Need guidance with outdoor cameras

[csullivan2005]

Hey guys


Need your guidance. Im all done with inside automation well at least for now

Im looking to do some sort of outdoor camera arrangement....just don't know which direction to go in. Seems like choices are traditional ip outdoor camera, ring doorbell pro and among other wifi outdoor cameras like kuna, august, etc...

Also what about nest's new outdoor drop cam that can plug right in to outdoor socket. Seems very appealing since you can just plug it in and now spuds plugin supports it I believe


What advice do you guys have keeping in mind I'm looking for something that will be able to notify me if someone approaches house and be able to speaker to them...would love to figure out how to have cameras appear on tv while watching tv...such as switch into a PIP mode... looking for something that will work as close to possible 100 percent of time with no issues...

Last comment to I would love to have everything work in one app however as we all know HTOUCh is terrible and I don't know if this is really realistic at this point. I currently use home kit on my iPhone when away from house and have used imperihome before.....is it that we just have no choice but to use a separate app for cameras to get full functionality?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

[Steve Q]

The biggest issue for me was powering the camera. Outlets were not available where I needed them. Installing weatherproof outlets was a big job for me. My front door camera is mounted to the porch ceiling. It was very difficult to get power to it. Spend a lot of time planning where to put your cameras and how to get wires to them.

Steve Q


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[Steve Q]

H
Last comment to I would love to have everything work in one app however as we all know HTOUCh is terrible and I don't know if this is really realistic at this point. I currently use home kit on my iPhone when away from house and have used imperihome before.....is it that we just have no choice but to use a separate app for cameras to get full functionality?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

I prefer to use a dedicated camera app on my iPhone. Using HSTouch or other HS3 apps, requires 5 or more button presses to get to your camera. A camera app will require only a few button presses. Also, the camera apps are very fast and reliable.

Steve Q

[csullivan2005]

Steve what kind of camera do you use?

[Steve Q]

Steve what kind of camera do you use?

I am using several Schlage/NorthQ IP cameras and a XX40A x10 PTZ wireless IP camera. I'm using NetCam Studio software.


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[csullivan2005]

Thanks Steve


I currently own one indoor foscam camera for nursery.....I really don't feel like spending a ton of money to have someone wire outdoor cameras but at same time would be willing to do it if it was a drastic difference than these:

Ring Doorbell (I would get version they have that is wired to old door bell wiring or their new one that is a motion light spotlight. Both would be wired and not need batteries. Or my other option is the nest drop cam that comes with an outdoor plug.....

Do you feel these would get the job done or is ip camera best way to go?

[IanIreland]

The biggest issue for me was powering the camera. Outlets were not available where I needed them. Installing weatherproof outlets was a big job for me. My front door camera is mounted to the porch ceiling. It was very difficult to get power to it. Spend a lot of time planning where to put your cameras and how to get wires to them.

Steve Q


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POE?

[Rvtravlr]

Spend a lot of time planning where to put your cameras and how to get wires to them.

Well said, Steve. I spent a lot of time determining the best way to fish cat6 Ethernet wire

This first picture shows wires spreading out from the box on the ceiling. The 4 wires actually come from the room's closet above the garage, then from the attic and then from the distribution point in one of our walk-in closets. The central distribution panel inside the wall has 110v so I used a POE Gigabit switch to power the cameras. BTW, the hole in the garage ceiling and the attic ceiling was sealed with fire caulk for obvious reasons.

[Rvtravlr]

The hardest run was to the camera at the front door.

[Rvtravlr]

We went with hard wired POE IP PTZ Dahua cameras for reliability and ease of powering them.

We thought about the cameras that screw into an Edison base light socket but didn't want to lose the ability to control the light from that fixture. The power would have to be on at 100% all the time for the camera to function.

Also, didn't want wireless for reliability and hack ability.

Went with the Blue Iris plugin for HS3 and Blue Iris server and iOS clients. Now, if "motion" detected by any of the cameras, BI sends an alert to each iOS client, HS is aware of the trigger so I can have various events fire as desired, including taking a series of still pictures and announcing that motion was detected at the front door.

Michael

[Steve Q]

POE?

I use POE for one of my cameras. 2 are wireless and 2 are close to outlets.

Steve Q


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[csullivan2005]

Thanks guys...this is going to be one of those things where Im going to need a burst of energy to do lol......It is very easy to be tempted by the cameras that drew into light socket or ring doorbell but at end of day the ip camera and poe is the best way to go....just going to be a lot of work.

[Rvtravlr]

Thanks guys...just going to be a lot of work.

Yes, but worth it in the end. My wife and I both understand the need for security based on our previous working lives but I am the one who likes to have everything monitored and controlled. That being said, she cannot live without the cameras because when something triggers, she can look at the laptop near our recliners and decide what action to take whether it be a granddaughter in the loft getting a little rambunctious or someone trying to convince us of their candidate's view at the front door.

Michael

[csullivan2005]

Do you guys have all your Ethernet POE to one central location? Also do you use a recording storage device or cloud for storage?

I'm wondering if it would make sense to use powerline plug adapters where I can run Ethernet wire to the vicinity of the closest AC outlet. So If I had 3 outdoor cameras one would be powered by a garage indoor outlet, my front door powered by upstairs bedroom outlet, back door powered by basement outlet. This of course would be much easier than running all three to one location but is this a smart way of doing things?

Thanks in advance

[Pete]

All of my outdoor CCTV is POE going to one central location patch panel.

Recording / storage is done at home.

I do not utilize wireless cameras.

I depend more on analog outdoor motion monitors that video algorithms for detecting motion.

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