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  • Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    Anybody else try this? I took one of those $19.95 Wyze cameras and powered it with the jump starter pac I keep in the car and blue-toothed it to the Wyze app on my cell phone. I drilled and tapped the little steel plate that comes with the camera, attached it to a tripod, and stuck the camera on that with the magnetic base that comes with the camera. I can then set the camera out by my target and see a close up of the target back at my shooting position at up to a little over 100 yds. It failed somewhere between 100 and 150 yards due to loss of hot spot connection from cell phone. Still, I usually don't shoot more than 100 yards anyway and this thing is better than a spotting scope because I can just glance over at my cell phone and see a clear zoomed- in image of the target without having to position myself behind a spotting scope. The camera is smaller and easier to set up than a spotting scope. It provides a very clear image and you can zoom the image just like you zoom a picture on your cell phone.
     

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    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    Camera image

    This is the image I see on the cell phone. Distance doesn't matter as long as you maintain the connection. The camera is positioned about 3 feet away from the target in this shot so this is the image I would get regardless of my shooting position. Those are.22 cal holes.
     

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    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,333
    Pretty nifty. :thumbsup:

    Check out the below video. You may be able to extend it's range with an external antenna

     

    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    What kind of range are you getting? Bluetooth usually only has connectivity of about 20 yd or so. I was thinking about doing this with a Wi-Fi camera and a laptop because Wi-Fi has a bit more range than Bluetooth.

    I'm sorry, it is a Wi-Fi connection not Bluetooth. It is using the hot spot from the phone. I've gotten it to work out to 100 yards but it lost connection at 150. No targets between 100and 150 so it might work a little past 100, just not sure.
     
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    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    Good idea. I thought of that as well. I wasn't sure how it would hold up to being out in the sun



    or if I accidentally shot it.:lol2:

    Wyze cam 3 is all weather. If you shoot it, you're only out $20. Wyze does make an outdoor cam that has a built in battery if you don't have another power source. It's $40.00 though.
     
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    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    Pretty nifty. :thumbsup:

    Check out the below video. You may be able to extend it's range with an external antenna



    Thanks Willtill, I ended up buying one of those antenna's and it works out to 200 yards now, maybe further. Now if only I could figure out how to rotate the photos 90 degrees!
     

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    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,333
    How long will your battery jump pack power that camera NeutronBlu?
     

    md_rick_o

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 30, 2008
    5,112
    Severn Md.
    Wyze cam v2. Amazon or direct from Wyze. V3 is available for pre order now. Both are $19.95.

    I did a lookup yesterday for the Wyze cam and found an article about the v3 being more expensive and requiring a subscription to get it. so the price ended up over $35, sorry don't have the link up currently. There was resentment since they had posted last year that it was going to be the same price.

    Thanks for the info.
     

    atblis

    Ultimate Member
    May 23, 2010
    2,011
    The Wyze cams are almost perfrect for this application. Good image, cheap, runs of a USB battery pack. The problem I found, which may have since been fixed, is that for the camera to initialize and start streaming in RTSP, internet is required. If you don't use the RTSP mode, it streams over the internet.

    In short, they "phone home" way too much for my liking.

    I ended up going the security IP camera route. Eventually I'll get a Pan/Tilt/Zoom one.
     

    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    How long will your battery jump pack power that camera NeutronBlu?

    Probably several days but I've only used it for an hour or so at the range. All four of the battery indicator lights are still lit at the end of the session so I'm guessing that very little of the battery is used.
     

    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    I did a lookup yesterday for the Wyze cam and found an article about the v3 being more expensive and requiring a subscription to get it. so the price ended up over $35, sorry don't have the link up currently. There was resentment since they had posted last year that it was going to be the same price.

    Thanks for the info.

    I got an email from Wyze today stating that they are having problems with suppliers and the cam 3 is delayed. Probably more info on their web site regarding this but I haven't looked yet. I used the cam 2 and an aftermarket housing for this application. I haven't seen anyone putting the external antenna on the cam 3 yet. The cam 3 is weatherproof so it doesn't need the aftermarket housing to protect it so I don't know where you would mount an external antenna anyhow. BTW, it was much harder to install the external antenna than the youtube videos would lead you to believe. It seems like there are some differences between earlier and later cam 2 versions.

    I just looked at the Wyze website and it seems you cannot order the cam 3, only the cam 3 plus. Also I only see the cam 2 on Amazon in a two pack for $50! WTF?
     
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    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,333
    I got an email from Wyze today stating that they are having problems with suppliers and the cam 3 is delayed. Probably more info on their web site regarding this but I haven't looked yet. I used the cam 2 and an aftermarket housing for this application. I haven't seen anyone putting the external antenna on the cam 3 yet. The cam 3 is weatherproof so it doesn't need the aftermarket housing to protect it so I don't know where you would mount an external antenna anyhow. BTW, it was much harder to install the external antenna than the youtube videos would lead you to believe. It seems like there are some differences between earlier and later cam 2 versions.

    I just looked at the Wyze website and it seems you cannot order the cam 3, only the cam 3 plus. Also I only see the cam 2 on Amazon in a two pack for $50! WTF?

    Yea, I saw that. I went ahead and ordered two V2's anyway, along with better housings to weatherproof them. One of the cameras I am going to install the external antenna. Also am going to be purchasing longer power cords for them.
     

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