New Member in Rural SC

[RedTruck90]

Hey everyone! After months of reading and research, i'm finally ready to take the plunge into setting up my own BlueIris system.

I could use a TON of help on basically... everything.

I've already got a wired alarm system, and would like eventually tie it all together.

My ultimate desired end state - 10-12+ Cameras, with at least one being a LPR at the road

The house is a perfect rectangle, and my hope is to use the least amount of cameras to obtain a near perfect 100% overlapping coverage. I think I can accomplish this by aiming each corner down a side wall and using a 3.6mm lens for 89 degrees of coverage. I realize this will leave me with ~5 degrees of blind spots, and will go ahead and run wire to double cameras eventually as funds allow. I also know that on the longer sides of my house, i'll run out of "identify" range at about the mid point, and plan to use camera placement to mitigate that as best as possible by placing them on the corners closest to doors.

Equipment -
Cameras - I'm looking at using the IPC-T5442TM-AS or IPC-T2431T-AS ; with, again, the 3.6mm lens. I'm open to other suggestions, but need the camera to be IR only for night vision.
Computer - I've got a bid on an ebay refurb computer right now; a Dell Optiplex 7050 with an I7-7700 processor, 8gb of ram, and a 256SSD that I think should suffice; and know to add a WD 2+TB Video Drive as well
Ethernet Switch - I could use a suggestion on this; I need something that can handle 12+, so figure it may be smart to go with a 16 port unit to start. I've been looking at this model (amazon link)
Software - Blue Iris
Cable - CAT 5E/ Cat6 Solid strand 23/24g

Well.. I think thats it. I'd love feedback/input/gentle nudges towards a better starting plan if available!

 

[TonyR]

Cable - CAT 5E/ Cat6 Solid strand 23/24g

I assume you mean solid (not stranded) copper (not CCA-CopperClad Aluminium) conductor with jacket as appropriate for its use (CMR for crawlspaces, attics, up walls, between floors; UV-resistant and outdoor-rated jacket where needed.

P.S.- Welcome to IPCT !

 

[Rob2020]

Welcome, it looks like you are off to a solid start but the 2TB drive will not be adequate for what you mention, 4TB at a minimum and I would recommend bigger.

I have both the cams you mention in use, great cams. Buy BI from the ipcamtalk site to support the site.

I would start with one fixed and one varifocal camera to get a feel of your long term plan.



ETA - Just noticed, I misread the one model number in your original post. I am running Dahua 5442 and 2231 varifocal (not 2431). I would recommend you start with one Dahua (Loryta) IPC-T2231T-ZS varifocal and a Dahua 5442 3.6

 

[TonyR]

Buy BI from the ipcamtalk site to support the site.

Great advice.....they also store your key for you in case you misplace it / forget to keep it.

 

[wittaj]

You have to first decide what is the purpose of the cameras - to IDENTIFY or to OBSERVE and at what distance. One camera cannot be the do all, see all.

It is simple LOL do not chase MP - do not buy a 4MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/1.8" sensor. Do not buy a 2MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/2.8" sensor. Do not buy a 4K (8MP) camera on anything smaller than a 1/1.2" sensor. Unfortunately, most 4k cams are on the same sensor as a 2MP and thus the 2MP will kick its butt all night long as the 4k will need 4 times the light than the 2MP... 4k will do very poor at night unless you have stadium quality lighting (well a lot of lighting LOL).

To identify someone with the 3.6mm lens that you are looking at, someone would have to be within 20 feet of the camera, but realistically within 13 feet after you dial it in to your settings.

My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 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.

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision 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...

If you want to see things far away, you need optical zoom, digital zoom only works in the movies and TV...And the optical zoom is done real time - for a varifocal it is a set it and forget it. You cannot go to recorded video and optically zoom in later, at that point it is digital zoom, and the sensors on these cameras are so small which is why digital zoom doesn't work very well after the fact.

To read license plates, you need to have a camera dedicated to LPR. A camera cannot do both LPR and do overview.

Do you want the camera to be able to read and log the plates, or just the ability to be able to visually read them with your own eyes?

Many of us use the the 5241E-Z12E as it has a powerful enough optic zoom to optically zoom in to a tight area at a distance to get plates. And then many of us use Plate Recognizer or OpenALPR to do the actual reading and logging of plates. In many instances, especially in the US, these 3rd party plate readers are better than the internal plate reader of a camera.

Amazon.com : Loryta IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E IP Camera 2MP Starlight WDR IR Bullet AI Network Camera English Version

Amazon.com : Loryta IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E IP Camera 2MP Starlight WDR IR Bullet AI Network Camera English Version

www.amazon.com

Regarding a camera for plates (LPR) - keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. 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 of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my camera:

 

[Old Timer]

 

[RedTruck90]

Awesome data; noted on doubling the size of the hard drive; and for cameras, my primary goal is to Observe. The property is very rural/remote and i'll have seperate doorbell cameras on the house doors (also connected/running blue iris. )

 

[sebastiantombs]

Just my two cents for whatever they're worth.

