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The cameras are bought — here's your new system

The research is done and the order is placed: four pieces of Reolink kit that work together as one private system. Nothing stored on anyone else's servers, no monthly fees, ever. This page explains what each piece is, why it was chosen, and how you'll use it day to day.

Updated 23 July 2026 · the buttons below link to the exact items ordered on Amazon UK.

On its way

Where the parcels are

Two deliveries are on their way. Both are expected within the next few days.

Trackable now

📱 The tablet

Coming by DHL. Expected Monday 27 July, by end of day. Tap below for the latest status straight from DHL.

Track the tablet · DHL

DHL tracking number: 9607930500

Tracking pending

📦 The camera kit

The four Reolink items (camera, Home Hub Pro, solar panel and extension lead). Expected Sunday 26 July. A tracking link isn't available yet — it will be added here as soon as the courier provides one.

First, a note on what changed

Not quite the models we first looked at — and that's a good thing

When it came time to actually buy, the exact devices from the original research were nowhere to be found. So the order went to their nearest relatives — newer, more modern versions of the same ideas, from the same maker, working exactly the same private, no-fees way.

  • The camera is a solar-powered, wire-free Reolink, just as planned — and this one can also turn to look around, rather than staring at one fixed spot.
  • It comes with a 3-watt solar panel in the box, which keeps the battery topped up from daylight.
  • One practical difference: this camera mounts on a wall, rather than sitting on a floor or ceiling the way Cindy's old camera did.
  • Because of that, the order includes a solar panel extension lead: the camera can be fixed at whatever spot is most convenient, while the solar panel still goes up above the ledge — right where the original camera used to sit — catching the best of the daylight.
  • The storage box was upgraded to the Home Hub Pro, which adds something lovely: a TV connection, so the live camera can be watched from the sofa on the television. More on that — and its limits — below.
  • A stronger 6-watt solar panel rounds out the order — double the wattage of the bundled one, for extra charging headroom through grey winters, and a spare panel ready for the day the system grows.

What we bought

The four items, one by one

Each card shows what the item is, what it does, and a video of it being set up. The green buttons open the exact Amazon UK listings we ordered from — handy for the manuals, warranty and reviews.

Item 1 · The camera

Reolink Argus PT — solar camera that looks around

Wire-free · pans & tilts · comes with its own 3W solar panel

The eyes of the system. A completely wire-free outdoor camera that runs on a battery topped up by its solar panel — and unlike a fixed camera, this one turns to look around on command (roughly 355° side to side and 140° up and down) from the tablet app.

  • Sharp 2K+ (5 megapixel) picture, day and night — infrared night vision sees in full darkness
  • 360°-style pan and tilt — one camera covers the whole area, no blind spots
  • Runs on battery + the 3W solar panel included in the box — nobody ever climbs up to recharge it
  • Tells people and vehicles apart, so alerts are about things that matter
  • Two-way talk — you can hear, and speak through it, from the tablet
  • Weatherproof, and records to the Home Hub Pro indoors — no cloud, no monthly fee
  • Mounts on a wall (bracket and screws included) — see the fitting plan below for how the extension lead handles this

Its job: watching the front, turning to follow whatever needs a second look — with the solar panel keeping it fed so it never comes down off the wall.

Watch: setting up & installing the Argus PT

A hands-on walk-through of the Argus PT: unboxing, app pairing and wall mounting. Reolink's own written guide (with pictures) is here.

The item we ordered

View on Amazon UK Reolink product page
Item 2 · Storage + TV box

Reolink Home Hub Pro — storage, brains, and the TV screen

2TB of recording space · plugs into the television · everything stays at home

The memory of the system — and its window onto the TV. This small box lives indoors, gathers everything the camera records onto its own 2-terabyte hard drive, and keeps it all encrypted at home. Nothing is uploaded anywhere, and there is nothing to subscribe to.

  • 2TB hard drive built in — months and months of recordings, with room to grow to 16TB if ever wanted
  • HDMI output — connects straight to the television, so the camera appears on the big screen
  • Connects to the internet router by Wi-Fi or by Ethernet cable — whichever is handier where it sits
  • Recordings are sealed with bank-level (AES) encryption, and it keeps recording even if the internet goes off
  • Room for many cameras — the future back-garden and indoor cameras all record to this same box
  • The TV screen shows the camera live only — to play back a recording, move the camera or change a setting, use the tablet or the PC (the TV is a window, not the controls)

Its job: sit near the television, quietly recording everything — and put the live camera on the TV. See "On the television" below for how this works.

Watch: Home Hub Pro — what it is & setting it up

A clear English walk-through of the Home Hub Pro — what it does, plugging it in, connecting it to the network and pairing cameras. Reolink's overview of the Home Hub series is here.

