Hello, John here from Long Island. Thinking about some cameras if anyone has time to help. Thank you.

[JohnDS]

Hello all. The name is John from Long Island, NY.

I have a single story ranch on a corner lot. I'm very tired of the dog crap on the other side of the fence where it is obvious that I maintain the lawn between the fence and the road, but no one seems to care. Also I am tired of people throwing garbage on my lawn at the stop sign and also B-lining across my front lawn with their vehicles.

I was thinking to get regular POE ip cameras on the house and 1 LPR camera at the back corner of my property facing the road and the strip of grass where the dog crap is. I was thinking with this type of LPR cam, I can see who is crapping on my lawn and also get plate numbers when my lawn gets damaged.

At this stage I realize there are many different options for poe ip cams and NVRs, and since I'm undecided on which ones, my plan for now is to run 100' Cat7 patch cable to each location on the house, and a 300' direct burial Cat7 patch cable to the LPR cam.

Is this a good plan so far? I know that some poe ip cam/nvr kits come with 100' and 60' patch cables, but i was thinking it would be best to piece things together because of the 60' lengths possibly not being long enough with the kits or the wire not being the cat# I'd prefer, or the wire just being crap in general. I figure Cat7 would be great overall for speed/bandwidth and future upgrades as well. I decided against Cat8 because although its got the greatest speed/bandwidth, I've read that it's greater speed/bandwidth is limited to a certain length of the cable, which may defeat the purpose and added expense in my case. I know Cat7 is probably overkill as well, but i figure it leaves room for improvement.

That being said, I am also unsure about the placement and how many cameras i need on the house. I'll post some photos. Thank you all in advance for your time and help. John

 

[wittaj]

Welcome!

You need to worry about getting the right camera for the right location.

You would be shocked how close someone needs to be to a 2.8 lens in order to ID them. And how much additional light is needed at night (when it matters most).

Take a look at this chart - to identify someone with the 2.8mm lens that is popular, someone would have to be within 13 feet of the camera, but realistically within 10 feet after you dial it in to your settings.

My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his 4 2.8mm fixed lens cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video quality was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away.

When we had a thief come thru here and get into a lot of cars, the police couldn't use one video or photo from anyone's system that had fixed 2.8mm or 3.6mm cams - those cams sure looks nice and gives a great wide angle view, but you cannot identify anyone at 15 feet out. At night you cannot even ID someone from 10 feet. Meanwhile, the perp didn't come to my house but walked past on the sidewalk at 80 feet from my house and my 2MP varifocal zoomed in to a point at the sidewalk was the money shot for the police that got my neighbors all there stolen stuff back. Reolinks are even worse at night - he tried those first and sent back to get Arlos....and a year later he is regretting that choice too.

In fact my system was the only one that gave them useful information. Not even my other neighbors $1,300 4k Lorex system from Costco provided useful info - the cams just didn't cut it at night. His system wasn't even a year old and after that event has started replacing with cameras purchased from @EMPIRETECANDY on this site based on my recommendation and seeing my results - fortunately those cams work with the Lorex NVR. He is still shocked a 2MP camera performs better than his 4k cameras... It is all about the amount of light needed and getting the right camera for the right location.

My first few systems were the box units that were all 2.8mm lens and while the picture looked great in daytime, to identify someone you didn't know is impossible unless they are within 10 feet of the camera, and even then it is tough. You are getting the benefit coming to this site of hearing thoughts from people that have been there/done that.

We all hate to be that guy with a system and something happens and the event demonstrates how poor our system was and then we start the update process. My neighbor with his expensive arlos and monthly fees is that guy right now and is still fuming his system failed him.

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the 5442 camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor works as well.

• 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
• 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
• 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
• 49225 PTZ - great PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.

You need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.

Main keys are you can't locate the camera too high (not on the 2nd story or above 7 feet high unless it is for overview and not Identification purposes) or chase MP and you need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who. Also, do not chase marketing phrases like ColorVu and Full Color and the like - all cameras need light - simple physics...

