Near Intersection of I-35 & I-90 Southern Mn. | I happen to use a product referred to as "Alfred". I'm not certain of the history of the name but it allows me to repurpose an old phone or tablet as a security camera. It can work with dedicated cameras as well.
I have gotten into the habit of using refurbished phones rather than the latest and greatest. I have purchased a couple from Back Market and have been happy with the results. Since I use iPhones, I have been able to move the SIM card from the older phone to the somewhat newer phone myself. All my contacts etc. transfer and I don't even contact my supplier.
This leaves me with a rather old smartphone that can no longer be used to make or receive calls but the other features such as camera, web browser, music player etc. still function. I use the Alfred product with the older iphones. It also works with my low end Android tablets from WalMart.
I have one setup in the window of my home that points out to the dooryard on the farm. The battery is weak in that phone so I just leave it plugged in to the wall and in a stand pointing out the window. It is within range of WiFi in my home. An internet connection is necessary. The Alfred app on my phone allows me to check on activity as long as the device being used as a camera and the device I am watching both have Internet access. I guess the Internet is acting like a long extension cord between the camera and my viewing device.
Alfred has lots of possibilities. You mention not needing nor desiring the ability to be alerted to movement. Alfred allows this choice. I happen to have mine set to alert me of activity in my yard, but this can easily be turned OFF. When Alfred detects activity in my yard, it sends me a text through my phone whether I have internet access or not. When I have Internet access, I can review a short video of the activity. This allows me to be aware of visitors, deliveries etc. The sensitivity can be adjusted to avoid nuisance alarms. During our recent winds, it was getting triggered by the movement of my fairly large rain gauge which is mounted on a plastic fence post and was moving due to the strong winds. that was a bit of a nuisance but it was tolerable. I could shut off the feature. Since the gauge is large, I can read the amount if desired.
I've been happy with my arrangement. If I go on a trip during the Winter, I setup a second camera (old Android tablet) pointing at a common large thermometer in my home office. This is a cheap method to monitor the temperature in my home.
There are lots of choices but I've been happy with the "Alfred" approach for my purposes. I believe there is a yearly fee but I thought it was worthwhile. Standalone cameras are cheap enough but this allows me to continue to use somethings I already have.
Edited by tedbear 5/23/2025 09:45
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outdoor security camera questions
