Feedback on my plan, please.

[Robert Franz]

I have a project for a gravel pit that's had some vandalism and vehicle theft.

I've worked with a couple of video systems previously - I didn't spec them and they were awful to use.

Client is problematic - they've seen features in systems at other companies, but have no clue as to cost or vendor.

They want one cam each aimed at the two main pits, one aimed at the truck scales, a cam to pick up license plates and vehicles transiting the gate, and one in the main office.

Plan is to use Dahua as a known quantity and cost saver.

Originally planned to use a cam I found on amazon as it's ip, inexpensive, and has relatively large objective lens.

But it would not do what the client thinks they want - auto track vehicles and zoom in to capture the plate.

After trading through the forum, it sounds like that may not be the way to go anyway, as it's asking a lot of the cam.

Looking to go with separate cam for plate capture, and vehicle overview.

NVR - Dahua branded NVR4208-8P-4KS2
All cams oem.
Are Andy's products Dahua, Dahua oem, or both?

Cam1

Cam2




Cam 3

Indoor cam ceiling mounted to monitor office
(IPC-HDBW4433R-ZS)

Cam 4 & 5



Cam 6

 

[catcamstar]

Hi @Robert Franz, you already did a great site survey. Still missing some key requirements: - What about night (low light) vision requirements (I suppose there is no ambient lightning)? - does the place/office has internet connectivity? - Is there already some alarm system available (eg with PIR sensors)?

To identify which lenses are required, you can play around with IPVM Camera Calculator V3 : just like you drew your blue cones, you can "eliminate" camera's. My suggestion (especially if you want low-light) are Dahua Starlights 2MP, HFW5231-Z5 (for medium zoom) and HFW5231-Z12 (for extended zoom). Great in theory, but place these cams on the calculator and you see for yourself.
Auto-tracking of vehicles might sound Star Trek alike, but you might be better of (not only price wise) and install 3 separate cameras who cover 80% of the area.

For wiring: do not be tempted to draw "cheap" CCA cables. You'll regret that in the long run.
For longer wire distances, "e"POE (dahua propriety extended POE) might help you.

For all great advices, tips&tricks, see the Cliff Notes

@EMPIRETECANDY can ship both "real" Dahua logo's cams, or "blank" ones. There might be a price uplift for the first, but do consult Andy for a quotation once you made your Bill of Material.

Good luck!
CC

 

[mat200]

I have a project for a gravel pit that's had some vandalism and vehicle theft.
..

Welcome @Robert Franz

Note one of the camera's you're considering is: ipc-hfw4431r-z
It is a dahua chinese market camera and thus has a number of additional considerations that you need to be aware of. ( please see the cliff notes and threads on Chinese market cameras ). One of those is that recent reports of Chinese Market cameras having issues with Dahua OEM international model NVRs. Another issue is firmware updates.

Also, now that newer 4MP starlight+ models are coming out - you want to be aware that in low light conditions the older 4MP model cameras used a smaller sensor than the newer models.

 

[Robert Franz]

Thanks - IPVM looks like a nice tool - going to use that right away.

Low light isn't anything the client has asked for, and when we talked I didn't hear anything that prompted me to push for it.

With an overview cam and a cam acting as LPR aimed at the single point of access, I'm not going to worry about low light.

Most of the cams are just so the owner can look and see if the crusher is operating, and as verification that someone is actually on site.

I was going to use a HFW5241E-Z12E as my LPR cam, but I'm hearing that the HFW5231E-Z12E is less prone to focus issues at max zoom.

Makes sense there would be a difference as the specs show the lenses are different.

Other than the one cam that points to the far pit, and the LPR requirement for a larger objective lens, I'm planning on going with the HFW4431R-Z as a general purpose cam to keep cost down.

Does Dahua's epoe extend just video, or video and control?

I thought I saw somewhere that it was just video - I may be conflating specs.

I think if I need to put any cams on the far side of the site, I'll just do a p2p wifi and poe switch anyway.

That whole part of the site is fluid in terms of terrain as they dig out rock and then backfill.

 

[Robert Franz]

Welcome @Robert Franz

Note one of the camera's you're considering is: ipc-hfw4431r-z
It is a dahua chinese market camera and thus has a number of additional considerations that you need to be aware of. ( please see the cliff notes and threads on Chinese market cameras ). One of those is that recent reports of Chinese Market cameras having issues with Dahua OEM international model NVRs. Another issue is firmware updates.

Also, now that newer 4MP starlight+ models are coming out - you want to be aware that in low light conditions the older 4MP model cameras used a smaller sensor than the newer models.

Thanks - I noticed some oddness in the way the HFW4431R-Z is presented on Aliexpress.

Reevaluating that choice - I liked the combination of low price and modest zoom - saves me if client decides - as they probably will - that the location they specified isn't what they actually want.