The best rear-view battery powered WiFi Camera that I have tested

Index 

1. Why I LOVE my EH05 rear-view camera
2. Quick overview
3. Before switching the camera on
4. How to get the latest User's Manual
5. Charging the batteries
6. Downloading and Installing the camera APP
7. Setting up the camera APP to view the camera video stream
   
8. Camera Specifications in plain English
9. Optional USB Extension Power Cable & DC to DC convertor Kit

1. Why I LOVE my EH05 rear-view camera
I've always wanted a rear-view/ reversing camera for when I am towing my caravan because it's a stressful business not being able to see clearly what's behind when pulling away or traveling down the motorway.  Yes, I have my wing mirror extensions but whilst they sort of lets me see what's down the side of the caravan they don't give a clear view of what's behind. You don't realise how much you rely on the internal rear-view mirror until you find yourself looking into that rear-view mirror only to find you're looking at the front of your own caravan. Anyway, I have solved that problem now, after trying all types of rear-view/ reversing cameras from wired types to wireless basic and digital types to this Wifi battery powered one which I purchased in July 2020. I have given you a review of my experience with this WiFi rear-view camera below for your reference. The WiFi range with this camera is excellent and that is partly because it has its own antenna. It gives up to 50 meters, that's 164 feet (in open area) and it works well at the rear of my Swift Major 4 berth caravan (7.54m 24' 9") with the tablet as a monitor on the dashboard of my Hyundai SUV.

The video above shows my EH05 rear-view WIFi battery powered rear-view camera streaming the camera's image to my Huawei 8" tablet which is safely fixed to my dashboard with the aid of my new mounting bracket. The bracket is featured in a separate review on my website

2. Quick overview
I'll be honest; whilst this is not one of the cheapest wireless cameras on the market it is, however, the best one that I have managed to find and test. In my opinion, this is a quality battery powered WiFi camera with a impressive range of functions and features that really works reliably and I feel it is therefore worth it's money.
The camera gives a clear and stable colour image with a 100 degrees horizontal field of view suitable for reversing or when the camera is tilted up, it gives a good view of traffic behind your caravan, motorhome or vehicle with restricted or no internal rear-view mirror. Since the camera has a magnetic mount with angled tilt and swivel it can be temporarily positioned on any vehicle that has a ferris metal body or fixing plate and can be removed without any fuss.
The camera offers two WiFi modes of operation, option one gives you the ability to connect the EsiCam EH05 camera to either an Apple IOS or Android Smartphone or Tablet device to use as your monitor. This is referred to in the user guide on page 7 as AP mode (Access Point). The second WiFi mode gives you the ability to connect the camera to your wireless router then you can use the camera to monitor for example the front or back of your home, a new baby, pets in the home as well as many other WiFi monitoring activities. This is described in the user guide's manual on page 9 as STA mode (Station mode).
The real plus point with this camera for me is that you can use your tablet or smartphone as a monitor screen. I have an 8" tablet and this gives me an ideal size image from my EsiCam EH05 camera showing the road conditions and traffic behind my caravan. I use a dashboard mount (as profiled in a review shown on my Gadgets4me site) to hold my tablet securely. See pictures and videos below to help you see if this camera system and dashboard mount is just what you have been looking for. I will also be posting lots of extra ideas on how to get the best from the functions and features of this EH05 camera system on my social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Like all gadgets none are perfect
I feel it's my duty to inform my followers that nothing in this word is perfect and to this end I need to make it clear -  whilst I love my EsiCam EH05 camera there are a few points that you should be aware of.

1. You may experience a very small amount of video lag (delay) caused by the digitising of the video signal inside the camera. This can result in the image shown on the monitoring device (smartphone or tablet) being very slightly delayed. Older, less powerful smartphones or tablets are more likely to show this effect than newer more powerful devices.
2. By the way, I have tested a number of other digital wireless and WiFi cameras and this camera shows much less video lag than most. The ease of use, being portable outweighs this minor issue as long as you are aware of it.

If you touch or click on the image above it will link you to the Amazon site so you can see or purchase this EsiCan rear-view battery powered WiFi camera that I have reviewed.

3. Before Switching the camera on
Note: I would recommend that you do not switch the EH05 camera on without having first connected the antenna supplied into the antenna socket on the rear of the camera as prolonged use without the antenna could cause damage.

4. The latest EH05 User's Manual
You can tell if you have the latest User's Manual by turning to the inside of the front cover; if you see APPROVAL INFORMATION page 21, then you have the latest copy. If you don't have the latest copy and would like a copy then you can download it by clicking on the Download File PDF below. By the way, you can print this user's manual if you have a printer at A4 size. 

