Soo much to read

[micah]

New to everything. Reading tons of articles and threads, but it's a bit exhausting to constantly be drinking from a firehose. I pieced together an Unraid server this week. The set up seems to be going well, I like it. I still need to configure a windows VM and set up Blue Iris for the first time this weekend. I want to go ahead and put in an order for some cameras, but have been hesitating to make sure I make an informed purchase since this project is getting rather pricey. It seems like I can't go wrong with the oft recommended 5442 for a couple of my locations.

My front door is tricky though, and I could use some input. I have an intercom doorbell with under gauged wires that won't power a video doorbell easily. I found a thread about tapping into the master intercom panel to combine wires and increase the power to be enough, but it might be easier to just drop a PoE cable down from the soffit. I see 2 doorbell video cameras in the ipcamtalk store, but I've read mixed reviews on them. Can anyone recommend them? What about an above door mounted camera with 2 way audio and then just a simple smart button doorbell to trigger alerts or is that too complicated?

 

[area651]

New to everything. Reading tons of articles and threads, but it's a bit exhausting to constantly be drinking from a firehose. I pieced together an Unraid server this week. The set up seems to be going well, I like it. I still need to configure a windows VM and set up Blue Iris for the first time this weekend. I want to go ahead and put in an order for some cameras, but have been hesitating to make sure I make an informed purchase since this project is getting rather pricey. It seems like I can't go wrong with the oft recommended 5442 for a couple of my locations.

My front door is tricky though, and I could use some input. I have an intercom doorbell with under gauged wires that won't power a video doorbell easily. I found a thread about tapping into the master intercom panel to combine wires and increase the power to be enough, but it might be easier to just drop a PoE cable down from the soffit. I see 2 doorbell video cameras in the ipcamtalk store, but I've read mixed reviews on them. Can anyone recommend them? What about an above door mounted camera with 2 way audio and then just a simple smart button doorbell to trigger alerts or is that too complicated?

I agree with the reading overload. Something that might help would be to watch some of the youtube vids. They don't go as in depth as the wiki and documentation but it helps give you a base to start with. I have these channels bookmarked as ones that have some good vids. Fwiw, one of the channels has older vids as BI5 didn't really change that much. Ok, so while there are changes, I don't suppose enough was made to warrant a new vid. Basically, what you see done in the older ones still hold true for the most part and are pretty close to the current version.

Cajoling Tech:

here's the one vid series that was in the older version but I still find useful:


I'll add (this is just imho) that to beware of vids who profess amazing love and praise for any particular brand. When I have investigated more, I often found that a company sent cameras for free to be evaluated and the reviewer didn't have to return anything if they posted an amazingly positive review.

 

[micah]

Thanks, I'll check them out.

 

[aristobrat]

It seems like I can't go wrong with the oft recommended 5442 for a couple of my locations.

I think most folks here would agree that the 5442 model is a safe one to start with. IMO the 4MP 1/1.8" image sensor it uses is pretty much the best bang for the buck in terms of low-light image quality.

If you can order your cameras in phases, I think that'd scratch the itch to get going while you're still learning, without fear of making a mistake that results in you being stuck with sub-par models for whatever your goal is.

If you can spring a few extra $$ on the first camera, consider getting a varifocal model like the new 5442 varifocal turret (review here). You've probably read this already, but just in case, varifocals have a lens that let you digitally set the focal point (i.e. zoom) between 2.7mm-13.5mm... so you can have it panned out all the way (2.7mm) to get a wide shot (tradeoff: detail in the image quickly decreases as you step back from the camera), zoomed in really tight (13.5mm) to get a detailed shot at a distance further away from the camera (tradeoff: more detail from a distance results in a more narrow image), ... and you can set it to just above any value between. If you don't get a varifocal model, you'll have to pick the focal length at the time of purchase (2.8mm, 3.6mm, 6mm) and what you get is what you get... if the image is too wide or too narrow there's no changing it. You can always use the cool IPVM Camera Calculator V3 tool to do a virtual test drive of a camera on your property (using a Google Maps image) and see what an estimated image would look like between various focal lengths, but being able to putz around with a varifocal in real-time seems to help make things "click" for some folks.

For doorbells, I haven't seen one that I'd say folks rave about. The one on the IPCamTalk store with the three faceplates I think is the model in the mega-thread below, which seems to be the most used here. The same hardware is sold by different companies so it's referred to by different model numbers. FWIW, this is a WiFi doorbell powered by a doorbell transformer. I haven't seen a PoE doorbell that's under $200.

New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

@DoorBellDummy Do you electric conduit and a breaker fuse panel? Basement? I check the fuse breaker panel but nothing. Or anywhere around that breaker panel. I can check again maybe up the ceiling tiles in that area.

ipcamtalk.com

 

[samplenhold]

this project is getting rather pricey

You could have just gone for a used business PC from eBay, like it recommends in the Cliff Notes, and used the money saved for cameras. It is the cameras, not the PC that is going to give you the best bang for your buck. It is the cams that define how good a shot you get. The PC is just a storage and accounting device.

As others have stated, to start out, buy ONE varifocal cam. Use a test rig as described in the Cliff Notes to decide what cams to place where. Then make a plan, on paper, that describes what views you intend to get at what positions and why those views. Then decide on what cams are best suited for each position. Build your system in phases, testing each cam out in it's planned position with a test rig BEFORE running cable and mounting the cam. If you attack the problem this way, you will find that your plan will probably change as you gain experience and insight.

