Hi all, Im looking for as close to a perfect solution as I can! I’d love some guidance.
We want to get 3 cameras for outside our holiday home. We are there 6 to 8 times a year, infrequently.
We are leaning towards the S340 with homebase at the moment but happy to change our minds.
We need general live view, recording people at night as well as day, alerts if anyone comes into our garden or near our front door. We have pretty good fiber broadband with extenders for the lower floors. It’s a three floor property. We don’t need a doorbell at this time.
As we won’t be there for weeks and months at a time, we need something reliable.
The S340 is a great choice. I actually have two of them installed myself, and they’ve worked well, barring a couple of issues. One thing to keep in mind, especially for your holiday home that’s only occupied 6-8 times a year, is how well the solar panels will be able to recharge the cameras. Think about which parts of your property get the most consistent sunlight, since you’ll be relying on solar power to keep the cameras going during those long stretches when you’re not around.
A few other things to consider:
Wildlife triggers: If you’re in the States, you’ll know there’s a wide variety of wildlife. Bears, raccoons, deer, or even larger birds can set off the motion detection pretty often. When the cameras are still “learning” your detection zones, you might see a lot of alerts, which can drain the battery faster.
Winter temperatures: It’s also good to check how cold it gets at the property in the winter. Ice can damage the rotation mechanism—I live in the UK, and last winter (1°C to -2°C from December to January) my first camera’s rotation was limited due to frost, and it had to be replaced under warranty. At the time, I didn’t have an Outdoor Camera Rain Cover, but I’ve since invested in two, so I’ll see how they perform this winter.
Indoor cameras?: You didn’t mention it, but will you also need indoor cameras? They can provide some extra peace of mind if you’re away for long periods.
Coverage: With three S340 cameras, their rotation feature can be very helpful to cover all the corners of your property, especially useful for a three-floor house with different angles.
Oh most definitely on the Homebase 3. That is a must if you’re going to have the S340! It’s like saying, “I’m buying a Porsche, but it has no engine.” The Homebase 3 doesn’t just connect your cameras—it enables A.I. recognition features like human, pet, and vehicle detection. Plus, it increases your internal storage capacity, which is really important since you won’t be at the property much.
The onboard storage of the Homebase 3 without an internal drive is around 16GB, which fills up quickly, especially if you’re recording motion-triggered events while you’re away. I’d suggest investing in:
ZONJIE Outdoor Camera Rain Cover for eufy Security SoloCam S340 – This is the best cover I’ve found so far, especially important if you get rain or harsh weather.
Samsung 870 EVO 2TB SATA 6.35 cm (2.5”) Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) – Loads of YouTube videos show how to install it, and it’s pretty straightforward. This gives you plenty of room for recordings.
Since you won’t be there much, I’d also recommend looking into indoor cameras. I’ve just ordered the eufy Security Solo IndoorCam E220 (P24) 2K, which should arrive tomorrow. You’ll probably want a couple of these because your main concern will be if the property is ever broken into.
The Homebase 3’s big advantages include:
Enhanced storage: You can install an SSD for weeks or even months of recordings.
Better A.I.: It helps your cameras with smart detection (human, pet, vehicle), so you’re not getting false alerts all the time.
Remote access: You’ll be able to check in on your cameras in real-time while you’re away.
Strong signal hub: It can strengthen the Wi-Fi connection to your cameras, which is handy for large properties.
Sounds like you’re putting together a great setup for your holiday home in Spain! Let me know if you want more details or if you’ve got other questions.
