In the world of home video surveillance, the use of cameras with SIM connection is becoming widespread, which in some cases offers advantages over traditional security cameras. WiFi is not required and this can be an advantage, for example, if you plan to monitor a warehouse where the WiFi signal would barely reach, while the use of a SIM allows you to send the audio and video stream in real time to a remote device. Data consumption depends on the quality of capture but on average it could consume on average from 2 to 5 GB of data per month, depending on usage. Today we see one, the CTRONICS 850C, decidedly economical and with an app full of functions. Let's find out if it's worth it or not.
I tried it for more than a month and therefore I can give you a more than truthful opinion. Let's start from the sales package which inside offers in addition to the 850C also a LAN network cable, as we can also use the camera with this data transmission mode, therefore connected to a modem / router but I repeat that WiFi is not present. We then find the multilingual manual, including the Italian language, ficher screws for wall anchoring and the wall bracket. In the package, however, already inserted inside the camera, we find a nano SIM data with a 300 MB plan included but with a duration of 1 month. The advice is to use a normal SIM such as Very Mobile which is making fabulous offers right now, as the renewal costs of the included SIM are high. Finally we find the 5V / 2A power supply and the cable.
The build quality is good, even though we are talking about a shell made only of white plastic with the brand logo on the front, while on the side we find the QR Code for association via companion app, this available for both Android and iOS. On the back of the base that rests on 4 silicone feet, we find the antenna for the 4G signal that can be directed 360 ° and then the LAN input for use via network cable. Then there is the power input, unfortunately very old standard, or micro USB.
Above the base there is the speaker and the hole for the microphone, as the CTRONICS 850C allows 2-way audio exchange, so we can talk to whoever is at home and listen to the scene in the frame. On the lower base we find a grill for heat dissipation and the hole for anchoring to the wall bracket. The head containing the optics is rotating: 355 ° on the horizontal axis and 90 ° on the vertical one. It also integrates infrared for night vision and 2 powerful LEDs to illuminate the night scene in case of alarm. By rotating the optics completely on the vertical axis, we find the compartment for inserting the nano SIM and the slot for micro SD card, essential if we do not want to spend money on the Cloud service, in fact paid and not exactly cheap.
Once the CTRONICS 850C is powered, you will need to pair it via the application from which you can customize some settings. For example, we can rename the camera and manage notifications and alarms, for example by enabling a siren or sound alarm that you can also record with your voice. You can decide whether or not to enable human figure recognition and related sensitivity to avoid false alarms. You can set the video quality to HD and SD, in order to save on SIM data flow and much more. Of course, you can also review all the recordings stored on a micro SD card, save them on your phone or draw on recordings and photos taken in the event of an alarm.
Alarm that is also notified on the smartphone and that you can also receive via email if you set the right settings. The camera offers the possibility of zooming the video obtaining more details for example on the subject, even if the basic quality of the images appears quite good, thanks to a 1/2,7, 4 MP color CMOS sensor with 2,5K resolution (2560x1440p). The infrareds allow clear vision in the dark and if we want we can also activate the LEDs to illuminate the scene as if it were day.
I want to be honest and sincere and so I'll go straight to some considerations. The first is that I would have preferred a battery power supply, since it is true that with the SIM we theoretically have a stable connection even covering warehouses where the WiFi signal would be dispersed, but what if the power goes out? Goodbye good intentions to monitor and protect your home or other, so green light to the thief, who will probably have turned off the power himself. Secondly, I noticed that it does not always manage to track the subject properly and therefore in many circumstances I found myself with the subject framed only in certain areas, so the hypothetical thief could have committed illegal acts without being framed.
Finally I add that the signal is often lost, sending the camera offline. When I say often, unfortunately it means many times and to get the line back I was forced to disconnect the power supply and start from scratch. In short, the CTRONICS 850C is not reliable, which is also confirmed by user reviews on Amazon. So you will forgive me if I do not go into too much detail, because it would be words thrown to the wind.
