Looking for advice on my install locations.

[Ri22o]

Yeah, and we both know who the first person they will contact will be when something happens to their property!

Is it close enough you could RDP on a laptop and wifi yourself in that location? I may have looked a little weird to my neighbors holding a laptop out in the street

Yeah you should match FPS/iframes for BI - especially with that tight field of view.

I doubt I could connect to my wifi from that distance, but it's worth trying. The biggest issue is not really having a laptop.

I need to get the cam moved to the new test location first and then will worry about fine tuning once it's actually deployed. It obviously works during the day, but night will be the deal breaker.

 

[Ri22o]

Took a few minutes and moved the camera to the other end of the fence. Thoughts on this FOV compared to before? I still have some room left to zoom, but think if I go any more that it may be too much? Obviously a temp install, and can fiddle with it later, but would like to have a good base line. These were just quick grabs from UI3.

FPS is now 30/30.
Exp is still 0-3.33

I will likely need to tend to the tree limbs in the upper left, but final FOV might be a little more to the right.

 

[looney2ns]

I doubt I could connect to my wifi from that distance, but it's worth trying. The biggest issue is not really having a laptop.

I need to get the cam moved to the new test location first and then will worry about fine tuning once it's actually deployed. It obviously works during the day, but night will be the deal breaker.

For daytime focus tests this: Amazon.com : eye charts for eye exams 20 feet

 

[Ri22o]

Much better luck tonight after moving the camera, but still struggling to get enough light for a usable motion capture. Focus could use some help, but Chrome Remote Desktop to the BI PC from my phone was not a fun time and I got it as close as I could.


I have added a 20W Tendelux flood, but I don't think it's got the distance. Below is a capture showing all of the IR I am throwing at the area.


This is where I ended for the night and this is the only IVS trigger I was able to get. Static is OK, but motion is not very usable.



I just threw some numbers at it to see how it would do. I am sure there is room for trying to get closer. Maybe I need to dial them all down? Surprisingly the numbers below are very close to what the Easement cam above is running.

Thoughts?

 

[bigredfish]

Nice static image so good start.

At 1/60 you’re just not gonna freeze a fast walking human. Need 1/120 min.

Once you go to the faster shutter you may still need some more IR. Might be time to look at one of the higher end units with tighter beams like @Parley I think tested

 

[wittaj]

You will also have to drop NR way down.

I would try gain at 60 and drop gamma to 70.

Many of my cameras if I go over 70 of any parameter they start to ghost/blur and negate the faster shutters.

 

[Ri22o]

Making some progress with this.

I will need to dial in the focus a bit more once finally installed, but I think day time is working well.

Approx. 90' to the middle of the FOV.
0-3.33 with 25 gain. 30fps


And then I woke up this morning, checked the alerts and found that it actually triggered on someone walking early this morning.


I think I have some room to bring the gain down, maybe even the exposure.
I may also go with a bit more zoom at night.







I also found this woman and dog tripped my other camera, but didn't manage to trigger the IVS on this one. I am guessing this is likely a contrast issue?

 

[bigredfish]

Great progress!

 

[Ri22o]

Abandoning the above path project for the time being, I don't think it's going to work with the Z12E to get reliable night time triggers.

I do need some opinions on changes I have made to the backyard, though.

I recently added the fence around the A/C unit and I am not sure what I should do with the camera that was over this area. Should I leave it? Should I move it over to the corner? Should I lower it and put it on the fence? Should I XXX?

This is the current coverage from the driveway through to the deck.


This is the FOV pre-fence.


This is the FOV with the fence.


I had previously asked about moving this camera down, and this is looking back at where it is mounted, for reference.

Looking for advice on my install locations.

I like A and E pointed at each other so that you get if someone tampers with one. This may mean needing an additional camera as a overview for whole backyard if these and existing don't cover it all. I like the one under the deck roof pointing towards the house so you get someone leaving...

ipcamtalk.com

.

 

[looney2ns]

Abandoning the above path project for the time being, I don't think it's going to work with the Z12E to get reliable night time triggers.

I do need some opinions on changes I have made to the backyard, though.

I recently added the fence around the A/C unit and I am not sure what I should do with the camera that was over this area. Should I leave it? Should I move it over to the corner? Should I lower it and put it on the fence? Should I XXX?

This is the current coverage from the driveway through to the deck.
View attachment 197430

This is the FOV pre-fence.
View attachment 197431

This is the FOV with the fence.
View attachment 197432

I had previously asked about moving this camera down, and this is looking back at where it is mounted, for reference.

Looking for advice on my install locations.

I like A and E pointed at each other so that you get if someone tampers with one. This may mean needing an additional camera as a overview for whole backyard if these and existing don't cover it all. I like the one under the deck roof pointing towards the house so you get someone leaving...

ipcamtalk.com

.

View attachment 197433

I'd leave it where it is.

 

[Ri22o]

I've decided to leave the above camera where it is, but now I am on to a use for the -Z12E from my failed path project. I will circle back around to that when I find a refurb -Z4E, but it's not a huge priority either way.

My thought for the -Z12E was to add some coverage to the front yard/mail box/street/driveway apron. I know @mat200 has mentioned in other posts to have coverage of mailboxes, the end of the driveway, etc and I wasn't sure if this would be a good use for it.

