80 Volt: January 2017

About a year ago I decided that I needed to get new security cameras. Based on how they were performing I decided that I needed something better. My old cameras were starting to get a lot of interference and had bad picture quality. Both were 2.4GHz security cameras with antennas.

For the new cameras, I decided to choose Arlo. They are a brand of fairly new security cameras. Instead of being 2.4 GHZ cameras they are IP cameras.

My old 2.4 GHz security cameras minus one receiver

What are IP cameras?

IP cameras are cameras that require an internet connection to view various areas of your property. Like Arlo, some can be used inside and out.

Inside the box

If you decide to get Arlo security cameras you will first need the starter kit. With the starter kit you will get one base station and power adapter, one ethernet cable, one magnetic camera mount, one set of mounting screws, four batteries, a quick start guide, and a window decal.

Features

Arlo security cameras are completely wireless. They are powered by four CR123A batteries. They offer HD quality video and or weatherproof. They are also equipped with night vision.

They can be activated by motion and can send push notifications and emails when motion is detected. It's capable of sending these notifications any time of the day or night.

When motion is detected everything that is seen is recorded for a certain length of time. These recordings can be viewed later using the Arlo app or by PC using your Arlo account.

Extra Features

Along with being able to view recordings, live video can be viewed when logged into your Arlo app or Arlo account on your PC. Once logged in you can also make adjustments to various settings.

Motion sensitivity and length of recording time can be adjusted when logged in. Recording length can be set anywhere from 10 to 120 seconds. Motion sensitivity can be set anywhere from 0 to 100.

If you decide, you can choose not to have Arlo record anything at all. Motion detection can also be turned off.

This is also the area where you can choose whether or not you want push-notifications and email alerts. For email alerts I have it set up to only send alerts to only one of my email accounts. But, if I chose I can have it sent to more email accounts.

Video quality can also be adjusted. Video quality can be reduced or enhanced. I have mine set on the middle setting. I feel that this setting helps my batteries last longer. So far I am satisfied with the middle setting and I don't feel like the video quality has been diminished in any way.

After adjusting the video quality there is an option to turn night vision on or off. There is also an invert image option.

Before viewing the live video there are a few helpful indicators available. The first indicator is the motion icon. It indicates if anything is being detected and recorded. The second indicator is the WiFi icon. This shows the strength of your WiFi signal. The third indicator is the battery indicator icon. The fourth indicator is an icon that shows the number of recordings collected. The fifth indicator is the settings icon.

When you are ready to view live video, Arlo has options available that give you a certain amount of control.

When viewing the live video there are six buttons available. Pan and zoom, play/pause, record, snapshot, brightness, and resize or the options that are available. So far I have only used play/pause, record, pan and zoom, and resize. But, I feel that the others will probably be beneficial in the future.

My experience

So far I really like my security cameras. I also like that I can monitor areas of my property and view recordings in HD. My plan was to have at least two security cameras but I am now considering more.

The picture quality is very good and there is no interference. I also like the night vision feature. My old cameras had night vision but the quality was very poor. With these cameras, night vision is much better. I can see a decent amount of detail. With little to no outdoor lighting, visibility is good. But it's much better when lights are near the viewing area.

With these security cameras installation is easy. This is one of the biggest advantages of this camera system. As long as it is within range (up to 300 feet from the

hub/base station) it can be installed just about anywhere. These cameras can also be installed fairly quickly.

I have mounted my cameras on the outside. My original plan was to mount them indoors in my window frames, like my old cameras. But, I could never get a clear picture. Mounting my old security cameras inside worked fairly well but it didn't work well for these. Overall, I have found that for outdoor viewing mounting them outside is the best option for a clearer picture.

As I mentioned earlier, Arlo security cameras are weatherproof. So far I haven't had anything too severe. But, it's done well in various temperatures, heavy rains, and fairly strong winds.

I have also made an important discovery. I discovered that I can view a live video of my property when I am away from home. From time to time I will do this using my Arlo app on my smartphone. At first, I was not a 100% sure that I could do this with Arlo cameras. But, this discovery has given me more peace of mind.

These cameras have also helped me discover a few other things. The first discovery was simple and somewhat expected. From time to time(while watching live video and recordings) I have seen various animals such as dogs, cats, birds, etc searching around various areas of my property.

The second discovery was not expected. One of my cameras recorded one of my neighbor's friends in my back yard. Based on the recordings he was using my back yard as a short cut multiple times throughout the day. I have seen this person before but I didn't know them personally. I also didn't give this person permission to walk on my property. After this experience, I was glad that I purchased these cameras. I also installed a fence to stop the problem.

Battery Life

As I mentioned earlier, Arlo requires four CR123A batteries. My cameras came with Energizer CR123A batteries. But, I am currently using the SureFire brand.

I can get about six months (depending on settings and viewing time) out of these batteries. It's a decent amount of time and I am enjoying the fact that I don't have to frequently change the batteries.

Will rechargeable batteries work on Arlo security cameras?

Rechargeable batteries will work with Arlo security cameras. But, they will not last as long as non-rechargeable batteries.

I have tried this (before finally selecting the SureFire batteries) hoping to have an advantage but I have found them to be somewhat of a disadvantage. It caused me to change/charge the batteries every month (or less) instead of every six months. I was saving money but it caused me to change/charge the batteries sooner than I would have liked. But, I may have been able to tolerate this if my cameras were easier to access and indoors.

What about sound?

The security cameras that I purchased don't have sound. But, weeks before I wrote this post I got an email mentioning that there is an advanced model available. The newer model is called the Arlo pro. It has two-way audio to listen in and talk back.

How fast does my internet connection have to be to use Arlo security cameras?

You have to at least have 1Mbps to use Arlo security cameras. A computer or smartphone can be used. I sometimes use a combination of the two.

Plans available

With Arlo, there are three plans available. These plans are basic, premier, and elite. With the basic plan you get 7 days (up to 1GB) of cloud storage, limited support up to 3 months and the ability to use up to 5 cameras. The basic plan is free.

With the premier plan, you will get up to 30 days (up to 10GB) of cloud storage, unlimited support, and the ability to add up to 10 cameras. It cost $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

With the elite plan, you will get 60 days (up to 100GB) of cloud storage, unlimited support, and the ability to use up to 15 cameras. It cost $14.99 a month or $149 a year.

Overall

Overall I am glad I got these cameras. They have been very helpful and have given me more peace of mind. They are higher priced than others but I feel that they are worth it. I have no regrets about purchasing these cameras. If you are looking for HD security cameras with advanced features, and easy/quick installation Arlo security cameras would be a wise choice.