Mexican cellular security camera

[Journeyman]

Anybody using a cellular modem connection in Mexico to support a wireless router for a Wi-Fi interfaced security camera?

I'd like to use my AT&T "Mexico Roam" data account to remotely monitor the boat while in the USA.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[zeehag]

have yet to feel the need for that kind of security monitoring.
my boat and i have been safer here than in usa.

[zeehag]

sorry, but wifi isnt good enough to allow me to edit, and you want WHAT with these systemlesses???
let me know what marina you are in so i can use a different marina wifi for my communication needs.

[zeehag]

sorry i was not able to edit due to wifi fail. and you want WHAT in mexico?? figger on unreliability factor, biig time.

[SVTwilight]

If you have wifi at the marna you may wish to try that since you will not incur cellular data charges.

Video takes a lot of bandwidth and will eat up a cellular plan pretty fast.

Plan to use a lowered resolution and lowered frame rate on the camera for best results. No one needs full motion 25/30 frames per second video unless you are a casino trying to catch fast moving cheaters.

5-7 frames per second is enough to see what is happening and may still be too fast for any wifi and certainly any Mexican cell connection.

1-3 frames per second is likely to be all you can expect, but should be more than enough. Still, that will eat through a data plan.

1 frame per minute or per hour will give you the state of the boat, but wont catch anyone in the middle of nefarious activities.

Whatever camera you get will not likely work worth a damn at night. Night vision is a special case.

There are outdoor and indoor cameras. Neither works well in the other environment.

[rthompsona]

One other option you may wish to consider is to set up an old laptop with monitoring software on board. Most cameras can trigger recording when they sense motion. You can use something like logmein to access the laptop and look at either current or historical footage. It is nice if you want to see how things got messed up

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Journeyman

Anybody using a cellular modem connection in Mexico to support a wireless router for a Wi-Fi interfaced security camera?

I'd like to use my AT&T "Mexico Roam" data account to remotely monitor the boat while in the USA.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Journeyman,

We rely upon an international cellular based monitoring system [with internal back-up battery and GPS] from Siren Marine while on and away from our vessel. [But we haven't installed any cameras- more below...]

Of course, it is only useful when it [and your mobile phone] has a cell signal.

For instance, we actively monitor 24/7/365:

• Temperature inside the boat
• Bilge pump cycles and duration
• High water alarm (in bilge) [based upon sensor placement]
• Intruder detection [We use motion detectors, but pressure mats, canvas snap switches, sliding hatch contacts, etc. are available]
• House battery bank voltage [we can set hi/lo notification thresholds]
• Shore power on or off [set to notify if off]
• Location [and it will notify us if the boat has moved, and track it if so; we set those parameters]
• It also allows us to control 2 electrical circuits [AC or DC- via relay] remotely via cell phone [e.g., We currently turn on our deck lights and/or main cabin lights as we depart/approach the vessel. They shut off automatically after a user configurable period- currently 3 minutes.]

[More details in our blog post linked below...]

You can turn all those functions on and off as needed, and set parameters as well- all remotely via your cell phone.

If you are interested, here is our blog post about our install with many more details and the device specs- and how it already paid for itself last year alone...

This unit is remotely programmable and configurable, so it lends itself well to long distance applications. I wouldn't be without this functionality now that I have had the pleasure...

RE: Cameras:
We haven't installed any cameras yet. But they could either be activated as part of the intrusion detection circuit logic [we use motion detectors...] or we could use cameras with their own motion detection. When such a camera is activated, it could be set up to send an alert through the device. [e.g., 'Camera 1 Recording' or whatever message you program...]

Camera data [still or stream] would require separate internet access [the SIM in the unit is SMS only] or cameras could just be a local recording device.

In case this is of interest.

Cheers!

Bill

[tankersteve]

Journeyman,

What are you attempting to monitor?

Is it in the water and you are curious about local conditions? There are probably better ways to obtain this info.

Concerned about theft? If theft, what do you plan to do if your system notifies you of someone on the boat? Do you have local contacts with authorities who have committed to helping you?

