Best dahua PTZ for covered porch + positioning advice needed

[Bavery]

New to both ipcamtalk and dahua, but just received my first 2MP starlight turret (from Andy), and it's so much better than the cheap foscam/insteon cameras I've been using that I'm now trying to plan the best upgrade strategy for the rest of my cameras, starting with the front porch.

I really would love to set up something similar to what nayr described in another thread with auto tracking ending with a zoom in on the face using something like the 2MP starlight dome ptz (my #1 choice at the moment) or maybe mini black face, but I'm unsure on the positioning of the camera for this to work well for actual usable facial ID should the need arise. Currently my existing camera is just above the right corner of the door in the photo below, and can only see tops of heads if someone is standing on the doormat. Moving the camera off to the other side of the porch would allow a little more distance for more of a profile view of visitors, but because of the weird wall angle, would position the camera slightly to the rear of anyone standing at the door as well. Going with a fixed camera is not an option for this spot since 50% of it's duty is to pan around looking for packages left on the porch.

Any suggestions or other considerations I am overlooking for the positioning? Am I on the right track with the recessed dome PTZ? That one really does look awesome...

 

[usaf_pride]

See this thread for probably the best way to do facial ID on your front porch. For facial recognition, you need to get it low.
PTZ is not going to work how you want it. For the record, I don't own one, but I have read through all the PTZ threads and the auto tracking won't work as you would expect (I believe @looney2ns has made this comment multiple times). My initial plan was the same as yours. You would be better off with a second fixed camera on the corner of the house above the window looking back and covering the entire entry area.

 

[awsum140]

You might want to use a doorbell camera. Check out the DB10 from Dahua. Just, recently, released so there's some glitches to get worked out, apparently, but it would get the camera down low enough and give you a good face shot of whoever may be at the door.

 

[looney2ns]

PTZ is mainly for novelty use. A few folks have been able to get semi reliable results from auto tracking, but not many, including me.
Install more cams, to cover areas you would think a PTZ might work.
Get familiar with this: IPVM Camera Calculator V3
And read the attached.

 

[giomania]

Link broken perhaps
IPCamTalk Cliff Notes 2018-03.docx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Bavery]

Thanks for all the suggestions, and the link to the cliff notes. Hadn't ever considered a doorbell cam, but thats a good point about the lower angle. 2 cameras with one over/near the door and the other farther out pointed back at the porch for packages is sounding more and more like the way to go. Have another varifocal turret and a 49225 PTZ on the way from Andy now, and after all the feedback I'm thinking the best place for the PTZ may be out at the corner of the garage where I can kill multiple birds with one stone:

1) Should have a good view up and down the street (neighbor's been acting creepy lately after we got the city to make him tear down a shed he built over our property line)
2) Great view of the mailbox (We've had a lot of mail theft lately and looking forward to linking the sensor I put in the mailbox to trigger the camera).
3) Can still cover the porch to check for packages as needed, freeing up the camera over the door to be replaced with a fixed camera of much higher image quality than the cheap camera I'm currently using there.
4) Wife loves checking the cameras via the blue Iris mobile app, and this puts the most expensive (so far) camera out front where there's lots of activity to keep an eye on. Higher use/satisfaction with that camera will likely will translate into more support from her when it comes to adding or upgrading the other cameras. .

 

[ck42]

Or like some of us that are waiting for this beauty...
For me, solves the issue being able to aim and configure light settings for visitors...but also allows me to perfectly setup for different lighting to monitor for packages down low in front of the door.

IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M/M12

 

[Darkflame808]

2) Great view of the mailbox (We've had a lot of mail theft lately and looking forward to linking the sensor I put in the mailbox to trigger the camera).

Hey, I saw your post, if you are interested, I did the same thing you were thinking. Here's a video that shows how I accomplished the task. If you want I can post another video showing you how it works.

I hope this helps.

 

[Bavery]

Here's a video that shows how I accomplished the task. If you want I can post another video showing you how it works.

