YooSee SD-M5 doorbell: 1080p, PoE, RTSP, Onvif, only $66

[SecuritySeeker]

If it operates like the other doorbell cams, you can install a relay directly on the power lines to read the voltage drop when the doorbell button is pressed. The relay can then be used to trigger a home automation device.

This is a good alternative if the doorbell isn't sending button presses through ONVIF events

I'm not sure how there could be much of a voltage drop just from pressing a button which does not actually cause a physically connected chime to ring. It does send a 433MHz signal of course but again I don't think that would cause much of a voltage drop either, if any.

Do those other doorbell cams also only trigger a wireless chime or do they support a connection to a physically connected standard doorbell chime? With a physically connected chime what you say makes sense.

Or maybe I'm missing something or misunderstanding what you're saying.

 

[silencery]

Oh. Interesting. I assumed the yoosee emulated the behavior of normal pushbutton doorbells like the DB11 or the Hikvision. In those cases, you can configure the DB11 or Hikvision to create a dead short on the power lines, just like a standard doorbell, causing the doorbell to ring. This feature ensures compatibility with existing doorbell systems. The nice thing is it will work regardless if you are using AC or DC power.

If it doesn't support this type of behavior, then an alternative solution could be to open up the case and solder leads directly to the pushbutton on the yousee and hooking them up to a 3.3V relay. I tried this alternative method for a while on the DB11, and it worked great.

 

[Elton Noway]

Oh. Interesting. I assumed the yoosee emulated the behavior of normal pushbutton doorbells like the DB11 or the Hikvision. In those cases, you can configure the DB11 or Hikvision to create a dead short on the power lines, just like a standard doorbell, causing the doorbell to ring. This feature ensures compatibility with existing doorbell systems. The nice thing is it will work regardless if you are using AC or DC power.

If it doesn't support this type of behavior, then an alternative solution could be to open up the case and solder leads directly to the pushbutton on the yousee and hooking them up to a 3.3V relay. I tried this alternative method for a while on the DB11, and it worked great.

Would be interesting to see if anyone who has the SC-M5 has cracked it open and can verify if soldering leads directly to the pushbutton contact is possible. I'm hoping to use my existing mechanical doorbell and would have no problem busting it open... figure I might have to anyway to tweak the focus.

My plan (unless I'm confused about how this camera works) is to hook this doorbell camera to my Lorex LNR6100 NVR via a Ubiquiti PoE Adapter and just let it record 24/7 like the other cameras in the system.
QUESTIONS:
1) Will the POE connection carry video back to the NVR or is the ENET port on the doorbell only for power to the camera? I have Cat6 at the door so I'm not interested in WiFI.
2) Obviously I'm able to monitor all the Lorex / Dahua cameras at the NVR... will I be able to monitor the SD-M5 at the NVR?

Honestly, I'm not even sure if I need the Ubiquiti adapter. Although input power to the NVR itself is 48V DC... the POE output (power to the cameras) only measures 12VDC making me think I shouldn't wouldn't have to worry about frying the doorbell. If any of this logic or my thought process is off base please let me know.

 

[silencery]

I was wondering the same thing about power delivery. In most cases, POE should be able to correctly negotiate the current it needs. However, voltage may be a different situation altogether.

That said, my Unifi access points are able to auto negotiate the voltage (spec is 24V, but my switch is 48V)

 

[SecuritySeeker]

According to the specs this doorbell does not follow 802.3 PoE standards. It's passive PoE only which is carried over the 2 unused pairs in a 100Mbit Ethernet connection. It will not negotiate PoE, it will just expect the PoE power to be there without negotiation. This will not work with a PoE switch that does 802.3af or 802.3at or 802.3bt. You need to be able to tell your switch to provide passive PoE with a suitable voltage (12-36V).

Yes, it will carry video back over the Ethernet connection. It does not require WiFi to function. That is what got me interested in the first place: hardwired Ethernet + PoE.

 

[SecuritySeeker]

I'm hoping to use my existing mechanical doorbell and would have no problem busting it open...
...
I have Cat6 at the door so I'm not interested in WiFI.

Keep in mind this doorbell will use all 4 pairs of your CAT6 connection (2 for data, 2 for PoE) so if you only have a single CAT6 with no additional wiring you won't have any wires left to connect your existing mechanical doorbell.

2) Obviously I'm able to monitor all the Lorex / Dahua cameras at the NVR... will I be able to monitor the SD-M5 at the NVR?

It's Onvif and offers an RTSP stream and it has been found to work with BlueIris and at least one other Onvif compatible program so chances are it will work with your NVR if that is Onvif too but the only way to be absolutely sure about compatibility is to try it out with your specific NVR.

 

[Elton Noway]

Keep in mind this doorbell will use all 4 pairs of your CAT6 connection (2 for data, 2 for PoE) so if you only have a single CAT6 with no additional wiring you won't have any wires left to connect your existing mechanical doorbell.

Cool... then I think I should be okay since I was planning on using the existing doorbell wiring already in place (its in the same hole with the Cat6). NET: Use the Cat 6 to carry the data and POE... , hack the SD-M5 and connect the existing doorbell wiring to its doorbell button. Whether or not I can take advantage of the PIR is no big deal... I mainly want it for the camera.

It's Onvif and offers an RTSP stream and it has been found to work with BlueIris and at least one other Onvif compatible program so chances are it will work with your NVR if that is Onvif too but the only way to be absolutely sure about compatibility is to try it out with your specific NVR.

Well.. looks like I need to give it a shot. Worse case I'm out $66. Will report back with the final outcome once I receive it and get it installed.

 

[SecuritySeeker]

Whether or not I can take advantage of the PIR is no big deal... I mainly want it for the camera

It doesn't have a PIR, the specs on their website were initially incorrect on that part and this has since been corrected. Motion detection is through analysis of the video image only.

 

[SecuritySeeker]

hack the SD-M5 and connect the existing doorbell wiring to its doorbell button.

I don't think that is likely to work, the contacts inside are meant to provide an input to the embedded microcontrollers GPIO pins. You can't just connect a regular doorbell's wire to that in parallel.

You might have better luck hacking the USB chime some way, that's what I plan on doing, not for connecting an existing chime but to create an event for BI or whatever if the networking traffic a button press generates isn't suitable for that.

 

[Elton Noway]

I don't think that is likely to work, the contacts inside are meant to provide an input to the embedded microcontrollers GPIO pins. You can't just connect a regular doorbell's wire to that in parallel..

Hmmm... if the doorbell button is truly a physical button that gets depressed (spring loaded or buckling spring etc.) I figured I could totally isolate it from any and all circuitry. I just need the button so I can use it to close/short the existing wires of the current doorbell circuit. However... if its not actually a physical button but instead some sort of stationary capacitive touch sensor (PCT)... then hacking the USB chime would be the best solution. Do you have any idea what type of button it might be?

On a side note... maybe not ideal.. but for anyone who hasn't ordered yet... I see AliExpress has a "rebranded variation" of the doorbell on its website. Same specs, drawings, photos etc... even says it uses the Yousee app... only its sold by a store called CDYCAM. (CDYCAM Video Door Phone Doorbell Wired Video Intercom Monitor 1080P HD) I'm guessing they all come from the same factory. The benefit of ordering via AliExress is they offer free shipping... a $16 savings over Yousee. The downside is AliExpress hasn't got the best track record.

 

[SecuritySeeker]

Hmmm... if the doorbell button is truly a physical button that gets depressed (spring loaded or buckling spring etc.) I figured I could totally isolate it from any and all circuitry. I just need the button so I can use it to close/short the existing wires of the current doorbell circuit. However... if its not actually a physical button but instead some sort of stationary capacitive touch sensor (PCT)... then hacking the USB chime would be the best solution. Do you have any idea what type of button it might be?

If you don't mind loosing the original functionality of the button then what you want will probably work as my guess is that it is just a regular physical button. Since you already have the additional wiring for a physical chime in place that might not be such a bad idea in your case.

 

[pdp2]

If you don't mind loosing the original functionality of the button then what you want will probably work as my guess is that it is just a regular physical button. Since you already have the additional wiring for a physical chime in place that might not be such a bad idea in your case.

I am keen to learn if this would work as well, i.e.
1) use the physical button for driving existing chime
2) permanent (!) video feed to QNAP NAS (with Surveillance Station app)

Thoughts?

 

[johnnyletrois]

Hmmm... if the doorbell button is truly a physical button that gets depressed (spring loaded or buckling spring etc.) I figured I could totally isolate it from any and all circuitry. I just need the button so I can use it to close/short the existing wires of the current doorbell circuit. However... if its not actually a physical button but instead some sort of stationary capacitive touch sensor (PCT)... then hacking the USB chime would be the best solution. Do you have any idea what type of button it might be?

On a side note... maybe not ideal.. but for anyone who hasn't ordered yet... I see AliExpress has a "rebranded variation" of the doorbell on its website. Same specs, drawings, photos etc... even says it uses the Yousee app... only its sold by a store called CDYCAM. (CDYCAM Video Door Phone Doorbell Wired Video Intercom Monitor 1080P HD) I'm guessing they all come from the same factory. The benefit of ordering via AliExress is they offer free shipping... a $16 savings over Yousee. The downside is AliExpress hasn't got the best track record.

I just ordered one from eBay. Free shipping and payment with PayPal. I didn’t want to order from yousee and pay their high shipping and I did t want to order from aliexpress an pay with a credit card. Let’s see if it arrives!

 

[Elton Noway]

I just ordered one from eBay. Free shipping and payment with PayPal. I didn’t want to order from yousee and pay their high shipping and I did t want to order from aliexpress an pay with a credit card. Let’s see if it arrives!

Huh... before considering AliExpress... I checked ebay first for both the Yousee SD-M5 and/or the CDYCAM Video Door Phone... and didn't find either one being offered. I would like to get one as well if the seller has more than one available. Could you please provide the exact name of the ebay description title so I can search for it?

 

[johnnyletrois]

I bought the doorbell and chime from here: KW05 accessories indoor chime /unlock control /Remote control/ Memory Card | eBay

This is the listing for doorbell only: Smart Video Doorbell Full HD 2.4GHz WiFi Motion Detect Night Vision 2MP RJ45 POE | eBay

I messaged the seller about the chime and was sent the first link so bought them together.

 

[Elton Noway]

I bought the doorbell and chime from here: KW05 accessories indoor chime /unlock control /Remote control/ Memory Card | eBay

This is the listing for doorbell only: Smart Video Doorbell Full HD 2.4GHz WiFi Motion Detect Night Vision 2MP RJ45 POE | eBay

I messaged the seller about the chime and was sent the first link so bought them together.

Great... thank you! I've ordered quite a few items over the years from China via eBay and have yet to be disappointed. Just yesterday I received a LED touch switch from a seller in Hong Kong (needed for a different project) As you might guess shipping from China is not real fast but its rarely the fault of the seller. Once the seller puts your package into the mail system the items first go to a consolidation facility in the departure city, then to a distribution facility (typically in another providence), then a short delay awaiting creation of the customs declaration, once that's done it can finally leave the country of origin (China). When it finally arrives in the US it has to go though customs. Depending on the seller and if they have a depot in the US, it may go to one of their US distribution centers to be relabeled with your address and then eventually reshipped to you. On average, shipments from China to the US take between 20 to 25 days from payment order to delivery. The good news is your seller is in ShenZhen and not Hong Kong. Ordering from Hong Kong in the past was always awesome but unfortunately the unrest and demonstrations going on now have really put a damper on sellers in the region. ShenZhen is located in the southern portion of the Guangdong Province in mainland China across the border from Hong Kong. I've never had a problem getting anything from a reputable seller in Shenzhen. That said... resent reports are saying due to Shenzhens close proximity to Hong Kong if Hong Kong cannot restore stability and unity soon, Shenzhen will inevitably be dragged down.