The Download above is the latest EH05 User's Manual in PDF form

5. Charging the batteries
Refer to page 5 of the original user's manual or page 4 in the new user's manual.
Yes, this camera is equipped with two Li rechargeable batteries to help make sure it will last for a good 7 to 7.5 hours if the infrared (IR) LEDs are off (IR LED's are off when the camera is in daylight).
The first thing you should plan to do after checking that you have got all the items in the camera box is put the EH05 camera on charge.
Note: I recommend you make sure the Power On/Off button switches the camera OFF so charging takes place more quickly. You can see if the camera is powered OFF by depressing the Power On/Off (at the rear of the camera) and looking at the left hand side of the glass lens cover to make sure the GREEN LED turns off. It can take up to 6 hours to fully charge the two internal Li batteries.  You can see when the batteries are fully charged when the RED LED at the front left hand side of the camera goes out.

The above picture shows key pushbuttons, charging socket and LEDs of the EH05 rear-view WiFi battery powered camera

6. Downloading and Installing the EH05 Camera APP
You will need a control application on your tablet or smartphone so that you can connect to your EH05 camera. The APP will enable you to set-up a suitable WiFI connection.
The primary activity for my EH05 camera was to give me a clear view from the rear of my caravan whilst I am towing. So after some research, I realised there were two APPs available to work with this EH05 camera and each APP have some slight differences.
Having downloaded both APPs, I found that the APP referred to in the User's Manual and on the packing box called UCCAM is the least useful because whilst it is capable of controlling the camera, it has one features that is of no use with the EH05 camera.
The only APP that I have found worth installing was the SwiftWiFiCam APP because it has all the useful feature plus it has the ability of displaying Guidelines for reversing and can switch on or off the two bright white LEDs if needed.  You can download the SwiftWiFiCam APP from the Google Play store for Android smartphones or tablets by clicking on the following link Swift Wifi Cam – Apps on Google Play 
You can also download the SwiftWiFiCam APP from the Apple IOS store for smartphones or tablets by clicking on the following link ‎Swift WiFi Cam on the App Store (apple.com) .
As soon as the SwiftWiFiCam APP has downloaded it will continue to install so that you can then proceed to open it.

The SwiftWiFiCam APP icon is shown above

7. Setting up the camera APP to view the camera video stream
With the SwiftWiFiCam APP open you can continue to set up your Smartphone or Tablet to view the video stream from your EH05 camera.  You can now chose to follow the steps given below or in the original user's manual on page 7 or page 6 in the later downloadable manual to complete the set up.
Alternatively, you can watch my video below showing how to set up the SwiftWiFiCam APP to connect the camera to your Smartphone or Tablet.
Follow the steps given below: -

1. Momentarily press the Power Button at the rear of your EH05 camera and view the front of the camera to see if the GREEN LED comes on. The GREEN should stay on for approximately 25 seconds then go off for 5 seconds and come back on but flashing in an on/off state indicating the camera is transmitting its SSID.
2. Go to the Settings section of your smartphones or tablet and select the WiFi settings.
3. Select scan or refresh from your WiFi list and look down the list for the EH05 camera's SSID which will start with the following 6 characters, IPCAM_
4. Select the IPCAM_???... name from the list.
5. Make sure your WiFi setting indicates it has connected to the your cameras IPCAM_????... SSID
6. You can know launch your SwiftWiFiCam APP or select it it is already open.
7. After the SwiftWiFiCam APP has launched you should see a button at the top of the screen with a camera icon and a request "Tap here to add camera", tap the button.
8. Next you will see two options, select "LAN search" and this should search to locate the camera name and ID.
9. Select the camera name and ID by taping on it, this will bring up a new screen showing the full list of camera parameters.
10. You can change any of the settings that are preceded by an * (astrix) when you are ready. For example I changed my camera name to "Caravan-Cam" and changed admin to my christian name then added a password for extra security.
11. You need to touch the SAVE button and you will be presented with the camera list screen again but this time you will see a new box showing a tiny image of the camera screen with the cameras SSID and ID code,
12. Wait until you see a small greenish/blue dot indicating the EH05 camera is ready to stream to your screen.
13.  Finally, touch the box with the small greenish/blue dot and you will be shown the streaming video content from your camera.

Yes, I bet I can hear you say that was a bit drawn out, well it may have been of help to some people so I am not going to apologize for explaining the steps in detail.
You can see my video example of this procedure if you prefer to rather than reading the steps above.