Consider a Blue Iris/computer combo as an NVR. Keep in mind an NVR is a stripped down computer after all....and isn't true plug-n-play like people believe. You still have to dial the cameras into your setting. Once you do that, might as well go with something that has the best chance of working with many different camera brands. And I have found Blue Iris to be more robust and easier than an NVR. As always, YMMV...

When I was looking at NVRs, once I realized that not all NVRs are created equal, and once I priced out a good one, it was cheaper to buy a refurbished computer than an NVR. You don't need to buy components and build one.

Many of these refurbished computers are business class computers that have come off lease. The one I bought I kid you not I could not tell that it was a refurbished unit - not a speck of dust or dents or scratches on it. It appeared to me like everything was replaced and I would assume just the motherboard with the intel processor is what was from the original unit. I went with the lowest end processor on the WIKI list as it was the cheapest and it runs my system fine. Could probably get going for $200 or so. A real NVR will cost more than that. A member here just last week found a refurbished 4th generation for less than $150USD that came with Win10 PRO, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB drive. Blue Iris has a demo, so get a camera and try it out on an existing computer and see if you like it.

NVRs from the box units like a Amcrest and Lorex cap out incoming bandwidth (which impacts the resolution and FPS of the cameras). The Lorex and Amcrest NVR maxes out at 80Mbps and truly only one or a couple cameras that will display 4K. My neighbors was limited to that and he is all upset it isn't 4K for all eight channels and he was capped out at 4096 bitrate on each camera so it was a pixelated mess.

There is a big Blue Iris or NVR debate here LOL. Some people love Blue Iris and think NVRs are clunky and hard to use and others think Blue Iris is clunky and hard to use. I have done both and prefer Blue Iris. As with everything YMMV...

I encourage you reach out to Andy @EMPIRETECANDY as he has an Amazon site to get your gear.

The best advice we give is purchase one varifocal camera and test it at each location you want to install a camera and confirm the lens you need and do not install higher than 7-8 feet unless it is for an overview camera - otherwise you get top of heads and hoodies.

Regarding a camera for LPR - keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night:

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

6-8 cams can be done

LPR use IPC-B5442E-Z4E,
the left cams use IPC-T5442T-ZE and some IPC-T5442TM-AS for nearby watching, based on budget.

NVR use a 16CH NVR5216-16P-4KS2E, can get some spare ports for future using.

 

[sebastiantombs]

^^ What they said, plus.....


Welcome to the enchanted land of video surveillance lunatics, good guys, nut jobs and miscreants (yes, I fit into at least three categories). There are a lot of knowledgeable people on here and knowledge and experience are shared constantly. That's how I got to be a lunatic (already a nut job and miscreant).

Start out by looking in the WiKi in the blue bar at the top of the page. There's a ton of very useful information in there and it needs to be viewed on a computer, not a phone or tablet. The Cliff Notes will be of particular interest although the camera models listed there are a generation old at this point. The best way to determine what kind of camera you need in each location and where each location should really be is to buy one varifocal camera first and set up a test stand for it that can be easily moved around. Test using that, viewing using the web interface of the camera, during the day and at night. Have someone walk around behaving like a miscreant and see if you can identify them. There is also information for choosing hardware and securing the system along with a whole bunch of other good stuff.

Don't chase megapixels unless you have a really BIG budget. General rule of thumb is that a 4MP camera will easily outperform an 8MP camera when they both have the same sensor size. Reason being that there are twice as many pixels in the 8MP versus the 4MP. This results in only half the available light getting to each pixel in an 8MP that a pixel in the 4MP "sees".

A dedicated PC for Blue Iris doesn't need to be either expensive to purchase or to run. A used business class machine can be had from eBay and various other sources. The advances made in Blue Iris make it easily possible to run a fairly large system on relatively inexpensive hardware which also makes power consumption low, as in under 50 watts in many cases. The biggest expenses turn out to be hard drives for storing video and a PoE switch to power the cameras and, of course, the cameras themselves. Remember that an NVR is a PC, too, just a pretty dumb PC by comparison. To get the most from an NVR you need to stick with the same brands for both cameras and the NVR. Blue Iris handles just about any camera that is not cloud based and can even handle some of those if the have an RSTP stream as well.

