Hello Everyone,
I had been wanting to add more cameras but wanted to do some research before purchasing cameras. Been reading the cliff notes and some reviews of Dahua cameras from forum members. I currently have a simple 3 camera system running through BI. I'd like to expand to hopefully a total of 7-8 cameras around the front of my property. I've created a layout of my front yard using MS Visio and would like some feedback on location of cameras and mounting ideas.
Picture shows they lay out of property and I've numbered 1-8 possible camera locations. Cameras in blue are existing cameras. Cameras in red are proposed new cameras.
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Camera #1 - Currently using an Amcrest 8MP 4K - IP8M-2496. It does ok, but I'd like to swap this camera out for a IPC-HFW5231E-Z5E to use for LPR and identifying people at my mailbox and further down as necessary. General view of camera, would focus it in to street mailbox area.
View media item 61
Camera #2 - I would then move my Amcrest mentioned above over to this location, just to serve as a wide angle to camera #1 and capture the street foot traffic and cars pulling into driveway. Pizza delivery drivers!
View media item 62
Camera #3 - Currently have an Amcrest 4MP - I use this just to keep an eye on the driveway where my cars are parked. I have a dog so it's nice to see where he is at times. Since gates are locked 99% of the time, I rarely see any unwanted foot traffic.
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Camera #4 - I'd like to get a doorbell cam, but this house never had one to begin with and since there are no real POE options at the moment and my door being a little different (large frame door with glass/wood on sides), I don't see a doorbell cam being an option at this time. So I have been reading up on some Dahua's and thought this may work. The SD1A203T-GN - 2MP 3X Starlight PTZ. https://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/productDetail/19731?us
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Thoughts on this? I have soffit over the door that is at a slope, so I'm afraid of IR bounce back. I've only used bullet cameras, so not to familiar with these type of setups and cameras. I know they offer a wall mount that may bring it down somewhat and possibly clear the trim around the door. Or if you can simply just angle the ptz camera down. I do have a dawn to dusk light that gives the front door some light. The flood light by the door is not in use as well.
Mind the cat5 cable mess, we re-did our roof recently but due to the rain in SoCal this whole month, I have not been able to get the contractor out to sandblast the paint and put things back in its place after we paint.
Camera #5 - This would be another SD1A203T-GN - 2MP 3X Starlight PTZ Starlight to cover the eastern part of my home, due to having 2 large palm trees in the front, camera #4 may have it's view blocked and why I'd like to add this. Again, mounting this will require some testing on IR bounce back. There is no light in this area, so IR would be in use.
View media item 64
It would be be mounted about where the left red circle is on the picture above. The large tree in the middle of the picture would be the location of camera 7 as well.
For Camera #4 & #5, if there are any other cameras with similar options, small/ptz I'm open for suggestions.
Camera #6 -This is another Amcrest 4MP camera I have, use it to view the east side of driveway, from renters entering rear home. It's angled to catch the driveway on that side of the house.
View media item 65
Camera #7 - Was trying to find a good spot for this camera, and was thinking my large tree that is in the middle of the yard. I would be using another IPC-HFW5231E-Z5E to zoom into the front of east driveway. This would be the view of the camera, just zoomed into driveway from picture below.
View media item 66
Camera #8 - This would be at the front of the east driveway, would be a street view similar to camera #2, since there are no trees here, i was going to setup a pole or 4x4 and possibly attempt to hide the camera in a bird house. I was thinking of using the IPC-HFW4231E-S 2MP WDR IR Mini Bullet. Or any other suggested cameras?
View media item 67
I built my own dedicated BI computer with thoughts of expanding, so I don't think I will have a problem running 8 cameras. I'm running Windows 10 x64 on an i7-7700 Kaby Lake 3.600GHz 16GB of Ram. Dedicated M.2 SSD and a 4TB WD Purple Drive. I may expand to another Purple Drive as needed as I do have my cameras recording 24/7.
Super long post, but thank you for reading and any ideas are welcomed. Still a novice at this, but enjoy reading the many threads on this forum and learning as I go. 8 cameras may be overkill, but this is a long term project just want to start planning and begin the process of running cable. Fun!
