Baby Monitor Hell

SoonToBeDad

SoonToBeDad

n3wb
Nov 12, 2015
3
1
Hello All, I 'think' this is the right place to post this question, if not I will gladly move it.

I have a child coming in a few months and I am in need of a camera to monitor the little one. I like many of the features that the wifi cameras offer, but I don't like a few things as well. What is worse than not being able to find what I want from the wifi monitors is not being able to properly search for the hard-wired alternatives properly.

My hope is that the brilliant people here can help me find the best camera for my situation.

What I have:
a bunch of old PC's and laptops
a bunch of technical ability
high-speed wi-fi network

Here is what I would like to have in a monitoring system:
1. good close proximity night vision
2. local recording to hard drive
3. some way to monitor with android phones and web browsers
4. two-way speaker/mic
5. expandable system would be nice
6. motion detection would be nice
7. IR light on/off control in case it bothers the baby would be nice
8. windows/linux based software

Don't wants:
1. paid cloud recording only (nest dropcam)
2. wireless ... I think it is less secure, more expensive, less quality and EMF is real?

I don't know enough about security systems to know if my list above can be improved so if you can contribute to my requirements then please do. Just know that I need a decent baby monitor that can be used later for home security.

Thank you for any input you can give that helps me find or even narrow down what I am looking for.
Bill
 
http://www.nellyssecurity.com/camer...mp/hikvision-2cd2432f-iw-3mp-cube-camera.html

^^

1) yes
2) yes, record to microSD in camera and/or to NAS
3) yes
4) yes
5) yes, using PC software. I recommend Blue Iris but Hikvision does have free software that might work for you if you don't mind sticking to just the Hikvision brand. iVMS it is called.
6) yes
7) yes (90% certain you can turn it on and off from the web interface). If not, don't worry. This wavelength of IR is nearly invisible to humans.
8) yes, Blue Iris is windows only, Hikvision's iVMS I think has a linux version. There are still other options that work on either operating system.

Don't wants:
1) no worries there. dropcam is the only one I know of who does that.
2) There exists a version of this camera without a wifi module, but I can't find anyone selling it anymore because everyone wants wifi. You can simply not use the wifi or you can even open up the camera and remove the wifi module at the likely expense of your warranty. https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/605-Turn-off-WIFI-on-DS-2CD2432F-IW
 
Yep, I agree with the above posters, that camera is perfect. I have the LTS version model CMIP8932 but there is also a CMIP8912 that is 1.3mp so probably better in total dark and it also does not have wireless. Regardless, that camera hits all you high notes for sure.
 
Uhhhh .... Frickin WOW!!!
Three responses in just an hour!! Can you guys answer questions about programming as well??? :)

Thanks, I really appreciate the responses! I will check them out.
 
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@SoonToBeDad I use the Minidome version as I wasn't concerned with the speaker. We have had a video monitor with our first kid and we NEVER used the 2 way audio as I think its more creepy and confusing for the child when you start talking to him/her and your not in the room - normally just escalates the situation. Just my opinion, here is an example I did in a review awhile back. The IR in the kids room illuminates the entire room perfectly with no wash out or over powering.

Here is a link, do a quick search though as you can find these for $125
http://www.nellyssecurity.com/camer...f-vandal-dome-3mp-ip-security-camera-261.html


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Congrats on Fatherhood!

Third piece*(**) of the best advice we got from the Baby Doc - ditch the baby monitor. We ignored her advice and spent the next few months in total self-imposed over-worried parental hell. Turns out, babies are quite active and noisy at night (who knew!). They chirp, cry, growl, cough all night long - with no lasting ill effects. Meanwhile, us parents are glued to the baby monitor, worrying our selves to death, rushing into wake baby at every little noise. This makes for cranky baby the next day and exhausted cranky parents.

A few months in, we remember the Baby Doc advice. At wits end, we unplugged the baby monitor. Yup. No more SIDS*** mat screeching, no more baby noises. Sure, we worried even more for about three days, then, boom. No longer worried. Fact: human babies are designed to live. And live through the night - they do that pretty well on their own. In fact, research shows that for thousands of years, babes have survived with no electronic monitoring. We were astonished that kids in other countries were NOT being monitored! Amazingly, babies are designed to survive new parents! Barbaric!

As for your comment on EMF? Nothing you can realistically do about. Your cell phone, the baby noise maker, the ceiling fan, radio and TV broadcast, cell phone coverage from local cell towers, police / PTT radios, wifi networks in your own home / neighbors all are EMF generators. We are all bombarded constantly.

A standard wifi camera (you can clamp down the security settings in your router and use common sens encryption) will do you good. Besides, as creepy as it sounds, if someone cracks your wifi network - images of your sleeping baby are the *last* thing they are looking for...

* Best advice? It is your baby. You can ask opinions and experience from others, but you do not have to take it. Grandparents are full of infuriating advice, as are other mothers (aunts). Make your own call as parents.

**Second best advice? Keep baby's expectations low. No diaper / wipe warmers, serve bottles room temp or cold. Let them cry a little before picking up (they learn to self-sooth)

***SIDS comment: lots of scary stuff out there and many folks cant wait to tell you a horrifying story. If you decided to address this issue, do your research from established medical sources to understand the risks and percentages. There is a lot of snake oil products out there with no scientific proof other than to separate you from your money.
 
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Thanks a lot for the additional recommendations and thoughts about parenting. This is my third child, but this child is with a first-time mother. I am a bit older as well, so she is depending on me to help her be a sane parent. I think I have offered others most of the advice that you have offered me about parenting, you are spot on.

I have an interest in better security at our house so a big part of the baby monitor effort is with this in mind. I think all of the above recomended cameras fit that requirement well.

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful input!
 
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