The item we ordered

View on Amazon UK Reolink product page
Item 3 · Extra power

Reolink 6W Solar Panel — the stronger panel

Double the wattage of the bundled panel · 4m lead · swivels to face the sun

The camera's box already includes a 3W solar panel — this is its bigger sibling at 6 watts, bought for headroom. Twice the wattage means the battery stays comfortably topped up even through grey Liverpool winters, when daylight is short and the battery works hardest.

  • 6 watts — roughly double the charge of the panel in the camera's box
  • 4-metre lead and a mount that swivels in any direction, so the panel itself can chase the sunniest spot
  • Weatherproof — goes up once and stays up
  • This also means there's a spare panel in hand for the next camera, when the system grows

Watch: fitting a Reolink solar panel properly

Official Reolink guide — positioning and connecting the panel so it keeps its charge. Written guide here.

The item we ordered

View on Amazon UK
Item 4 · The clever bit

Reolink 4.5m Solar Extension Lead — freedom to mount anywhere

White, weatherproof lead · sits between the solar panel and the camera

The small item that solves the big layout puzzle. Because the new camera mounts on a wall (unlike the old one, which sat on the ledge), the camera and the sunlight are no longer in the same place. This lead adds 4.5 metres between the panel and the camera, so each can go where it works best.

  • The camera gets fixed at whatever spot is most convenient to reach and gives the best view
  • The solar panel still goes up above the ledge — exactly where the original camera used to sit — catching the daylight all day long
  • Together with the panel's own 4m lead, that's roughly 8.5 metres of reach — plenty of freedom
  • White finish, so it stays discreet against the wall

The item we ordered

View on Amazon UK

A window on the sofa

Seeing the camera live on the television

This is a real bonus of the Home Hub Pro. It has an HDMI socket (like a DVD player or a set-top box), plus Wi-Fi and an Ethernet socket — so it can sit right by the television, plugged into both the network and the TV at once, and put the live camera on the big screen.

It sits by the TV

The Home Hub Pro is a small, quiet box. It goes on the shelf near the television and plugs into a normal socket.

It joins the home network

Either over Wi-Fi, or with an Ethernet cable to the router if one is close by — whichever is tidier. That's how the camera outside reaches it.

One HDMI cable to the television

Exactly like plugging in a DVD player. The hub gets its own input on the TV.

Switch the TV to that input

Press the source / input button on the TV remote — the same one used to switch to a DVD — and the camera appears live on the big screen. Back to the telly with the same button.

Watch: the Home Hub Pro on a screen via HDMI

This English review jumps to the part where the hub is connected to a screen over HDMI, showing the live camera view.

Be clear about what the TV does — and doesn't: the television is a live window only. It shows what the camera sees right now, which is perfect for a glance from the sofa. It does not let you scroll back through recordings, move the camera, or change settings from the TV remote — those are done on the tablet or the computer. (If more cameras are added later, a cheap USB mouse plugged into the hub lets you flip between camera layouts on the screen; a single camera just shows itself, no mouse needed.)

In short: the TV is the easy live view, and the tablet (or PC) is the full control — playback, moving the camera, and talking through it all live there. The three work together; nothing is stored on anyone else's servers.

In daily life

Simple to use every day

On the television

Press the input button on the remote and the camera is on the big screen, live — a glance from the sofa, no app or computer needed. It's a live window only: to play back recordings or move the camera, reach for the tablet.

On the tablet

Open the Reolink app and tap the camera. See it live, turn it left and right, scroll back through recordings, or talk through it. The whole routine is one tap.

On the computer

Optional. The free Reolink program on the Windows PC shows the same cameras on a bigger working screen — useful for going through recordings carefully.

And the rest of the time

Nothing. The camera records to the Home Hub Pro whenever it sees a person or vehicle, the solar panel keeps the battery full, and old recordings make room for new ones automatically.

The one-time job

The fitting plan

A helper does this once, on a visit. The order of work matters a little — here it is, start to finish. The videos on each item card above show every step on screen.

Set up the Home Hub Pro first, indoors

By the TV: power, network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), HDMI to the television. Add it in the Reolink app on the tablet.

Charge the camera fully before it goes up

Overnight, via its USB socket. The solar panel's job is to keep the battery full, not fill it from empty — that head start matters most in December and January.

Check the Wi-Fi at the exact mounting spot

Stand there with a phone or the tablet first: a strong, steady signal means a happy camera. If it's weak on that wall, an extender goes in before anything is drilled.

Mount the camera on the wall

About 2.5m up, tilted down, at whichever convenient spot gives the best view of the approach. Bracket, plugs and screws are in the box. Pair it with the Home Hub Pro before final tightening, and check the view on the TV.

Put the solar panel up above the ledge

Where the original camera used to sit — the sunniest perch. Angle it up toward the open sky (roughly south is best in the UK), then run the extension lead down to the camera, with a small drip loop so rain runs off the connectors rather than into them.

