Make a phone into a sky ell

Community Playground General Discussions
1

Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2

[quote=“Bboy486, post:1, topic:185851”]Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Do you have the IP camera running to any software? Right now I use BlueIris for my ip cameras and it will handle notifications and recording and all. Do you have anything similar?

3

Yea I have IP cams but this camera is an older android phone that I am using as a camera. I don’t use blue iris as a computer is not part of my setup.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

4

[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:2, topic:185851”][quote=“Bboy486, post:1, topic:185851”]Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Do you have the IP camera running to any software? Right now I use BlueIris for my ip cameras and it will handle notifications and recording and all. Do you have anything similar?[/quote]

Does Blue iris, forward video to a mobile device on WAN and bring up 2 way audio between the mobile device and the camera?
That is what “Sky Bell” does.

5

[quote=“Jamr, post:4, topic:185851”][quote=“integlikewhoa, post:2, topic:185851”][quote=“Bboy486, post:1, topic:185851”]Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Do you have the IP camera running to any software? Right now I use BlueIris for my ip cameras and it will handle notifications and recording and all. Do you have anything similar?[/quote]

Does Blue iris, forward video to a mobile device on WAN and bring up 2 way audio between the mobile device and the camera?
That is what “Sky Bell” does.[/quote]

Yes, also provides motion detection as skybell does. But Unlike skybell you have have alot better picture and recording.

6

[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:5, topic:185851”][quote=“Jamr, post:4, topic:185851”][quote=“integlikewhoa, post:2, topic:185851”][quote=“Bboy486, post:1, topic:185851”]Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Do you have the IP camera running to any software? Right now I use BlueIris for my ip cameras and it will handle notifications and recording and all. Do you have anything similar?[/quote]

Does Blue iris, forward video to a mobile device on WAN and bring up 2 way audio between the mobile device and the camera?
That is what “Sky Bell” does.[/quote]

Yes, also provides motion detection as skybell does. But Unlike skybell you have have alot better picture and recording.[/quote]

Nice. How does it notify the mobile device?

7

[quote=“Jamr, post:6, topic:185851”][quote=“integlikewhoa, post:5, topic:185851”][quote=“Jamr, post:4, topic:185851”][quote=“integlikewhoa, post:2, topic:185851”][quote=“Bboy486, post:1, topic:185851”]Hi,

I was looking at the skybell doorbell and I realized that it is basically a ip cam that is triggered on motion and also has a bell function. I can do without the bell but I was wondering how I can use an android phone to mimic a skybell.

I have the cam working fine but am having trouble trying to find something that will alert me on motion detection. The android apps I have been testing are separate from the camera function.

Ideally if I could complete the system and allow for video replies that would be good but not needed.

I would like to do this without purchasing a separate motion sensor as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Do you have the IP camera running to any software? Right now I use BlueIris for my ip cameras and it will handle notifications and recording and all. Do you have anything similar?[/quote]

Does Blue iris, forward video to a mobile device on WAN and bring up 2 way audio between the mobile device and the camera?
That is what “Sky Bell” does.[/quote]

Yes, also provides motion detection as skybell does. But Unlike skybell you have have alot better picture and recording.[/quote]

Nice. How does it notify the mobile device?[/quote]

BlueIris app for iphone or andriod. Can be setup with multiple devices, has built in geofence, notifications/alerts.

http://blueirissoftware.com/mobile/

A push icon /popup is setup when motion is detected which you click on to bring up the camera and audio stream.

8

Is it 2 way audio or just a stream from the camera?

9

2 way audio if your camera has 2 way audio. I used to use a foscam with 2 way audio, but have scrapped it for something better.
Hikvision.

I have around 8 cameras around the house including one on the porch. I had alot of Foscams in the beginning, but they been dying off one by one. I got the Skybell to test out but returned it after and week do to the fact it was 200.00 I already had cameras which were way better quality and serve more then one purpose vs. a doorbell only.

The Doorbell works good for someone without cameras or willing to wire up anything. The skybell just replaces the 2 wire doorbell. So it has a purpose, but just wasn’t for me.

10

Interesting.

