Adding security cameras for in-port/marina

[rwaldrop13]

Well after a recent incident on a neighboring boat in the marina, I pondered this issue for about a week before moving forward with installing an inexpensive webcam setup on Pau Hana. Long term plan is a BRNKL or similar system, but for the near future/short-term, this was a cost-effective solution taking advantage of our marina wi-fi. I posted a link below, in case anyone else wants to do something similar, but in this case the neighbor boat which was unoccupied had an intruder step onto their swim platform and into their cockpit, see the camera and bolt. I did 3 cameras, one on each wing door and one on the fantail covering the ladder from the swim platform. While pondering, I found out 2 of the marina staff have these same cameras on their dirt homes, and 2 more marina neighbors swear by theirs for in-marina use, and love that when underway/out of wifi coverage they can take the cameras off the mounts and store them.

Blink Outdoor - wireless, weather-resistant HD security camera, two-year battery life, motion detection, set up in minutes – 3 camera kit
by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B086DKS..._dp_WETE4NNSPE4VQPKAGFAH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Captain Ralph]

Been using the Blink Cameras in and around our boat. Battery operated and very small (Hard to spot).
The cameras and mux are wireless.

 

[Stripes]

Cool! I like it. What does the required "Blink Subscription" cost?

 

[SeaEric]

I have Blink cameras on my boat. I run them on my Verizon hotspot. I really like being able to check in on things from my phone app.

 

[Bob Quinn]

I just looked and Amazon is having a sale on the 2 camera system for $99. So I bought it.
Good price and thanks for the suggestion!

It looks like you might get some video storage for fee without subscription but I cant be sure of that. It looks like if you want to pay it is $3/month per camera or 30 per year.

 

[Stripes]

It looks like you might get some video storage for fee without subscription but I cant be sure of that. It looks like if you want to pay it is $3/month per camera or 30 per year.

Thank you.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Cool! I like it. What does the required "Blink Subscription" cost?

Subscription? NOT..
Just verified with my wife, We have 2 mux, 7 cameras. No cost after purchase.

Update, The mux or controller needs 115Vac power, The cameras use lithium AA batteries.

 

[SEVEN]

I just looked and Amazon is having a sale on the 2 camera system for $99. So I bought it.
Good price and thanks for the suggestion!

It looks like you might get some video storage for fee without subscription but I cant be sure of that. It looks like if you want to pay it is $3/month per camera or 30 per year.

Looked for that deal and couldn’t find it. I’d buy 2 sets at that price.

 

[Bob Quinn]

Looked for that deal and couldn’t find it. I’d buy 2 sets at that price.

Search for this

[h=1]Blink Outdoor - wireless, weather-resistant HD security camera, two-year battery life, motion detection, set up in minutes – 2 camera kit[/h]

 

[Bob Quinn]

[h=1]Blink Add-On Sync Module 2[/h]
I ordered this too, not sure if it was necessary or not, $35

 

[rwaldrop13]

Apparently if you're using their storage for your video surveillance, that's the subscription - but apparently they just implemented the storage plans recently. It's a nice little easy-install system though.

 

[Hat52MY]

Camera systems are fairly common these days and easy to install. Some of the newer systems will even incorporate motion sensors, IR, night vision, allow you to see Live Views (locally and remote) and notify you if something trips a boundary, take pictures and store them off site, etc…

 

[rwaldrop13]

Camera systems are fairly common these days and easy to install. Some of the newer systems will even incorporate motion sensors, IR, night vision, allow you to see Live Views (locally and remote) and notify you if something trips a boundary, take pictures and store them off site, etc…

That's what led us to this choice, and it also shows ambient temperature sensed at the camera.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Subscription? NOT..
Just verified with my wife, We have 2 mux, 7 cameras. No cost after purchase.

Update, The mux or controller needs 115Vac power, The cameras use lithium AA batteries.

Captain Ralph, I thought I was right - From Blink - if you have a blink account activated before 4/15/20 using the older cameras (i.e. XT2), if you purchase the new cameras, they can be added to your existing system and they will be able to utilize the free cloud storage since the account is grandfathered in. The cloud storage paid plan is only for accounts made after 4/15/20.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Captain Ralph, I thought I was right - From Blink - if you have a blink account activated before 4/15/20 using the older cameras (i.e. XT2), if you purchase the new cameras, they can be added to your existing system and they will be able to utilize the free cloud storage since the account is grandfathered in. The cloud storage paid plan is only for accounts made after 4/15/20.

WOA!!
That bites.
This is the first I have heard of this.
I am terribly sorry that I (unknowing) lead you in-correctly.

Our second mux and cameras purchase last summer must have been grandfathered in also.

I wonder if there is a subscription on the ole D-Link cameras now?

 

[Captain Ralph]

Found this tonight.

"Is a Blink Subscription Plan required to use my Blink cameras?
No. Your Blink Mini, all-new Indoor and Outdoor cameras, and Video Doorbell are automatically equipped with essential features like live view, motion alerts, and two-way audio."

https://blinkforhome.com/video-storage

 

[rwaldrop13]

Found this tonight.

"Is a Blink Subscription Plan required to use my Blink cameras?
No. Your Blink Mini, all-new Indoor and Outdoor cameras, and Video Doorbell are automatically equipped with essential features like live view, motion alerts, and two-way audio."

https://blinkforhome.com/video-storage

From what I read/found online, if you're grandfathered in/pre-existing, no need to worry, you can add/increase units without subscription. For me, for immediate future it's cheap peace of mind. $10 covers all 3 entrances to the boat and we're in a gated marina. It's the odd intruder who would pick our boat over some of the shiny new ones, but the cameras are a helluva deterrent judging from the one incident the marina has had in 10 years. The features you mentioned are all part of the hardware, but the cloud storage feature is what is subscription-based. If you don't have the subscription, you have to have local storage set up. For the money, short-term using the subscription and long-term installing a hi-capacity SSD plugged into the sync module.