Thanks. I like how you modified the solar motion sensor to keep everything charged. That's way more complicated in some ways than what I set up. I've already got the whole house wired for home automation with Insteon controlled by an ISY994i controller, so I've just got an Insteon wireless door sensor mounted inside the mailbox to trigger when the mailbox is opened. Currently set up to send me a text message to notify when mail is delivered (or box is tampered with, which has happened recently as well), but the controller can easily send an http request also which I understand can be used to trigger the camera preset. I've already changed to a locking mailbox box, but still getting someone trying to get into it occasionally and would love to catch then in the act on video. [/QUOTE]

 

[awsum140]

I'm surprised that transmitter works through the metal of the mailbox. I'd love to put a transmitter on our mailbox, locking one, but it's across the street and about 200 feet from the house. That's too far to see the signal from a transmitter inside the box and mounting it outside is kind of self defeating.

 

[Bavery]

Honestly, I didn't have much expectations of success transmitting from inside a steel box either, but my wife has great faith in my ability to make the home automation stuff do whatever she wants (in this case a text msg when the mail has arrived), and wouldn't have anything to do with my arguments about steel boxes and faraday cages. I was even prepared to run an extension cord to the near side of the street with an outdoor Insteon module in the end to act as a repeater (just to test with to find out how much too far away the mailbox was for this concept to work), but that turned out to be unnecessary. I think the box is probably about 70 feet or so from the nearest Insteon device capable of repeating the signal, so transmitting 70 ft + through the steel mailbox.

We've had our mail stolen 3x in the last year and I've somehow missed catching the thief on camera every time. The box is now a locking box but with a door that opens on the top so is apparently still tempting for the thief to check. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the 8:30am text msg telling me the mail had been delivered until about 10 minutes after the aspiring thief had already left, and poor quality 720p video at 70ft isn't very helpful. This was all I got: [edit - apparently I can't upload mp4 - how do I add a video clip?]

 

[looney2ns]

Honestly, I didn't have much expectations of success transmitting from inside a steel box either, but my wife has great faith in my ability to make the home automation stuff do whatever she wants (in this case a text msg when the mail has arrived), and wouldn't have anything to do with my arguments about steel boxes and faraday cages. I was even prepared to run an extension cord to the near side of the street with an outdoor Insteon module in the end to act as a repeater (just to test with to find out how much too far away the mailbox was for this concept to work), but that turned out to be unnecessary. I think the box is probably about 70 feet or so from the nearest Insteon device capable of repeating the signal, so transmitting 70 ft + through the steel mailbox.

We've had our mail stolen 3x in the last year and I've somehow missed catching the thief on camera every time. The box is now a locking box but with a door that opens on the top so is apparently still tempting for the thief to check. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the 8:30am text msg telling me the mail had been delivered until about 10 minutes after the aspiring thief had already left, and poor quality 720p video at 70ft isn't very helpful. This was all I got: [edit - apparently I can't upload mp4 - how do I add a video clip?]

Upload to youtube, then share here.
Use this to see what you need to get a facial ID.
IPVM Camera Calculator V3 Keep PPF>100

 

[tangent]

Hey, I saw your post, if you are interested, I did the same thing you were thinking. Here's a video that shows how I accomplished the task. If you want I can post another video showing you how it works.

Not much point in making it solar powered, also many of the sensors want 3v. A CR2032 lithium battery will work for years in a typical zwave, zigbee, insteon, or other alarm sensor.

Honestly, I didn't have much expectations of success transmitting from inside a steel box either

you can get sensors that are designed for you to hook up your own magnetic switch and then place the transmitter outside of the mailbox if you need more range.

 

[awsum140]

Outside the box is not "vandal proof" although, maybe, under the box might work. Maybe I'll give it a shot for ha ha's.

 

[Bavery]

Under the box would probably be reasonably safe, and probably nobody would ever notice even though you're right it's not vandal proof. Like my theory on running my cameras cat6 cables under eves and behind downspouts with no conduit for protection. If somebody is knowledgeable enough and going through the trouble of cutting my wires before breaking in, then I've got bigger problems to deal with...

 

[tangent]

Some of the wireless sensors you could use have tamper switches.