Camera for outdoor-night use

[vivithemage]

There has been a couple of break ins in my culdesac, so I am trying to get a single camera to cover my two vehicles parked about 15~ feet from the front of our townhouse, and then some if possible. The only thing I really need in the camera is SD card local storage, motion detection, and decent night vision. Wireless would be solid, so I can view/manage if needed, but not required. This is more for after the fact, if something happens I can go back and take a look.

I was eyeing the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE , but I have no where to mount it externally that the HoA wont fine me for, so I am trying to place it outside a windowsill on the second or third floor. This would require the camera to be a little on the thing side though, which I have not seen many that are.

The second spot, is; I do have a light fixture that I could possible put it in, as we never turn that light on anyways, so I could use the power to power it, but I think the glass would screw the IR up on any camera.

Any thoughts?

 

[SouthernYankee]

Welcome to the forum

Please read the Cliff notes in the Wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

test the camera location using a 5 gallon bucket an an 8 foot 2x4. test for a minimum of 24 hours.

Also test the location by getting a friend with a hoodie and baseball cap to approach your cars, if you can not identify him easily, then you need to move the cameras.

If you use a turret camera, you can easily paint it, the HOA will never see it.

I do not like wifi.

 

[vivithemage]

Thanks! I had actually read a good chunk of that. This is a "city wide" HoA, like 20k+ houses, so they're out to knock anything that doesn't look right, and still, external cameras are not allowed. We've got a large facebook group, and everyones been complaining. The hope is we'll get some traction and get them allowed, but in the meantime, I don't want a fine. I am willing to try a camera that could fit into my light fixture, or something that could rest on a windowsill, outside, any thoughts?

 

[SouthernYankee]

What city do you live in ?
Work on hiding, flower pot, bird house, mailbox.
Post a picture of your house and some other homes,

 

[vivithemage]

If I have to run power, I would rather want it closer to the TH, which is why I was thinking right outside the window, or inside the external lamp.

 

[looney2ns]

If you mount the cam any higher than 8ft, it will be almost impossible to ID anyone.

 

[superdeluxe]

maybe a trail camera (game camera) is the way to go?

i have had very good results on Moultrie game cameras with catching the faces of dog owners that litter poop at night.

i like them because they are low-cost, self-contained, have flexible placement, are concealable, and capture close-up face pictures at face-level or upward-angles (defeat baseball cap and hoodie counter-measures).


Academy Sports has the Stealth Cam PX 10.0-Megapixel Infrared Game Camera for $46.98

do you have good home wifi coverage where you park your vehicles? i wish there were dash cams that loop record to a remote-site (inside the house).

 

[VorlonFrog]

I believe the DH-IPC4231 Starlight 'wedge' mini-dome might be a bit less noticeable than the 5231 varifocal turret, especially when it's painted to match whatever surface to which it's mounted.

 

[crw030]

I live in an HOA, check your documents usually they have to send you a warning/courtesy letter -- but painted to match the house I would be shocked if that happened tbh. Mine is stark white top-dead-center above the garage door on a green wall, haven't even received a warning yet.

I would encourage a Dahua starlight model, varifocal because this will be your first cam and it will be more forgiving if you need to move it, at least til you get a better idea of where it will be and what lens you need to get maximum coverage on the vehicles. Varifocal is a little more expensive, but it beats ordering a camera with the wrong field of view when you are a novice.

The cliff notes recommends some varifocals and fixed 2MP starlights, go with one of those. Just be sure to pick one with IR in case you need it at that location.

 

[vivithemage]

Thanks all! I don't think I want something I have to recharge, or swap batteries. Harwire is definitely best.

The DH-IPC4231 is not in stock anywhere online that I can see.

Are there night cameras that do not have IR that work at night well? I thought they had to have IR to work at night.

 

[fenderman]

Thanks all! I don't think I want something I have to recharge, or swap batteries. Harwire is definitely best.

The DH-IPC4231 is not in stock anywhere online that I can see.

Are there night cameras that do not have IR that work at night well? I thought they had to have IR to work at night.

that is in stock everywhere...where are you looking?
There are cameras that dont need ir but they will still need a good amount of light for any decent image and wont be cheap...

 

[superdeluxe]

i see the IPC-HDBW4231E, IPC-HDBW4231F-AS, DH-IPC-HDBW4231E-AS sold at sacury, olocy, ebay, aliexpress.

a trail camera (game camera) can run on your light fixture's 120v ac -or- solar rechargeable (12v).
if you have no wifi in the driveway, a monthly data-only gsm sim card could be setup on a cheap mvno for connectivity.

Hunting Camera Night Vision Motion Sensor w/ Solar panel Weatherproof Battery | eBay

what would the potential hoa fine amount be?

maybe ask the hoa through an anonymous email (relay) ?

 

[J Sigmo]

As @SouthernYankee and @crw030 suggest, you may be able to come up with an easy way to disguise or camouflage the camera so that nobody notices it, and if the intent of the HOA's ban on cameras is purely aesthetic, that should make everyone happy. However, if their concern is more that they want to prevent people from viewing and recording what goes on in the common areas of the HOA's domain, then that's a different matter, I guess.