I do have BlueIris for my two internal house cameras. I tried Skybell and it simply did not meet my needs as I posted in this forum already.

With that said you are saying that I could buy a camera, install it at my front door and use it like I would with Skybell. I would like to understand more about that. Is this how the setup would look like?

I install the door sensor e.g. Everspring to my existing button door bell which then could trigger certain scenes or actions. The BlueIris software would detect motion and could also trigger certain scenes or action.

How could I talk to any person in front of my house then? I would need a camera which A) supports 2 way audio B) an app on my Android phone to allow this 2 way communication.

I see a couple of ideas but I am not sure what the best way would be to go about that and more importantly to find out which camera is supported by Vera + really has good 2 way audio communication. The Foscams I have do have audio but the quality is fair at best.

11

[quote=“Pseudomizer, post:10, topic:185851”]Interesting.

I do have BlueIris for my two internal house cameras. I tried Skybell and it simply did not meet my needs as I posted in this forum already.

With that said you are saying that I could buy a camera, install it at my front door and use it like I would with Skybell. I would like to understand more about that. Is this how the setup would look like?

I install the door sensor e.g. Everspring to my existing button door bell which then could trigger certain scenes or actions. The BlueIris software would detect motion and could also trigger certain scenes or action.

How could I talk to any person in front of my house then? I would need a camera which A) supports 2 way audio B) an app on my Android phone to allow this 2 way communication.

I see a couple of ideas but I am not sure what the best way would be to go about that and more importantly to find out which camera is supported by Vera + really has good 2 way audio communication. The Foscams I have do have audio but the quality is fair at best.[/quote]

With Blueiris every camera is supported by VERA. Which if you read my threads I have removed all cameras from VERA as there is no needed to have them in VERA.

Blueiris APP (9.99 for Android or ios) and a camera that has 2 way audio (might want to check with BI and make sure that camera works in BI) will give you everything you need. BI software detects motion and can notify you via the BI app push notification. BI app can launch to open that camera and you can hear and speak to the camera.

BI can trigger an HTTP command and VERA via scenes or PLEG can (limited) send BI http commands for a few things. So there is some two way triggers via HTTP between the two.

I have virtual motions in VERA that are trigger via BI detecting motions in the cameras. I also have VERA home and away changing modes in BI for recording purposes.

I too played with skybell and was dissapointed but I already had cameras setup before hand, motion detection and alert notifications (via vera alerts) for things like motion on my lawn in the driveway and front porch (all these notifications stop if either me or the wife is home or I have activated a manual guest is at my home switch).
My guess is that I had to much already compared to people that have nothing setup and I thought it was pointless for a 200.00 that has poor motion detection and camera with no integration into VERA. Now with BI server (I use it for PLEX and other things too) plus my cameras, vera and everything else that goes into my techy house 200.00 seems like nothing. And for my other friends that have no vera or camera systems maybe that 200.00 doorbell is all they need. But I was not impressed.

12

Great. Thanks a lot for this feedback.

Two more questions:

A) which cameras do you recommend for a proper resolution including night vision with motion detection but now more importantly proper audio quality for outdoors?
B) How do you handle the doorbell? Do you use the Everspring contact to trigger? Yes, i could use motion alarm but then my door bell would become useless.

13

[quote=“Pseudomizer, post:12, topic:185851”]Great. Thanks a lot for this feedback.

Two more questions:

A) which cameras do you recommend for a proper resolution including night vision with motion detection but now more importantly proper audio quality for outdoors?
B) How do you handle the doorbell? Do you use the Everspring contact to trigger? Yes, i could use motion alarm but then my door bell would become useless.[/quote]

A) your asking for to much. LOL Outdoor and a true PIR are tough. Motion via Blueiris works great if you don’t have shadows of trees and glaring sun blinding out your view. Everyone’s porch is different. Audio quality not foscam!

B) I don’t use a door bell for several reasons. One if you have motion why do you need to know if they pressed the button. You’ll get motion before they even get to the bell. And half the people knock and ignore the door bell anyways. UPS guy likes to drop the package and maybe knock if I’m lucky. Basiclly you could tie in the door bell like you have said with a door sensor and a relay. But I have yet to find the point if you have motion setup properly.

