I'm finally getting around to a few of the items on my to-do list. One of them was to reinstall the Ring Video Pro doorbell, used at my previous residence, to the new house and add a security camera in the backyard. Having motion sensing cameras in the front and rear yards, along with a centrally monitored premise alarm, adds a bit of comfort while we travel. Both camera installations were relatively straightforward and I thought I'd share my experiences.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
You can find my original review of this device on this blog. The installation followed the steps provided with the doorbell.
The primary installation issue with the new house was the location of the existing doorbell. The doorbell was placed relatively low on the door frame which limited the camera view of visitors to a mid-body perspective and, at that, generally focused on the opposing side of the door frame. As I wasn't going to physically relocate the doorbell, I had to use one Ring corner and wedge kit piece to cant the doorbell up and to the left. With these wedges, the doorbell bulges a bit from the door frame. I painted the corner and wedge pieces to match the color of the exterior house paint so that the built-up doorbell base was less visually intrusive.
Patio Security Camera - Ring Spotlight Cam (Wired)
Last summer, I asked the builder to install a 120 volt receptacle and one Internet (Cat 6) wall jack about seven feet up the patio wall so that I could use either or both for a future security camera. I figured that this combination would offer the most flexibility in selecting a camera.
My younger daughter recently gave me a wired Ring Spotlight Cam, so my camera selection was pretty much made for me. This camera communicates over WiFi and only needs access to a power receptacle The only question that remained was where to mount the camera. The typical camera installation instructions suggest drilling holes in the stucco for the mounting plate, between seven to nine feet from the floor. However, since this WiFi camera didn't need access to a hard-wired Internet connection, I replaced the plastic Internet wall jack cover that was next to the power receptacle with a steel all-weather cover plate. This sturdier metal plate was strong enough for drilling and camera mounting.
Configuring the Ring Spotlight Cam to the WiFi network followed the Ring print instructions and these steps were completed without problems.
Using the iOS app to remotely configure the spotlight cam's motion setting zones, motion zone sensitivity, light zones and light zone sensitivity was straightforward. Video captures were very clear during the day and acceptable via infrared lighting during the evening. Similar to the doorbell, you can initiate a conversation through the spotlight with a nearby visitor. One added spotlight feature is that you can remotely trigger a camera siren, if needed.
During the first 30 days of use, Ring provides free video cloud storage. Managing the videos remains cumbersome for both doorbell and spotlight as you are able to only delete all cloud stored videos or on a single video basis. I did not find a way to delete all videos from a particular day, other than one by one.
As you might notice from camera installation, I still need to shorten the camera's power cord a bit.
Advantages of A One-Vendor Solution
While there are many available security camera solutions, I favor using cameras from one manufacturer. In my case, I already had both camera devices in hand before starting my installation.
By sticking with one vendor, you can manage your camera settings and videos through one mobile/computer app (and possibly through IFTTT). If you run into install problems, you have one vendor to contact. There may also be cost advantages for cloud storage of your camera videos - though with Ring, these cost advantages become more noticeable with three to four Ring cameras. For two cameras, under Ring's basic protection plan, cloud storage of your camera videos runs $60 a year.
Basically, I'm pleased with the Ring products; however, the Ring website and app have some clear limitations. My account continues to display a physical location - with no defined devices - that does not exist and can't be deleted. While you can add multiple devices to your cloud storage plan, I couldn't find a way to currently view details about each specific camera within the plan. I understand the Ring developers are aware of these issues, so I'm hoping for improved software in the near future.
With the recent windy days around my house, I woke up to find the backyard Spotlight camera light enabled. After some discussion with Ring technical support, I realized that motion sense settings for the light are completely separate from the motion sensor function that initiates video recording. The app doesn't clearly indicate that the settings for these two motion sensor functions are unrelated.
As I posted this blog entry, I read that Amazon just purchased the Ring company. I'm hoping that Ring continues to expand and improve their security camera offerings. Perhaps in the future, Amazon will integrate Ring home security features with its remote door lock function (Amazon Key) to assist package delivery.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
You can find my original review of this device on this blog. The installation followed the steps provided with the doorbell.
The primary installation issue with the new house was the location of the existing doorbell. The doorbell was placed relatively low on the door frame which limited the camera view of visitors to a mid-body perspective and, at that, generally focused on the opposing side of the door frame. As I wasn't going to physically relocate the doorbell, I had to use one Ring corner and wedge kit piece to cant the doorbell up and to the left. With these wedges, the doorbell bulges a bit from the door frame. I painted the corner and wedge pieces to match the color of the exterior house paint so that the built-up doorbell base was less visually intrusive.
Patio Security Camera - Ring Spotlight Cam (Wired)
Last summer, I asked the builder to install a 120 volt receptacle and one Internet (Cat 6) wall jack about seven feet up the patio wall so that I could use either or both for a future security camera. I figured that this combination would offer the most flexibility in selecting a camera.
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| Power and Camera are Located Seven Feet Above the Floor |
Configuring the Ring Spotlight Cam to the WiFi network followed the Ring print instructions and these steps were completed without problems.
Using the iOS app to remotely configure the spotlight cam's motion setting zones, motion zone sensitivity, light zones and light zone sensitivity was straightforward. Video captures were very clear during the day and acceptable via infrared lighting during the evening. Similar to the doorbell, you can initiate a conversation through the spotlight with a nearby visitor. One added spotlight feature is that you can remotely trigger a camera siren, if needed.
During the first 30 days of use, Ring provides free video cloud storage. Managing the videos remains cumbersome for both doorbell and spotlight as you are able to only delete all cloud stored videos or on a single video basis. I did not find a way to delete all videos from a particular day, other than one by one.
As you might notice from camera installation, I still need to shorten the camera's power cord a bit.
Advantages of A One-Vendor Solution
While there are many available security camera solutions, I favor using cameras from one manufacturer. In my case, I already had both camera devices in hand before starting my installation.
By sticking with one vendor, you can manage your camera settings and videos through one mobile/computer app (and possibly through IFTTT). If you run into install problems, you have one vendor to contact. There may also be cost advantages for cloud storage of your camera videos - though with Ring, these cost advantages become more noticeable with three to four Ring cameras. For two cameras, under Ring's basic protection plan, cloud storage of your camera videos runs $60 a year.
Basically, I'm pleased with the Ring products; however, the Ring website and app have some clear limitations. My account continues to display a physical location - with no defined devices - that does not exist and can't be deleted. While you can add multiple devices to your cloud storage plan, I couldn't find a way to currently view details about each specific camera within the plan. I understand the Ring developers are aware of these issues, so I'm hoping for improved software in the near future.
With the recent windy days around my house, I woke up to find the backyard Spotlight camera light enabled. After some discussion with Ring technical support, I realized that motion sense settings for the light are completely separate from the motion sensor function that initiates video recording. The app doesn't clearly indicate that the settings for these two motion sensor functions are unrelated.
As I posted this blog entry, I read that Amazon just purchased the Ring company. I'm hoping that Ring continues to expand and improve their security camera offerings. Perhaps in the future, Amazon will integrate Ring home security features with its remote door lock function (Amazon Key) to assist package delivery.
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