Deer in the headlights from Missouri!

[tanmansdad]

Hello and thank you all for providing such a wealth of knowledge to the world! It's good to find a source of technical info that's not masked by marketing, obfuscation and propaganda. I've been scouring the interwebs for accurate and helpful info on ip cameras and finally stumbled into this little world!

I have a manufacturing plant located in a small Missouri town. I want to monitor the property's exterior and have a smallish budget to get it done ($500-$600). So I've done what many do, went to Amazon, searched and got lost. After a couple of weeks I pulled the trigger and bought a small setup. I've uploaded a Google Earth image of the property layout with camera coverage indicated.

(2) Lorex 4MP 2K IP Dome LND4750ABW
(1) Lorex 4MP HD IP Bullet Camera with Color Night Vision LNB4421B
Monoprice 1000FT 24AWG Cat5e 350MHz UTP Solid, Riser Rated (CMR), Bulk Ethernet Bare Copper Cable
LINKOMM (20 Pack) 8P8C Cat5e Connector Pass Through Ethernet Modular Plug, Transparent
IPCamPower 8-Port POE Network Switch w/ 2 Add'l Uplink Ports POE+ - 30 Watts/Port - 130 Watt Total

Blue Iris Software 4.8.3.0 (Windows)
Blue Iris App (Android)

Dedicated computer for Blue Iris:
Windows 7 Pro
Intel Core i7-4770CPU @ 3.40GHz
8 GB RAM
Currently 1TB HD - may upgrade to a Seagate Skyhawk or WD Purple 4TB

After reading several threads here, it looks like I may have made a mistake with the Lorex camera. The specs looked good, what can I say. I don't have the budget right now for a >$750 system. I'm at $500 right now (already own the computer) and I think I have enough to get started. I'm looking for input on whether this will be a decent setup or if I should send back the cameras and start again. The 2 Dome cameras I chose for FOV (120) and the turret was cheap and shared the same specs (except FOV is only 90).

Dahua seems to be the preferred brand and I've read here that some Lorex models are just rebranded Dahuas. Can anyone comment on that?

I'm new to Blue Iris and networking/switches/ports. Any knowledge relating specifically to the camera models above it would be greatly appreciated! If you made it this far you've got a lot of time on your hands! Thanks again! Pete

 

[catcamstar]

Hi there, welcome to the forum.

Did you read the Cliff Notes (on our wiki) ? It discusses many questions you fire away, including camera selection, lens selection, camera placement, networking tips and much much more!

My general remarks on your current plan:
- lorex is indeed dahua rebranded, however many features (like IVS) might be dropped in the rebranding process. Do investigate! Because these features might turn in handy in the long run
- the wider the angles, the shorter the DORI distances. If DORI doesn't ring a bell, read the Cliff Notes again! If you have to wait until a burglar puts his face against your cam, it's little to late. However if you're just interested in seeing if there is "movement", you're good to go. Have a look at ipvm.com IP calculator!
- do not forget about lightning, especially with such a large area. Either you work with classic floodlights with integrated motion detection, either you work with ir illuminators.

Hope this helps you out!
CC

PS: if you can still return your lorex, you might reconsider asking a quote from @EMPIRETECANDY

 

[ezlivin11]

Welcome from CA, Best of luck with Your endeavor. I don't mean to be rude by sayin Hi and then split , but My head is elsewhere. Our place up in Northern CA is No longer. Fire is taking it's toll on all of us in CA. Wiping out everyone and everything in its path. This time last year we were dealing with the Thomas fire Here in Santa Barbara Co. At least we all got out, and we have 1 more home left in the Murren Clan. What a way to get together for a family reunion, Most of Us were burned out with no where to go but the beach house here in Lompoc. More later!

 

[looney2ns]

Welcome from CA, Best of luck with Your endeavor. I don't mean to be rude by sayin Hi and then split , but My head is elsewhere. Our place up in Northern CA is No longer. Fire is taking it's toll on all of us in CA. Wiping out everyone and everything in its path. This time last year we were dealing with the Thomas fire Here in Santa Barbara Co. At least we all got out, and we have 1 more home left in the Murren Clan. What a way to get together for a family reunion, Most of Us were burned out with no where to go but the beach house here in Lompoc. More later!

Best of luck to you and all others in the threat path.

 

[looney2ns]

Domes and bullets outdoors should be avoided, as the dome will deteriorate from uv exposure and turn cloudy, among other reflection issues. The bullets will have higher spider problems.

If you are happy with the cameras your picked, the IVS being stripped isn't a problem since your are using BI. It has far superior motion detection to any cams.

I suggest that you temporarily test the cams in the proposed locations to see if they accomplish what you need at least for 24 hrs in each spot.

Common mistakes.
trying to cover too much with too few cams.
mounting cams too high
using domes and bullets.
using too wide of angle lens

Again, study the cliff notes.

 

[tanmansdad]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond! I appreciate you input. I hope the wildfires in California have spared you ezlivin11! I did read the Cliff Notes and checked the DORI distance of my current camera selection. They should be acceptable for what I'm doing.

Looney2ns, the cameras I listed were:

(2) Lorex 4MP 2K IP Dome LND4750ABW
(1) Lorex 4MP HD IP Bullet Camera with Color Night Vision LNB4421B.

The 4750 is described as a Dome but is an eyeball without glass or plastic cover. The 4421 claims to use IR that is not visible to the human eye and I don't know if that helps with spiders or not but the area under surveillance has (4) 400 watt equiv LED dusk till dawn lights and the IR probably will not be needed. I understand the "trying to cover too much ground with too few cameras" and the "using too wide of angle lens" mistake you mentioned. As noted, I have a small budget for this initial install and was wanting audio (1-way) for a couple of the cameras. I see that most of the models listed in the Cliff Notes are 2MP. Are these cameras still the Gold Standard (@1080) or are Dahue's and Hikvision's more recently released cameras with larger sensors and pixel count worth inclusion? I will test the cameras I ordered to see how they perform. If they are ok I'll keep them and upgrade as my budget allows. If they suck then I will return them and invest a little more in the Dahue's. Thank you all again for your help! I will probably need additional guidance with the details of networking the standalone computer but I have read the Cliff Notes and other threads on security regarding keeping the cameras off the internet.

 

[looney2ns]

These are still the cams to beat.
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE

Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal