How to make a surveillance camera from a phone?

Of course, the purchase and installation of a full-fledged surveillance system could cost a pretty penny, but everything can be done much easier. for THESE purposes, you can use the camera of an old phone.

Minimum device requirements

The phone itself is not created in order to become a surveillance camera, and we are planning to use not even a new unit, but an old one. To use its capabilities with the expected effect, you should choose Not any cellular, but only the one that suits our purposes.

First of all, a mobile phone camera should shoot more or less decently. The choice of specific characteristics depends on what and for what purpose you plan to observe: for an alternative view of the surroundings, purely pleasure advice is enough for a simple camera of up to 2 megapixels, the same can be said about home surveillance, where all the most interesting happens in the immediate vicinity of the camera. so you can clearly see.

If you want to use a smartphone as a monitoring system for a car, which is located several floors below and slightly away from the building, and we expect that the camera will be able to capture the face of a possible intruder, options below 5 megapixels can not even be considered, and 5 is unlikely is enough.

In fact, almost the only way to design a surveillance system with your own hands is to use a modern smartphone. The fact is that in order for a gadget to acquire the functions of a webcam, you need to install third-party applications on it. They usually DO NOT differ in the impressive weight and load of the main resources of the device, but too old versions of Android are no longer supported.

Of course, you may be lucky with the software, but it is better not to use a version of the operating system lower than Android 4 for such purposes. there will be fewer glitches and unexpected crashes.

In addition to everything GoPro, you need to assess the functional state of the phone at the moment.

• Firstly, being in constant operation mode, it will use the battery. practice shows that even if it is completely worn out, even a direct connection to the mains does not always make the unit work.
• Secondly, you need to check the ability of the device to communicate with the computer in order to ensure proper observation from the outside. The connection is usually used either wireless. then you need to check the functionality of the module, or wired. then you should evaluate the functionality of the connectors and make sure in advance that there is an opportunity to establish contact.

In addition, the phone should be prepared for new features. If you do NOT plan to use it in any other way, it makes sense to reset the system to factory settings. this will delete all applications and other information as if you turned on the unit for the first time, and due to this, it should work flawlessly. After that, you should install the programs responsible for removing and transferring it, which we will talk about separately. In addition, you should also password-protect your mobile phone, otherwise anyone will either get access to the footage. Or it will be able to turn off surveillance at its discretion.

Additional components and system assembly

From the foregoing, we conclude that the phone occupies a central place in the Homemade surveillance system, but it is NOT limited to it alone. At the very least, you have to solve the problem with the power supply of the unit, therefore, the connection with other nodes of the system is often carried out through a cable. it does not only transmit. But also powers the cell.

However, if the entire system is located in place, it is possible to organize wireless signal transmission, for which the phone is simply connected to a power outlet with a charger. In this case, it is important to use a Wi-Fi wireless connection as the main communication channel, the speed of which is much higher than in ordinary mobile Internet.

When building a homemade surveillance system from your phone, you are unlikely to plan to look at the screen around the clock, and you can and will miss the moment of committing a crime. If that’s what you are doing, then you need to solve the problem of how to store. Even if you are ready to check the phone every day, writing everything to its own memory, it will be extremely inconvenient, and the memory may simply not be enough.

Finally, it is desirable to have remote access to the surveillance system. Today’s software allows you to do this from almost any gadget, be it a computer, tablet or even another smartphone. It is NOT excluded that for this the GoProgram, with which you track events, will have to be installed there, so for remote access you need to select the aggregate Not worse than the one used as observation.

Observation programs

The developers are constantly releasing something new, so it is NOT excluded that you have seen a program somewhere that will seem to you better than those offered by us. In this article we will consider only two options for monitoring programs, but they have been tested many times and are very popular, which speaks for itself.

The first option is called unpretentious, but logical. IP Webcam. The program interface is intuitive, its main window looks like a set of settings, which you choose to your liking. The “Start” button allows you to start broadcasting from the device camera to the paired one using a direct link that opens in the browser. Transfer priority. within the same Wi-Fi network, but there is an output to the entire Internet.