Just looking for a bit of information on what you have done before and hope to gain here.

Tankersteve

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by tankersteve

Journeyman,

What are you attempting to monitor?

Is it in the water and you are curious about local conditions? There are probably better ways to obtain this info.

Concerned about theft? If theft, what do you plan to do if your system notifies you of someone on the boat? Do you have local contacts with authorities who have committed to helping you?

Just looking for a bit of information on what you have done before and hope to gain here.

Tankersteve

as this wifi bandwidth sucking plan of yours will affect the wifi of everyone else in marina, ie, no one else will be able to use it while you are sucking up bandwidth,
and, as it is safer in the marinas here than in usa, and as you will not be able to respond to any thing shown, not shown or otherwise, please refrain from hogging ALL bandwidth in mexico.
i suggest you use a nice 3g plan to transmit your whimsical plan. avoid the marina wifi, as the bandwidth is so low that folks will be upset with the sudden loss of connections. the goal here us to make friends not alienate them.

ps.... what marina is it you plan on stealing all wifi from, so i can avoid that place, as most of us use wifi for mere communication with friends and family, weather sites, arrangements for travel, and other insignificant uses.

perhaps there is an alternative to the wifi system crippling activity you choose to entertain...
bribe a neighbor to watch n send pictures, some other way than bandwidth abuse of wimpy marina systems.

havent you read enough complaints about mexiwifi yet????

why not get a satfone service for this, as mexican wifi hasnt the ablity to support simple daily use, much less support a constant drain situation.

i realize that, as a usa resident, you have no understanding of wifi FAIL, you would consider entertaining this plan. HOWEVER, not everywhere is granted unlimited service. mexico grants 3 gb monthly.
you will find your alloted 3 gb banda ancha service for 399 pesos will not make the month required before renewal.
i believe, had you ever attempted to use mexiwifi, you would not be trying to figger how to usurp every gb granted to the marina for their system to use for everyone. this is a huge problem here.

and, what do you figger on doing about the need to reset your gb usurping system when a reset is required.....which will be frequently.

just a few thoughts from the reality of mexican wifi..
might consider a usa cell plan. you will be returning every 6 months or become illegal in mexico, so a usa cell plan will be better than use of our inferior mexican wifi.
doesnt at ant t have 6 month allowance for their mexico plan?? is better connectivity, why not use that service for your monitoring??. you MUST return every 6 months for visa anyway.....

[Journeyman]

Settle down zeehag. You need a course in telecom 101. Wi-fi interfaced cellular modems have nothing to do with Marina wi-fi or any other public or private wi-fi. It's just a personal wi-fi connection to my personal cellular account via the embedded wi-fi interface in the modem. No impact on other wi-fi networks. Incidentally 1 GB/month is now free for AT&T users.

[Journeyman]

Wrwakefield, thanks for the solid input. I'll check out Siren and your blog. Priorities are first bilge pump and electrical alerts, second would be the odd photo snaps of dock lines and slip conditions, which would have been priceless when hurricaine Odile ran over the boat in 2014.

[Sailing55]

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if it is possible to determine just how much bandwidth Zee has usurped, stolen, and deprived others of with her lengthy diatribes regarding using a lot of bandwidth for selfish purposes?

Just curious...

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by morven55

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if it is possible to determine just how much bandwidth Zee has usurped, stolen, and deprived others of with her lengthy diatribes regarding using a lot of bandwidth for selfish purposes?

Just curious...

using my selfishly purchazed 3 gb for 399 pesos telcel 3g service. is called banda ancha, btw.

wifi here in this marina has not functioned since patricia.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by zeehag

using my selfishly purchazed 3 gb for 399 pesos telcel 3g service. is called banda ancha, btw.

wifi here in this marina has not functioned since patricia.

You are still using bandwidth, thereby depriving someone else...or at best slowing it down.

Don't be so critical of others...all I was saying.

[zeehag]

one solution to your issue could be a chromebook. they come with ability to hook up to a usa service either verizon or at and t.
that may give you the platform needed for your plan.... they are inexpensive, 300 to purchase.
they donot freeze like windoze.