I had been wanting to add more cameras but wanted to do some research before purchasing cameras. Been reading the cliff notes and some reviews of Dahua cameras from forum members. I currently have a simple 3 camera system running through BI. I'd like to expand to hopefully a total of 7-8 cameras around the front of my property. I've created a layout of my front yard using MS Visio and would like some feedback on location of cameras and mounting ideas.
Picture shows they lay out of property and I've numbered 1-8 possible camera locations. Cameras in blue are existing cameras. Cameras in red are proposed new cameras.
View media item 60
Camera #1 - Currently using an Amcrest 8MP 4K - IP8M-2496. It does ok, but I'd like to swap this camera out for a IPC-HFW5231E-Z5E to use for LPR and identifying people at my mailbox and further down as necessary. General view of camera, would focus it in to street mailbox area.
View media item 61
Camera #2 - I would then move my Amcrest mentioned above over to this location, just to serve as a wide angle to camera #1 and capture the street foot traffic and cars pulling into driveway. Pizza delivery drivers!
View media item 62
Camera #3 - Currently have an Amcrest 4MP - I use this just to keep an eye on the driveway where my cars are parked. I have a dog so it's nice to see where he is at times. Since gates are locked 99% of the time, I rarely see any unwanted foot traffic.
View media item 63
Camera #4 - I'd like to get a doorbell cam, but this house never had one to begin with and since there are no real POE options at the moment and my door being a little different (large frame door with glass/wood on sides), I don't see a doorbell cam being an option at this time. So I have been reading up on some Dahua's and thought this may work. The SD1A203T-GN - 2MP 3X Starlight PTZ. https://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/productDetail/19731?us
View media item 55View media item 54
Thoughts on this? I have soffit over the door that is at a slope, so I'm afraid of IR bounce back. I've only used bullet cameras, so not to familiar with these type of setups and cameras. I know they offer a wall mount that may bring it down somewhat and possibly clear the trim around the door. Or if you can simply just angle the ptz camera down. I do have a dawn to dusk light that gives the front door some light. The flood light by the door is not in use as well.
Mind the cat5 cable mess, we re-did our roof recently but due to the rain in SoCal this whole month, I have not been able to get the contractor out to sandblast the paint and put things back in its place after we paint.
Camera #5 - This would be another SD1A203T-GN - 2MP 3X Starlight PTZ Starlight to cover the eastern part of my home, due to having 2 large palm trees in the front, camera #4 may have it's view blocked and why I'd like to add this. Again, mounting this will require some testing on IR bounce back. There is no light in this area, so IR would be in use.
View media item 64
It would be be mounted about where the left red circle is on the picture above. The large tree in the middle of the picture would be the location of camera 7 as well.
For Camera #4 & #5, if there are any other cameras with similar options, small/ptz I'm open for suggestions.
Camera #6 -This is another Amcrest 4MP camera I have, use it to view the east side of driveway, from renters entering rear home. It's angled to catch the driveway on that side of the house.
View media item 65
Camera #7 - Was trying to find a good spot for this camera, and was thinking my large tree that is in the middle of the yard. I would be using another IPC-HFW5231E-Z5E to zoom into the front of east driveway. This would be the view of the camera, just zoomed into driveway from picture below.
View media item 66
Camera #8 - This would be at the front of the east driveway, would be a street view similar to camera #2, since there are no trees here, i was going to setup a pole or 4x4 and possibly attempt to hide the camera in a bird house. I was thinking of using the IPC-HFW4231E-S 2MP WDR IR Mini Bullet. Or any other suggested cameras?
View media item 67
I built my own dedicated BI computer with thoughts of expanding, so I don't think I will have a problem running 8 cameras. I'm running Windows 10 x64 on an i7-7700 Kaby Lake 3.600GHz 16GB of Ram. Dedicated M.2 SSD and a 4TB WD Purple Drive. I may expand to another Purple Drive as needed as I do have my cameras recording 24/7.
Super long post, but thank you for reading and any ideas are welcomed. Still a novice at this, but enjoy reading the many threads on this forum and learning as I go. 8 cameras may be overkill, but this is a long term project just want to start planning and begin the process of running cable. Fun!