My wife and I have decided it's time to get security cameras for the house. We've been seeing posts in the neighborhood's Facebook and NextDoor groups about people coming around and checking for boxes on porches. I don't want that to turn into breaking and entering.
I've been reading a lot here and have read through the Cliffs Notes and wiki. My plan is to cover my front door with one camera at ID level, and another higher up to capture boxes sitting on the porch. I'll be installing 2 cameras underneath the lights on the garage (about 5.5 feet off the ground) that will criss cross the front drive. I'll have another camera at the back garage door entrance, and one in the garage. The last camera will be at the back sliding glass door. I don't have the budget right now to do what I'd like and get enough cameras to monitor all sides of the house and the basement window wells. However, I feel it's unlikely that someone will want to hop over a 5' fence to get to our house in particular. That's more work than just hitting another house.
My purchase list is as follows:
(3) Dahua IP Camera IPC-HDW5231R-ZE (Two External Garage, one Internal Garage)
(3) Dahua Wall Mount PFB203W for the above turrets
(4) Dahua IP Camera IPC-HDBW4231F-AS (Front Door, Front Porch, Back Garage Door, Back Sliding Door)
(1) 24 Port Patch Panel
(1) Hinge Wall Mount for Patch Panel
(7) RJ45 Keystone Jacks
(1) PC for Blue Iris (software already purchased)
I've already got CAT6 cable (solid wire) and fishing tape, punchdown tool, velcro, PoE switch, etc.
As I said, I've read the cliffs notes. However, I'm still confused about the proper focal length of the lens on the IPC-HDBW4231F-AS. In the attached photo, I can aim the lens down a bit and still get someone's face (maybe even do corridor mode). The picture of the front door was taken at about 10-13' away from the camera's location. I've tried to figure out the radius calculation in the cliffs notes, but that hasn't made a lot of sense to me.
Radius = (( Horizontal Res / 100 ppf ) * ( 360 / Angle ))/2*Pi
What is the ANGLE? Is that HFOV? Is that the angle that the camera looks up/down at a person's face? I'm sure it's something obvious, but I'm not understanding. I assume that number would then somehow help me choose the correct lens? Howso?
The front door ID camera will be under the light fixture. I don't know if I'll see any light spillage from the light above, but we'll see. The front lights have a built in photodetector. I simply leave the switch in the on position, and the outside lights turn on and off with sunset and sunrise. I'm slightly concerned about the dome and sunlight. In the winter months, direct sun will hit the front door dome for a couple hours in the morning and several in the evening. In the summer, the sun will be too high in the sky and shouldn't hit the dome at all. Should I be worried about that? If so, is there a better suggestion of camera that isn't a turret (I feel that's too large for the front door). I suppose I could mount the camera on the LEFT side of the door, but I wouldn't get the same view of the person walking up the driveway onto the stairs.
For the garage door I'll use a similar lens to the front door. The back door doesn't have a lot of room between the fence and the door, so there won't be a long distance I need to zoom into and ID a person. I would imagine the back patio door is the same. Direct sun will hit the garage door camera in the summer for several hours (noon to 3?) and the back patio door from say 1pm to dusk. Again, is this a major concern? If so, what should I be considering that's not a turret?
How do I get a waterproof connection between the camera body or mount and the house? Should I use some silicone caulk along the top and sides of the camera mount to keep out water (IPFB203W)? Same with the 4231 camera? Or should I get the waterproof junction box for the 4231? Do any of the boxes (PFA130-E or PFA137) line up perfectly with the body of the 4231 camera?
That was a lot of information. Sorry about that. Just trying to be thorough. Let me know if I've messed up in any of my ideas or if there's a better way to do this. Thanks!
I've been reading a lot here and have read through the Cliffs Notes and wiki. My plan is to cover my front door with one camera at ID level, and another higher up to capture boxes sitting on the porch. I'll be installing 2 cameras underneath the lights on the garage (about 5.5 feet off the ground) that will criss cross the front drive. I'll have another camera at the back garage door entrance, and one in the garage. The last camera will be at the back sliding glass door. I don't have the budget right now to do what I'd like and get enough cameras to monitor all sides of the house and the basement window wells. However, I feel it's unlikely that someone will want to hop over a 5' fence to get to our house in particular. That's more work than just hitting another house.
My purchase list is as follows:
(3) Dahua IP Camera IPC-HDW5231R-ZE (Two External Garage, one Internal Garage)
(3) Dahua Wall Mount PFB203W for the above turrets
(4) Dahua IP Camera IPC-HDBW4231F-AS (Front Door, Front Porch, Back Garage Door, Back Sliding Door)
(1) 24 Port Patch Panel
(1) Hinge Wall Mount for Patch Panel
(7) RJ45 Keystone Jacks
(1) PC for Blue Iris (software already purchased)
I've already got CAT6 cable (solid wire) and fishing tape, punchdown tool, velcro, PoE switch, etc.
As I said, I've read the cliffs notes. However, I'm still confused about the proper focal length of the lens on the IPC-HDBW4231F-AS. In the attached photo, I can aim the lens down a bit and still get someone's face (maybe even do corridor mode). The picture of the front door was taken at about 10-13' away from the camera's location. I've tried to figure out the radius calculation in the cliffs notes, but that hasn't made a lot of sense to me.
Radius = (( Horizontal Res / 100 ppf ) * ( 360 / Angle ))/2*Pi
What is the ANGLE? Is that HFOV? Is that the angle that the camera looks up/down at a person's face? I'm sure it's something obvious, but I'm not understanding. I assume that number would then somehow help me choose the correct lens? Howso?
The front door ID camera will be under the light fixture. I don't know if I'll see any light spillage from the light above, but we'll see. The front lights have a built in photodetector. I simply leave the switch in the on position, and the outside lights turn on and off with sunset and sunrise. I'm slightly concerned about the dome and sunlight. In the winter months, direct sun will hit the front door dome for a couple hours in the morning and several in the evening. In the summer, the sun will be too high in the sky and shouldn't hit the dome at all. Should I be worried about that? If so, is there a better suggestion of camera that isn't a turret (I feel that's too large for the front door). I suppose I could mount the camera on the LEFT side of the door, but I wouldn't get the same view of the person walking up the driveway onto the stairs.
For the garage door I'll use a similar lens to the front door. The back door doesn't have a lot of room between the fence and the door, so there won't be a long distance I need to zoom into and ID a person. I would imagine the back patio door is the same. Direct sun will hit the garage door camera in the summer for several hours (noon to 3?) and the back patio door from say 1pm to dusk. Again, is this a major concern? If so, what should I be considering that's not a turret?
How do I get a waterproof connection between the camera body or mount and the house? Should I use some silicone caulk along the top and sides of the camera mount to keep out water (IPFB203W)? Same with the 4231 camera? Or should I get the waterproof junction box for the 4231? Do any of the boxes (PFA130-E or PFA137) line up perfectly with the body of the 4231 camera?
That was a lot of information. Sorry about that. Just trying to be thorough. Let me know if I've messed up in any of my ideas or if there's a better way to do this. Thanks!
