Inside the Eufy HomeBase 2
Most who know me know that I love to open up new devices, break them soon or later and fix them again. That’s probably why my family requests me to fix things only when they exhausted all other options. But hey, it’s probably in my nature, I cant help myself ;-).
So this time, I got my hands on the Eufy HomeBase 2. At as information about this lovely piece of technology is limited on the internet, it’s my time to share!
So here we go, this is what you need:
- Eufy HomeBase 2
- guitar pick
- Small and thin Philips screwdriver
- Steady hands
First, we need to open up the bottom case with the guitar pick. On one side, there is a small notch where we can start.
Next, we need to separate the bracket from the outer shell. It’s attached with 4 screw that are a bit buried. So you need a small and fine screwdriver with a sleek head.
Now, we can see the bracket with it’s 3 wifi antenna’s.
I made some pictures of the top and bottom:
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2 
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2 
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2 
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2 
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2 
Inside the Bottom of the Eufy HomeBase 2
Regarding the chips, this is what I found out:
Top:
- Network Signal Transformer
Print: XZ i933-G / H1102NL
Datasheet: LINK - ?
Print: F488 / 7662 / 11951 - ?
Print: F488 / 7662 / 11951 - ?
Print: WX01 / HD804004 - USB audio
Print: HS-100B / CFW32878.1 / SHH1BNCZ-GS / 1938 - USB Hub
Print: GL850G / HH4JB05Y22 / 950SRC8611 - Wifi antenna’s:
Print: AT&G-T8010 / WiFi-2-V1
Bottom:
- Samsung 16GB NAND Flash Memory
Print: SEC 940 / B041 / KLMAG1JETD / SA57ZZIUS
Datasheet: LINK - Macronix Int. 256MB Flash memory
Print: MXIC L194611 / MX25L25635FZ2I-10G / 8F652400
Due to limited time, I haven’t got around to working out every details.
However, I hope you gained some insights into the ‘inner guts’ of the Eufy HomeBase 2! If you have any more question, just send me a message or reply to the post. Thanks for reading!
Max
Hi,
What IS USB audio? It Is possibile change the original speaker or drive out the audio Signal to an external amplifire to improve performance of Eufy HomeBase 2 ?
SANCLA
Hi Max, I think if you cut the speaker wires and attach an audio jack plug port to it, you can attach a different speaker to it. Pay attention to where you put the port so you do not hinder the wifi antenna’s…
Marcus
Hey I check into the USB and only thing that is for is extra storage. However I did modify the antennas to get long rang for batter video and photo quality it works. Also you will need a router to reduce your camera from getting hack and plus you always want your security systems depart from other devices
iamadmin
Wauw Marco,
That is amazing the read about!
If you want, I can add your modifications to this website.
Off course, all credits are for you!
Lars
How did you do that? Different antennas? Would love to see pictures and or a description.
Thanks!
Mark
How does modifying the WiFi antennas to achieve longer range improve video and audio quality? I understand that the modification could allow a camera to be placed further away from the HomBase 2, but how does it improved video/audio quality? It seems that the video resolution and audio bit rate would stay the same regardless of distance because of the hardware limitations of the camera, not the HomeBase2. Please help me understand.
iamadmin
Hi Mark,
If the wireless signal is sufficient, the signal quality should not impact video resolution or audio bitrate.
Distance is a bit of variable, it’s depending on multiple factors. As it is a radio signal, it could be many things that interfere.
You could replace antenna’s of the homebase, but do not expect miracles.
What you could try, is using a second home base (that acts like a repeater) to extend the signal or contact their support.
See these articles for more information:
https://smarthomestarter.com/how-far-can-the-eufy-camera-be-from-the-base-can-you-extend-its-range/
http://community.anker.com/t/we-need-a-range-extender-for-the-cameras-to-the-homebase/64151/38
H
Hey there. Thanks for this. The photos of the disassembly showed me that there was a speaker cable inside that I can easily unplug myself – and replug later. Now the completely silent Homebase 2 can rest in the living room and not accidentally annoy anybody in the family.
FrLW68
Good to read that the speaker can be disconnected. I hid my homebase 2, because it can be stolen in the event of a burglary. Unfortunately, the homebase betrays itself as soon as the modemrouter plug is unplugged. “HomeBase is switching to ethernet/wifi mode”.
All volumes are at zero, but it remains audible.
Daniele
Hi Sancla (Sander),
thank you for posting this, It’s truly interesting.
As requested previously from Max I would like to replace the 2w speaker with something like a siren 120db 12V(even external, as the space inside seems limited..). Do you think is it possible?
Thanks in Advance for your Kind advice.
SANCLA
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for your patience. It took me a bit more time then usual to reply to your comment due to holiday (I always go fully offline with an old Nokia to keep in touch).
