The first way

How to make a DIY action camera (use an old phone)

First, you need to launch the application on the phone and copy its data: IP address and port number. These values ​​should be entered into the program on the computer. Thus, the two devices will find each other and interact.

To start broadcasting, you just need to press the “Start” button and the recording will begin. The smartphone will work even when the screen is locked. It is best to keep the phone constantly on charge so as not to lose connection. The program on the PC also has the ability to control the camera: adjust the flash, take screenshots, and zoom in or out of the image.

This option can be a way to make a CCTV camera out of a phone. However, consider another option.

How to make a CCTV camera from a phone. methods and advice

In the age of modern technology, there are a huge number of different devices. It sounds very mysterious that the purpose of one can be reproduced by another apparatus. Today it is possible to make a CCTV camera from an old phone. Of course, not from any, but only from a smartphone, even if it is cheap. The main thing. the presence of a camera in it that will broadcast the image to the computer.

Options for using your phone as a camera

• Tracking a small child and his condition. We can say that the camera in this case acts as a nanny.
• Tracking food preparation. For example, do not miss when the water boils or a dish is cooked.
• Monitoring activities inside the house.
• Watching your yard.
• Vehicle safety tracking.

Second way

The possibilities of this option are similar to the previous one: you can adjust the scale, take photos, adjust the flash. You can also record videos, but the recording is done for a maximum of 120 minutes and then interrupted to save memory. As in the previous paragraph, broadcasting is possible even when the phone display is locked. The addition will be the recording of sound when broadcasting video. The IP Webcam software is purchased from the Play Market. It will be another solution to the question of how to make a video surveillance camera from a phone.

The connection diagram is the same as in previous programs: you should enter the data of one device to another, and also connect them to the same network. After synchronization, the remote broadcast will work in full.

Useful Tips

Of course, many are worried about how to make a video surveillance camera out of an old phone. However, not everyone thinks through their actions to the smallest detail. Let’s consider the main ones:

When equipping a smartphone as a camera, you should provide it with uninterrupted power supply, as well as continuous communication with the network to which the computer is connected. The smartphone will take a long time to work, so its battery will require a lot of power.

This article covered the basic and effective ways to make a video surveillance camera out of a phone. Such improvisation of devices will save on special devices, which are many times more expensive.

Helper apps

Programs for creating a video surveillance device from a smartphone can be free, paid, or shareware. The download is often free, using the simplest level is also mostly free, but the availability of more advanced features requires the purchase of a premium account. Among the paid options:

• the ability to enlarge the received picture;
• lack of advertising;
• the ability to connect multiple receiving devices, including those with different accounts;
• disable access to the receiving smartphone through the camera phone;
• automatic audio and video recording capabilities.

For these purposes, you can use the following programs:

• TrackView (“Surveillance and Security”). The program is free and notifies not only about movement near the camera, but also about suspicious sounds, while starting an automatic recording. Videos are recorded on Google Drive, so you don’t have to pay for storage. Paid premium access, among other things, allows disabling ads and disabling access to the camera of the receiving smartphone through the old one.
• AtHome has two different parts to be installed on the two gadgets you use. The program is free. When making a paid subscription, it becomes possible to view the image from multiple devices and store the recordings in the cloud.
• IP Webcam is distinguished by the presence of many settings and integration with different services, it can both record video (stored directly on the phone) and conduct online broadcasts.
• WardenCam offers free HD videos. In the presence of a special planner, in which you can specify when the owner of the house. During this time, the program will not respond to movement.
• Manything allows you to program ways to monitor sounds and videos. You can, for example, schedule a recording after leaving home. With a paid subscription, you can connect multiple cameras and record video to cloud storage.
• Alfred is a universal program with a simple interface. If necessary, allows access to monitoring for other users. Paid version without disables ads and gives you the ability to manage image quality.

Hidden camera from an old smartphone

Despite the convenience, not everyone can afford to install a video surveillance camera at home. The reason is the price and complexity of the equipment. How to solve such a problem without extra costs and how an old smartphone will help with this, it will be useful to find out for everyone interested in this issue.

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Purpose of use

The camera created in this way can be used:

• as a baby monitor;
• when leaving home: as a surveillance camera for security purposes;
• to observe other people;
• to monitor the cooking process: if you are not in the kitchen all the time.

