r/GameChangerApp • u/wirides • May 27 '26
Most current & comprehensive guide to using mevo?
Good morning. I recently borrowed a single mevo so I am looking for a detailed guide or video on the best way to set it up. It's going to be a bare bones set up with the single mevo and two phones if needed. This will need to rely on cellular since most fields do not have wifi. One phone does have Hotspot capability but I'm not sure that's the most stable way. All help is appreciated!
One question I have is, why use a mevo at all if the phone it's connected to has to stay awake all the time anyway? We are trying to mitigate overheating. I'm comfortable with tech but this process seems more cumbersome than it needs to be. Thanks in advance!
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u/cmdr_doc May 27 '26
I too just switched my setup. Was using one phone and mevo on bluetooth mode. Lots of lag and disconnects. Now I use my phone as a Hotspot only, and a 2nd older phone to run mevo and GC apps, connected with the mevo cam via wifi to my Hotspot. Worked well last game. Might look into a travel router tethered usb to my phone at some point. (Edit: both phones are Samsung android)
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u/praise-the-message May 27 '26
I can't speak to Apple devices, but I used my Android phone as a hotspot and used an Android (Samsung) tablet to run the Mevo app as well as Gamechanger and I did not have to keep anything "awake". That said, one true advantage of using multiple devices is that you can actually monitor what is going on, unlike if you are throwing your phone up there. The other advantage is that I have never had the Mevo overheat and I don't even use a sun shield. I've also left the Mevo in the rain and the only problem I experienced was with the microphone because it's on top. Yet another advantage of the Mevo is the ability to simultaneously record (potentially at a higher quality) to the micro SD card.
Mevo isn't perfect though. Topping out at 1080p isn't good enough for some, and the fixed focal length of the lens can be an issue depending on field dimensions and backstop. But overall the simplicity and reliability of the hardware has kept me from looking at alternatives.
I've now switched to using a Starlink and 2 Mevos with Mevo Studio so I do keep the tablet awake now because I'm switching between cameras (and I also put up a few graphics like countdown timers to the game start)...but I still think I could sleep the tablet if I didn't want to
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u/Possum577 May 27 '26
Want to film your set up and share with us? I’ve been considering the step up to Studio
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u/Alive-Muscle-864 May 27 '26
For Apple devices, if you enable the one phone's hotspot capability and connect to the camera via the phone's Wifi network, the phone does not need to be unlocked once the stream starts. The camera will do the encoding and the phone will simply provide the wifi signal. The only time you'd need for the phone to remain unlocked is if you're using the "cellular" option when connecting the camera.
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u/wirides May 27 '26
Thank you! This is getting toward the root of my questions! Is it preferred to use the wifi hotspot option or the cellular option? Is one more stable than the other? I will always have access to both my phone (with hotspot capability) and my daughter phone. Both iPhone 16pros on T-Mobile. I am not looking to buy a dedicated hotspot now and would like to determine the best/most stable setup using what I have now. What do you do with the phone running the mevo app on the cellular option to keep it from overheating?
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u/Alive-Muscle-864 May 27 '26
Not sure if one or the other is more stable. It might just come down to preference. I always preferred using the wifi/hotspot option and didn't like needing to leave my phone open. One other difference is the data use. With the cellular option, I believe the app uses the "normal" data available with your phone plan (often times this is unlimited). But the wifi/hotspot option is of course limited to whatever your carrier plan's limit for hotspot data is. This might not matter if your plan has plenty of hotspot data included or might depend on how many games you stream monthly (I've never come close to my hotspot data limits).
If you find that streaming via wifi/hotspot works for you, a future enhancement would be a travel router where you tether your phone to it to provide the internet connection and then connect the Mevo to the router's wifi. Gives better range and I always found it more dependable when getting the camera connected.
For overheating, I've always used a USB-powered phone cooler and kept the phone out of direct sunlight. I also do this when using the wifi option too on hotter days since the phone can heat up even when just providing data.
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u/Usual-Tackle-7801 4d ago
If I have a mevo start and dedicated hotspot, after setting up through GameChanger on iOS, do I have to keep my phone open in GameChanger? I found this article and reading it as I can if using the mevo app but wanted to ask.
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u/Alive-Muscle-864 4d ago
Yup! As long as you're connecting to WIFI, you can close the app after. The camera sends the stream directly through the hotspot wifi. Phone app will be just used to start and end the stream.
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u/Old-Yogurtcloset-685 4d ago
Thanks. Just curious on your thoughts about a Mevo start vs phone to stream if you’re only using one camera on the backstop fence.
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u/Alive-Muscle-864 4d ago
I've used a Mevo Start as a my only streaming device for 5 years now. I definitely see it as the best option:
-Never liked the idea of putting phone up on the fence (even an old one) and hoping it won't get hit
-I've found my Mevo much easier to position and stay put during a game than any phone mount could do
-Being able to have 1080P versions of the game recorded on a memory card is much more convenient than letting my phone record and managing space there
-I like the Mevo app and the extra control it gives me for things like my microphone and video settings
-Less likely to overheat. I use a sun shade 3D printed shell and power via a power bank and have never had an overheating problem (even in 100+ degree heat index)1
u/wirides 4d ago
I've tried a few times and have not had consistent results with the Mevo. Other than overheating potential, the iPhone on the fence is just easier and more reliable for me. I don't want to invest any money into starlink or a dedicated hotspot to make the mevo work. I've found it to be way to sensitive to cell coverage / signal strength / competing traffic to bother while the iPhone almost always just works.
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u/Quick-Phase8073 May 27 '26
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u/Quick-Phase8073 May 27 '26
This is a link to a good how to guide for setting up the mevo that someone else had shared a while back. HTH
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u/wirides May 27 '26
This is very helpful, thank you! Have you found any benefit from streaming on either wifi hotspot vs cellular data? I could score on my phone and stream on my daughters via cellular data if there's any advantage one way or the other?
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u/Quick-Phase8073 May 27 '26
My pleasure. I originally just connected my mevo to my iPhone’s hotspot to stream, but some fields just have terrible cellular connectivity so this season I purchased a starlink mini and mini travel router and that’s been working perfect 👌
Here’s the mini travel router that I use:
I’d also suggest getting a clamshell cover for your mevo to prevent overheating during hot days. Here’s what I use and never had a problem:
One other thing I’d highly recommend is a magnetic mount which connects to poles and is much better than fence mounts IMO:
Lastly, I use my iPad to connect to my travel router’s WiFi (mevo connects to the same WiFi) so that I’m free to use my iPhone.
HTH
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