neoow Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Hello all, I'm really tempted to get an IP camera set up in my house so I can try and capture some of Alfie's sounds and mumblings throughout the day whilst I'm at work. I've had a quick search but can't easily find sound activated IP cameras - most are motion activated but mention nothing about sound activation. I don't think it would be sensitive to pick up Alfie's beak moving! Do any of you have anything like this set up and if so, what do you use? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I have this one http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409337868&sr=8-2&keywords=foscam+ip+camera You can view it on any computer, phone or tablet. The setup can be a bit tricky, but I'm not a tech and I managed to do it. I didn't use the motion activation feature, mainly because I didn't know if it would work well at the range from Timber that it was an I have four cats milling around too. Sterling has a later model. Hopefully he will chime in here. I think his has more features than mine, which is older. That said, I love it! I can also record segments of him talking or doing something I want to video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I didn't chime in with mine as it is not sound activated which is what the OP is wanting. I don't even know of any field cameras that are sound activated - those are also motion activated. The only thing I can think of is a noise-activated recording device like this. Doesn't do video though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Yeah it seems fairly hard to find an IP camera that does sound activation as well as or instead of motion. I know a lot of them you can sit and watch and choose what to record- but I wouldn't be able to do this whilst at work. Well I could... but I doubt it would go down too well. I did A LOT of searching tonight and found this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CAT0QMQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which is a D-Link DCS-933L Day/Night Network Cloud Camera. It was the only one I found that had sound activation mentioned. However, I'm not sure if it will just alert me with a photo or actually record. So I'm not sure yet if it will do what I want it to do. I figured seeing as it was the only one I found, I'd give it a go and could always return it or sell it on if it doesn't do what I want. Otherwise, I think SterlingSL's suggestion of a voice recorder is probably my next option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Forscam replied to an email I sent earlier today about their IP cameras and apparently their models starting with FI8 feature sound activated recording -so I believe yours should do it, Timbersmom. However, it's not mentioned on their product descriptions on amazon.co.uk and I didn't see anyone mention that feature so I think I'll stick with the D-Link one I ordered for now. If it's no good, then I'll replace it with a forscam one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I have no experience with dlink but I know it is one of the major brands. I imagine it will work fine for you! I have to say that I love being able to take a peek at Timber from wherever I am. It is so reassuring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 All being well I should get it later this week. Once it's up and running I'll let everyone know how I get on with it on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 I have a d-link router and I like their customer service. I'm sure they'll help walk you through the set-up if you're having trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex2014 Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Check out the DropCam Pro, you don't have to purchase the cloud storage service to use it. It has both motion and sound triggers and 2 way voice and is supposed to be very easy to setup. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F9FCW7K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=TSOYVV7XN6BY&coliid=I26L3Q26LPO2M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 Check out the DropCam Pro, you don't have to purchase the cloud storage service to use it. It has both motion and sound triggers and 2 way voice and is supposed to be very easy to setup. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F9FCW7K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=TSOYVV7XN6BY&coliid=I26L3Q26LPO2M Thanks Alex. I'd read about the dropcam ones but everything I'd read said you had to pay a monthly fee in order to save videos. If you don't, you can watch it live but not save it? I won't be able to spend much time watching it live because I'll be at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex2014 Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Neoow, According to everything I have read you can watch live for free and only pay if you want to save the video, I just bought one last night and will let you know how it works. like you i'm only interested in watching live when I feel like checking in on the boys (Alex/Rocco). Right now you can get them at Home Depot for the same price as Amazon and I figured it would be a lot easier to return there if I don't like it. Home Depot also has a special through 9/3, if you buy one Wink enabled product you get the Wink Hub which costs $49 for $29, buy 2 items and the Hub is only $0.99. The nice thing about the hub is you can then connect other manufactures WiFi controlled devices using the Wink App. i'm just getting into the home automation stuff and WiFi controlled devices, far from an expert but so far