The three basic rules of video surveillance cameras-

Rule #1 - Cameras multiply like rabbits.
Rule #2 - Cameras are more addictive than drugs.
Rule #3 - You never have enough cameras.

Quick guide -

The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.

Don't believe all the marketing hype no matter who makes the camera. Don't believe those nice night time captures they all use. Look for videos, with motion, to determine low light performance. Any camera can be made to "see" color at night if the exposure time is long enough, as in half a second or longer. Rule of thumb, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 or higher to get night video without blurring.

Read the reviews here, most include both still shots and video.

Avoid Reolink, Foscam, SV3C, Nest, and all the other consumer grade,cloud based and WiFi cameras. They all struggle mightily at night and never get anything useful on video. Here's a link to a whole thread debunking Reolink in particular.

Compiled by mat200 -

Reolink: Deconstruction of a dangerous misleading youtube review "Finding the BEST 4K Security Camera NVR Package (Reolink vs Amcrest vs Swann)"

Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...

ipcamtalk.com

Avoid WiFi cameras, even doorbell cameras. WiFi is not designed for the constant, 24/7, load of video that a surveillance camera produces. At best, with two cameras on WiFi, they will still experience dropouts multiple times daily. Murphy's Law says that will happen at the worst possible moment. Technically, any camera can be made a WiFi camera with the addition of a dedicated RF link. The thing of it is, if you have to run power to a WiFi camera it's easier just to run a network cable and use a PoE camera instead.

Lens size, focal length, is another critical factor. Many people like the wide, sweeping, views of a 2.8mm lens but be aware that identification is problematic with a lens that wide. Watch this video to learn how to analyze each location for appropriate lens size and keep in mind that it may take two cameras to provide the coverage you need or desire. Another factor that effects view angles is the sensor size. Typically larger sensors will have a larger field of view in any given lens size.


The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.

5442 Reviews

Review - Loryata (Dahua OEM) IPC-T5442T-ZE varifocal Turret

Review-OEM Loryta IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal 4mp camera (Dahua)

IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal from @EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret Varifocal Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $200.00...

ipcamtalk.com

Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+

Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+

All, thanks to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY ) we have a new 4MP AI camera for testing. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This camera is using the OEM model number of IPC-B5442-ZE which is the equivalent of the Dahua IPC-HFW5442-ZE for reference. The IPC-B...

ipcamtalk.com

Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ Turret

Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+

Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $160 Link to camera...

ipcamtalk.com

Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Turret, Full Color, Starlight+)

Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)

Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Andy's Email: kingsecurity2014...

ipcamtalk.com

Review: IPC-HDBW5442R-ASE-NI - Dahua Technology Pro AI Bullet Network Camera

Review: OEM IPC-B5442T-ASE-NI 4MP Pro AI Starlight Full-color Fixed Bullet

Many thanks once again to Andy @EMPIRETECANDY we have for testing the OEM IPC-B5442T-ASE-NI 4MP Starlight+ Full Color bullet. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a fixed 3.6mm bullet (Pro AI) series with the 1/1.8” sensor. It has no built in...

ipcamtalk.com

2231 Review
Review-OEM IPC-T2231RP-ZS 2mp Varifocal Turret Starlight Camera

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

Again courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY EmpireTech Andy we have a new cam to look over. Its a new model in Dahua's new Lite H265 Series of cam's. Available for purchase here: Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles and more Price is approx...

ipcamtalk.com

3241T-ZAS Review

Review-OEM IPC-T3241-ZAS 2mp AI Lite series Varifocal

IPC-T3241-ZAS from EMPIRETECANDY 2MP WDR Turret Varifocal AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Purchase in the IPCT Store Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price...

ipcamtalk.com

Less expensive models -

Budget Dahua Cams or china alternatives under $100?