If enough residents decide they want to allow security cameras for the common good of the area, it might be pretty easy to approach the HOA's officials with a petition or the like and get them to reconsider these rules. It might be worth looking into the reasons for this ban, and finding out if your neighbors have any objections, and also finding ways to create a compromise that makes most folks happy, such as camouflage, etc.

If you can get away with camouflage or hiding the cameras, you do want to avoid shooting through any glass or plastic, and if you're going to use the built-in IR illuminators in the camera, you want to avoid having anything end up in front of the camera and near to it that will be illuminated by the IR lights and then bounce glare back towards the camera lens. If you're not going to use the built-in IR illuminators in the camera, then things are a lot more forgiving in this regard.

 

[VorlonFrog]

https://www.amazon.com/EmpireTech-IPC-HDBW4231F-AS-Starlight-Network-English/dp/B07BBJQ4B5

IPC-HDBW4231F-AS is the model number.

That's a link to @EMPIRETECANDY 's item at Amazon. Alternately, look on AliExpress.com for his store. Better yet, now that I've referenced his username, he may visit the thread to help you out, should you desire to purchase one. You can trust Andy 110%, everyone here will vouch for his quality, dependability, and commitment to excellence.

 

[crw030]

I'm sure someone will raise concerns regarding recording, but generally speaking if my neighbor across the street is hacking the postman to death in a common area (or his front yard) -- he probably shouldn't have an expectation of privacy.

HOA's are funny beasts, only recently exposed to all the rules, and power struggles they bring, but a somewhat silly example (based on a lot of HOA experience) would be something as simple as dog poop in common areas. Around here it's actually a fine-able offense, seems silly to need a law but without it some will just let their dogs poop anywhere without regard to pick it up leaving the common area as a giant doggie "wasteland" (pun intended). Working with property management company, they want a picture of the offender mid-shit, but if you can't get cameras past the HOA, the HOA is both source and potential solution for the problem.

Instead, some local communities have started DNA testing poop so it can be compared to DNA taken at pet registration and offender can be fined directly via DNA linkage. I captured a picture of an offender and they haven't returned to recommit the offense (in my yard), but it was sure simpler than DNA testing and DNA registration to capture a few bad apples. And that is only one problem an HOA might face, never mind the door checkers, people stealing or damaging property etc.

Push your HOA, or even try to get on the HOA board (then you have a LOT more power to propose changes to the bylaws and so forth). Another option might be submitting an architectural request showing where you want to put cameras and what they would look like, it might be an uphill battle but if you get that approved they shouldn't be able to fine you later, even if the rules change.

 

[vivithemage]

Yeah, the HOA is just stuck with old policies, we're trying to get something new about cameras in. Lots of grumbles about privacy and aesthetics.

I like how small the DH-IPC-HDBW4231F-AS is, looks like it has the same sensor as the HDW5231R as well.

I do not know if the search is just crap on alieexpress, but I search for HDBW4231F and nothing comes up, although the link you sent works.

 

[bigredfish]

I'm gonna guess that as soon as the first break in or violent act occurs, your HOA will have a change of heart..

I'm proud to say that our little HOA welcomes surveillance cameras... The HOA purchased and had installed 5 cameras on our little street, 3 at the entrance, 2 at the cul-de=sac, three of which are dedicated to license plate capture. (See thumbnails) Over the last 3 years we've successfully used them to help prosecute burglars, provide evidence against a a person on a restraining order , and provide surveillance evidence to LE on drug dealing that was going on.

We even have an amendment being proposed that all homes MUST have a street facing camera (j/k... but as HOA President I have entertained the idea )

And we occasionally catch shady looking characters like this casing houses and eyeballing our cameras..

(change YT player to 1080p)

 

[Sapo Concho]

... The HOA purchased and had installed 5 cameras on our little street, 3 at the entrance, 2 at the cul-de=sac, three of which are dedicated to license plate capture. (See thumbnails) Over the last 3 years we've successfully used them to help prosecute burglars, provide evidence against a a person on a restraining order , and provide surveillance evidence to LE on drug dealing that was going on....

Just out of curiosity, where is the feed going to, or who has control over it?

 

[vivithemage]

That is nifty, but our HOA is city wide, massive! I don't think they would pay for that many cameras .

What cameras were those taken with?

 

[bigredfish]

The cameras are mounted on poles at the entrance and cul-de-sac. They each run to a 4208-8P-4KS2 NVR at each location in a big utility box close by. With the 95 degree Floriduh heat and 90%+ humidity I was concerned about the heat getting to them, but so far so good.

I live about 1/2 on the street between them. So i connect via SmartPSS when I need to view live or pull video. We're fortunate to have street lights in good locations to run the Overview cams in color day and night. Myself and the Property Management company we use are the only ones with access.

The front cams are
- 5231ZE for Overview (kept in color 24/7)
- 5231ZE-12E for Entrance Tag
- Axis P1365 mkii for Exit tag

Cul-de-sac
- 8231Z Overview (kept in color 24/7)
- 5231Z-12 Tag