Hi everyone,
I’m completely new to HA, although I’ve been using a homegrown home automation/security system in my current house for many years (Python on RPi w/wired sensors and a mix of controls). I’m in the process of designing a new house that we’ll be building in the near future and I’m trying to design a complete home automation/security system around HA. One of the things I’m trying to figure out is a possible replacement for my Blink cameras. First, some background - my wife is dead set against any permanent cameras installed in the interior of our house, so I’ve been using Blink cameras. I usually keep them in a drawer when not in use, and it only takes a minute to take them out and set them up when we’re going to be away for more than a day. I also use them occasionally for temporary monitoring projects. Two things I like about the Blinks are the form factor and the fact that they can run 1-2 years on a couple of AA batteries. I assume they work by only powering the motion sensor full time and when motion is detected they wake up the camera and send a video clip. The thing I don’t like about them is that they’re cloud-based and require Internet access to work.
I’ve been trying to figure out how if it’s possible to implement a similar device using my own hardware and HA. I’ve found other battery operated security cameras, but they all use the same Internet/cloud model as Blink to send alerts. I’ve also looked at options like using an Arducam on a RPi Pico/Arduino combined with a very low power draw motion sensor, but so far I haven’t been able to come up with a viable option. My requirements are:
- Small form factor camera units
- Battery powered that can last at least 2 weeks on a charge
- Send alerts & short video clips via HA when motion is detected
It’s obviously technically possible since Blink and other manufacturers are doing it - it’s just doing it in a manner that doesn’t rely on a third-party cloud service that’s eluding me.
Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions? Any input or ideas would be welcome.
Thanks
John