Video camera to monitor temp and fuel

[Joel Goodman]

For a weekend house I am thinking of setting up a remotely viewable video camera (like people use to monitor pets or babies) to monitor the fuel gauge (in the basement) and also to monitor a remote reading thermometer which would give me the temp in the house. Has anyone had any experience with videocameras that stream over the internet. I am wondering if they will focus close enough to see the fuel gauge and LCD temp readout clearly. They seem to run from $40 to about $200. Any recommendations would be helpful.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I love my Amcrest system. I am travelling as I write and I can pull up my cameras on my cell phone anywhere in the world.

[John K Jordan]

I've used a NightOwl DVR with 4 cameras for about 4 years now. It always works, recording capacity is months, can be viewed from Europe or anywhere there is cell or internet. There are viewing apps for phone and computer. I have some cameras watching the shop and some watching the farm. The picture is highly compressed (not "crisp") but I can still read my shop wall clock from across the room.

Focusing on a thermometer or other instrument would depend on the specific camera. You can find many cameras on Amazon, for example, that will work with one of these security video systems. Most have wide angle lenses which will inherently focus pretty close, but some may have adjustable focus or you could rig up a supplemental closeup lens.

JKJ

[Scott Brader]

There are many WiFi enabled thermostats that you could access from anywhere to check the temperature. They also give you the ability to change settings remotely; something a camera pointed at a thermometer can't do.

Scott

[Roger Feeley]

Look at baby monitors? Ours has a temperature sensor but isn't an internet thing. I would guess that nervous parent are universally interested in the temperature now that they aren't allowed to use blankets.

[Joel Goodman]

There are many WiFi enabled thermostats that you could access from anywhere to check the temperature. They also give you the ability to change settings remotely; something a camera pointed at a thermometer can't do.

Scott I am trying to keep it foolproof -- I have friends who have had issues with a WiFi thermostat. Also I would like to monitor fuel level remotely.

[Adam Herman]

we have a dlink camera but it seems to flake out quite a bit. I would install the honeywell wifi https://yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/wi-fi-smart-thermostat-rth9580 thermostat, we have them in all the houses we own and have alerts set on them in case our renters are away and the heat goes out. (they are informed). they have worked great and we have not had any issues with connectivity. They also will continue to work and you can program them without an internet connection, unlike some of the others.

[Myk Rian]

I set up a Funlux cam in the house. I can view it anywhere. About $40. You can add as many as you want.
Very good HD and night vision.
All you have to make sure of is to keep the wireless router turned on.