The problem is that the a siren is fundamentally different then a powerful speaker. A siren is designed to generate a single sound on a certain frequency and usually only has a on/off switch. As the sound from the homebase is analog sound and the output is voice, you would have to find a way to recognize the output from your homebase and then find a way to switch on (and off) the siren. That would be difficult. I guess the best option would be a amplified speaker. Unless Eufy put a dedicated siren on the market…
Dave
maybe something involving a relay could be used for a good quality external strobe/siren (i have my eyes on a bosch one that is truly 110dB). I only got my Homebase 2 yesterday but even before I was home I was thinking about how to set up an alternative siren. I’d read on Reddit they’re by no means loud enough, especially compared to older, non-smart generations.
Marcus Price
I’m create a video soon if you like
iamadmin
Great! I can’t wait 😉
Montrealer84
Hi there,
I have tried several Homebase 2, and they all emit a clicking sound like in the below video. When I restart the Homebase, the sound is gone. But it only remains quiet until the next chime.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0jeb5h0jaivfpiq/20201116_224821.mp4?dl=0
Do you think that sound is normal? Or something is wrong with the speaker of the Homebase? It is not very loud, but noticeable. I am contacting Anker, but have not received any response yet. Some others are also experiencing a similar issue:
https://communitysecurity.eufylife.com/t/homebase-speaker-constant-rapid-clicking/429881/21
Thanks!
iamadmin
Sounds like a bug to me.
Could be related to a hardware design issue, where they have some power save mode for (parts) of the chip that is responsible for audio.
Or just bad programming, would not be the first software bug at Eufy.
Keep in mind that this is still a Chinese based company…
Brian
Can you replace the HD with a 128gb? Is it plug and play or hard wired. Sounds like from other resources the USB plug won’t be used for storage connection.
iamadmin
Hey Brian,
Eufy promissed such a feature, but never delivered it.
Check this Reddit article about that:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EufyCam/comments/lnowkh/its_has_been_over_a_year_since_eufy_said_they/
John Christie
Hello.
Is there any modification possible on the Eufy Home Base that will send a Audio/Video signal via HDMI to a TV?
Marco
Hello, a great posting….
I have a question about the speaker, when I would connect the 2 wires to a jack and connect the jack to a bluetooth wireless transmitter, could it then transmit to, for example, a wireless bluetooth speaker.
Thanks,
Marco
iamadmin
Hi Marco,
The audio output (black and red wires) can be attached to a jack connector.
It’s just an analog mono output.
However, since it’s probably coming pretty close to the wifi antenna’s, I would opt for just an extended cable coming out of the device and have a connector there.
That should cause less interference for both the audio signal and the wifi signal.
If I may give some additional advice, don’t cut the original cable.
Buy a cable with the same connector on it.
If you ever need to revert the original setup, it’s easier.
From the looks of it, I believe this would be an 2-pin JST PH connector.
You can find those on Aliexpress including the cable (check the cable length!)
Not sure about the size of the connector, probably 2.0 mm or smaller.
If you are ordering from China, make sure you order a few different sizes (or wait another month if you are wrong about the size).
I am curious about the result, sounds like a great idea!
tsubasa
Makes sense, if they release a proper External Siren I’d want to revert back the speaker mod. You will still need to drill a small hole inside to route the cable though, it will be on the side wall of inner bezel, won’t be visible when you revert back. After routing the cable out the bottom, just tape the bottom cover and let the cable hang out the side. By the way, speaker connector is JST-SH 1.0mm
Maz
Hi Marco, did you ever try this? I am looking at doing exactly the same after about a week of research into other options. One I also thought may work would be to purchase a doorbell chime and try wiring the BT transmitter to that as apparently the alarm sound will repeat to them. It’s a cheaper option than potentially breaking my homebase :). Would that work?
Will
Thank you for these detail they’re really helpful! I’m trying to determine what the input voltage range is , do you know what power ICs are used on the pcb? or have some higher resolution pictures where the markings of the smaller ICs are more clearly visible.
iamadmin
Sorry for taking my timing to answer your question. Perhaps more detailed specs can be found here: https://fccid.io/2AOKB-T8010/Internal-Photos/Internal-Photos-4456275
tonnstruggle
I have two Eufycam 2C with a Homebase 2 set installed. Unfortunately, the cameras have been stolen yesterday. Just wondering how could I access the video stored locally on my Homebase 2 in this case? I have asked Eufy support and no response yet but by searching on Eufy forum, it seems impossible to do it. So what’s the point of having the video stored locally? I am really frustrated with this poduct and will not recommend to anyone else.
iamadmin
Wait, so the camera’s are stolen. But video is beeing recorded on the homebase…
And you can not access those videofeeds without access to the camera’s?
wtf?
