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Home camera systems?

Discussion in 'Garage / Workshop' started by Front sight, May 14, 2016.

  1. May 14, 2016 at 2:22 PM
    #1
    Front sight

    Front sight [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure this is the best forum to ask this on, but this will be a home project for me. I'm looking for a camera system with four cameras. Three outdoors and one in the house. I would love to be able to talk to/through the one inside or even all of them lol. I would like to have access to the video at the house- not pay for a cloud service. Any suggestions or systems to stay away from?
    Thanks
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2016
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  2. May 14, 2016 at 2:25 PM
    #2
    95 taco

    95 taco Battle Born

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    :popcorn:
    Looking for something similar to monitor my Home/Shop.
     
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  3. May 19, 2016 at 7:25 PM
    #3
    theredofshaw

    theredofshaw Well-Known Member

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    Bump for op.
     
  4. May 19, 2016 at 10:09 PM
    #4
    shiftycow

    shiftycow Member

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    The best optics/$ value I've found are HIKVision cameras. They are cheap, have decent glass, and are well built IP network cameras. Their DVR (like ever other chinese DVR/NVR) is junk, but it will get a small job done. e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Hikvision-DS-2CD2032-I-Bullet-Security-Network/dp/B00G7GMEOG

    Most of the the "all in one" analog systems I've seen from Sam's or Costco are not worth it. The resolution is just awful and the DVR interfaces are terrible.

    If you can spring for better software/recording hardware, Synology makes good NAS boxes that have video recording.

    https://www.synology.com/en-us/surveillance/7.2/overview

    There are other professional-grade options, but that's a whole other ball game.
     
  5. May 19, 2016 at 10:34 PM
    #5
    ppham444

    ppham444 Well-Known Member

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    Nice post OP. I'm in the market for a system as well. I got my tailgate stolen right out of my driveway a few weeks ago. I'll subscribe to this thread.
     
  6. May 20, 2016 at 1:26 PM
    #6
    Front sight

    Front sight [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thx for a starting point. There is a TON of systems on the market and it makes choosing one difficult. I'm looking for a simple but quality system for about 4 cameras.
     
  7. May 20, 2016 at 1:44 PM
    #7
    theredofshaw

    theredofshaw Well-Known Member

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    Ideally, I'd like to be able to have it store to the cloud or at least be viewable from someone other than home.
     
  8. May 20, 2016 at 2:08 PM
    #8
    Ridgeline001

    Ridgeline001 Well-Known Member

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    I have an 8 camera system by Lorax. Not high dollar at around $500 from Costco, but works just fine for my needs. You hook it up to wifi and can monitor it remotely from your phone. Quick funny story. My buddy has the same system, which is why I choose this one. He caught his 15 yo daughter sneaking his car out at night from having the cameras, and she knew they were there. Damn kids!
     
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  9. May 20, 2016 at 2:40 PM
    #9
    justgrif

    justgrif Black Taco Magic

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    Does a TRD license plate frame count as a mod?
    +1 for Hikvision. I have a three cam setup on my house running on PoE over CAT6 cable. Controlling everything with Blue Iris on my home computer and cell phone. The two cams on the door have onboard microSD cards as backup storage. If you're wanting a proper permanent setup and are a little bit handy, I'd recommend doing the research and building your own system rather than any kind of premade plug & play thing.

    For one of these systems you should get:

    • IP Power over Ethernet (PoE) cameras. Again, the Hikvisions are great bang for buck. Get wired cams for max reliability.
    • Power Over Ethernet hub (with enough powered ports for the number of cams you need)
    • An excellent router. I have the Asus RT-AC66U and it is the most rock solid router I've ever owned. I don't come close to using all its easy/awesome features.
    • Western Digital Purple hard drive. These are made to handle the stress of constant writing from camera feeds. A lesser drive may not hold up. I lost my first security camera drive this way. Purple all the way. My 1 TB drive has been more than adequate size-wise, especially when having the software delete old clips.
    • CAT 6 cable, ethernet plugs, crimper tool, electrical tools for fishing wires.
    • Monitoring software (I use Blue Iris, and it's probably the most popular. Very robust software with plenty of custom options. Look around and you may catch a deal. Spend the extra ten bucks for their phone app so you can keep an eye on things away from home.)
    • Optional: FTP storage so you can stream your footage somewhere safe in case your local storage is stolen.
    Other thoughts and theory: I also picked up some generic CCTV warning stickers on Amazon and put them on doors and windows around my home. The cameras on my doors are unobtrusively placed vandal-proof dome cameras. I put them up under the porch/patio overhangs so they aren't immediately noticeable. I have a third cam in a very noticeable spot watching my front yard as a general deterrent.

    If you are going for cameras, you should also have multiple other layers of security. An alarm is obvious. I'd look at SimpliSafe just for the ability to change it around as you want without having to call a tech. Add as many sirens inside and outside as you need to make sure the alarm gets the attention of everyone on your block. Also, since 80% of burglars come in through a door, I'd invest the $60 per door in the EZ Armor reinforcement system. In under 30 minutes of installation it turns your regular ol' front door into something a SWAT team couldn't get through without a breaching charge. If you have wood framed windows, get pins. If vinyl windows, get these. Also, solar exterior path lights, a dusk to dawn bulb for the porch lights and motion sensor lights that cover your entire perimeter. Plus a locking mailbox.

    Cut back any bushes that obstruct windows or otherwise allow someone to hide in your yard. I live in the city so I need all this stuff, but I'd recommend all of it to anyone, just to be able to say with about 98% certainty that you know nobody's getting in your place. I overbuild my system because it's kind of my hobby now and I'm also looking to help these poor, poor burglars avoid getting shot in the face should they somehow thwart the gauntlet I've set in their path.
     
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