Well here we go. I dont see anywhere more approriate to discuss this. Ive been messing around with putting together a cctv system for close to 3 years now. Ive bought everything i needed and also bought 2 cheap cams from a third party seller on walmart. Those cams cost me a grand total of $50...

ipcamtalk.com

VPN Information Thread

VPN Primer for Noobs

The internet is a force of nature; no video surveillance system made was designed to be exposed to those forces.. NEVER FORWARD PORTS to your NVR or Cameras, doing such things not only exposes you to severe security problems, but everyone else on the internet too.. Hackers dont want your video...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Holbs]

Cat7 is....not needed. These are video IP cameras, not a 2,000 person Microsoft Call center using Excel, Outlook, and all that.
Industry standard is Cat6. Various forms of cables but a IP camera (and immediate future of IP cameras), Cat5e could do just as well. I'd still recommend Cat6 to cover all bases.

 

[JohnDS]

Thank you. This was great information guys, much appreciated.

Just some questions.

1) The IPC-T5442T-ZE cams are better than the IPC-T5442TM-AS correct? So if I just went with the IPC-T5442T-ZE cams instead, that would be better, correct because of the varifocal capability?

2) Just so I have an understanding, how do varifocal cams work in general when playing back footage? For example, the 2.7mm - 12mm varifocal cam. If I have the cam set on 2.7mm, and it records someone and I am going back through the footage later on, will I be able to zoom in clearly to the 12mm veiw, or had I needed it to have the cam set on 12mm while prior to. Just curious how it works and if it records in all lenses.

3) Would I be able to catch license plates without the LPR cam if using the IPC-T5442T-ZE cam?

4) So in any event, since I'm not exactly ready for the cams and computer/nvr, would me running the Cat7 for now to the locations be ok? (I mean after testing with one cam)

5) What kind of camera testing stand do you recommend?

Thank you. This is exciting.

 

[sebastiantombs]

1 - The reality is more complex than just than better. The ZE is "better" because it has a varifocal lens so it can be adjusted at installation for a specific view. The AS is "better" because it has a fixed focal length and that can't be changed but because it is a fixed focal length it has a better "F stop" rating which means it will produce better video in low light conditions.

2 - Once something is recorded there is no way to change the focal length that was in use at the time of recording. You can use digital zoom to "zoom" in but be aware that this is the real world and not Hollywood. As you zoom in the picture will start to blur. In the real world that can't be avoided unless you have a super computer, literally, and some insanely expensive software. Even then it isn't what Hollywood portrays.

3 - LPR takes a dedicated camera especially for night time. You may be able to get some use during the day but that depends on the distance to the target. There's a whole thread for LPR cameras and it's an art. An LPR camera at night usually has a totally black picture other than head or tail lights and the license plate.

LPR

Licence Plate Reader cameras

ipcamtalk.com

4 - CAT7 is a waste of money. Cameras use 100mb/ps connections, even at 8MP. In reality they rarely get over 20mb/ps. The key thing is to use CMR, riser rated, cable for inside walls, attics and basements. CAT5e is fine. CAT6 is overkill but only slightly more expensive that CAT5e. Most people use CAT6. Heck, I have some cameras running on CAT5 with no problems at all.

5 - A test rig can be a five gallon bucket filled with gravel or sand. Stick a 2x4-8' in it and mount the camera to the 2x4 at about 7-8 feet. Alternately, use a six foot step ladder and clamp the 2x4-8 to it. Connect up to a PoE switch or injector and use a web browser, IE or Chrome with the IE plug-in, to directly view the camera and play with focal length, exposure and so on. Here's a calculator that will let you see the approximate focal length for any given setting of a varifocal so you can determine what fixed focal length will work best.

Focal Length Calculator

Calculate the focal point of a camera to help determine the best size lens to order. Save & view your results later.

ipcamtalk.com

Above all don't try to do too much with one camera. That's the road to failure.

