One fixed camera surveillance system?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › One fixed camera surveillance system?

geekIT

814 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 326

Topic # 230276 16-Feb-2018 13:33

I want to mount a single camera in or on the front of my house to record passing vehicles, daytime only.

I can probably power it from the mains, and connect it to my home LAN by cable.

I don't want to spend a lot on this, unless it's unavoidable.

Hardware suggestions would be appreciated.

1 | 2

410 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 192

Reply # 1959162 16-Feb-2018 14:26

I have a Xiaomi xiaofang.

I'm aware this info is going through China, but for the price and function I don't care.

front yard

SumnerBoy

1664 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 188

Subscriber

Reply # 1959168 16-Feb-2018 14:36

Hey, I have a Dahua HFW2100P sitting here unused if you are interested? Free to a good home, just pay for postage - call it $10?

Dairyxox

1432 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 375

Reply # 1959198 16-Feb-2018 15:14

Some good info here:

https://neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz/resources/guidelines-for-operating-crime-prevention-cameras-in-residential-areas/

Edit: What tehgerbil is doing is possibly illegal.

Lias

3501 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1967

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959203 16-Feb-2018 15:24

SumnerBoy:

Hey, I have a Dahua HFW2100P sitting here unused if you are interested? Free to a good home, just pay for postage - call it $10?

If he doesn't I will! :-)

Information wants to be free. The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.

SumnerBoy

1664 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 188

Subscriber

Reply # 1959204 16-Feb-2018 15:26

Lias:

If he doesn't I will! :-)

Deal, will give the OP 24 hours to claim it, otherwise it is yours :).

stashren

17 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Reply # 1959224 16-Feb-2018 16:12

I use a Dahua DH-IPC-HDBW4431R-ZS from Aliexpress it has a 2.8 mm ~ 12 mm Electric Zoom Lens and can record to an inbuilt SD card slot. You just need to login to its IP address to see the recorded video.

tehgerbil

410 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 192

Reply # 1959327 16-Feb-2018 20:29

One person supports this post

Dairyxox:

Some good info here:

https://neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz/resources/guidelines-for-operating-crime-prevention-cameras-in-residential-areas/

Edit: What tehgerbil is doing is possibly illegal.

Eh!?!?!?!?

Nah seriously, I am not taking videos of anyone's bedroom, I am recording my front yard.

rscole86

4305 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959372 16-Feb-2018 22:41

How do you want to spend? Are you wanting to read number plates?

If you want decent quality images I would suggest a Dahua starlight IPC-HDW5231R-Z. Ipcamtalk have a good thread on it. You can get an unbranded, genuine English product from Aliexpress, for a lot less than local prices. It is powered by POE, so just need to run a single Ethernet cable that's it.

michaelmurfy

Mr Snotty
8075 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4051

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959384 16-Feb-2018 23:02

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Ring Security Camera solutions. Yes, they're kinda expensive but you're really paying for something that is low powered, easy to install and has complete (and secure) cloud recording. If you combine this with the Ring Video Doorbell you've got a pretty decent solution.

The thing I like about the Ring products is it is essentially set and forget. You install the camera, connect it to your account and set your motion zones. Every time something comes into those motion zones then it records, can send a push notification out to your phone etc or you can view it live. They've got excellent low light recording and the stick up cams can be powered by a solar panel. The Spot Light is also incredibly awesome if you want to go that step further.

Highly recommend and no need to run power to it. Please don't get a cheap security camera and attach it to the internet unless if you want to get pwned (and your security camera to start mining bitcoin or DDOS people).

You can pick up the Ring video solutions from Noel Leeming and often they come on sale.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
A quick guide to picking the right ISP | The Router Guide | Community UniFi Cloud Controller | Ubiquiti Edgerouter Tutorial

geekIT

814 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 326

Reply # 1959851 18-Feb-2018 12:32

Great information from everyone - many thanks.

BTW, I don't need number plate identification - just the ability to identify a small number of passing vehicles - unobtrusively, if possible.

neb

732 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 128

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959943 18-Feb-2018 15:18

On a semi-related note, has anyone had any experience buying Hikvision dome cameras off eBay? Many sellers are advertising english-language and firmware-upgradeable (the clones typically aren't, so that's another way of saying "probably not a knock-off"), but if someone can recommend a seller who's known to sell the real thing I'll go for them rather than take my chances with grey-market who-knows-what.

rscole86

4305 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959945 18-Feb-2018 15:21

I do not have any experience, but I followed the advice on ipcamtalk for my dahua from aliexpress and do not regret it. Have a look around their forums to see who they might recommend.

neb

732 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 128

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959951 18-Feb-2018 15:37

rscole86:
I do not have any experience, but I followed the advice on ipcamtalk for my dahua from aliexpress and do not regret it. Have a look around their forums to see who they might recommend.

Thanks, just checking now.

One thing I'd really like to get from Hikvision (which is what drew me to them in the first place) is their PIR motion-sensing cameras rather than everyone else's (invariably hopeless) video motion-sensing ones. However the PIRs are indoors only and I want them for outdoors use, I've been toying with kludging together a weather-resistant enclosure where only the PIR is exposed but I really wish they'd do a PIR outdoors camera, sigh.

rscole86

4305 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959954 18-Feb-2018 16:06

You might even find LTS is cheaper than Hikvision, tho may not be as readily available? I purchased a Hikvision DS-2CD2442FWD-IW from the "HiSecu Store" and it seems to work ok, tho I have not had time to actually play with it yet.

neb

732 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 128

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1959961 18-Feb-2018 16:11

rscole86:
You might even find LTS is cheaper than Hikvision, tho may not be as readily available?

LTS is a US Hikvision OEM, so they're both more expensive and harder to get, unfortunately.

1 | 2