Installing NVR outdoors

[Quagsire]

We're organizing with my neighbors in a rural area to set up security cameras, and I'm in charge of the technical part as The IT Guy. The most prevalent brands here are Dahua and HikVision, I'm leaning towards Dahua.

Our plan is to have a camera at the corner of every unpaved road leading to multiple plots of land. Each camera will be managed by the group of the neighbors residing at those plots, so they won't be interconnected (which is also barely possible due to the large distances and horrible connectivity in our hilly terrain). We also do not want online connectivity and active monitoring for privacy reasons. The goal is just to store footage and be able to review it if anything happens, so standing nearby and connecting from a laptop via WiFi would be totally fine.

At the same time, according to the research I've done, standalone cameras with SD cards aren't suitable for our case: they're usually managed via apps and generally won't fare well when exposed to the elements on a post (the climate here is very rainy, similar to the Washington/Oregon coast).

So I've arrived at the conclusion that the best solution would be a well-protected camera + NVR on the same post (in most cases, there's no house nearby to install an NVR indoors). I suppose we can install an insulated and weatherproof box on the same post, with an NVR and maybe a router inside. But what would be the correct NVR for that task, and will it be able to sustain temperature changes between 0° and 40°C (32-104°F)?

Or perhaps my approach is wrong? Thanks in advance!

 

[garycrist]

How about game cameras? Simple and cheap.

 

[Quagsire]

How about game cameras? Simple and cheap.

Aside from not having 24/7 recording, those will get stolen quite fast! We need to install the cameras high enough and have good optics to record passing cars' plates.

 

[wittaj]

Now you have added a few more variables to the mix.

1. You want them high.
2. You want to get plates.

Any other variables? These make a difference.

High cameras get you tops of heads and hoodies. Not exactly IDENTIFY quality.

Regarding plates, you would have to set the camera up specifically to read plates. You need the proper camera with OPTICAL zoom for the distance you are covering and the angle to get plates.

Keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to OPTICALLY zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my 2MP 5241-Z12E camera (that is all that is needed for plates):

See the LPR subforum for more details.

 

[Quagsire]

Now you have added a few more variables to the mix.

1. You want them high.
2. You want to get plates.

Any other variables? These make a difference.

Oh, thank you! I didn't add them because I intended to ask separately in a section about cameras. Since these are rural roads, 7-8 km from the closest urban zone, there are close to zero pedestrians. Occasionally, there are some cyclists, but that's about it.

So yes, being able to see the license plates is probably the most important aspect of the project to make it more than just a deterrent (since most rural places don't have cameras at all).

 

[mat200]

Oh, thank you! I didn't add them because I intended to ask separately in a section about cameras. Since these are rural roads, 7-8 km from the closest urban zone, there are close to zero pedestrians. Occasionally, there are some cyclists, but that's about it.

So yes, being able to see the license plates is probably the most important aspect of the project to make it more than just a deterrent (since most rural places don't have cameras at all).

You will want also to get an image to ID the type of car as well as plate info .. so do plan for another camera to get the image if the car as well.

 

[Teken]

Each of these polls at each site will have 120 VAC at all times?!? As it relates to the Micro SD card you’ll want one installed no matter what.

One for back up and next for redundancy as the data from the Micro Sd can backfill the NVR if required.

As it relates to the NVR you’re in a world of hurt if you don’t design and build the entire system to ensure the extreme weather.

Heat is the primary killer of electronics and if you’re wanting a NVR it should be a mobile designed one. As they are designed to ensure the hot, cold, and humidity.

As of today the most effective method is to deploy a solar / cellular system from either vendor.

All you need to do is subscribe to a ISP / Cellular provider. Mount the camera and adjust it to the appropriate requirements. They make PTZ solar kits and can easily add in a LPR camera for license plates.

All of the above is self enclosed, powered, weather rated, and connected.

Up front costs will be high but the system will operate for years without service. You do a DIY NVR intended for indoor use expect lots of time away from home on a ladder!

 

[bigredfish]

We've had 2 NVRs in NEMA enclosures since 2017 in Florida heat, humidity and hurricanes.... jusy sayin

I've lost 1 of 4 HD's in that time.

NVR/Cable modem/router all doing fine. If they took a dump tomorrow, at going on 7 years I wouldnt be upset

 

[Quagsire]

We've had 2 NVRs in NEMA enclosures since 2017 in Florida heat, humidity and hurricanes.... jusy sayin

Great to know, thanks!

I'm still doing the research for now. Got in contact with the local municipality's security department and they will send me contacts of professionals to consult about specific models and setups they have installed around the nearby city.

 

[bigredfish]

I’ve found when you get “experts” involved it usually costs a lot more.

Dont get me wrong, I hired a pro elec contractor to set the service and install the box with an outlet. From there I didn’t need help figuring out what to put in the box or how to wire/configure ethernet or low voltage stuff.

 

[Quagsire]

I’ve found when you get “experts” involved it usually costs a lot more.

They won't install it (I have trusted electricians for that), but just want to ask about the usual setups here to not go too esoteric. Chile and other smaller countries have much less choice compared to the infinite options of the US market, so having everything is stock and with good support from the suppliers is a must.