The standard set of functions is just as good, if not better, than a regular camera. In the browser window, you will see the image from the smartphone camera, and if everything is in order with the microphone, then you will hear the sounds. The program does NOT limit you only to the main camera of the device. if there is also a front camera, you can switch to it at any time.

You practically have all the same possibilities as if you were holding a smartphone in your hands. you can play with the zoom in, set the quality of the transmitted. Turn on the flash, even use filters for the picture, do not talk about saving photos and

Manything is a decent alternative program. This application does not have Russification, but there is another advantage: all the collected information is immediately sent to the cloud and stored there, so that if the camera is lost or damaged, the collected photos and materials will NOT go anywhere. This program also works for free, but at the same time there is a paid mode. it is useful in case you like the delivered experience and you want to connect several phones at once by creating a network.

Otherwise, the available functions are practically NOT different, although the interface looks a little different. First, you register in the system, and when you log into your account, it will ask how to use this device. as a camera or for viewing from other devices.

If you want to watch, the program will show you a list of all gadgets working in camera mode and connected to this account. Since when transferring information over mobile networks, the problem may be excessive traffic, and not provided for by the tariff plan, in the program settings you can set restrictions for this parameter in order to lower the quality of shooting.

To learn how to make a surveillance camera from your phone yourself, see below.

What is needed to connect the camera?

To properly connect to the surveillance camera and get a high-quality image, you will need:

• Connecting cables;
• Power supply unit.

A coaxial cable is most often used to connect an analog camera. It is connected to surveillance cameras, to a recorder or monitor. The cable must be of better quality. The quality of the connecting cable affects the operation of the system when the devices are located remotely.

Power to the recorder or camera can be supplied with any connecting wire. In this case, all equIPment will receive power from one source. It is best to use a wire that contains the power cord. The cable is connected to the camera using lead wires or connectors. The device requires software to operate. Its choice depends on the type of camera that is connected to the system.

Connecting a surveillance camera: the process of installing analog equIPment

For example, in a private house, it is planned to install cameras on the street. There are certain rules for this, and such equIPment has its own characteristics. Before connecting surveillance cameras, it is necessary to draft the system as a whole.

Analog cameras connection process

To connect an outdoor surveillance camera, you must follow the rules, which are provided for the installation of indoor surveillance equIPment. The most common mechanisms that connect to many control lines are analog cameras (can be compact). Analog cameras contain the following connectors:

• Red. for connecting the power supply;
• Two RCA connectors (called tulIPs).

RCA connectors Available in two colors:

• The yellow connector is for signal transmission;
• White connector. for audio signal transmission.

The color scheme may differ depending on the equIPment model. Any monitor (TV) can act as an image receiver.

Connect the camera to the monitor using a pair of RCA connecting cable. The output from the camera must be connected to the output of the TV, and the audio output is connected accordingly. You can select the right or left audio channel. The classic wire layout is shown as follows:

• The red wire of the device is a plus;
• Black wire is considered a minus;
• Yellow cable provides signal.

The camera connection diagram is as follows.

The output is connected to the central core of the coaxial cable connection. Plus and minus are connected accordingly. An RCA connector is screwed to the opposite end of the cable.

Recently, BNC connectors are more commonly used in modern equIPment.

Connecting Cameras to a Computer

When connecting the mechanism to a computer, it is possible to record the information received on a hard or removable disk. The advantage is the ability to program the device (for example, set up a specific time for the survey). There are three main ways to connect a device to a computer.

The capture board has up to 16 outputs. This number of outputs will provide connection of a whole surveillance complex. You can purchase specialized software bundled with the board. With its help, you can manage the system and expand its functional set.

You can connect the camera to a computer using a USB converter. This option is the most budgetary. With this type of connection, the analog signal can be converted to digital. A server is used to connect the device to a computer. With this mechanism, the received signal can be digitized, thereby improving the image quality.

IP cameras are also used to complete surveillance systems. With their help, you can control the events taking place online, through the world wide web. Connecting such devices allows you to view the image from any device (Android mobile phone, computer, laptop, etc.).