Just thought I’d share my experience and review of the D1 SE.
Ever since I have started using security cameras over the past couple years, I have grown to appreciate how convenient and easy to install solar cameras are. There have been times I’ve needed to change locations, or upgraded models, and these give me the freedom to move them without the hassle of running new electrical wires or video cables.
Some locations may be impossible for a security camera to capture an entire view of an area you need to monitor. That was my case with the backyard. We own a robotic mower which travels around to various areas. These are expensive machines which require security features so they won’t get stolen. So rather than buying multiple cameras, this one camera that pans, tilts, zooms, and rotates 360 degrees to monitor a much larger area.
The app is very convenient and allows you to make many customization’s with features such as smart tracking where it can detect people, animals, cars, etc. In our situation, we don’t want it to spend hours recording every movement our automower makes back and forth across the yard. Using app we can not only adjust the sensitivity so the mower alone doesn’t alert the camera, but also we can set up the AI Surveillance which with then detect when a human enters the yard, the camera will track them, record them (SD card and/or cloud) and send an alert to my phone. Although the mower has built-in GPS tracking, it won’t be able to tie a face to the theft, so a camera is also essential to ID also.
Although this camera doesn’t require any monthy subscription fee, AOSU has a very reasonable cloud option if you would prefer to store your footage securely. But with the SD card slot, you can provide your own card which you can access the footage on your phone, through the app, up to 128gb. No need to climb up to the camera to retrieve the SD card to obtain footage.
An important step you do not want to forget, is to charge the camera before installing it with the solar panel. You can do this with any 5V phone charger. This makes it much easier for the solar panel to keep the camera battery topped off with power, so it can provide plenty of function during night or low sunlight conditions.
I had no problem connecting to wifi, but sometimes when you want to view footage there can be a little delay. If your camera is located far from your router, you can also try enabling “Smooth Mode” which can help with streaming the video when circumstances aren’t ideal.
Video quality is so sharp and clear, it’s hard not to be impressed just looking at the picture! Night vision works great too! It looks like I have a bright light shining in my yard, but it’s just the invisible infrared. However, it does also have a viable bright light you can turn on too.
Although I have not had any issues with this particular camera, in the past, when I needed help with another AOSU model I own, their customer service was very responsive, kind and helpful. I appreciate knowing that I can trust that they have my back, if any issues arise with their products.
Not every style of camera is a perfect solution for every situation, so it’s been fun to watch them continue to create new models and features for almost any situation or circumstance.