In the meantime... I found another seller on AliExpress selling yet "another" rebranding of the SD-M5 ... calling it: US $59.99 25% OFF|1080P Wireless WiFi Video Doorbell Door Phone Intercom Camera PIR Motion Detection Alarm Remote Monitor Home Security-in Video Intercom from Security & Protection on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

I get the feeling the rebranded / renamed versions of the SD-M5 is just getting starting as more Chinese sellers begin to offer it. In fact... one of the first videos I've found on these was just posted on Youtube 7 days ago! It's only 40 seconds long but if you want to check it out search Youtube using: #Today Deals 1080P Wireless WiFi Video Doorbell Door Phone Intercom Camera PIR Motion Detection Ala

EDIT: As you may know... AliExpress is simply an offshoot of Alibaba. Alibaba is often compared to being a Chinese version of eBay whereas AliExpress is something like a Chinese version of Amazon (or maybe its vice versa) ) Anyway... just found another one.... this one if for sale on Alibaba website: 2019 Poe 1080p Video Doorbell Konx Kw05 Yoosee App Supported Onvif Rtsp Open The Door - Buy Video Doorbell,Poe Doorbell 1080p,Video Door Bell Product on Alibaba.com

The advertisement on the Alibaba website also has a video "with sound"... showing the doorbell in action. When the female presses the button on the doorbell it sounds like I "might" be hearing a buckling spring kind of sound. Unfortunately she sets the doorbell down on a hard surface at approximately the same time she presses the button so I'm not 100% sure if I'm hearing it hit the table top or actually hearing the button being depressed.

 

[johnnyletrois]

The unboxing video on this aliexpress listing is good: Online Shop HD 1080P Camera Wifi Video Door Phone Doorbell Wireless Intercom Support SD Card for Android IOS Smartphone Remote View Unlock | Aliexpress Mobile

 

[Elton Noway]

I got one of these (yoosee 1080p poe rtsp onvif $66 cams) in the mail today. [snip] I'll try to add more info when I get a chance to play with it this week.

Well I ordered it with the USB chime. For me the total was $88.00.

I'm hoping @Cinnman or @vandyman are still checking this thread from time to time. (I tagged them just in case ) It would be great if one of them (or anyone) who already has one of these could let us know if the doorbell button that gets pressed is a mechanical button (e.g. spring loaded/buckling spring etc) or if its some sort of stationary, capacitive touch sensor (PCT) of some kind.

FYI: I've now watched and listened to the the Alibaba demonstration video mentioned in my previous post a dozen times .. and its sounding more and more like a buckling spring. Fingers crossed awaiting confirmation.

 

[SecuritySeeker]

The unboxing video on this aliexpress listing is good: Online Shop HD 1080P Camera Wifi Video Door Phone Doorbell Wireless Intercom Support SD Card for Android IOS Smartphone Remote View Unlock | Aliexpress Mobile

If you look at the pictures in the reviews on that page you can see they're all out of focus like the ones from @Cinnman and @vandyman. And people don't even seem to notice or accept it. I guess that's an indication of the level of sophistication of the average doorbell user outside of ipcamtalk.

 

[Elton Noway]

Evidently the cat is out of the bag. At the beginning of this week there were at least three different store fronts on eBay with brand variations of the Yousee SD-M5. Earlier today I counted 5 different listings for it. If I consider each stores available inventory from the beginning of the week... I had sixteen different to opportunities to buy one before all available quantities were sold. Now they're all on back order. (I'm guessing all our discussions here on ipcamtalk might be partially responsible.) Actually none of the ebays listings actually say they are on back order... but of all the same sellers still advertising them on ebay, their estimated "delivery date" schedules have slipped, stating: This item has an extended handling time and a delivery estimate greater than 19 business days. Fri. Oct. 25 and Fri. Dec. 6 . Wow... a estimated delivery as late as Dec 6th... that 65 days!!! Now I'm kicking myself for not ordering it when I had the chance. Yes, I can still buy one now and get in the queue... but I'm not crazy about ordering something from China with a estimated ship date that can be as late as December... only to have it get lost in transit ... buried in the crush of all the TONS of holiday mail and package shipments that occur from Black Friday thru Christmas.