Help me spend $20,000 (new information in post #23)

C

Cache450

n3wb
Jan 25, 2019
25
15
Idaho
I want your ideas and thoughts. I have a camera job that requires 15 cameras. The job requires that I spend the entire $20,000 on the equipment alone. (or dont do it at all)

I didnt spend a lot of time on the drawing but the picture below is "representative" of the project. Orange dots represent predetermined camera locations.
Keep in mind that most of these locations already have existing ip cameras with cat5e run to them. So the system is merely getting "upgraded".

4 cameras will be located inside as shown below, and atleast one monster PTZ on the cell tower shown.

Areas of high security importance are the 2 red brick buildings.

For reference of dimensions the mechanic shop is 40' x 60' and the office is 30' x 30'



I am a regular user of blue iris and andy's 5442 cameras and ptz's which I think would be VERY sufficient for this project but that might only spend 1/4 of the budget. Help me dream big here even if its a waste of money.

I have my own thoughts on how to spend that much money on this camera system but I want to leave this open a bit to get your thoughts and ideas



Equipment replacement requirements:
15 cameras/mounts
new rack mount dvr (blue iris box with ai)
2 new poe switches
1 box of cat5e to add 3 camera locations that arent existing








Screen Shot 2023.2.png
 
Last edited:
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Buy the Dahua cameras from BHPhoto, you will get the same cameras as Andy but pay twice the price.

Buy the 1/1.2 cameras in lieu of any 5442 fixed.

Build a triple redundant system, such as one or two NVR's and one or two BI PC's and set them up in different locations so it complicates the logistics of the NVR being stolen or something not being recorded. Different cams on different systems.

Buy more cameras :rolleyes:

Your parameters do not make sense without an explanation.
 
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Random thoughts:
  • Battery back-ups for equipment
  • Buy 4 boxes of cable. If you're pulling one cable to add a camera... pull a second cable as well for future use.
  • Instead of spec'ing a single "big" switch, consider using two smaller switches. This will reduce the number of cameras that lose signal/power should a switch go down.
  • Remember cable/equipment enclosures for exterior cameras (keep future growth in mind)
  • Any need for IR illuminators? (these can be PoE)
  • Access from the Internet? Make sure current router has VPN support
 
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Each building needs one camera at least on each of the of the four sides.
Ideally there would be two cameras per side, both looking back towards each other, depending on the length of each side, there may need to be a third or fourth cam per side.
 
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Does it have to be Blue Iris? Digital Watchdog has excellent cameras with some decent built-in analytics and they usually have a promotion that if you buy two, you get one license free. After a server that you build up on your own, 15 cameras, some PoE switches, and some PtP links you should be right around the $20k threshold. I'd love free reign on a project like this!
 
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garycrist said:
What about the other sides of the "red brick buildings"?
Click to expand...
I would agree there is a need for some more camera coverage on the backside of the red brick buildings. The cameras on the tower should cover the back side okay but i would like to add a few back there for better coverage. The way it was originally laid out was that the cameras on a building were pointed to look at the building next to it rather than look down the side of itself. If that makes sense
 
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I really like the idea of making a double or triple redundant system and honestly hadnt crossed my mind. Would be easy to do where there is already network racks set up in different buildings.
I may have to into this digital watchdog that you suggest. Thank you
 
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If you really need to spend all that, I'd suggest:
1. The PTZ linked by wittaj above.
2. A redundant NVR (second Blue Iris box if that is what you're doing)
3. Spare parts (cameras, PoE switches, cables, etc)
4. More cameras than originally specified.
5. Battery backup. It gets expensive fast especially if you want more than a couple minutes of runtime for the server, and to have every component of the system at least on a high-end desktop UPS.
 
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Cache450 said:
I really like the idea of making a double or triple redundant system and honestly hadnt crossed my mind. Would be easy to do where there is already network racks set up in different buildings.
I may have to into this digital watchdog that you suggest. Thank you
Click to expand...

I run redundant systems with primarily BI and Synology which comes with a couple free licenses so why not. One of the systems could be configured to offload to something like Amazon Web Services (cloud). Peplink makes some nice routers with failover systems.
 
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