The one thing that matters most: the Wi-Fi has to reach the camera on its wall. Everything else about a wireless camera is forgiving — this one thing isn't, which is why checking the signal comes before the drill comes out.

Living with it

Upkeep — there is barely any

This system was chosen precisely because it looks after itself. The entire maintenance calendar:

  • Two or three times a year: wipe the solar panel with a soft damp cloth — dust, leaves and bird mess all cost charge. That's the whole job; a helper can do it on an ordinary visit.
  • Keep the panel out of shade. If a branch grows across it over the years, trim it — a shadow across the panel for half the day roughly halves what it collects.
  • In cold snaps, the battery holds a little less and charges more slowly — that's normal for every battery camera, and exactly why the stronger 6W panel and the sunny ledge spot were chosen.
  • The Home Hub Pro needs nothing. It overwrites the oldest recordings automatically when the 2TB drive fills. No cards to swap, nothing to empty.
  • Once in a while, a helper can check for app and camera updates on a visit — a two-minute job in the Reolink app.

Reolink's own upkeep notes, for reference: getting the most from the solar panel · solar panel installation guide · Argus PT installation guide.

Room to grow

An infrastructure for today — and for the future

The Home Hub Pro is deliberately bigger than one camera needs. It's the foundation of a system that can grow cheaply, one piece at a time, whenever it makes sense — with everything still recorded privately at home.

Cameras at the back — for under £100

Adding a second solar camera to cover the back is simply a matter of buying another camera-and-panel bundle like Item 1 — they regularly dip below £100 in sales. It pairs with the same Home Hub Pro in minutes, appears on the same TV screen and the same app, and there's already a spare 6W panel in hand from this order.

The same bundle · Amazon UK

Cameras indoors — care, on her own terms

Small indoor Reolink cameras (around £30–£50) record to the same hub. They're not part of today's plan — but if Cindy should ever want that kind of care, the system is ready to be shared with concerned parties: family could check in from their own phones, with her knowledge and by her choice. The groundwork will already be done.

Indoor cameras · Amazon UK

Built once, useful for decades

Today it's one camera on the front, watched from the sofa. Tomorrow it can be the back garden for under £100. And if the day ever comes, it can quietly become a care system — shared with the people who should see it, and no one else. That's the point of doing it this way: an infrastructure for today, and for the future.

Keeping it private

How it stays off the cloud

A helper sets this up once, at the start. After that there's nothing to do.

Footage lives on the Home Hub Pro

Everything records to the 2TB drive in the box by the television — encrypted, at home. Nothing is uploaded to anyone's servers, and it keeps recording even with the internet off.

Remote access stays off until wanted

In the Reolink app, "remote access" can be switched off so the cameras work only on the home network. If sharing with family is ever wanted later, it's turned on then — deliberately, not by default.

Belt and braces at the router

For extra certainty, the cameras can be blocked from reaching the internet at the home router. Reolink publishes step-by-step instructions for this.

The one trade-off: locked down this way, watching happens at home — on the TV, tablet or PC. To view from elsewhere without Reolink's servers, a tech-savvy helper can set up a private connection (such as Tailscale) whenever that day comes.

Appendix

Where it goes & how to aim it

For whoever does the fitting. The diagram shows the layout: camera on the wall, solar panel up above the ledge, extension lead between them.

Side view: camera mounted high on the wall, angled downward, with the solar panel higher up catching the sun. A wall on the left with a roof overhang. A camera is fixed to the wall about 2.5 metres up, tilted down 15 to 30 degrees, with its view spreading to the ground where a person stands. A solar panel is fixed higher, above the ledge, angled up to the sky, joined to the camera by an extension lead with a drip loop. camera's view tilt 15–30° ≈ 2.5 m · above reach panel above the ledge → faces the sun extension lead (4.5 m)

Positioning the camera

  • Fix it about 2.5 m (8 ft) up the wall — out of easy reach, but not so high you only see the tops of heads.
  • Tilt it down about 15–30° so the view lands where people actually walk. (It can still pan and tilt itself within that view.)
  • Under a roof eave or overhang where possible — it shades the lens from rain and glare.
  • Aim it along the path or approach, not across the road or a neighbour's window — better privacy, fewer false alerts.
  • Fix into brick or solid wall with the wall plugs and screws in the box.

Positioning the solar panel

  • Up above the ledge, where the original camera sat — the spot already proven to get the daylight.
  • Face it roughly south and tilt it up toward open sky — never flat, never behind glass.
  • The extension lead gives roughly 8.5 m of total reach, so neither the camera nor the panel has to compromise.

At a glance
Camera: ≈ 2.5 m up · tilted 15–30° down · aimed along the approach. Panel: above the ledge, facing the sun. Lead: neat run with a drip loop.

  • Don't point the camera straight at the sun, a streetlight or a security light — glare washes out the picture.
  • Leave a small "drip loop" in the extension lead at each connector, so rain runs off rather than in.