Ring security camera with floodlight

[John T Smith]

Wife wanted me to add a camera to the front of the house, with a floodlight, so this is what I found
Ring camera + floodlight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6GPQQ7
 
This model is designed to replace an existing wired floodlight, and there was no wire where it needed to go, so I bought the optional mount
Mount w/power cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093BBBM3T
 
Works great EXCEPT the detection kept announcing cars in the street in front of our house
 
I figured out that I needed to adjust the detection zone SIZE as well as the sensitivity
 
According to the PDF that I downloaded, motion detection is designed to detect a PERSON sized object at up to 30 feet
 
Even set to the MINIMUM sensitivity my Ring camera/floodlight was sending a notice to our Alexa Show every time a car drove by on the street in front of our house
 
The solution is not well described in the PDF
 
Go to the Ring app on your cellphone
Tap the GEAR icon at the upper right of the picture of the camera you want to adjust
Swipe UP and tap Motion Settings
Tap to Edit Motion Zones (I only use the DEFAULT zone)
You will see the entire area the camera sees, and the detection area highlighted in blue
Use your fingertip to pull the DOTS on the edges of the detection area to change the shape
I pulled the top dots down so the detection zone did not include the street
Problem solved - no more notices when a car drives by my house

[Nancy OShea]

I considered getting Ring + Alexa devices until I learned what I didn't know. 

https://www.vox.com/recode/23207072/amazon-ring-privacy-police-footage

[John T Smith]

Our Alexa Show devices all have the camera covered so no way someone will ever see either of us go in the kitchen naked to get a glass of water out of the 'fridge dispenser

I don't know how long the history is kept but every time you make a telephone call the telephone company has that information

I don't know how long the history is kept but every time you use your credit card the credit card company has that information

If the police have a valid reason to get a warrant, there is a LOT of information about a person that may be found

We wanted a security camera with floodlight, Ring is our choice... you may choose a different brand, but today SOME kind of security is required

[Nancy OShea]

You missed the point.

• The police don't obtain a warrant.  They don't need one. 
• They don't ask your permission or notify you.
• They take whatever surveillance camera footage they want without pushback from Amazon. 
• It's a sweetheart deal for police to probe without any oversight.

[John T Smith]

If my security camera helps solve a crime, the police can view anything they want

[John T Smith]

The Ring cameras are 'SO good' that even on minimum sensitivity they detected AND ANNOUNCED the raccoon wandering around the yard at 2 AM

After clicking around the Ring site I found that 'Smart Alerts' are the solution... IF you have long term storage contract, which we do to be able to go back in camera history

Smart Alerts have an option to announce people, but ignore small animals... the reason a contract is required is the signal goes from the camera, through your linked WiFi to Ring for processing, and then to Alexa for an announcement when the Ring processing determines that an announcement is required

Last night the camera detected a small animal and the floodlights came on... but no announcement came out of Alexa to wake us up

Wife is happy again... yard is monitored, and lighted when anything is detected, but no announcement for a small animal

[Nancy OShea]

How small is small?

We have bobcats, cougars, coyotes, bears and the biggest racoons you've ever seen!

Amid the triple digit heatwave here, some animals are invading residences.  One bear was seen cooling of in the swimming pool and picking through trash cans.  Another bear entered the homeowner's kitchen through an unlocked door and helped himself to some eats from the refrigerator.  When police arrived, the bears ducked out the way they entered.  Would Ring alert you to these critters?

[John T Smith]

Exact size of what is ignored is not specified... but the neighbor's cat and a similar size raccoon both wander around at night, and both are now lighted when the floodlights come on, but not reported to wake us up

I have seen a deer near the river (about 1/4 mile away) as well as a coyote, but never near our house... there is 'sometimes' a dog wandering loose, but not often

The only predators we care about are the 2 leg variety

[John T Smith]

Many types of spiders travel by shooting out web material and letting the wind provide the motive power

Last night we had several false positives, which turned out to be a single strand of spider material that was over the lens... which confused the system into thinking a person had been detected every time a breeze moved the strand

I fixed the problem by rubbing a paper towel over the lens to remove the strand... no more false positives