PSIDecember2018

TEST
system for various scenarios such as being away,
at home, in bed etc.
Being a ‘smart’ compatible system the kit can
work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and
IFTTT and also other D-Link products such as
sensors and plugs. Each kit comes complete with
twelve months of 14-day cloud storage (valued at
49.99) for free which is just one of the various
methods of storing recordings along with microSD
card, phone memory or USB hard drive in the back
of the hub.
Daytime in sunshine
Hardware
The cameras are the main attraction of the system
being easy to set up and configure. The simplicity
of installation is essentially down to the use of
batteries in the units rather than any power/PoE
cabling. With battery power comes the flexibility
of being able to move the cameras around when
required and IP65 rating means they are capable
of indoor or outdoor use. It is this feature that
complements the use of magnetic mounts for the
cameras - this also allows for easy removal of the
unit for charging the internal battery.
Daytime in bad weather
Performance
The system is certainly ‘smart’ having all of the
typical functionality that you would expect of a
modern Wi-Fi enabled, cloud storing CCTV
system, but this time bolstered by the added
portability benefits brought by battery powered
cameras.
The 1080p Full HD cameras worked well in
sunny conditions, surprisingly competently at
night and coped admirably on dark rainy days
with a shaded visitor (see images). As with any
camera, positioning is a key consideration but
aided here by the mobility available from being
wire-free, it is not a problem with this kit.
The packaging claims that the built-in IR will
enable night viewing up to 25ft which is probably
at the top end of what can be seen on the screen
but the motion detection does appear to work
that far out. Identification is up to around 8-10ft.
Battery life is affected by the amount of ‘live’
viewing carried out and the frequency that motion
triggers the unit into life. We found that dropping
the sensitivity of the cameras down to 5% took
out unwanted events from moving bushes etc, but
whether the reported ‘up to six months’ battery
life is attainable will depend on unit activity.
Conclusion
The kit contains very capable cameras with all of
the functionality you would expect from a modern
app-driven cloud CCTV system from a company
with a history in the networked technology arena.
www.psimagazine.co.uk
IR night mode
The use of rechargeable batteries for the
cameras is probably the game changer here and
this is the first time that we have seen battery
units allowing ‘live’ viewing, but obviously at the
cost of battery life.
We suspect that the lack of instructions included
within the kit means that the company is aiming the
kit at the app-using generation but it would be
useful to have some potted instructions on how to
set-up the basics. For example, the use of batteries
in the cameras is going to be the takeaway for the
industry on this product and it’s extremely likely we
will see similar launches from other manufacturers,
yet for battery systems to perform efficiently
without needing regular charging, correct motion
detection configuration is going to be a major factor,
something that could have been outlined in some
instructions/advice notes.
So would the installer use this kit? Well, the
freedom of battery power will appeal in providing
a swift install, but for the RRP of almost £450 with
additional cameras priced at £243.76 each
(Tekshop247.com) there are probably other
systems you would specify. For external areas
where cabling is an issue however, this kit would
offer a good quality solution for anyone happy to
run their CCTV through an app.
The kit contains very
capable cameras with
all of the functionality
you would expect
from an app-driven
cloud CCTV system
8.0 out of 10
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