This is a 2 minute video demo of how to connect the EH05 camera to an Android tablet

8. Specification list 
I have re-listed the EsiCam EH05 rear-view battery powered camera specifications in plain english as they can be a little less easy to understand on some other sites

1. WiFi range up to 50 meters/ 164 feet (in open area) works well at the rear of my Swift Major 4 berth caravan (7.54m 24' 9") with the tablet as a monitor on the dashboard of my Hyundai SUV
2. Antenna, external screw in type, 2dBi
3. Receiver sensitivity, 85dBm @ 11 meters
4. Battery, built in Li-Ion rechargeable battery, 2 x 3.7 volt 1500mAH for up to 7.5Hrs working, 5 hrs with IR on or 3 hrs with twin white LEDs on, DIY replaceable batteries, 330mA (0.33Amps) battery current consumption with IR & twin LED lights off
5. Camera housing, solid metal, NOT your typical plastic construction
6. Camera size, Diam.= 51mm, L= 81mm
7. Camera height, from base of magnetic mount to top of body 102mm
8. Night Vision, 14 individual LED’s gives 5-meter range, 60 deg. range
9. Waterproof to IP66 standard, that means protected from dust ingress and protected from jets of water from any direction
10. Minimum Illumination, 2.0 Lux &   0Lux (IR on)
11. Image sensor, ¼” CMOS
12. Tripod/ mag-mount, ¼ inch/ 6.35mm threaded mount socket on underside of camera
13. Magnetic mount, not supplied, magnetic strength is 8kg vertical plane
14. Super bright twin white LED lights, activated by control button on back of camera or from the FREE Swift WiFi Cam application, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
15. Charging socket, waterproof socket with screw thread for connecting to external 5 volt power source for charging
16. USB 1.5-meter lead to special 3 pin 5-volt DC plug for charging, DC plug end of lead can be held place with screw collar, lead supplied
17. Built in microphone, located at the rear underside of the camera
18. Memory card slot, supports up to 128GB micro SD card (not supplied) card slot located inside the camera body, easy installed by unscrewing the camera front cover, see my demo video below
19. AP Mode supported for direct WiFi connection from camera to WiFi monitoring device, use Android, IOS or MS Windows Smartphone, tablet or PC (as the monitor device)
20. STA Mode supported enabling camera to connect to wireless router for home security mode etc. view camera image over the internet from any ware in the world
21. Continue to receive or make calls on Smart Phone or send/ messages TEXT messages whilst in AP or STA mode
22. Resolution of camera, HD 1280x720 (1 Megapixel), Frame rate: 25fps@720p, 15fps@VGA Standard definition 640x480 selectable from within the FREE Swift WiFi Cam or UCCam application, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
23. Working Temp: -10deg. to 50deg.C or 14deg.F to 122deg.F
24. Video Reverse (mirror) or Flip (upside down), option set in FREE Swift WiFi Cam or UCCam application, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
25. Video compression mode, H.264
26. WiFi transmission protocol, IEEE 802.11B/G/N CSMA/CA Ack
27. Reverse distance lines, red, yellow & green reverse distance guide lines selectable via FREE Swift WiFi Cam application, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
28. FREE application called UCCam, suitable for home security applications, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
29. FREE application called "UCCam", suitable for home security applications etc. will also function as vehicle rear-view/ reversing applications but without coloured distance lines, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
30. FREE application called "Swift WiFi Cam", suitable for vehicle rear-view/ reversing applications as well as home use applications, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
31. Alarm modes, Motion detection alarm, sound alarm, scope monitor, email alarm, alarm recording, scheduled recording, push notification via email, option set in FREE Swift WiFi Cam or UCCam application, downloadable from Apple or Google app store
32. Guarantee, 1 year limited warranty effective from the date of purchase
33. Package contains, 1 x Camera; 1 x AC 110-220V Power adapter with USB 5-volt output, 1 x USB to 3 pin % volt DC plug charging cable, 1 x User’s Manual, 1 x Quick Guide

9. Optional USB Extension Power Cable & DC to DC convertor Kit
Amazon stock a 12/20 volt DC to DC convertors that give out 5 volts DC via a USB socket. This device can be used with a car or lorry to deliver 5 volts DC via it's USB socket to power and keep the EH05 camera charging the whilst it is being used.
The one that caught my eye was the TOPINCN DC-DC Adapter Intelligent Security Protection 12V/24V to USB 5V 3A with USB output connector. See the picture below for reference.  You may also be interested in an extension USB plug to socket lead and Amazon have a range of lengths to choose from.

The picture shows a 12/24 volt DC input to 5 volts DC output convertor with red and black DC input feed.

The above picture shows a 5 meter USB plug to plug extension lead
This extension lead can be used to connect the output socket of the DC convertor to the input socket of the special EH05 camera power lead.