Small Cabin - Setup

R. Rod

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Hello,

I posted on the New Members Introduction section but in hindsight that was not the right place for this post.

I bought a small cabin in the mountains and I would like to put together a small system for peace of mind.

This is what I'm thinking:
  • Buy 1 varifocal camera and use it to calculate fov for the rest (HDW2231R-ZS)
  • Buy 3 (IPC-T2431T-AS) in either 2.8 or 3.6 depending on the initial tests.
  • Optiplex 3020 (i5-4590) with BlueIris. This pc has 16gb but I’m also planning to run a hyper-v and a vm with HomeAssistant and a few other containers for automation.
  • I haven’t decided on the switch yet but I’m considering the ubiquiti us-8-60w or the netgear gs108pp.
Do you see any issues with this setup?
I understand these cameras are considered budget cameras, but after some reading I'm ok with the price/value ratio.

When it comes to run the ethernet cables, I would have to do it externally - crawling space + walls + eaves
Do you see a problem running regular cat6 inside a hard conduit? (pvc or metal) Or should I only consider outdoor rated ethernet cable?

Thanks in advance!
R. R.
 
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sebastiantombs

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Testing ahead of time using a 2231R-ZS is an excellent approach. I will caution you that the 2431 series has a 1/3" sensor. That, combined with it being a 4MP camera, will mean not very good performance at night unless you add some external IR illuminators or choose a different camera. I know the 5442 series is more expensive, but it performs very well in low light conditions. As an alternative, just use all 2231R-ZS.

I would suggest using PVC conduit and a gel filled, pure copper, CAT5E cable. Conduit can leak so adding a second layer of protection is a good idea. CAT6, unless something changes drastically in the near future, is overkill for even an 8MP camera, IMHO.
 

R. Rod

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Testing ahead of time using a 2231R-ZS is an excellent approach. I will caution you that the 2431 series has a 1/3" sensor. That, combined with it being a 4MP camera, will mean not very good performance at night unless you add some external IR illuminators or choose a different camera. I know the 5442 series is more expensive, but it performs very well in low light conditions. As an alternative, just use all 2231R-ZS.

I would suggest using PVC conduit and a gel filled, pure copper, CAT5E cable. Conduit can leak so adding a second layer of protection is a good idea. CAT6, unless something changes drastically in the near future, is overkill for even an 8MP camera, IMHO.
Thank you @sebastiantombs for your reply.
Since this cabin is in the middle of the woods I agree good performance under low light conditions would be nice. I could add more outdoor lights but that is going to make the project more complicated.
I really like the turret form factor, is there anything comparable to the 5442 on that form factor?
The 5442s seem great, but they are also pricey. If you were being budget conscious what would you go with? 2231-z all the way?

Thanks again!
 

sebastiantombs

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The IPC-T5442TM-AS is a turret form factor and is an excellent performer, both day and night. I agree that they are a little more expensive but the performance difference does cost some money. In the long term, it may be a better choice even if you have to stretch out buying cameras over a longer period of time. Another consideration is that availability, right now, is extremely limited.

The 2231 series, both bullets and turrets, are excellent performers as well. There is a major difference between the 5442 and 2231 in terms of the "vividness" and color registration during the day. At night, the 5442 is, hands down, a much better image. I have both cameras and like both but prefer the 5442 where a good image is more critical.

Adding IR illuminators isn't all that hard. You can use a PoE splitter like this, Amazon.com: USG PoE Splitter to Power Non-PoE Cameras: Splits Incoming PoE Signal to 12V DC Power + RJ45 Ethernet Video, 10/100Mbps, 2A, 24W, IEEE 802.3af/at, True Plug-&-Play, for HD IP Video Surveillance: Computers & Accessories with a "Y" cable like this, Amazon.com : SIM&NAT 1 Female to 2 Male 5.5mm x 2.1mm DC Power Supply Splitter Cord, Y Splitter Adapter Wire, Y-Cable for Security CCTV Parking Camera, LED Strip Light, Pack of 2 : Camera & Photo to power both the camera and IR illuminator from the same ethernet drop.
 
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R. Rod

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The IPC-T5442TM-AS is a turret form factor and is an excellent performer, both day and night. I agree that they are a little more expensive but the performance difference does cost some money. In the long term, it may be a better choice even if you have to stretch out buying cameras over a longer period of time. Another consideration is that availability, right now, is extremely limited.

