re: General security camera discussion (was "Unifi Protect security cameras")

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If it’s twice as reliable as Protect, I may even buy it!

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If the code I've written in the past is any indication, the first feature will work really well, and then the confidence from that will cause me to add subsequent features too quickly and the rest of it will be half-baked. This will be my first open source project, though, so I will try to take on more of a management role and let real programmers do the hard stuff.

Any reolink fans have success connecting one of their wireless cams to one of their NVR's? Their website says its possible with some cams and nvrs, but real world experience would be nice.

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G4 PTZ for my buddy at his farm.

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I’m fairly certain if you get the angle right, you can watch the sperm enter the egg with that thing.



I really wanted to use 1-2 of these at home, but I thought they would look pretty bad on my house, and I thought I may be able to get a license plate reading with my g4p (at the distance from my house to the road, I can make out formatting and intermittently get letters, but no such luck at actually pulling numbers off plates)

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I’m fairly certain if you get the angle right, you can watch the sperm enter the egg with that thing.

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Hopeful Doc

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Hahahahahah....that is a great analogy...my buddy was able to zoom across the majority of the field and was able to identify a cow in the pasture based off the look...it was way TF out there...he was impressed and said he'd definitely be getting another one for up there...just said make sure not to tell his wife how much they cost!...lol

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I’m probably right at 40-45 from where plates come into view. I’ve gone to the full 3x zoom and left it there for a day or so just to see if I could do it. I cannot.

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Yeah I just did a strict pixel calc. At that zoom and distance you will capture less light (so more motion blur), small vibrations in the camera can blur pixels, and at that range the angle and such have to be even more perfect. You can probably cut it in half to get a more realistic best-case range to read plates.

maybe they should work on actually getting products instead of announcing new products that wont be in stock either.

Technically an Access question rather than a Protect question, and I think the only person I can actually ask is shawnlsu, but let’s pretend for a minute that someone had a moderately neurotic wife and a unifi rack.
Let’s say that same wife really likes to know the garage door is closed.
Let’s say $500 and sweat is a small price to pay to not listen to wife’s neuroticism


Would putting a UA-Pro on the garage be able to let me view it live from the Access app +/- open/close the garage door when necessary? I currently have a meross smart opener, but I don’t love it- it sometimes doesn’t update HomeKit (directly connected accessory) on the open/close status which I think would work better with the contact sensor in the Unifi app. I currently can see a corner of the garage door on one of my Protect cameras, but it sometimes can be questionable whether the door is open/closed there- it’s not a great picture of it.

Regardless of whether I do this or not, I would probably eventually put a Flex in the garage about as far away from the door as it can go to view the interior of the garage and the door. And maybe I should just wait and do this. But…toys seem fun. And she’s intrigued by the idea, and it would be a nice way to let folks in/out of the house (we, super-securely, leave the door to the garage unlocked at all times. I half want to get a nice no-cut electric strike and put access on that door, too, but that’s another pipe dream altogether. I saw a video of a guy powering multiple doors from one hub, I don’t think he’s able to separate the pro and lite readers triggering of doors. So it would be the same as leaving the door unlocked from a security standpoint, unless you happen to know I’m mistaken there).

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I hate battery powered things as much as you do but I can't think of a better way to power a lock.

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I would bet nearly every door has a switch on a nearby wall, one stud or less away. Or at least 75% of entry doors in America. So, I think whoever develops the first deadbolt that charges wirelessly could sell a ton of new-install kits and a fair amount of retrofit kits.


There is a solution for a powered handle that I’ve come across in my deep dive. They jump power over the hinge and then either through a hollow door (interior, office) or could be run fairly discretely with some decorative conduit/raceway.



My problem is the lack of innovation in something that is begging for it. I don’t even want rights to something like this. Anyone alive: create a deadbolt that draws power from a powered hinge. Give me a 120v plug or hardwire from a switch box option. I’ll pay you. Or a wireless charging one that charges from the strike. I’ll pay even more.



This is why I like Access so much. But there isn’t a consumer deadbolt option with Access that’s really practical (mag lock, even if sightly, requires motion sensor for exit or it’s a fire hazard. Which means throwing the breaker opens your door. You can secondarily lock it. But then you sort of defeat most benefits of a smart lock

The deadbolts that exist typically hide in the frame and penetrate the door, either from top/bottom, but I suppose the side could work (it would be a big project on a wooden door frame and seems like a strictly commercial solution unless someone can point me elsewhere)

Powered latches seem great. But then you don’t have a deadbolt. The routing actually isn’t horrible. The “no cut” strikes would require a little routing, but not bad. But I don’t want a handle-latch only option.

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You're talking about wireless charging over a multi-foot air gap, correct?

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No way! I’m talking about a contact charger like is used in cell phones. It doesn’t take a ton of work to drill out the deadbolt “pocket” similar to a powered strike. I’m talking about like a 12v powered strike that transmits power to the deadbolt whose mechanical “guts” are like all the consumer wifi deadbolts (retrofit onto the door)

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It might be feasible for a new install if someone would develop a PoE system. I think it would be fricking fantastic if you could run a cat6 to the door to power a switch device in the wall cavity, which could in turn power a video doorbell as well as Qi chargers in the frame to keep your deadbolt, latch, and maybe even automated blinds charged up.

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That’s exactly the sort of thing I had in mind. It would even be decent as a retrofit if thought of right. You cut a 1 or 2 gang hole in the drywall at latch-level, you hop power over from a wall switch (2-gang option for if you have to drill a stud to get there, then you wire over to the latch of the deadbolt a wireless charger and then some external camera/reader/sensor, and then you have it all running from a little “hub” that goes on the 1 or 2 gang wall plate that would, for instance, allow you to lock/unlock all doors. Alternatives- tiny external viewer screen + “smart” hub. Alternative- security-type keypad that would allow you to enter temporary passwords (in the setting of a deadbolt with keyphrases)


In that scenario, I think a retrofit works, but you sort of would need a device with function that fits into the hole required into the drywall.

As half baked as this sounds, you can tell why I’m not in product development.