 

[micah]

You could have just gone for a used business PC from eBay

I actually started with Unraid in mind for many additional purposes other than just a Blue Iris server - which precludes a cheapo build. I will start with just one camera though. I like that advice, and it makes sense that I'll have a firmer understanding of what I need after I get it.

 

[samplenhold]

I will start with just one camera though

Good idea. When I started down this path two years ago, I had bought a few really cheapo cams and set them up due to an incident. Then I found this forum. Put BI on my office desktop for testing with those cheap cams. Others here (think @looney2ns , @bigredfish , @SouthernYankee , and a few others) really made the case for using a test rig and a plan. So I made a plan before I bought any more cams. I think it was for four cams tops. I bought one Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE cam, which was the top dog in the prosumer lines back in 2018. I used this to test with. Over time, I acquired a dedicated PC for BI. I bought more cams, a few at a time and this became a hobby (some might say an obsession).

Fast forward to today. I have 18 cams installed with five more tested in position and waiting to be installed when I get the time to run the wiring. Once those are done, there are a few more positions that need to be addressed. Needles to say, my plan has evolved over time.

Good luck and keep asking questions. And keep reading.

 

[area651]

I think most folks here would agree that the 5442 model is a safe one to start with. IMO the 4MP 1/1.8" image sensor it uses is pretty much the best bang for the buck in terms of low-light image quality.

If you can order your cameras in phases, I think that'd scratch the itch to get going while you're still learning, without fear of making a mistake that results in you being stuck with sub-par models for whatever your goal is.

If you can spring a few extra $$ on the first camera, consider getting a varifocal model like the new 5442 varifocal turret (review here). You've probably read this already, but just in case, varifocals have a lens that let you digitally set the focal point (i.e. zoom) between 2.7mm-13.5mm... so you can have it panned out all the way (2.7mm) to get a wide shot (tradeoff: detail in the image quickly decreases as you step back from the camera), zoomed in really tight (13.5mm) to get a detailed shot at a distance further away from the camera (tradeoff: more detail from a distance results in a more narrow image), ... and you can set it to just above any value between. If you don't get a varifocal model, you'll have to pick the focal length at the time of purchase (2.8mm, 3.6mm, 6mm) and what you get is what you get... if the image is too wide or too narrow there's no changing it. You can always use the cool IPVM Camera Calculator V3 tool to do a virtual test drive of a camera on your property (using a Google Maps image) and see what an estimated image would look like between various focal lengths, but being able to putz around with a varifocal in real-time seems to help make things "click" for some folks.

For doorbells, I haven't seen one that I'd say folks rave about. The one on the IPCamTalk store with the three faceplates I think is the model in the mega-thread below, which seems to be the most used here. The same hardware is sold by different companies so it's referred to by different model numbers. FWIW, this is a WiFi doorbell powered by a doorbell transformer. I haven't seen a PoE doorbell that's under $200.

New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

@DoorBellDummy Do you electric conduit and a breaker fuse panel? Basement? I check the fuse breaker panel but nothing. Or anywhere around that breaker panel. I can check again maybe up the ceiling tiles in that area.

ipcamtalk.com

I wish I would have seen this type of response before I ordered my first cameras. I would have saved a ton and had the right cameras in the right spots (I still don't) from the start.

 

[micah]

Fast forward to today. I have 18 cams installed with five more tested in position

Geez, you could film Big Brother over at your place!

I'm going to boldly stick my foot in my future self's mouth, "I only need 2 cameras". Let's all check back in on this comment in a few years and see if that sticks.

 

[looney2ns]

New to everything. Reading tons of articles and threads, but it's a bit exhausting to constantly be drinking from a firehose. I pieced together an Unraid server this week. The set up seems to be going well, I like it. I still need to configure a windows VM and set up Blue Iris for the first time this weekend. I want to go ahead and put in an order for some cameras, but have been hesitating to make sure I make an informed purchase since this project is getting rather pricey. It seems like I can't go wrong with the oft recommended 5442 for a couple of my locations.

My front door is tricky though, and I could use some input. I have an intercom doorbell with under gauged wires that won't power a video doorbell easily. I found a thread about tapping into the master intercom panel to combine wires and increase the power to be enough, but it might be easier to just drop a PoE cable down from the soffit. I see 2 doorbell video cameras in the ipcamtalk store, but I've read mixed reviews on them. Can anyone recommend them? What about an above door mounted camera with 2 way audio and then just a simple smart button doorbell to trigger alerts or is that too complicated?

Stay tuned, I'll have a POE powered door bell cam system review in a day or so.
Beats the snot out of the Wifi toy door cams.

 

[looney2ns]

Good idea. When I started down this path two years ago, I had bought a few really cheapo cams and set them up due to an incident. Then I found this forum. Put BI on my office desktop for testing with those cheap cams. Others here (think @looney2ns , @bigredfish , @SouthernYankee , and a few others) really made the case for using a test rig and a plan. So I made a plan before I bought any more cams. I think it was for four cams tops. I bought one Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE cam, which was the top dog in the prosumer lines back in 2018. I used this to test with. Over time, I acquired a dedicated PC for BI. I bought more cams, a few at a time and this became a hobby (some might say an obsession).

Fast forward to today. I have 18 cams installed with five more tested in position and waiting to be installed when I get the time to run the wiring. Once those are done, there are a few more positions that need to be addressed. Needles to say, my plan has evolved over time.

Good luck and keep asking questions. And keep reading.

Ipcamtalk cams-aholic meetings each tues day at 7 at @samplenhold s place.