 

[wittaj]

Here is what my LPR sees during the day - basically only the road and only room for a vehicle...you do not see much grass or sidewalks, etc. Now vantage point does come into play and if you get any sidewalk or yard that is a bonus, but the main purpose of the camera is to get plates...

As said above, digital zooming in after the fact only works on TV shows and in the movies. You may get by with a little digital zoom, but not much...much better to get varifocal cameras that you can adjust the OPTICAL zoom to get the area you are trying to provide coverage to. But these are a set it and forget it. You do not constantly go in and zoom in and out. That would be a PTZ. And the benefit is when you upgrade a camera, this varifocal can now be placed somewhere else and work.




and my night picture (I zoom in a little more at night as the bigger the plate the better):

 

[JohnDS]

Thanks guys. I move like a snail before I buy things, so no offense to anyone thinking I'm disregarding any advice or not responding fast enough. A lot of stuff going on with Easter and the kids and family. You guys made some really good points and recommendations and it's alot of info to take in, so I'm planning and reading.

So I'm kind of lost on placement. Can anyone offer maybe a quick rundown on where to place them on the house at least? The dog poo on the other side of fence is a separate issue and still trying to decide, so I'll leave that for later on(maybe both LPR and Varifocal).

But for now, I have no idea how to set this up. Once I have an idea, I'll test one out as recommended, but just trying to get an overview.

So, I'm thinking 2 cams on each side of house(front, back, and sides), and locate them at the corners underneath the soffit, and face them toward eachother in a sense so they look at a broader area?

I feel that if I do it the other way and face them away from eachother, then the gutter drain will be in the way if each camera, and then also would create a blind spot in the middle of the 2 cameras.

So total of 8? There is a jog on the house in the back if you can see in pictures above where back of garage does not meet flush with rest of house. This might require a 9th camera.

What do you guys think about this plan?

 

[sebastiantombs]

You've got a decent plan with eight cameras and facing them at each other. That way every camera is effectively watched by another and the approach to the camera is watched by yet another camera. The big trick is getting the right focal length for them. I'm using a mix of 3.8mm and 6mm in that arrangement. The 3.8mm are located where the distance to the entrance doors is under 15 feet with the rest being 6mm. I've added a third camera on the front and rear, center mounted, to cover the approach areas missed by the two on the corners and to act as a backup. Adding another camera for the jog is probably a reasonable thing to do to catch any lurkers.

When you're pulling cable it's a good idea to pull at least two to each location. That makes adding a camera relatively painless and also provides a separate cable if you want to use auxiliary IR lighting.

 

[mat200]

FYI - I believe copper prices will go up.. so now is a good time to make certain you have your wire ordered... ( ps I'd good for good cat6 in general, Cat5e if you need multiple lines through a smaller conduit - like 1/2" inch )

 

[Holbs]

If you will be pulling cable, many posts here about what you should run in addition to just IP cameras. Outdoor siren speaker? Extra boost with external IR lighting? PIR motion detector that can connect to the outdoor IP camera IO ports or back to home security panel? Outdoor security lights (DC or AC)? Those fake hornet nests that keep away the hornets?
Heck. If I had to do all over again, I would of ran 3 cat6 cables to every camera location. Which would cover 12/24v IR lighting, PIR's, cameras, etc. Granted, this is my day job so I have access to all the wire material
side note: you will need additional IR lighting for those far distant night time viewing needs when the camera's IR light is too narrow or not that far.

 

[JohnDS]

I'm using a mix of 3.8mm and 6mm in that arrangement.

Just curious why you chose these fixed lenses as opposed to a varifocal 2.7mm - 12mm?

PIR motion detector that can connect to the outdoor IP camera IO ports or back to home security panel?

What would the PIR be used for? I was under the impression the cameras would sense motion and send you an alert.

When you say you can connect a PIR to the camera or back to the nvr, I assume that the option of plugging directly into the camera depends on if the camera I choose has this option or not?