Now motion setup properly:

  1. PLEG is the logic for everything.
  2. If I just opened my exterior door within the last 3min or just arrived home don’t send me a notification that there is motion on the front porch. (there is a bit more logic to cover things like me taking out the trash, playing in the front yard and few other things. (some of these have to do with if the door was just opened and the front yard or porch motion keeps tripping then don’t send notifications until everything settles for more then 5 mins or so) So bacisly if IM in the house for a few min and someone walks up to the door I get a notification, if someone walks up to the porch while I’m gone I get a notification also.

I get people dropping business cards (landscaping or something) on the door that never ring the bell also.
What about someone snooping around to break in. You hope they first ring the bell right (and sometimes they do to make sure no one is home before they break in). So going back I don’t see why I need an alert for motion and bell. Motion covers everything.

14

How do you setup pleg and what can it do that I can’t do with Vera? I am unfamiliar with it. Also I use IP Cam Pro and it has two way audio but the foscams audio is atrocious. It seems you are really taking Vera out of the equation. I use the drop am plugin and motion sensors (from the camera and wemos) to sent photos to my Dropbox account but it doesn’t really do video. Seems like BI does but it just cost $10

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

15

[quote=“Bboy486, post:14, topic:185851”]How do you setup pleg and what can it do that I can’t do with Vera? I am unfamiliar with it. Also I use IP Cam Pro and it has two way audio but the foscams audio is atrocious. It seems you are really taking Vera out of the equation. I use the drop am plugin and motion sensors (from the camera and wemos) to sent photos to my Dropbox account but it doesn’t really do video. Seems like BI does but it just cost $10

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

PLEG is “PROGRAM LOGIC EVENT GENERATOR” plugin for vera. It replaces vera scenes since scenes are so limited with if/and/or options.

BI app for your phone is 10.00 but BI server software is 40 bucks on ebay or 59.00 retail from BlueIris.com. It installs on a computer thats runs 24/7 and does all the recording, motion and other options. BI app for phones or tablets are in the google play or apple app store for 10.00 and lets you connect your phone to the server at home for remote viewing with a app vs. web browser.

16

With Blueiris every camera is supported by VERA. Which if you read my threads I have removed all cameras from VERA as there is no needed to have them in VERA.

What do you mean every cam is supported? You cannot interface with BI in Vera though right? So you need to use BI for your security interface?

Blueiris APP (9.99 for Android or ios) and a camera that has 2 way audio (might want to check with BI and make sure that camera works in BI) will give you everything you need. BI software detects motion and can notify you via the BI app push notification. BI app can launch to open that camera and you can hear and speak to the camera.

Wonder if this works with Amazon.com

BI can trigger an HTTP command and VERA via scenes or PLEG can (limited) send BI http commands for a few things. So there is some two way triggers via HTTP between the two.

Do you have anyway to show how you do this? This is very interesting. I would like the camera motion detection and my other motion sensors to all work together.

I have virtual motions in VERA that are trigger via BI detecting motions in the cameras. I also have VERA home and away changing modes in BI for recording purposes.

Now with BI server (I use it for PLEX and other things too) plus my cameras, vera and everything else that goes into my techy house 200.00 seems like nothing.

I have a similar setup but I'm just trying to figure out if BI does everything i need.

[/quote]

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17

Neither Ring nor Sky bell work with BI.
Sky bell is not for somebody who is security concerned and I posted that in this forum already.

I am now using BI with my front door cam, 3 tablets which get triggered by motion from BI and Tasker launches the BI app on the tablet with ring tones.

The BI app does offer two way audio and I would strongly recommend to check which camera is supported with BI and which of those has a decent two way audio.

I am using Foscam dome and their audio sucks. Their support even advised me that if it doesn’t meet my needs to ship it back.

Other than that this setup is fine.

I am going to post my setup on my website soon in case anybody wants to copy that setup.

18

I’m curious of your finding on other cameras. I have Hikvisions but without audio. I have tested and used Foscams audio in the past and man did it blow. I’m curious if the others are perfect. near perfect or just slightly better then the crappy foscams?