my research shows the Wink product/app is the most versatile and cost effective right now and seems to be leading the industry. I did buy the Aros GE WiFi controlled AC and really like being able to turn it on before i leave work when needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 Neoow, According to everything I have read you can watch live for free and only pay if you want to save the video, I just bought one last night and will let you know how it works. like you i'm only interested in watching live when I feel like checking in on the boys (Alex/Rocco). Right now you can get them at Home Depot for the same price as Amazon and I figured it would be a lot easier to return there if I don't like it. Home Depot also has a special through 9/3, if you buy one Wink enabled product you get the Wink Hub which costs $49 for $29, buy 2 items and the Hub is only $0.99. The nice thing about the hub is you can then connect other manufactures WiFi controlled devices using the Wink App. i'm just getting into the home automation stuff and WiFi controlled devices, far from an expert but so far my research shows the Wink product/app is the most versatile and cost effective right now and seems to be leading the industry. I did buy the Aros GE WiFi controlled AC and really like being able to turn it on before i leave work when needed. Thanks for the information Alex, do come back and let me know how you get on. My problem is that I would like to save the video (as I'd like to try and capture some of Alfie's musings throughout the day as well as keeping an eye on things... hence sound activated recording). So I'd have to pay for the service if I wanted to do that. However, otherwise, the dropcam kit does have good reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex2014 Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 (edited) Hooked up Dropcam last night, works great. If you want to record video it costs $9.99/7 days worth or $29.99/30 days worth. I can check in on them during the day and see what they are doing, I'm still playing with the motion and sound alerts. Here is another option that has free 7 day storage of video does have motion activation but doesn't appear to have sound activation, but looks like it has sound recording, there are also so other drawbacks if you red the reviews http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QN6V9W/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=TSOYVV7XN6BY&coliid=IZINW8U4A4T1H Edited September 2, 2014 by alex2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 So the IP camera turned up yesterday (much quicker than expected!) and I set it up last night. I set up email notifications for the sound activation and told it to email me a 15 second clip. I got about 80 clips!!! I'm now going through them- Alfie chats a fair bit when I'm out and about! Once I've gone through them I'll string a few clips together and post it on the forums. I'm going to play with the sensitivity settings and try again tomorrow... otherwise I'll be spending the rest of the month fighting the avalanche of video clip emails!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Good deal! Most of Timber's people language I have only heard via the cam. When I am in the room, he is mostly silent or whistling. When I leave the room, he talks but I can't hear much of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex2014 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I went to work today after a long expensive weekend, bought firewood, the Dropcam, 2 WiFi controlled light bulbs and a basement door motion sensor and hooked everything up over the weekend using the WINK app. I started with the Aros WiFi controlled AC that i bought last week after my 10 yr old window unit bit the dust. Like you Timbersmom, mine don't say much when I am in the room but talk like crazy when I leave the room. I liked checking in on them and used the microphone to talk back to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 Alfie has gotten better at talking to me when I'm in the room, but he used to go silent when anyone entered the room he was in. He's a lot more talkative with me and will even make the odd noise when my housemate is in the room. I strung together my favourite clips from today. I narrowed it down from 80 something to 23... some were rubbish. I got the doorbell going twice because the postman tried to deliver a parcel haha. I got the cats meowing too. And I got some clips of nothing- presumably because Alfie made a noise then stopped by the time the recording kicked in. Some were quite repetitive or just not very clear so I cut those ones out. I've changed the settings so I shouldn't get quite so many clips tomorrow... hopefully! This is the 'uncut' version if you like- so has some gaps and isn't edited or anything. He'll jump around the cage a fair bit because it's 15 second clips from different times of day pieced together. You can play "spot the parrot" too because he's a bit difficult to see at some points! You should hopefully be able to hear him say "good day" reasonably clearly at around 20-30 seconds. Followed soon after by his firework/explosion noise. There is also a guest appearance at the end... if you get that far!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Loved the video! Alfie has a nice assortment of sounds effects, and I like the way he uses different "voices" for different words. Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Cute video, I giggled at the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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