Received a couple of A9 video cameras I ordered - not very impressed with them, but they do the job I wanted them for, which is to replace the light sensor for controlling the Air-Source Heat Pump during winter.
For a start, they're very low bitrate, meaning they're useless for capturing much in the way of motion, but that's not really what I bought them for. Also the USB power inlet is at the bottom or the camera, which means you're limited in the positioning, as the cable gets in the way of sticking it on a flat, horizontal surface.
The supplied USB charging cables are pitifully short, so I had to find some that are at least half a metre long, although longer would have been better, as they need to be close to a domestic socket. The onboard battery is only good for about an hour, so they need to be permanently plugged in.
They have IR, but it's garbage - you can't see a thing at night.
One I've called WeatherCam, which is positioned upstairs, facing the northern sky (and a bit of the workshop roof). Not ideal, but the only available position with the cable length limitation.
The other I've called KittyCam, being a replacement for the video camera I used to have, but couldn't manage to reconnect after buying a new TV table (tried everything, but it just wouldn't reconnect).
While it's trained on where Kitty tends to sleep, it's a makeshift WeatherCam, as I can see whether the sun is streaming into the living room in the morning. However, on the strength of the two I purchased, I've ordered a couple more, along with 2m USB cables. They're not expensive - just over a tenner each.
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