Outdoor Dome Cameras and DVR suggestions

[dw886]

Hi-

I have a couple of locations where I'm looking to install outdoor dome cameras. It's new construction, so to be safe, I ran Cat6, 18/2, and RG6 Quad to each location to give some flexibility. I was planning to put this off until later, but the siding folks pulled the wires down through the soffit when they installed. Now I'm thinking that I may hang something up rather than pushing the wires back up and trying to fish them back down later (hence trying to do this on a small budget, and implement my ultimate plans fully later).

All locations are under the overhang of the roof (so semi-protected). We're located in the upper-midwest where temps can get down to well below zero, but I'm not ultimately concerned about heaters if I go with cheaper camers (I'll replace them later anyway with something IP-based with more options). I'm thinking that I'd like to do analog for now to save on cost, with the option to upgrade at a later date. I want something that works very well in a variety of conditions (two cameras will face west where they'll run into sunset issues late in the day), the front of the house has two street lights, so I may not need IR if I can find a very low LUX camera (say .005Lux or so). I want to do the smoked dome cameras so that they don't stick out as much, and you can't tell where the camera is aimed.

One camera points at the driveway, one is by the front door, and one is for visibility into the back yard. I have 3 camera locations that I'd like to cover right now, and may add another camera to the garage.

I'm setting up RadioRA2 with the Elk M1 interface, so I can use that to automate exterior lighting when needed (turn on the front porch lights when someone rings the doorbell, etc).

I'm looking for suggestions in two areas:

• Analog Outdoor Dome Cameras - I'd like to spend about $100/each (and I'll probably upgrade these down the road)
• 4-channel DVR system (appliace rather than PC) - I'd like something that I can integrate to the M1 alarm panel, to trigger recording on a security event. I'd also like something that has outputs (RCA, etc) that I can feed to the various Samsung TVs around the house. Looking for an appliance for reliability and power savings. Want something that can be accessed via the web.

If anyone has leads on good cameras/DVRs, or great places to find good pricing, please let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Del91574]

For the budget spoken of and replacement, I'd go with a cheapie Chinese unit from a place like Supercircuits or SCD and plan on replacement.

If you're looking at DVR's, I'd recommend a minimum of an 8 input, even if you only have 4 inputs presently. Personally, as a basic DVR, I like the Speco WM units in the can/enclosure, very feature rich and offer a lot to address physical security, as well as how to even locate a real DVR in lots of houses.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

For the budget spoken of and replacement, I'd go with a cheapie Chinese unit from a place like Supercircuits or SCD and plan on replacement.

Don't use SuperCircuits, unless you like spam!

 

[pete_c]

Here I started with analog cameras updating them as the optics et all got better for the money. A few of the cameras were combo Optex outdoor with PIR cameras. These are very well built and very modular. Since the original installation I have upgraded the camera boards. They are doing well.

The "cheapie" IP HD outdoor cameras have dropped considerably in price in the last year or so and I started to test them outdoors. So far I have only tested two (~100 and another for ~127 USD). They are currently configured as POE and they have "weathered" OK. The cheaper $100 Ubiquito Aircam has weathered better than the generic but not IP66 $127 720 HD IP camera. The quality though of the generic IP HD camera picture is a bit better than the Ubiquito Aircam picture quality.

Attached are snapshots from the Optex Analog (10 years installed) and Ubiquito (6 months installed) and generic IP HD camera (6 months installed). The attached pictures are low res and the same resolution from two cameras (640X380)

 

[pete_c]

Attached is the HD low res image from the generic IP camera.

The new generic "cheapie" IP outdoor HD domes are very nice with many features and low cost.

I am currently waiting on a smaller footprint IP66 POE HD outdoor camera with a smaller footprint that will be around $130 USD to test. (on order pending delivery) and a very small footprint PT dome POE HD indoor IP camera for around the same price.

The outdoor camera has LED illumination while the indoor dome does not.

I also found out that the newest generation of IP HD camera boards will fit as a hot swap in the Optex combo cameras. I've been waiting on delivery of one of these new IP camera boards.

These new boards have analog and IP outputs.

That said I will probably keep the analog going via the RG6 cable and utilize the Cat5E cable for the IP part of the camera.

I purchased the "test" generic IP HD camera directly from the vendor in China.

 

[Del91574]

Don't use SuperCircuits, unless you like spam!

Can't say it's unique to them. Any email can be found and bulk spammed with enough brute force. Given the .ru suffix, it's a very common spam and attack location, no matter whose database it's actually from.

There's plenty of ways to be safe and still order from suppliers. I even get spammed from amazon and buy.com, although it's easier to weed through and find where it comes from. This is via private domain emails, which can't be guessed nor do emails get sent to from 3rd parties. Nature of the beast these days.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Can't say it's unique to them. Any email can be found and bulk spammed with enough brute force. Given the .ru suffix, it's a very common spam and attack location, no matter whose database it's actually from.

There's plenty of ways to be safe and still order from suppliers. I even get spammed from amazon and buy.com, although it's easier to weed through and find where it comes from. This is via private domain emails, which can't be guessed nor do emails get sent to from 3rd parties. Nature of the beast these days.

Well, YOU can think this is no big deal, but we at CocoonTech will have nothing to do with companies that sell email addresses to spammers.

 

[Del91574]

BSR, while you find as you will, I have had multiple "supporters" of CT spam a couple of addresses that I own outright, including domains, so I couldn't agree with your blanket statement stating that they are the spammers. How the data is warehoused and secured is the problem, so I think you need to look closely at all the players that contribute to the problem.

 

[buercky]

up ebay ARMOR-DOME-WATERPROF-VANDALPROOF-SUPER-HAD-CCD-700TVL-SECURITY-CAMERA

have had cams for 4 years now BUT these cams are great at day and night and a super price for the price they are ausome. extremely great.

 

[pete_c]

I purchased a few of these at a bit higher cost a few years back (3 ?). These were utilized outdoors.

I installed them such that they had direct weather / sun exposure. They did OK for about 1.5 years or so. The lens though did detach from the front glass and the screws rusted such that I could not open them up and repair them; so they became throw aways. Recently (1 year ago?) purchased a similiar outdoor < than $50 USD smaller footprint analog cameras. In direct weather the case and mounting bracket are rusted and lens detached in less than one year. The lens detachment thing is when the surround rubber cover shrinks or detaches from the front of the glass benzel such that the LED lamp illumination reflects back to the camera making it useless at night.

The above noted the optics are better than years ago and if mounted say under a eave they would last longer outside.

 

[buercky]

all you have to do is clean the glass and the image sensor optics and the lens. I do mine every 6 month.

 

[buercky]

I only by night vision for security purpose

 

[pete_c]

I really "abused" these little cameras.

They were nestled between ground shubbery / trees with direct sunlight and weather exposure. That said I needed to take them apart to fix the lens to glass pieces and the screws rusted.

For whatever reason I kept them and will take pictures of what happened to them and post them here so you can see what direct weather does.

BTW though the camera and lens is functioning just fine. Its was just that the screws rusted that hold the camera together.

 

[pete_c]

Today I modded #2 Ubiquito Aircam with a 2.5mm lens with an IR Cut filter. I also purchased a 3.6mm lens. Both fit just fine with good color rendition.

Moved the Aircam outside. Attached is a VLC HD picture using the 2.5mm lens.

 

[bonez05]

Any thing with a small footprint that is WIRELESS ip coming down the pipe?