Lorex LW2201 Weatherproof Ultra Digital Wireless Surveillance System
From LOREX
The Lorex LW2201 quickly connects to any TV/monitor, DVD recorder or Surveillance DVR. The small micro receiver can accept 3 additional cameras and has a built-in quad processor so you can see up to 4 locations at the same time. The Ultra Digital Wireless camera's weatherproof construction makes this ideal for outdoor as well as indoor placement and is equipped with a microphone for audio back to the TV or recording device, as well as the ability to see over 40ft. with zero light. Ultra digital technology ensures interference free video from household appliances and FHSS technology ensures privacy.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #4338 in Camera & Photo
- Brand: Lorex
- Model: LW2201
- Dimensions: 7.80" h x 3.20" w x 11.20" l, 3.00 pounds
Simple security with room for expansion
The Lorex LW2201 Weatherproof Ultra Wireless Surveillance System works as well as advertised. I only have a few minor gripes about the system.
The set-up is incredibly simple. Just plug the power supplies into the camera and into the receiver, screw on the antennas, and plug the A/V cables into some kind of monitor/TV. My camera was already paired with the unit, so I didn't have to do anything else. Pairing the wireless unit with the camera, or another camera is simple, just push 1 button on the receiver and a big yellow button on the camera and it's good to go. They claim the pairing function securely connects your camera to your receiver so that no one else can grab hold of your camera's frequency, but I have no way to test that. I'll just take their word for it. The unit comes with a small arm stand for the camera, and a couple screws to mount it. You might need extra screw mounting pieces if you want to mount it into something like brick, though. Regardless, set-up and installation is a snap.
The image is very good in daylight. However, the night vision is only "acceptable" quality. The far-red LED lights create a bit of a halo effect around the center of the camera's lens. So everything in the center of the image looks clear at 20-25ft or less, but the stuff on the periphery of the center of the image is a little darker and fuzzier. Still, you can see what's going on. Also, be sure to note that you can see the red LED lights of the camera. This is good if you want everyoen to know that you have a camera, but if you want a more stealthy hidign spot for your camera, it's definitely going to give it away. The mic works well at about 25 ft or less, but after that it definitely tails off.
So to sum up the problems: I think the night vision image is a little bad at the edges of the image, the mic isn't all that great at longer distances, my unit had one dead LED bulb on it (I don't think it really affected the image quality by itself), and the far-red LEDs are not truly infrared so you can see them with the naked eye.
The problems I stated are pretty minor in nature, though. The Lorex system is solid and you can expand it to include 4 total cameras, and even view them simultaneously split-screen in your monitor. Overall, I recommend this unit for a simple security solution.
Very decent for its intended purpose.
I live in apartments with windows facing the parking lot. For some time now, I have thought about hooking up a webcam of some kind and pointing it out the window towards where I parked. The logistics of running a long USB cable from my computer to the appropriate window prevented me from doing it that way. A wireless WiFi webcam might be the perfect solution, but not everyone has a WiFi network (and these cameras can be a bit pricey).
The Lorex LW2201 is an interesting compromise between legacy equipment (old fashioned cameras) and modern wireless technology. The camera itself is designed to be usable outdoors, meaning it is in a rugged metal enclosure complete with an adjustable hood that slides forward to cover and protect the camera lens. It is a color camera, but in low-light conditions, it clicks in to "night vision" mode and the image goes to black and white. A ring of infrared LED lights around the lens light up, allowing you to see an image even in complete darkness. There are no wires -- the camera has an antenna that attaches to the back, and a power cable that plugs in to an AC adapter. Bolt the base somewhere, run the power cable, and you are set from that side.
Elsewhere, a tiny receiver -- about the size of a deck of playing cards -- can be plugged in, and an antenna is attached to allow it to receive video from the camera. Video and audio outputs come out of the receiver (cables are included) and then run to a monitor or TV, or in to a recording device. If you just wanted to keep tabs on your car overnight, you could use a cheap VCR and let it record in 6-8 hour mode.
Overall, setup of one camera to the one receiver is very simple. The receiver can support multiple cameras, and can be set to flip between the cameras (full screen), or split the screen up to display four images at a time. I cannot comment on those features, as I only have the one camera. A button is pressed on the receiver to get it in to a scanning more, then you have to press a button on the camera within 30 seconds to let them sync to each other. It seems easy enough.
The camera does have sound, so if it is mounted outside, you can hear a bit of what is going on, but don't expect miracles. It's not quite as sensitive as a home movie camera typically is. So, overall, you have wireless color (in light) or black and white (in darkness) video with sound, transmitted to a receiver within a few hundred feet.
Now, the downsides:
First, range is very limited unless you have an open area with no obstructions. I hooked the received up to a TV in my livingroom, then tried to use the camera in the bedroom connected to the same wall that the TV is against. Even though the range was only about 15 feet between camera and receiver, signal quality was too poor to lock on. This was due to the bedroom having several large metal shelving units which obstruct the signal. If the room was empty, I doubt there would be such problems.
Video quality is also quite poor. The camera sends a digital picture that looks more like a YouTube video than a video camera image. You can toggle between high speed but low resolution (thus, motion is good but image is blocky), or a slower high resolution image. In bright light, the high resolution image looks very good -- a bit "digital" but totally watchable. The frame rate slows way down, though, so it comes across looking like a traditional security camera clip you'd see on a TV news program.
Overall, the camera seems well built and designed, but wired cameras I have seen provided a better picture than this wireless system. However, in situations like mine, a wireless solution is a MUCH easier choice. As long as you can tap in to power, you can mount this camera anywhere within range and get a totally usable image without any wiring or network configurations.
For my specific uses, though, I think my next effort will be with a WiFi camera. Since I already have a network which completely covers my home, that may produce better results than this dedicated security system.
Instructions were clear, packaging was nice, and setup was simple. It does what it does, and the wireless "plug and go" is very neat. Just keep in mind the designed use -- picture quality may be worse than you expect, and range may be more limited than you expect.
Overall, a very good product for it's intended audience.
So far so good, but....
I already owned another Lorex package product which included 4 of these wireless cameras and a small 7" lcd display with wireless receiver. After about 3 months of use, the display failed completely, while the cameras continued to work. Lorex support was less than outstanding on dealing with the display issue and I have read other reports about reliability concerns. So, in an attempt to remedy my problem, I bought this setup which gave me an extra camera and the small wireless receiver. The receiver will connect to most modern displays via the included connector cables and thus provide the same 4 panel view that the Lorex wireless display had. In this way, I now have a reliable display that is larger, brighter and easier to use than the Lorex version. The receiver allows for single channel (full screen) display or a quad view of all four cameras at once. It also allows for easy pairing and has a selectable view mode of lower quality for simple viewing at higher fps, vs. a higher VGA quality with lower fps. I find the higher quality more useful and the lower fps is not troublesome for my purposes. It would be simple to run this unit to a DVR and record also, though I have yet to do so. As the available light diminishes, the cameras quickly (too quickly in my opinion) go to black and white mode. The night time view distance is obviously much less, but sufficient unless it is complete darkness. I'd say it comes close to achieving its claimed 40' distance at night, but with much less detail. Overall, the units perform as advertised with minor complaints - except reliability. The reason I gave 3 stars is mostly for reliability issues and customer service I've experienced with Lorex. In the future I would not buy their units with included LCD's, but get something like this with a receiver that provides the quad view for my own monitor.
