As a part-time vanlifer, I’m continually in search of alternatives to be alone on this planet. However I additionally wish to really feel protected when parked in a single day at an deserted practice station the place there’s a non-zero likelihood of starring in a Netflix true-crime drama. That’s why I all the time journey with an axe, my reactive beagle, and — extra not too long ago — a pair of battery-powered Reolink Argus 4 Professional safety cameras.
I selected this specific 4K digicam to check as a result of it really works instantly over my Starlink Mini’s Wi-Fi connection (5GHz or 2.4GHz) and doesn’t want a SIM card or knowledge plan like dearer go-anywhere cellular cameras. Its IP66 score makes it appropriate to be used indoors and out, even once I return dwelling to maximise worth for cash. And since the digicam has two lenses that robotically sew collectively footage for a 180-degree area of view — I’ve been testing two Argus 4 Professional cameras for a full 360-degree view of the world round my van.
There are two different issues I actually love concerning the Argus 4 Professional digicam. First, it data on to an SD card as much as 512GB, which implies no recurring month-to-month charges for cloud storage or companies. Second, it’s fitted with a passive IR movement detector, evening imaginative and prescient, floodlight, siren, and microphone / speaker that may all be robotically or manually triggered to push back any intruders. Sure, there are a number of issues that may be improved too, however none of these are deal breakers, in my view, particularly at these costs: a single Argus 4 Pro 4k wireless camera prices simply $107.99 on the time of this assessment — or $119.99 with a photo voltaic panel that might maintain it working indefinitely.
The Argus cameras include just a few mounting choices within the field, however nothing magnetic. So the very first thing I did was order a pair of those rando $10 magnetic swivel mounts that connect the cams shortly to my van’s exterior hull when parked. Meaning the cameras can be shortly stolen, together with any proof saved on the SD playing cards, which is why I mount them up excessive and out of attain.
The 4K picture high quality from the 1/1.8 sensors and F/1.0 lenses shouldn’t be nice regardless of my sturdy Wi-Fi connection. Daytime footage when parked in a snowfield on a sunny day appeared blown-out, for instance, and nighttime movies have been extraordinarily noisy with out resorting to the floodlights. However, the cameras are ok and so they act as deterrents. The siren and floodlight will be annoying to hikers, runners, and canine walkers, which is why I’m glad they are often disabled if I’m parked close to a trailhead.
Importantly, these cameras additionally seize nocturnal guests like foxes and wolves I’d in any other case by no means have seen. Good alerts inform me if an individual, animal, or automobile was detected, with footage marked by a corresponding icon for fast identification when scrolling by way of the archives.
The Reolink app is unhealthy. Once I’d hear a noise at evening, I’d launch the app to see what was taking place outdoors my van as a substitute of climbing out of my heat mattress and peeking by way of the insulated window coverings. Sadly, to point out the reside 360-degree video feed produced by the 2 Argus 4 Execs, I’ve to view them stacked on prime of one another in portrait mode — or worse, side-by-side — making it troublesome to see any element captured within the 5120×1440 @15fps movies. In panorama orientation, the app can solely present one reside 180-degree video stream at a time.
I do like that the app permits me to set off the alarm or floodlight whereas viewing reside video. I may even activate the microphone and speaker for two-way audio if I want to interact.
I additionally like {that a} 6W USB-C photo voltaic panel will be added for lower than $15 to maintain the cameras working indefinitely in some climates. I had one working on the roof of my dwelling for months on finish, for instance. Even with out the photo voltaic panel, I used to be getting 6 to eight weeks off a single cost with the movement sensor triggering a handful of pigeon movies every day. Alerts will be despatched through e mail or through a push notification to your telephone, with the latter supporting precedence supply to override any do-not-disturb settings.
Shifting the cameras between my van and residential isn’t as seamless because it may very well be. To maneuver the cameras from my van’s Starlink to my dwelling community I’ve to manufacturing facility reset every system, which is foolish — you’ll be able to’t simply swap Wi-Fi networks. Thankfully, the operation takes lower than two minutes, and the trouble ends in two further factors of remark in and round my dwelling.
The cameras will be added to Alexa and Google House sensible houses. And for those who really need it, the Argus 4 Professional does work with Reolink’s $79.99 Home Hub for improved cross-camera monitoring, reporting, and encrypted centralized storage of all of your movies in your native community — once more, with none charges.
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I’ve turn into a giant fan of Reolink’s battery-powered Argus 4 Professional 4K cameras within the few months I’ve been testing them at dwelling and on the street. They’re fast to arrange and supply peace of thoughts by way of surveillance that may be triggered robotically or by way of handbook intervention. And better of all, Reolink received’t nickel and dime you to dying with subscription charges since every thing is accessed over your native Wi-Fi community with footage saved on SD playing cards. For a fundamental, wi-fi, 180-degree safety digicam, the Argus 4 Professional is difficult to beat for the worth.
Pictures by Thomas Ricker / The Verge