Consider upgrading the RAM in your PC to 16GB for good overhead.

You may want to overview,, but if you have vehicles, or anything else of value, outside being able to get identification shots may be a good idea.

I'd start with one varifocal 5442-ZE, bullet or turret, and check each proposed mounting location for view and focal length of the lens. Hindsight can cost another camera that wouldn't be necessary with foresight.

 

[RedTruck90]

Ok; would it be ok to get a few vari-focals? I assume I can always use them set to whatever focal length I want as if they were fixed?

This model seems to come up when I search for a 5442-ZE; is it ok? 5442 Amazon Link

 

[sebastiantombs]

That's the one. I have a couple and they are outstanding. When they're tuned for each location the night video is sharp and clear. You can also order them directly from Andy, at EmpireTech. He's a member here and stands behind what he sells, not to mention works with IPCT members and ahua to improve firmware and camera performance.

Andy Wang kingsecurity2014@163.com

A fox in our front yard a few months back, sometime after midnight -

 

[mat200]

Ok; would it be ok to get a few vari-focals? I assume I can always use them set to whatever focal length I want as if they were fixed?

This model seems to come up when I search for a 5442-ZE; is it ok? 5442 Amazon Link

Welcome @RedTruck90

I suggesting picking up 1-2 cameras to try out first if you're new to this.

The model you linked imho is a good one to test with and play with the FOV settings.

 

[RedTruck90]

Ok; I swapped computers to a Optiplex 7040 with an I7-6700 processor, 16gb ram, 500gb ssd, and windows 10 pro in the SFF.

I've ordered a 4TB Seagate SkyHawk Drive, the ethernet switch I linked above, a moniter, solid cat6 cable, ends, and a crimping tool... I'll order BlueIris as soon as the computer is in, and i've reached out to Andy to get two of the cameras on order for now.

Am I missing anything?

New plan is to throw together a test rig to simulate the final placement of cameras and see how I like them.

 

[wittaj]

Order a 2nd NIC (ethernet card) so that you can hook all your cameras to 1 NIC and the internet to the 2nd NIC and this will keep your cameras off the internet so they do not phone home or get hacked.

Then you connect to them when away from home by VPN back into your home network. This is not a paid VPN as those are for looking at porno and illegal streaming LOL as they hide your IP address. Instead, you VPN back into YOUR router so that it is just like you are at home.

Or if you are tech enough, you could order a managed switch and VLAN the system, but dual NIC is the easiest.

 

[Rob2020]

Ok; would it be ok to get a few vari-focals? I assume I can always use them set to whatever focal length I want as if they were fixed?

This model seems to come up when I search for a 5442-ZE; is it ok? 5442 Amazon Link

I can always use them set to whatever focal length I want as if they were fixed?

Correct, you set them in the camera GUI (not in BI), and change them if needed in the camera GUI. They are made to set at the optimum focal range after trial and error/calculating, and not intended to zoom in and out as part of normal day-to-day use.

 

[RedTruck90]

Thanks everyone! Second network interface card and cameras ordered. Now I wait for shipping!

 

[RedTruck90]

Well, after two days of battling the dell to get the PCIE SSD boot drive setup, I'm up and running! I followed the tutorial on the dual NIC setup, and mostly mirrored that, and now have my two cameras up and running with substreams and main streams in blue iris. Thanks everyone!!!

Now i've gotta get test rigs together to start playing with location/focal length to get narrowed down on the best camera.

Aside from slight cost, is there any real reason not to use vari-focal for all my cameras?

 

[Rob2020]

Well, after two days of battling the dell to get the PCIE SSD boot drive setup, I'm up and running! I followed the tutorial on the dual NIC setup, and mostly mirrored that, and now have my two cameras up and running with substreams and main streams in blue iris. Thanks everyone!!!

Now i've gotta get test rigs together to start playing with location/focal length to get narrowed down on the best camera.

Aside from slight cost, is there any real reason not to use vari-focal for all my cameras?

Aside from slight cost, is there any real reason not to use vari-focal for all my cameras?

No reason you can't, based upon my limited reading on the subject, the fixed focal cams have a slight performance edge compared to their varifocal brothers. Not sure it would make any difference for the average user.

 

[wittaj]

The nice thing about the varifocal is that you can repurpose it for another area when you upgrade a camera. And you will upgrade and will find another place to add a camera.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Alternately, just use a varifocal to determine what focal length you need, approximately, for each location. I do see a slight difference between a varifocal and a fixed with the fixed being sharper and having better low light performance but as with everything in life YMMV,

Focal Length Calculator

Focal Length Calculator

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

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