How to make a camera

To mount a video surveillance camera with your own hands, you just need to have a smartphone with IOS or Android OS. Almost any model will do, the main thing is that there is a video camera and it works. Algorithm of actions:

• find an old smartphone;
• install the appropriate application on it;
• install the same application on the gadget from which the surveillance will be conducted;
• register and log into both applications under one account: Google, Dropbox, etc.;
• in the settings of the downloaded program, designate the old smartphone as a video camera, and the other device as the receiving one;
• install your new CCTV camera in the right place and enjoy the work of your creation.

The two selected devices may have different operating systems. The main thing is to have the application installed on them.

With the help of the created device, you can not only observe what is happening in the controlled place. Many applications provide the ability to receive notifications if there is some movement near the camera, and often they record events at this moment.

Features of the

Despite the convenience of such a device, it is important to remember some of the nuances:

• a smartphone that serves as a camera will quickly lose charge, so you need to connect it to a DC source or to a portable battery;
• video quality is highly dependent on the quality of the Internet: there may be malfunctions or signal delays;
• if the Internet is weak, it makes sense to launch image transmission through the front camera, which has a lower resolution and, accordingly, is “easier” to transfer;
• if you need to watch at night, make sure that the installed application allows this opportunity.

Having an old smartphone, with modern software, you have every chance to create a convenient video surveillance system at no extra cost.

Ways to use a phone camera

To begin with, a mobile device with a camera is a real scanner. He can easily recognize whole text (in Russian or English), as well as a barcode and QR code (that is, a “two-dimensional” barcode, which can even be followed by a link).

True, high accuracy can be achieved only when recognizing small paragraphs.

Using our device, we can easily orient ourselves in an unfamiliar area, find the right street or cafe. Coordinates of nearby buildings and even descriptions of landmarks can be superimposed on the camera image in real time.

This is called augmented reality. The technology is actively used in Google Glass and looks pretty impressive.

Once abroad, we can translate a street name or sign on a sign simply by pointing our phone camera at them. Translation is possible even from languages ​​such as Arabic or Korean.

It is worth remembering, though, that machine translation is often quite specific. This feature is excellently implemented on Android: Google Translate recognizes over 40 languages.

Similar capabilities of platforms such as Windows Phone 8 and iOS are still limited.

If we like taking pictures, we can try to make a spherical panorama. The camera of our mobile device can also be easily used as a web-camera.

Another cool feature: recognizing business cards and transferring them to memory. Now all business cards can be stored on the phone.

Game lovers are invited to augment reality with virtual objects (for example, from Minecraft). Those who prefer to take pictures of the schedule and other text entries can put pictures in separate folders and assign tags to them.

Now let’s try to figure out how you can use the camera of the device, which is already outdated.

What can be done from a cell phone camera

Cameras of modern smartphones shoot no worse than the so-called “soap boxes”, not to mention the fact that last year there was a real boom of camera phones.

Let’s talk about what you can do with your phone camera. In addition to shooting, we can use it for many other useful tasks.

How you can turn your phone into a video surveillance system

Despite the fact that it sounds rather unusual, from an old mobile device with a working camera, you can make a system that will deal with video surveillance.

• To do this, we assemble a stabilization unit. It will power the phone. A mains transformer will do. Please note that its current strength should not exceed 800 mA, and the voltage should be from 3.5 to 4 V.
• On the radio market, it is easy to purchase a multi-core heat-resistant wire with fluoroplastic insulation, that is, MGTF. It is best to buy really a lot of wires (according to the number of contacts of the video module).
• Now we are dismantling our mobile device and looking at contacts. You will need a soldering iron with a sharp tip to handle the miniature parts. For each contact of the video module, about 10 meters of MGTF wire are used.
• For example, if there are 15 contacts, you will need 150 meters of wire. We solder it to the contacts and fix it with silicone. We connect the other end of the wire to the connector of the device on the device.
• We place the resulting equipment in an absolutely sealed and completely insulated plastic case (for example, from a web camera). We install the camera, and leave the power supply and the phone at home. We turn on our device.
• If your phone has a memory card slot, you can record videos. It is also allowed to connect the phone to a PC. Scotch tape and epoxy are usually used to mount such a camera.