Hey Guys,
New to the forum and smart things. I’ve been looking at a way to have the same functions of a door bell camera without the exorbitant costs of having items shipped to canada. The following are the options I came up with, any feedback would be appreciated:
Aeon doorbell + Smartthings integrated camera: Use the doorbell as the actual bell and have it trigger a ST camera. Are there any with audio?
Mulisensor on actual doorbell + Smartthings camera: Attach a multi sensor on the door bell which activates through vibration and in return activates the camera.
Now my question is, are there any ST camera that are relatively inexpensive and has 2 way audio? Does smartthings even support 2 way audio?
D-Link has some inexpensive and good cameras that work with SmartThings.( I have a DCS-5222L and it’s great. I like it better then all of my other cameras.) Some of them have two way audio, although I’m not sure about the outdoor ones. SmartThings does not support two way audio (D-Link Connect is still in beta) but the D-Link app does.
I’ve been looking at a few D-link cams. Also if ST doesn’t have audio integration maybe I should look at Foscam with Rboy’s device handler? I would have to use an external app anyway to communicate.
Any one have any feedback on the Aeon doorbell? Youtube reviews aren’t as promising as I hoped.
I’m in the midst of this myself. My plan is to put a reed switch on the doorbell coil connected to the dry contacts on a GoControl contact sensor. I also have a Foscam C1 i’ll be using as the camera. Currently it’s just pointing through the window next to the door. Need to run some power up the wall on the porch so I can mount it. I’ll have a rule that notifies me when the doorbell rings and then i’ll open the Foscam app to view and/or communicate.
If you want to know more about what’s possible with the Aeon Doorbell, I recommend reading the first post of this topic. You need to scroll down below the code in order to see the full write-up.
Many community members, including me, have the Kuna lantern and are very happy with it. It doesn’t integrate directly with SmartThings, though. But it does give you a porch light, motion sensor activated camera, two-way audio, and a panic button siren. And it has on-demand video, it doesn’t have to be triggered by the motion sensor. US $199. Sold by Amazon, so I don’t think the shipping to Canada is terrible. I know there are some Canadian members who have it.
Anyway, just another option to consider, particularly if two way audio is important. You could still add the Aeon doorbell if the doorbell features are also needed and of course that piece would integrate with SmartThings.
Have you looked at Ring? Home Depot sells them on the Canada website, and looking at store inventories they have them in stock.
Two way audio is pretty good, powered by the existing doorbell. My only complaint is there is about a 5 second lag before motion events have video recording (has to wake up from sleep, connect wifi, etc). I have stairs coming up my porch so I have only a few feet area motion can detect.
$3 a month US is also a good deal. Has live view and IFTT integrations you can use with ST. Most cameras are not rated for outdoors, and will need to run power.
Kuna is definitely on my list of options. 2 way audio is fairly important since the home is quite large and theres only 2 of us (sometimes 3) here. If we are upstairs or in the basement, getting to the door in a decent amount of time would require a lot of sprinting.
We have one in our 19 month old son’s room and the mic is great. I’ve used the speaker a couple times for two way. It’s definitely not audiophile quality, but it’s loud enough to be understandable - at least inside. I’ll let you know how it is once I have it mounted 8 ft up and outside.