FrLW68
Try changing the filter on the second tab. I can select what to see.
tonnstruggle
This is the email reply I received from Eufy today. Very disappointed!! Sucks!! I am holding the storage device but can’t access it to find out who stole the cameras!! What’s the point of having local storage? Liar and not recommended to anyone for Eufy products!!
ANYONE who knows how to crack this memory?
“Thank you for contacting Eufy customer support.
Sorry to learn about the issue with your device! In your case, we regret to say that if the camera is stolen, the footage stored locally on my Homebase 2 can not be accessed. Since the camera needs to be added again, then the videos can be showed in the events page.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused and have a nice day!
Reference TicketTNF316xxxxxxx if contacting a CSR
Customer Support Engineer
“
Sam
tonnstruggle
that’s got to be the dumbest thing ever. so basically buying the eufy with the sd card built into the camera or doorbell camera acts the same way as the ones with the homebase2…!!! makes no sense at all.
anyone who wants eufy cams with a homebase2, main reason they get that is for the local storage “inside the house/office”, so you can extract your footage from the “local storage” even if your camera got disconnected, stolen, vandalized, fried, or dead.
but if you’re unable to pull your footage if the camera is disconnected, wtf is the advantage of homebase2??
I was just going to buy one today, but after this absolute nonsense, I really don’t see a reason to get one, I’ll just get the basic one with onvif/RTSP and stream/record to an old computer I have with a much larger storage capacity. Of course that’s if I decide to buy a eufy cam after what I just read.
with all that said, if you’re very desperate on getting your footage off the homebase2, you may be able to take it to a data-recovery lab which then they would pull out the storage chip off the device and image it using their own equipment, however there are 2 disadvantages to that, first your homebase is no more, you’ll need a new one. second they’re pretty expensive. so really this is only if there is something seriously valuable you’ve lost besides the cams, that you’d need to report to the police, otherwise it’s pointless and waste of money.
iamadmin
Even worse, they do not have a very good track record when it comes to securing the video footage:
https://www.cnet.com/home/security/eufy-says-software-bug-that-exposed-users-video-footage-to-strangers-has-been-fixed/
Daniel
Hi does eufy connect to their sensors using Bluetooth and not z wave or zigbee?
john
Please can you give the amp output of the usb socket, i.e. can it be used to charge an ipad?
iamadmin
I dont have that information, but I assume it’s not that much. At most I expected an amp. Although you would be able to charge a phone with that, it’s going to take a long time with modern smartphones. And I would not advise this as this will put a strain on the usb port that the homebase is not designed for. Since its Chinese, it is possible that they do not fully follow the USB standards and advisories, it’s not the first time I fried a board this way…
Geoff
If I change the speaker on my eufy 2 Homebase, what speaker would be a good replacement so it’s loud.
iamadmin
Hey Geoff,
I would suggest to buy a powered speaker, as they amplify and increase the volume.
Basically any powered and adjustable speaker you can buy at amazon etc can work. Just cut of the 3.5mm jacket and connect the wires to the speaker output.
Geoff
Ok thank you for your response. I will look into it.
Nick
I have recently updated to the Homebase 3 but now I have two more Homebase 2’s is there anything you recommend I do with them, Can they be harvested for components? I feel like they are paperweights now; I just IDK seems like it could become something else useful.
iamadmin
Hmmmm, I can not really think of anything at the moment. Ecowaste is a major issue with closed-source vendors as they claim it is intellectual property. Usually these kind of iot appliances cannot be used for anything else then what they where build for…
Perhaps, can you still link it and use it as a speaker for the alarm or messages?
Nick
I believe you can extend the range for cameras if needed or, umm, have it be another closer speaker for alarming; it does seem like the Homebase 2 supports homekit, and the Homebase 3 does not seem a bit of a letdown, as I am hoping feature expansion not deletion, I hope it updates to support Matter in the future but hadn’t seen anything on that. I do notice the improvements in detection on the HB3 so far, so I will have to deal with the native app instead of the homekit. Thanks for the breakdown insight post; I will likely tinker with it a bunch as well. Why not? I have a spare, and they both are just gaining dust.
Avinash
I want to mount HomeBase on the ceiling (away from the hands of a thief). I checked on Google but could not find one. Is there any suggestion how I can do it. Thanks
Avinash
It’s a homeBase 2
Avinash
I would like to mount my HOMEBASE-2 on the ceiling (away from the hands of thief). There is no power problem. I checked on Google and I couldn’t find one. Only wall mounts are available. Any suggestion how I can do that.
iamadmin
Hi Avenish,
I would suggest drilling a hole in the backplate and screwing it to your ceiling.
Or ducktape, that always works but could have a time-delayed auto-unmount risk ;-).