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Let me start by saying that this kit should be called the “mobile security kit” rather than the construction site security kit; it can honestly be used anywhere you have a good cell service connection. Off site this can be used in communal gardens, vacant lots, mobile homes, camper vans, anywhere – so don't let the proposed use put you off! If you plan to use professional monitoring, please note that you will need to provide a physical address for the unit location as that is where appropriate assistance will be sent.
The carrying case is for the base station and battery packs (2 backup batteries and 2 camera batteries) only. There is no space to transport the spotlight, camera and motion detector inside. Essentially, don't think of the case as a carrying case, but rather as the /"main unit/". I would have liked to see some USB ports and an extra socket in the case to charge multiple devices.
I noticed that the camera battery will power the carrying case fan when connected to the carrying case, but not to the main base station. The fan does not appear to run constantly when running on the camera's battery; it seems to be more the case as a backup to keep the inside from overheating. Hopefully this won't drain the camera battery if you transport the bag with the camera battery still attached.
The only device in this kit that runs on a rechargeable battery is the Ring Camera, which charges via a micro USB port on the battery itself or by removing the battery and placing it in the carrying case. If you charge the camera via micro USB, you will need to remove the battery from the camera as the charging port is on the back of the battery. The back of the camera has a port of sorts, which after some research appears to be upgradeable with a solar panel or AC adapter.
Overall the camera offers good image quality and the live view is a great feature to see what's going on. However, one major issue I noticed with the footage the camera takes is that there is a significant 1-3 second delay before the camera fully activates and starts recording. When testing the camera, the person causing the movement was already in the room on the opposite side of where the recording should have first detected the person.
One of the strongest features of this system is the ability for the camera to work wirelessly. You can honestly place it anywhere as long as it has access to a Wi-Fi connection. I was able to get about 40 feet away from the main station before the signal went out.
The other two included devices, the motion detector and the spotlight, both require standard batteries. Three AAA and four D cell batteries respectively.
Integrating all the devices is super easy: all you have to do is load your Ring app and scan the QR codes on each device. After scanning the code, the app automatically links all your devices to the account.
I'm not sure if I like the bright orange, or if it's going to be a problem as it makes all the devices extremely noticeable. The orange will scare someone by letting them know that there are surveillance items nearby, or it will tell them very clearly where all the surveillance equipment is. Speaking of security, unless you lock the main base station in a secure area, the only thing really holding the storage box in place is a metal bracket that mounts to the back or bottom of the case. The problem comes from the fact that the base station housing is only attached to these mounting brackets with a few screws. If someone can figure out where the bright orange camera and motion detector are located, they can easily make off with the carrying case, rendering the entire system inert. I would recommend at least pointing a camera at the base station. As the saying goes: you are only as strong as your weakest link. So make sure that the base station is secured properly.
The nice thing about the Ring Alarm Pro base station, which comes with this set, is that it acts as a standalone Wi-Fi router. This is what gives it the ability to remotely provide Wi-Fi to all your Ring devices. If you purchase the pro plan (20/month or 200/year), you get a data connection to the router, allowing it to work almost anywhere if it can receive a signal.
If you have Wi-Fi at your location, Hotspot Wi-Fi via your phone or a dedicated Hotspot, you can also use this to provide data to your alarm system and choose one of the cheaper plans.
This product is provided for review by The Home Depot Seeds Program. The Seeds program offers members free products submitted to Seeds by suppliers or The Home Depot.
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