks lol but I do worry about a bad spot in the cord and it getting wet and causing something to blow up or catch fire. But this will work for now. Of course now that I have everything figured out one of the cameras isn’t charging!! I switched batteries to make sure it wasn’t the camera and no it’s the battery. I thought ok I’ll just buy another but they are $50! I’m going to call the company tomorrow and cross my fingers they send me one for free. I it does even have but a few hours of use out of it. But I’m not going to let it stress me out, it is what it is and I always have next year to get everything perfect. I’m on kid watch starting tomorrow and that is enough stress lol


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

I thought about the inverters and deep cycle battery for LED lighting in the barn. Will hold off on that for a little while.
No kidding so no camers.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Cameras can be such a pain, but when it starts to work out right, they are so nice! I hope you can get this going where it's comfortable and you can enjoy and obsess over goat tv lol! 
I didn't see which camera you bought, but I'm wondering if you can move it from your phone/computer to turn at nearly all angles? 

Ok, don't laugh at my tired (sinus sick/insomniac) mind, but it would be neat if you could find some cheap, plastic type mirrors or something that could be mounted atop the back stalls so you could look at the mirror when needed to check on neighboring stalls. Hope that made sense and I don't know if they even make mirror's like that.... 
I totally understand the frustration though. I have 1 camera I bought 3 or 4 years ago (Tenvis). It works okay for the most part, but is a pain a lot of times because it should work via wifi/internet so when I leave I can still bring it up, and for some reason when I used it last month for 3 does, it wouldn't let me access when I left home.
I can only see 2 of our 3 stalls because of the stall walls, so it's very frustrating especially since last month we had 3 due at the same time, I watched the 2 that were due first, and it was the 3rd one who went first lol! 2nd one was in labor, I thought she'd go first, so I had been watching her. 3rd one seemed fine, so I let her out for the day - she kidded in the doe shelter. But it really doesn't bother me much, I like a doe that can kid on her own  But preferably where I can see what is going on, and I like to keep the wet mess in the stalls so it's easier to clean up.


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

:up::clever: :getwell:That is a good idea, using those type mirrors that convenience stores use to see hidden areas from behind the counter. Don't know what they are called either, just what they look like. I wonder if mounting a large mirror, like one repurposed from a dresser or those long rectangular mirrors used to see how your clothes are hanging when dressed would achieve the same result. Those type dressing mirrors are still around and light weight, cost approximately $15. Rear view mirrors for goats. (rofl)


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

That’s a great idea on the mirror!! I just bought a cheap hang on the door (I think it was $10). I’ll take it out there today and see if that works. 
I ended up getting the Arlo Pro no moving from a phone or computer  it was so hard finding one that fit everything that I wanted needed but this was defiantly the closest, well it totally fit the bill till you mentioned moving, that would have been nice lol


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I wish I had looked at this thread sooner, I would have mentioned the camera I use. It was a bit of a pain to set up but being able to access and move it with my phone has been a real life saver. There's probably better options out there now though; I bought it almost 4 years ago already.

I have my home router sitting in a window facing my barn. In the barn I have an extender (from walmart I think) sitting in the barn's window facing the house, which is a span of at least 200'. The camera itself sits about 35' away from the camera and has to go through one wall.

Great suggestion with the mirrors!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well I am done buying cameras this year lol I can not say I regret buying the Alro at all!!! But the pro was a little expensive (again I can NOT complain) but I think I’m going to buy different ones next year. I can use these for the outside because they are totally weather proof (I tested that out and worked great! And buy less expensive not weather proof probably able to move for the actual kidding stalls. Again if I had to do it all over again I would still buy them. Other then the WiFi it was so very simple to set up and access the cameras from my phone, and that is really saying something coming from me lol


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

It would be neat if the mirror idea works! Yeah I think it would drive me crazy if the camera doesn't move. I love being able to move mine. It's a cheap Tenvis, but it's what I've needed, well of course if the internet part would work when I'm away from home! I need to figure that out before I take it down until the next does are due in March. 

