Dahua Internal Microphone, any good?

[badmop]

How does the internal MICs on Dahua cameras compare to one of those basic cheap amplified MICs?
Like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mic-Audio-Mini-Spy-Hidden-Microphone-for-CCTV-Security-Surveillance-Camera-DVR-/151075851243?hash=item232cd28beb:g:8m4AAMXQDfdRvHzj (I have some of these and they pick up quite well from a distance)

I'm looking at getting another Dahua camera and it has a built in MIC, so I need to know if I should spend more and get a Dahua camera that has MIC inputs so I can use my own MIC or not.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dahua-IPC-HFW4300C-3-Megapixel-Full-HD-Network-Small-IR-Dome-IP-Camera-HD-1080P-camera/32389644718.html

Plus does anyone know if this camera has smart motion detection? Like line crossing, etc?
Thanks

 

[marid2apterbilt]

I just installed a few 4300c. It picks up the sound of cars passing 125 away, even the drip noise of my rain gutters 20 feet away. haven't really tested it with voice audio yet.

As for the mic you listed I cant comment on that either.

 

[vector18]

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[vector18]

On youtube playing on laptop speakers it's not that great. But if you watch it on amplified speakers and raise the volume, or on a TV with speakers connected to the NVR directly, than it's very loud.

 

[badmop]

The MIC I listed on Ebay, I have a bunch of those and they pick up very very well! Surprisingly. I can pick up cars over 300 feet away, and when it has rained the cars are loud. I picked up gunshots from over 4,000 feet, maybe further. It sounded like the shots was right by the MIC, and the MIC was facing the other direction of the shots. (granted gun shots are pretty loud and distinct)


Thanks for the info, it's either buy a $90 4MP dome that has audio input for my own MIC, or $75 3MP for a camera with a MIC already installed. Even though I already have 12v running to the places so I can easily do either, it's just which performs better or equal, and the price difference that goes into my choice.
PLUS, the motion detection choices will be the final factor.

 

[marid2apterbilt]

None of my dahua cams (4300c/4300s) have line crossing detection TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I am having issues trying to keep it sensitive enough to catch the woodland critters but cut out the rain and headlights. I live on a hill in a curve and it rains a lot.

you could unmark the areas you don't want motion detected. plus it has 4 different fields you can set block by block. example... set red very sensitive and cover the screen. in the middle is a spot water puddles and headlights glare so you set that area yellow and set less sensitive...

I just haven't found the magic -+ ## for it yet...

 

[badmop]

I find the line detection offers very few false alarms. It either is a person or object crossing, rather than rain or sun, shadows setting off the motion on line detection, VS regular motion detection.

 

[marid2apterbilt]

once spring returns and the trees n bushes green up It will cut out a lot of my false triggers, Day time Ive got down to a handful and still get 8 seconds prerecord of any vehicle turning in my driveway while there still on the road. Luckily we only get a few dozen cars going by after dark and usually its due to there highbeams.

Line crossing would be a nice addition though..

Slow moving shadows don't set mine off, headlights flashing across an area or porch post/bush is my biggest issue.

If I desensitize it too much I wont get the Possum, ground hog, bobcat, coyote, or fox that like to see what I threw out for dinner. There is also a very elusive black panther, I so want footage of him... or her..

 

[frank10]

The MIC I listed on Ebay, I have a bunch of those and they pick up very very well!

I have bought those mics, too. BUT I have a problem with them: I connected it with a 12V external ali and they make a loud hum when connected to my Dahua IPC4421AS: you can't quite hear anything else. It could be some noise loop?
What could I do?

 

[badmop]

I have 3 of them hooked up with no issues, 1 connected right next to an IR illuminator.

Now I have 1 that has a sort of hum, it sounds like an outdoor air condition unit with fan is operating within about 20 feet or so. I'm not sure what the cause was, it was hooked up with an Analog camera at the time. I am not sure the cause or fix yet until I get an HD IP camera in that location and re-setup the MIC there with the HD Camera.

 

[frank10]

I tried to power the mic with 12V from a battery: it works perfectly!
So the problem is exactly the ali, it must be some ground loop...
Anyway, apart trying to change ali, I don't know how it could be solved, maybe with some different ground wires connection?

 

[frank10]

I tried another ali@12V and it has less hum but it's still there! Definitely it's a problem of transformers/ground loop.

Maybe because I'm using POE and not a transformer to power the cam?

 

[badmop]

The one MIC I had an issue with a hum was an analog camera powered by a transformer. I never sorted out the hum, as the analog camera was replaced but I haven't used that same MIC yet to see if it hums regardless or what, I'll be testing the MIC soon though and will post what I find out about it.

 

[3dogpottery]

Hi badmop. I have several IPC-HFW4300C cameras. I have the latest firmware, but they don’t have line crossing. However, I don’t need this feature since I have found Blue Iris excellent for detecting motion. The internal microphones on these cameras work fine, but I they are not as sensitive as the microphones on my old Logitech Alert cameras. But that is made up by simply increasing the volume on my PC. I have experimented with the cheap microphones available on eBay. A few people on this forum have found them tobe acceptable, but my experience was not so good. They acted like antenna and picked up anannoying 120 Hz hum. Hope this helps.

 

[NordicCameras]

Did you guys get this fixed? I have same issues with these mics. HUM HUM.

 

[frank10]

I haven't used it up to now, but with other equipment I found it better to use a linear power transformer instead of a switching: it could reduce a lot the hum. Maybe try this.

 

[frank10]

Try also to connect the metal case/the V- or gnd pin directly to Earth of mains power. Depending if ipcam is powered by POE or from a separate ali and if the power cable hasn't the GND connector, that connection to GND could also help.
With a professional audio recording with a switching ali not grounded, that helped to remove a hum taken by an unbalanced mic.

 

[TVT73]

Hi guys,
did you know that dahua has also external mics? Have a look here. I use at the moment in my HDBW testing roundup a pfm140 mic. It works very well, will say its much better than the internal mics. It has also the ability of AGC, no humming with a little switching supply (which causes normally this humming sound).
The noise level with AAC 48khz is noticeable. But compared to internal mics it´s not more. It is caused by the AGC, which powers the amplifier up when the sound level is low. Its compare able to my philips babyphone, the background noise sounds equal but but the voice of my children is much louder and better.

 

[NordicCameras]

Thanks for the input! I will power up the cameras directly from AGM Battery via POE injector as this system runs on Solar power.

@TVT73 : Actually I just came across with the PFM141, but haven't seen them on Aliexpress before. Where did you buy that and what is the price (approximately)? I think I'll order two of those to use with HDBW5231 cameras.

 

[TVT73]

you should ask @EMPIRETECANDY , i did it also today, because i am also interested in the better one PFM141. Unfortunately both of them are not outdoor rated. the PFM140 has a poti backwards, so it really don´t like water.
I also asked him for a hdbw5231 with this mics. Lets have a look what he says.

The pfm140 one i got has a Germany price recommendation of 46 € inkl. tax. On Chinese market i would expect less than 15 dollar.

If you would like, i can give you a sound example of my testing setup with a hdbw4431. But only as pn.