The 2231 series, both bullets and turrets, are excellent performers as well. There is a major difference between the 5442 and 2231 in terms of the "vividness" and color registration during the day. At night, the 5442 is, hands down, a much better image. I have both cameras and like both but prefer the 5442 where a good image is more critical.

Adding IR illuminators isn't all that hard. You can use a PoE splitter like this, Amazon.com: USG PoE Splitter to Power Non-PoE Cameras: Splits Incoming PoE Signal to 12V DC Power + RJ45 Ethernet Video, 10/100Mbps, 2A, 24W, IEEE 802.3af/at, True Plug-&-Play, for HD IP Video Surveillance: Computers & Accessories with a "Y" cable like this, Amazon.com : SIM&NAT 1 Female to 2 Male 5.5mm x 2.1mm DC Power Supply Splitter Cord, Y Splitter Adapter Wire, Y-Cable for Security CCTV Parking Camera, LED Strip Light, Pack of 2 : Camera & Photo to power both the camera and IR illuminator from the same ethernet drop.
How do they compare to this on in the store?
 
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sebastiantombs

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Generally speaking, Amcrest is rebranded Dahua and stripped of some features. The "specs" in the link do not provide a sensor size, so I'm only guessing that it is a 1/2.7 rather than a 1/1.8. That, apparently, tiny difference in size can make a very significant difference in night time performance. I also noticed that the video capture was during the day time when just about any modern sensor can produce a good image. Cameras are like everything else,you get what you pay for.
 

looney2ns

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How do they compare to this on in the store?
 

R. Rod

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Hi @looney2ns!
I just ordered one IPC-T2231T-ZS from Andy yesterday. I'm going to calculate FOV for the rest and decide if I'm going with the 5442 or IPC-T2231T-ZS all the way.
Thank you for your reviews, very informative and helpful!

R.
 

R. Rod

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I just got a Netgear GS110TP switch from a friend. It has a 49w poe budget (low).
The IPC-T2231T-ZS cameras use <6.4w according to the data sheet.
This switch seems to be good enough to power these cameras plus an ac-pro access point.
Do I need to be concerned about power budget in general with these numbers? Not sure what is considered “safe”.
Sorry for the total noob question
 

R. Rod

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I just setup the camera (got it last week), connected it to my home US-8-150W (ubiquiti switch) and the switch is reporting <3w. I have checked the power consumption when the IR is on, when zooming, etc.
I think the GS110TP would be ok for 4 cameras + the AP. I don't think I would have a lot of room to grow, but I'm not expecting this setup to get any bigger - at least for the foreseeable future.
 

R. Rod

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Really liking the camera (IPC-T2231T-ZS) I changed the IP, the password and browse through the settings. It is up and running on my network closet :) (picture below) in total darkness.

Noob questions:
  • Is there any guidance on how to fine tune these cameras? I understand that I might need to wait until it is up and installed, but wondering if there is any documentation I can read to get more familiar with the settings and even if I need to be touching the defaults.
  • If I need to adjust the settings, is this done through the web interface or directly on the NVR software (BI, for example)?
  • I bought this camera to be able to calculate the FOV (I read that was the right way to do it) for the other 3 cameras I need. I'm planning to get 3x 5442 but need to understand which lens size to buy. Is there any guidance on how to calculate FOV?

20200404_160506.png
 

bigredfish

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Make all Image, Event, Encoding, Exposure etc changes on the camera itself via the web interface and save yourself a lot of headaches.

I only use the NVR to make recording setup and top level network etc changes.
 

R. Rod

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Make all Image, Event, Encoding, Exposure etc changes on the camera itself via the web interface and save yourself a lot of headaches.

I only use the NVR to make recording setup and top level network etc changes.
Thanks @bigredfish
Any pointers on where to read to fine-tune this camera and how to calculate FOV?

Thanks!
 

bigredfish

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Not really, each location can be very different.

Start with Exposure Auto daytime, 1/60 at night
DNR 50
Leave the rest of the image settings alone for now
Encoding: H.264H Bitrate 8192, FPS 30, Iframe 30
Day/Night under Profile

That will get you a baseline
 
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