A cheap and easy CCTV

[ronnietucker]

Just putting this here in case anyone else is interested in the idea of using an old mobile phone as a CCTV for their boat.

The phone I'm using is a cheapo Chinese Elephone P9000 with front and back cameras. I've installed a GiffGaff SIM card with a £5/mth top up. That should be enough data for a quick look at the camera now and again. I've disabled all notifications in Android to save battery and installed the Alfred app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivuu&hl=en_GB

When you install the app and run it, it'll ask you to log in (so you'll need to create an account. It's free) and then ask if this device is to be a camera or a viewer.

So, the phone is in place and running the Alfred app. I should have taken a photo of the phone in place, but I forgot. My bad!

NOTE: I'm still installing a solar panel to keep my batteries topped up, so to give the phone some extra juice I've got it connected to a battery pack, but you could just as easily have it plugged into a USB socket or to a cigarette lighter socket with an appropriate adapter.

Back home I can now go to: https://alfred.camera and login:

I click the P9000 (with the disabled camera) and I get:

Basically I'm switching the camera on.

I'm in! And here's the inside of my boat. Sorry about the mess. I'm still getting her tidy for easter.

I can click the button at the bottom with the camera and arrow (between the torch and moon icons) and that'll switch from front camera, to back camera.

And that's the view from the windscreen of the boat.

When I'm done viewing I close the viewer back to here:

Click the cog icon in the top right of the P9000 box (it's quite hard to make out in that screenshot) and get:

And click to DISABLE the camera. This will save a ton of battery.

That's why when I first showed you the Alfred site it said the camera was disabled. I'd already viewed, exited, and disabled.

So... that's one way of getting a cheap CCTV.  

[ditchcrawler]

But what if you dont happen to log on and switch the camera on while the burgle is there?

[ronnietucker]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

But what if you dont happen to log on and switch the camera on while the burgle is there?

The person nicks your stuff and you get upset.

This isn't meant as a full 24/7 recording CCTV system. It's just a quick peek and see if everything is OK thing.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, ronnietucker said:

The person nicks your stuff and you get upset. 

[TheBiscuits]

56 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

The person nicks your stuff and you get upset.

This isn't meant as a full 24/7 recording CCTV system. It's just a quick peek and see if everything is OK thing.

I like the way you have it mounted in a window so any ne'er-do-well can see the phone from outside the boat.

You will be sad if someone smashes the front window just to nick the phone!

[Dr Bob]

Presumably if you have a wifi signal on the boat, it can connect via that - rather than use up the payg credit?  Looks interesting.

[ronnietucker]

 

I like the way you have it mounted in a window so any ne'er-do-well can see the phone from outside the boat.

You will be sad if someone smashes the front window just to nick the phone!

Don't worry, my boat is in a safe place. So I'm not worried about it being targeted for a cheap Chinese phone.  

I'm just trying this idea out and passing on the info. Obviously, it'd be best to have the phone hidden somewhere and taking photos regularly. Well, assuming you have power to it 24/7. I don't. The power bank will be lucky if it lasts a week.

 

Presumably if you have a wifi signal on the boat, it can connect via that - rather than use up the payg credit?  Looks interesting.

Yes, if you have WiFi for Internet then you won't need a SIM/4G.

[matty40s]

 

And here's the inside of my boat. Sorry about the mess. 

 

You have a very big boat, and its far tidier than ours.

[Tim Lewis]

 

Presumably if you have a wifi signal on the boat, it can connect via that - rather than use up the payg credit?  Looks interesting.

Giff Gaff do a true PAYG Deal where you don't need to top up every month

Tim

[ronnietucker]

 

You have a very big boat, and its far tidier than ours.

I do believe I've been misquoted there!   

 

Giff Gaff do a true PAYG Deal where you don't need to top up every month

Tim

Yes, that's what I'm using. It's not a recurring payment. I'll toss them a fiver whenever the bandwidth needs updated.

[sueb]

Our EE payg doesn't need topping up monthly

[cuthound]

Most PAYG's only need you to make a call and top up  every 180 days.

Cheapest that I have found (but only if you use the phone or data a lot) is 1p Mobile, which uses the EE network.

https://www.1pmobile.com

[jddevel]

Surely including a motion activated on on/off switch would help. We`ve an inexpensive alarm system at our stables which texts us when activated. I`m sure your idea has some mileage especially recycling the old camera.