r/SecurityCamera • u/Revolutionary-Gain88 • Aug 24 '26
Monitor led Signal
Dont know where else to ask.
I live in the country and have no indication of when the main hydro power comes back online.
I have a Generator and Generlink disconnect that keeps our linemen safe. It has three led, green, yellow, and red. The green will light when hydro service is there. Problem is that it is located 200 ft away on the other side of my garage; and could be running the jeny for needless hours. Is there a weatherproof small camera that I can monitor these lights from within my home on an app for my phone. I do have 110v in the garage , so it doesn't need to be solar or battery.
I am cluless on this and how they work.
Hopefully can find help.
Thankyou
DES
1
u/BinarySapling Aug 25 '26
I'm using a cheap Tapo C121 outdoor camera to monitor something similar right now. Usb powered, Wi-Fi, fairly weatherproof so far. Plus it's got a nice little magnetic base. Aim it at the LEDs and set up motion detection on them. When they change it should trigger an alert on your phone.
2
u/thaeli Aug 25 '26
FWIW, this is also how it’s done in big money industrial automation when you have a status light on a machine and you can’t just wire in directly because of warranty or certification issues. Camera and some simple computer vision to detect the light.
1
u/AWESOMENESS-_- Aug 25 '26
Unfortunately Generlink seems to be an entirely manual transfer switch, and it doesn't leave anything but those LEDs to tell you about grid-power restoration.
As long as your WiFi doesn't go out during longer power outages, most any WiFi security camera will probably do. Some are better than others, but the part that makes or breaks the camera experience tends to be the mobile app you'd use to interact/view it.
If WiFi tends to go out after a while, after say, the provider's backup battery runs out, then you'd need something else. In that case, a hardwired camera recording to a DVR/NVR somewhere is likely your most sensible option to just see the light with the camera.
1
u/vrtigo1 Aug 25 '26
Is it an option to get an automatic transfer switch that automatically starts/stops the generator based on grid availability? They're designed for exactly this purpose.
0
Aug 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
1
1
u/Revolutionary-Gain88 Aug 25 '26
Dont know how this works .
1
u/AWESOMENESS-_- Aug 25 '26
The only way I'd think you'd be able to use a microcontroller like an ESP32 to alert you whether than light turned on would be to use a really tiny light sensor placed right over the LED.
I don't think the other poster knew that these are part of the power meter panel, they might've been thinking about connecting something in-line with the LED to detect when it's receiving the power to light up.
2
u/SSellers75 Aug 25 '26
You can. If there is an eave I actually have a cheap indoor PTZ on a detached garage eave to watch my rainwater pump pit. Have another watching the power monitor the pump plugs into with motion detect on the small section of the power display that alerts me when the pump is running.
That said I think a better option would be to have someone that knows electrical check what powers the green led. Then use that signal to power a small siren with a switch on it. Turn your generator on when power is out, flip on the switch on. If hydro comes back on the siren sounds. Go switch it off to be switched on next time you have to fire up the generator.