FYI - I believe copper prices will go up.. so now is a good time to make certain you have your wire ordered... ( ps I'd good for good cat6 in general, Cat5e if you need multiple lines through a smaller conduit - like 1/2" inch )

I see 100ft patch cable cat7 sheilded for .25/foot and I see 300ft patch cable cat7 direct burial for .30/foot. I know someone said it was overkill using cat7, but it doesnt sound like a bad price to me. What do you think?

Thanks guys.

 

[Holbs]

What would the PIR be used for? I was under the impression the cameras would sense motion and send you an alert.
When you say you can connect a PIR to the camera or back to the nvr, I assume that the option of plugging directly into the camera depends on if the camera I choose has this option or not?

While camera motion detection has come a long way in the last 10 years with fancier algorithms, larger lenses, better night vision... when it comes to home security, it is best not to rely solely on a single form of defense. Example: I use Blue Iris on a headless (which means...the box is somewhere that I do not visually see it everyday) Windows machine. What happens if the power supply in the computer case fails? There goes your entire security system. What happens if Windows crashes? A camera has a hardware failure? etc. You get the point. I also have a DIY home security system called DSC (Vista 20p is also popular for DIY) which I have my outdoor PIR's (and windows/door sensors) connected to with one of those 8hour battery backups. Luckily, I run home automation where both integrate with each other to do magical things. If all that fails, I have 2 cats and a shotgun & 9mm. And have been watching those late 70's ninja movies

Basically, I would put my faith in a quality PIR for motion detection (only one that I have used is the Bosch Gen2 blue line with pet immunity) that uses 3 ways to detect motion over any home viable camera motion detection that relies on pixels.
With that being said, both home security/PIR and cameras/Blue Iris compliment each other wonderfully.

Yes, some camera models you order/specify will have the IO ports (ext siren, ext PIR, etc), some do not to save some $$$ and folks that have no need for them.

I'll give you a real life example. I have a ongoing tire slashing event. A total of...16 tires. At $100-180 a tire...it adds up. When I solely relied on camera motion alerts, I would get false alerts at 3am.... I would miss events (ups guy walking to front door and leavning.... with no a alert or recording maybe cause he was wearing brown that was too similiar to brown fence background). I could no longer bet $1000 for each tire slashing event "I think I will mostly catch the perp". I needed a secondary method. Kinda like the 2 COVID shots I need them to overlap and raise the chances of alerts and notification.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Just curious why you chose these fixed lenses as opposed to a varifocal 2.7mm - 12mm?



What would the PIR be used for? I was under the impression the cameras would sense motion and send you an alert.

When you say you can connect a PIR to the camera or back to the nvr, I assume that the option of plugging directly into the camera depends on if the camera I choose has this option or not?



I see 100ft patch cable cat7 sheilded for .25/foot and I see 300ft patch cable cat7 direct burial for .30/foot. I know someone said it was overkill using cat7, but it doesnt sound like a bad price to me. What do you think?

Thanks guys.

I chose those lens after testing with a varifocal and to get maximum night performance, We're out in the rural area of southern NJ and while there is a street light about 200 feet away, there's not a whole lot of light. Night time coverage is a key factor, at least to me.

I use external IR illuminators for almost all of my cameras. They extend the night vision considerably and help keep bugs away from the cameras. Burgs, especially spiders, love IR light and they home in on it like it's a lighthouse.

Shielded cable, unless you have special EMI problems is another waste. Keep in mind that it is much stiffer than unshielded which makes it a PITA to install. A lot of people here do their own terminations and buy cable in bulk. Direct burial cable is messy to work with because it is filled with a gel to improve its' water resistance which makes terminating it a lot of additional work, plus it's stiffer than unshielded. Also keep in mind that if you use shielded cable you need to deal with grounding issues at both ends of the cable.

I just bought a 500 foot box of CAT6 from Monoprice for about $65 or 13 cents a foot. Yes, I have to add in two RJ45 connectors per drop, along with boots for them, but that's minor stuff. By terminating my own cables I can keep the rats nest down to a minimum.

