Remote Surveillance System

[zimagold]

A little out of my comfort zone. I have previously looked at in town small DVR or IP based cameras.

I am helping a friend find a camera surveillance/security system for a remote 500 acre ranch. The care taker of the property was hospitalized today, so the install will be this week. Need to order parts today (Overnight shipping) or pickup a stop gap at Sams Club / Home Depot / Costco etc. in the Denver Area.

Site:
- Located on the plains, good line of sight, few trees
- Fiber internet connection, service is being started this week with expected 20Mb Down / 5Mb Up. (Can go higher if needed)
- 6 or so out buildings (50/50 whether they have power)
- 2 roads have access

Expectations:
- View cameras remotely to check current status
- Record sufficient evidence in case of theft or vandalism (7 Days storage)
- Prefer remote upload of video and/or DVR options will be considered
- Need roughly 6 cameras for external coverage

Budget for above: $1-2k for initial hardware, will evaluate based on capability.

This will probably be supplemented with 1 or 2 trail cameras for high quality stills of any vehicles entering or existing property.

Any help narrowing options would be appreciated.

Edit: Response time in area can exceed 1 HR, just looking to generate evidence and discover when something has happened, no expectations of deter/stop activity.

[00tec]

Microcenter has a few 8ch kits. I would recommend a 720p or better camera.

Just a quick glance reveals sku 558346. $649. Cameras are wired though

[Wulf202]

Sams club had several sets up to 12 channel. Didn't look too closely though

[zimagold]

Thanks for the feedback

Looking at the POE systems, what is the max cable length? Most seem to ship with ~100ft.

Blue Iris, does it support remote video uploading to cloud services? Any cloud type remote storage sites recommended for this application.

I'm half concerned any DVR/Computer will be stolen in the event of break-in.

[def90]

Nothing in that price range is going to give you an image with enough quality to ever help police determine anything other than someone was there which you will already know.

I went to a house that had a break in to look at the DVR to see who it was and what happened. This was one of these cheap package systems that the homeowner picked up at Costco and against my recommendation insisted that I use. Sure enough, even though they were HD cameras all you could see was a dark figure walking around the house, couldn't tell color of clothing or even color of skin for the most part, completely worthless.

I typically install Axis or Panasonic HD IP cams with Panasonic NVRs. They make PTZ cameras that if pointed down a driveway can be programmed to zoom in if needed as well as they have cameras that will recognize cars and automatically focus on the license plate. They aren't cheap but at least you can actually use the captured footage.

Most NVRs will give you remote viewing via web browser or smart phone app, get cameras with SD cards built in that also act as their own standalone recorders in case the NVR is stolen. If the cameras are going to be outside make sure they are outdoor rated to below zero temps.. nothing like the equipment not working in the winter because it's frozen. Streaming to the cloud will eat up bandwidth and is rarely done except in commercial installations. If you install everything correctly the thieves will never be able to find the NVR to take it.

Oh yeah.. whatever you buy, trying calling their customer service/tech support first. I have been called to a couple homes with these cheap package systems after the cameras or NVR/DVR had failed and none of them had any out of warranty support, they are basically throw away ststems.

[zimagold]

Nothing in that price range is going to give you an image with enough quality to ever help police determine anything other than someone was there which you will already know.

I went to a house that had a break in to look at the DVR to see who it was and what happened. This was one of these cheap package systems that the homeowner picked up at Costco and against my recommendation insisted that I use. Sure enough, even though they were HD cameras all you could see was a dark figure walking around the house, couldn't tell color of clothing or even color of skin for the most part, completely worthless.

I typically install Axis or Panasonic HD IP cams with Panasonic NVRs. They make PTZ cameras that if pointed down a driveway can be programmed to zoom in if needed as well as they have cameras that will recognize cars and automatically focus on the license plate. They aren't cheap but at least you can actually use the captured footage.

Most NVRs will give you remote viewing via web browser or smart phone app, get cameras with SD cards built in that also act as their own standalone recorders in case the NVR is stolen. If the cameras are going to be outside make sure they are outdoor rated to below zero temps.. nothing like the equipment not working in the winter because it's frozen. Streaming to the cloud will eat up bandwidth and is rarely done except in commercial installations. If you install everything correctly the thieves will never be able to find the NVR to take it.

Exactly the type of feedback I am looking for, thank you, due to some past issues with the property. My friend will be staying there for the time being to watch it directly.

As more of a 6 month solution, what cost would an Axis or Panasonic system run for just the hardware? Budget is flexible.

[zimagold]

As I said before, I have little experience with Video Surveillance systems.

Back east, I have used good quality (hidden) trail cameras on access roads to record license plates and times of people entering or exiting the property (generally successful for protecting items that requires a vehicle to steal). This works quite well when your forced to use the road due to trees and terrain. Flat and open is new to me.

My previous research showed you needed not just HD, but a 720P camera or better. More importantly, the camera needs a lens that could actually use the full resolution of the image, provide decent contrast, and sufficient lighting in the area.

Def90, can you point me towards a camera you would consider capable? I got quite a wide range of options when goggling Panasonic HD IP.

Thanks.

[zimagold]

Thanks for all the replies, I think we have a temporary solution picked out.

[Great-Kazoo]

Thanks for all the replies, I think we have a temporary solution picked out.

Throw a good camper out there, i'll take night shift 2 - 3x a week. Been looking for a valid reason to pop for some NV equipment.