Camera Setup — Getting Your Camera Online

This guide walks you through activating a BuildCam SiteReady camera for the first time. By the end, your camera will be visible in BuildCam and ready to capture images.

Before you start

Make sure you have:

• A BuildCam SiteReady camera and its mounting hardware
• A site with 4G/LTE coverage (check the coverage map if you're unsure)
• A BuildCam account with Admin or Site Manager role on the project
• The camera's serial number (printed on the label on the back of the unit)

Step 1 — Mount the camera

Choose a mounting location with a clear view of the area you want to monitor. Keep these guidelines in mind:

• Height: 2–4 metres above ground gives the best perspective for most sites
• Orientation: Face the camera south in the southern hemisphere, north in the northern hemisphere — this minimises direct sun into the lens
• Stability: Use the supplied mounting bracket on a solid surface. Avoid poles or structures that vibrate in wind
• Power: The SiteReady camera is solar-powered with a backup battery. Ensure the solar panel has unobstructed access to sky — not under an eave or overhang

Attach the mounting bracket first, then slide the camera unit onto the bracket and tighten the locking ring.

Step 2 — Power on

Press and hold the power button on the bottom of the unit for 3 seconds. The status LED will flash amber while the camera boots.

The boot sequence takes up to 90 seconds. When the LED turns solid green, the camera has connected to the mobile network.

LED status guide:

LED	Meaning
Flashing amber	Booting up
Solid green	Connected — ready to activate
Flashing green	Capturing an image
Solid red	No network — check coverage
Flashing red	Hardware fault — see Camera Troubleshooting

Step 3 — Activate in BuildCam

1. Sign in to BuildCam and navigate to your project
2. Click Cameras in the sidebar
3. Click Add Camera in the top-right corner
4. Enter the camera's serial number from the label on the back of the unit
5. Give the camera a name that describes its location (e.g. "Level 12 North Face")
6. Click Activate

BuildCam will send an activation signal to the camera. This may take up to 2 minutes. When activation is complete, you'll see the camera appear in your camera list with a Connecting status.

Step 4 — Wait for first image

The camera captures its first image within 5 minutes of activation. You'll see the status change from Connecting to Online when the first image arrives.

Click the camera to open the camera view and see the latest image.

If no image arrives after 10 minutes, check the Camera Not Connecting troubleshooting guide.

Step 5 — Configure capture schedule

By default, the camera captures one image every hour. To change the schedule:

1. Open the camera view and click Settings
2. Under Capture Schedule, choose a preset or set a custom interval
3. Click Save

Common schedules:

Schedule	Use case
Every 15 minutes	Active construction — high activity
Every hour	Standard monitoring
Every 4 hours	Remote or low-activity sites
Sunrise to sunset only	Solar-powered cameras in low-light climates

Done

Your camera is now live on BuildCam. It will automatically capture images on your chosen schedule and store them in the gallery.

Next step: Invite your team to give colleagues access to the project.