Below is the main coverage of the front.

• My mailbox is circled in red.
• The tree is going to eventually be removed.
• The PTZ (Sidewalk) will be moved to the corner where the tree is.

I then have two possible locations where I could easily install the -Z12E.

• Where the PTZ is (same corner as "Flag").
• The second floor soffit where "Front Yard, South" used to be.

 

[bigredfish]

Man I really like the Front Yard South Overview cam, can't ya keep that, runa splitter and put the z12 or better a Z4 there to get facial ID at the mailbox?

 

[Ri22o]

Man I really like the Front Yard South Overview cam, can't ya keep that, runa splitter and put the z12 or better a Z4 there to get facial ID at the mailbox?

That camera was taken down and replaced with a Color4K-X under the first floor soffit. Currently there is just an IR flood up there lighting up the front yard, which makes that location a candidate for an easy install of the Z12 depending on where it is going to point.

If I bought a Z4 for the mailbox, that doesn't solve the problem of finding a use for the Z12. I could put the Z12 under the first floor soffit by the downspout and cover the mailbox, but I also wasn't sure if there was a better use in the front for it.

 

[bigredfish]

Any long distance using the Z12 or Z4 at night using IR, will struggle with IVS activation. On most of mine (LPR and choke points) I use old fashioned MD for nighttime. A very small choice MD area with high sensitivity. Occasionally I'll get a bug attack, but rarely enough to negate the usefulness of the cam.

So the walking path is out? No LPR possibilities?

Damn I wish I had that overview view...

 

[Ri22o]

Any long distance using the Z12 or Z4 at night using IR, will struggle with IVS activation. On most of mine (LPR and choke points) I use old fashioned MD for nighttime. A very small choice MD area with high sensitivity. Occasionally I'll get a bug attack, but rarely enough to negate the usefulness of the cam.

So the walking path is out? No LPR possibilities?

Damn I wish I had that overview view...

Walking path just wasn't reliable at night and would probably benefit from the better sensor in the Z4. AI would see me and paint me with the blue box but hardly ever trip the tripwire, plus I just couldn't get enough light out there without spending more money on an IR spotlight than I did the camera.

I already have two Z12s on LPR duty.

I do have this overview, as well.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

This Color4K-T180 camera is amazing!

 

[bigredfish]

Walking path just wasn't reliable at night and would probably benefit from the better sensor in the Z4. AI would see me and paint me with the blue box but hardly ever trip the tripwire, plus I just couldn't get enough light out there without spending more money on an IR spotlight than I did the camera.

I already have two Z12s on LPR duty.

I do have this overview, as well.
View attachment 198068

Ahhh forgot you had those 180s. Yep nice.

While the z4 will be an improvement, you’ll still have much of the same issue with target activation with IVS at night with IR. A simple small area with MD set for only dark hours will solve target acquisition.
I’ll post an example after coffee #1 kicks in

 

[Ri22o]

Ahhh forgot you had those 180s. Yep nice.

While the z4 will be an improvement, you’ll still have much of the same issue with target activation with IVS at night with IR. A simple small area with MD set for only dark hours will solve target acquisition.
I’ll post an example after coffee #1 kicks in

My reason for wanting to use IVS is there is a road behind the path and every car that goes by will trigger it. I don't care for alerts on cars, I just want to see people.

 

[bigredfish]

I get it but good luck. Is that road heavily traveled at night? Can you not design a couple of MD blocks that wont "see" the road?

====
Example:
One would think IVS would be triggered for both of these targets. Nope.

(Z4 is running 0-5 Exposure, IR on Auto at night - which in this case is identical to manual 100%).
The Overexposure control is aggressive but I've come to like it vs white out of faces.



There is a shit ton of IR on that scene from 3 cameras. The distance is 45ft from the Z4, there's a 5442 bullet directly under it focused on the driveway but pointing same direction, and a mini-ptz parked looking at that same spot for LPR at night. The Z4 is dialed back on Exposure to prevent washout of faces.

Without MD at night only I would miss most nighttime events
(Yellow on timeline is MD, Red is IVS/AI)


I spent a lot of time for many months trying to get IVS to activate better at night on that scene and the best I could get was maybe 50% activation, but with faces washed out or blurred. Simple MD for nighttime hours solved the problem.


*So Yes I'm running Metadata currently, but I ran plain Tripwire for a very long time, results identical as far as target acquisition.
**I have two other cameras (4K-X and 5442 bullet) that see the street and DO activate IVS at night so I could and did for a while just blow off nighttime alerting on that zoomed in camera as I could easily determine a time to manually look for based on the other two cameras activation.

So why do the 4K-X and 5442 bullet activate IVS on this area at night and the zoomed in Z4 wont? I'm pretty sure it has to do with time it takes for AI to recognize and process a target AS WELL AS the composition of the scene. When zoomed in this tight, the Z4 has less time to react on a target entering the AI zone, and the overall scene is such that it has a hard time differentiating between static and moving objects in its FOV as well as identifying them as human/vehicle. Extreme contrast can help, as the expense of the image quality.

 

[bigredfish]

Here's showing plenty of IR and with a person, hit and miss with IVS and I've been doing this for a while

View attachment Home_ch8_20240616211748_20240616211758.mp4










View attachment Home_ch8_20240627034359_20240627034433.mp4