As a part-time vanlifer, I’m perpetually looking for opportunities to beryllium unsocial successful the world. But I besides want to consciousness safe erstwhile parked overnight astatine an abandoned train position wherever there’s a non-zero chance of starring successful a Netflix true-crime drama. That’s why I ever recreation pinch an axe, my reactive beagle, and — much precocious — a brace of battery-powered Reolink Argus 4 Pro information cameras.
I chose this peculiar 4K camera to trial because it useful straight complete my Starlink Mini’s Wi-Fi relationship (5GHz aliases 2.4GHz) and doesn’t request a SIM paper aliases information scheme for illustration much costly go-anywhere cellular cameras. Its IP66 standing makes it suitable for usage indoors and out, moreover erstwhile I return location to maximize worth for money. And because the camera has 2 lenses that automatically stitch together footage for a 180-degree section of position — I’ve been testing 2 Argus 4 Pro cameras for a afloat 360-degree position of the area astir my van.
There are 2 different things I really emotion astir the Argus 4 Pro camera. First, it records straight to an SD paper up to 512GB, which intends nary recurring monthly fees for unreality retention aliases services. Second, it’s fitted pinch a passive IR mobility detector, nighttime vision, floodlight, siren, and microphone / speaker that tin each beryllium automatically aliases manually triggered to ward disconnected immoderate intruders. Yes, location are respective things that tin beryllium improved too, but nary of those are woody breakers, successful my opinion, particularly astatine these prices: a azygous Argus 4 Pro 4k wireless camera costs conscionable $107.99 astatine the clip of this reappraisal — aliases $119.99 pinch a star sheet that could support it moving indefinitely.
$108
The Good
- Priced correct and nary other fees
- 180-degree 4K recordings
- Smart alerts
- Works indoors aliases out
The Bad
- Requires a Wi-Fi network
- Noisy nighttime footage
- App is bad
The Argus cameras travel pinch a fewer mounting options successful the box, but thing magnetic. So the first point I did was bid a brace of these rando $10 magnetic swivel mounts that connect the cams quickly to my van’s outer hull erstwhile parked. That intends the cameras tin besides beryllium quickly stolen, on pinch immoderate grounds stored connected the SD cards, which is why I equine them up precocious and retired of reach.
The 4K image value from the 1/1.8 sensors and F/1.0 lenses is not awesome contempt my beardown Wi-Fi connection. Daytime footage erstwhile parked successful a snowfield connected a sunny time looked blown-out, for example, and nighttime videos were highly noisy without resorting to the floodlights. But, the cameras are bully capable and they enactment arsenic deterrents. The siren and floodlight tin beryllium annoying to hikers, runners, and canine walkers, which is why I’m gladsome they tin beryllium abnormal if I’m parked adjacent a trailhead.
Importantly, these cameras besides seizure nocturnal visitors for illustration foxes and wolves I mightiness different ne'er person seen. Smart alerts show maine if a person, animal, aliases conveyance was detected, pinch footage marked by a corresponding icon for speedy recognition erstwhile scrolling done the archives.
What an absurd discarded of abstraction erstwhile trying to position 2 unrecorded camera feeds astatine once.
The Reolink app is bad. When I’d perceive a sound astatine night, I’d motorboat the app to spot what was happening extracurricular my van alternatively of climbing retired of my lukewarm furniture and peeking done the insulated model coverings. Unfortunately, to show the unrecorded 360-degree video provender produced by the 2 Argus 4 Pros, I person to position them stacked connected apical of each different successful image mode — aliases worse, side-by-side — making it difficult to spot immoderate item captured successful the 5120x1440 @15fps videos. In scenery orientation, the app tin only show 1 unrecorded 180-degree video watercourse astatine a time.
I do for illustration that the app allows maine to trigger the siren aliases floodlight while viewing unrecorded video. I tin moreover move connected the microphone and speaker for two-way audio if I wish to engage.
I besides for illustration that a 6W USB-C star sheet tin beryllium added for little than $15 to support the cameras operating indefinitely successful immoderate climates. I had 1 operating connected the tile of my location for months connected end, for example. Even without the star panel, I was getting 6 to 8 weeks disconnected a azygous complaint pinch the mobility sensor triggering a fistful of pigeon videos each day. Alerts tin beryllium sent via email aliases via a push notification to your phone, pinch the second supporting privilege transportation to override immoderate do-not-disturb settings.
Moving the cameras betwixt my van and location isn’t arsenic seamless arsenic it could be. To move the cameras from my van’s Starlink to my location web I person to mill reset each device, which is silly — you can’t conscionable move Wi-Fi networks. Fortunately, the cognition takes little than 2 minutes, and the effort results successful 2 further points of study successful and astir my home.
The cameras tin beryllium added to Alexa and Google Home smart homes. And if you really want it, the Argus 4 Pro does activity pinch Reolink’s $79.99 Home Hub for improved cross-camera tracking, reporting, and encrypted centralized retention of each your videos connected your section web — again, without immoderate fees.
1/13I consciousness amended astir leaving my portable star sheet connected done the nighttime knowing a camera is monitoring it.
I’ve go a large instrumentality of Reolink’s battery-powered Argus 4 Pro 4K cameras successful the fewer months I’ve been testing them astatine location and connected the road. They’re speedy to group up and supply bid of mind done surveillance that tin beryllium triggered automatically aliases done manual intervention. And champion of all, Reolink won’t nickel and dime you to decease pinch subscription fees since everything is accessed complete your section Wi-Fi web pinch footage stored connected SD cards. For a basic, wireless, 180-degree information camera, the Argus 4 Pro is difficult to hit for the price.
Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
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