Need solar powered coverage for construction site

[Jake1979]

I need to set up a camera that will record locally to SD card and be powered by Solar only. I've found a few options but wanted your opinions on build quality and battery life. Only would be accessing the camera if the need arose.

Argus 4 Pro

DS-2XS2T47G1-LDH

 

[Teken]

That’s a Hikvision solar powered camera system that’s been rebranded. You’ll need to confirm 4G / 5G cellular SIM support.

So long as the batteries receive at least four hours of direct sunlight. It will run forever so no worries about loss of power.

I would encourage you to consider the PTZ version instead. As this offers you more ability to scan, patrol, and zoom into important areas / zones.

A fixed camera is going to miss everything not in FOV.

You won’t be able to identify anyone with a fixed camera unless it’s zoomed in. A PTZ will solve that and much more given it’s a PTZ!

 

[Jake1979]

The PTZ is not available in the US and it's also over the clients budget. With that said, that's why I was also considering the Reolink with a wider field of view.

The need is to refer to the SD card if something happened on the construction site, such as theft (at night). He is not planning on remoting it, getting alerts, etc.

 

[tarter]

Had a similar situation and used the Reolink Argus PT 5MP with cellular. Was an okay experience, not great. Was able to catch one thief with it.

The camera itself had a good picture and everything, and the PTZ is a big bonus, but the solar panel that came with it died after a couple of months. It happened to be mounted to a temporary pole anyway so I was able to just plug the USB cable in to power, but still. Apparently you can buy replacement solar panels, so there's that I guess.

The cellular connection is also a bonus, as you can check in on the site while away, though you're limited to connecting via Reolink's P2P, which is quite slow and buggy in my limited experience. I bought the SIM card for it off of a site called Eiotclub.

 

[mat200]

The PTZ is not available in the US and it's also over the clients budget. With that said, that's why I was also considering the Reolink with a wider field of view.

The need is to refer to the SD card if something happened on the construction site, such as theft (at night). He is not planning on remoting it, getting alerts, etc.

Do you need low light performance ?

If so expect to spend more and get a better camera than reolink

 

[thatcherleal]

I set up a similar system last year for some wildlife monitoring in my backyard. I went with a solar-powered camera that records to an SD card, and it's been great. The build quality was solid, and the battery life impressed me. I only check it when needed, and it’s never let me down.
As for panels, I have solar panels dublin, and they’ve been fantastic. They’re reliable and provide consistent power, even on cloudy days. If you're considering the Argus 4 Pro, I’d say it’s a good choice based on my experience. Just make sure your solar panels are high quality to keep everything running smoothly. It's a pretty seamless setup once you get it going!