 

[Holbs]

I chose those lens after testing with a varifocal and to get maximum night performance, We're out in the rural area of southern NJ and while there is a street light about 200 feet away, there's not a whole lot of light. Night time coverage is a key factor, at least to me.

I use external IR illuminators for almost all of my cameras. They extend the night vision considerably and help keep bugs away from the cameras. Burgs, especially spiders, love IR light and they home in on it like it's a lighthouse.

Shielded cable, unless you have special EMI problems is another waste. Keep in mind that it is much stiffer than unshielded which makes it a PITA to install. A lot of people here do their own terminations and buy cable in bulk. Direct burial cable is messy to work with because it is filled with a gel to improve its' water resistance which makes terminating it a lot of additional work, plus it's stiffer than unshielded. Also keep in mind that if you use shielded cable you need to deal with grounding issues at both ends of the cable.

I just bought a 500 foot box of CAT6 from Monoprice for about $65 or 13 cents a foot. Yes, I have to add in two RJ45 connectors per drop, along with boots for them, but that's minor stuff. By terminating my own cables I can keep the rats nest down to a minimum.

something sebastian knows but maybe forgot to toss out there... SHIELDED cable is no fun at all to put through a house structure. Especially Cat7, which I've never touched. Heck...Cat6e shielded is like pulling stiff coaxial cable. With all those bends and corners and getting around HVAC or electrical wiring? No thank you Stick with indoor PVC Cat6. Use that extra $$$ you saved and buy another camera!
** oops ** I see you mean to run a network cable out on a post for LPR camera. Just need underground rated Cat6.

 

[JohnDS]

Ok thanks.

I actually dont think I really want to mess with installing my own rj45 connectors.

This is the cat7 i was referring to which looks flexible. Maybe not.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018TTSUNM/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_CSV2BK0ZA7TBY3HEPWBQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This is the cat7 underground i was referring to, which does look like it might be a pain to work with.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX2K3BG/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_G77PD6YCMKCCYFV7T39N?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

What kind of power do the external IR illuminators need? One of you said to run an extra cat6. Is it simply just using the POE in the cat6 and using an ethernet port on the nvr/computer?

If the cam has an IO port, can you use that?

 

[JohnDS]

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the 5442 camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor works as well.

• 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
• 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
• 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
• 49225 PTZ - great PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.

Are the cams you listed above, the same brand as EMPIRETECANDY's post below? I cant seem to find them when I search. Is that the full model number?

Also, I noticed you typed the 5241-Z12E cam twice. Was that a typo? Just trying to research each one but I get other items popping up for those numbers. Thanks.

 

[wittaj]

These cameras are the same as what @empiretechandy sells, I just abbreviated the full camera name - it is the 5442 series cameras - they are Dahua OEM in every manner, except better as Andy gets us firmware not made available to other Dahua users.

Nope the Z12E was on there twice - one for LPR since you said you were looking for ability to read plates. But that camera will only be for reading plates. The other Z12 is to give out the distance recommendations for using that camera for purposes other than plate reading.

 

[JohnDS]

I'm stubborn, but you guys talked me into the Cat6 in any event. However, I'm still on the fence about patch vs box. Despite the excess wire laying around, I wonder whether the .10cent difference with boxed is worth it considering I would have to spend extra money on the crimper tool, rj45 connectors, time to install, possibly a network tester.

But I think I found some boxed stuff if I go that route. Its 1000ft. 23awg solid copper, CMR, UTP, 550mhz. $149

Vs.

100ft patch, Cat6a, $25

Anyway, can someone recommend a good brand of rj45 connectors. Also, should I get passthrough or no?

I'm looking at rj45 connectors on amazon and for the most part, they have good reviews, but I'm pulling my hair out because it seems there are reviews mixed in with them that mention they dont lock in, or they dont fit 23awg wire. Not sure if it's other companies sabotaging or not, which is a shame.

Thank you.