We don't have electric in our barn either, but it's very close to the house, so I can get a wifi signal out there. I run a heavy duty extension cord out to the barn from an outlet on the back of the house to plug in my lights or I can do up to 3 heat lamps. I do zip tie my camera to the wall so I can move it as needed lol


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes!!! I remember reading about your zip ties and totally took your idea lol I ya to cut a few small 2X2s and then attach the camera mount to that and then I just drilled a hole in the top and bottom. I have the camera where I can see most of the whole area (except In the stalls lol) and then as I put girls in I’ll take them down and move over for now. That will save me a million trips out to check a doe in labor. Or both the ones that don’t really like me all that much :/


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm glad you are using it! Makes life so much easier! I had my husband mount the mount that came with the camera on the wall, and I can use it for the 1st 2 stalls, but I like using the back 2 stalls lol! The back stall is the biggest, and more room especially for big does or does with multiples.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

So I don’t think the battery is bad on the one camera I think I have a bad charger! So all the cameras are dead and I’m waiting on a charger to get here.......in the middle of kidding lol guess I should have played with it more before I really needed it. Oh well! Live and learn


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Jessica84 said:


> So I don't think the battery is bad on the one camera I think I have a bad charger! So all the cameras are dead and I'm waiting on a charger to get here.......in the middle of kidding lol guess I should have played with it more before I really needed it. Oh well! Live and learn


Have you plugged it up to another outlet to make sure your outlet not bad?


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

:clever: Thought my mom had a lamp go bad all of a sudden, so got another lamp, did not come on, brought over lamp from home, didn't work. Changed out the outlet and still none of the lamps worked. That outlet connected to a wall switch and the switch was off. 
(doh)


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

NigerianNewbie said:


> :clever: Thought my mom had a lamp go bad all of a sudden, so got another lamp, did not come on, brought over lamp from home, didn't work. Changed out the outlet and still none of the lamps worked. That outlet connected to a wall switch and the switch was off.
> (doh)


Hahahaha! In florida our rental house had switches like that! Grrrrrrrr! I taped over them so they wouldnt get turned off. Such a pita!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol my sisters old house had a light switch she had no clue what it went to. But for are not the case here  it is one of those USB cords (????) it plugs into a little box that actually goes into a outlet. It all worked for my phone but I can try another one just In case


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

They sure are! Mom had just moved into that apartment, senior community, less than a week earlier. Finally asked her when the lamp last worked and the answer was last night before bed when she turned out the lights. Knowing she is in the habit of burning the porch light once it gets dark, asked where the porch light switch was. Tah Dah mystery solved and the lamp has worked every since then.


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

You can zoom in on the camera, it took me a bit to find it again. Just double tap screen, sometimes helps to find them or see what the heck they are doing. 12x12 barn and I "lose" sight of the one cause she likes to sleep under the hay rack this last week. The other one is finally sleeping on the elevated straw sleeping platform - I was never so happy to clean little turds off there again!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh I’m happy you brought this up! I am back loving the camera lol after I got a new charger. They came in VERY handy! I ended up just using them on does in a stall that I knew were going to kid and that way I didn’t have to keep going and checking every half hour. A lot of the does don’t like me all that much so when I do check they usually stop and glare at me instead of doing what needs to be done. 
For anyone reading this later on I fully recommend getting the extra charger that charges 2 batteries at once. I’m sure I just got a defected charger but I’m kinda happy I did because being able to charge 2 batteries at once came in so so handy! I might end up buying a few extra batteries so that I can swap them out and not be down any camera. The charger that came with the cameras can only charge while they are in the camera.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Jessica84 said:


> A lot of the does don't like me all that much so when I do check they usually stop and glare at me instead of doing what needs to be done.


:up:
:funnytech:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Bump


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

**Update for Arlo Camera Users**

Bought the new Arlo Pro 4 camera, it has a built-in spotlight with the same features as my other ones - two/way speaker, 2K video, cloud storage, etc - but this one can connect directly to your router, so no base or base upgraded needed. I have an older Arlo base that can connect up to 5 and only works up to Arlo Pro 2. Newer ones before the 4 required a new base and of course the older cameras do not work with the newer base station. So in case anyone is in the market to add cameras, this may be an excellent option. For me, I'll put the one I replaced with the 4, somewhere else.

I think it came out recently, so a bit pricey - tax and all at Best Buy was $211. I'm sure the price will come down soon.

Kelly


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

***Another Arlo Update - Creating Modes***

Felt so proud of myself this morning. Posted about receiving notification on only one camera on the Arlo hub on the Arlo Community site and the guy said to create a custom rule. So if you haven't done this, here's how:

Go to Arlo App
Click on hub name
Click on "Add a mode" at bottom

It gives you options on notify on audio or motion and then what you want to do - record or nothing. 

I wanted one on the patio and not the barn, as the chickens go in there a lot and I was getting notifications about every couple seconds!

Kelly


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