Hey all, just thought I'd pop in and make a proper intro thread. I'm new to cameras and stuff like that, I originally got interested through my neighborhood association, which was formed because a lot of residents were experiencing activity (mainly due to unlocked cars and no exterior lights on) and they wanted some help keeping an eye on things.
I decided to try my hand at my own system after seeing one of my board members had a setup and so I just kinda copied whatever he built. I bought 2 cheap cameras (2MP, 2.8-12mm lens) off Amazon, experienced some issues w/ them cuz they were cheap, got them replaced, then hooked them up. I'm currently running 3 of the cameras through a Netgear POE switch, then I was originally reviewing all of the footage on an Amcrest 1104 NVR with a 1TB WD drive, and my phone/pc occasionally.
The system worked great for what I didn't really have into it initially. The MD/record settings were the hardest to figure out w/ Amcrest's software, but I was able to get what I needed done. Was able to catch some people coming up my driveway, at least until they saw they were on camera, ha.
I've since upgraded my pc software to Blue Iris, thanks to @Mike talking me into and helping me set it up. I've had it since Friday night, and I've already gotten better adjustability out of my MD settings, I've eliminated a ton of the false triggers I couldn't figure out w/ the Amcrest software. My next thing to tackle once I watch the videos is to figure out how to eliminate the headlight triggers at night that occasionally come into my trigger zones. So far so great though, I absolutely love it. There's so much to play with, it'll definitely keep me busy for a while.
My plans include upgrading the camera that's watching over my driveway entrance for a higher MP unit that captures faces more clearly. I'll probably look into one of the 4 or 5MP Dahua or Hikvision units I've seen discussed/recommended on here. I also have a 4th camera that I just don't have installed yet, mainly because I ran out of cat5e. I gotta buy a roll and add that to the front of the house so I can cover the front lawn area where I've seen people walking before. I also need to move the drive from the NVR to my pc, or just buy a new drive and leave that for backup. Since I'm only recording MD events, it doesn't fill up that quickly.
Anways, I'm super busy w/ work transitioning us to working remotely full-time (our office is closing soon), my neighborhood association, my daughter's dance schedule, and whatever time I have left for myself that's not spent gaming, camping, or shooting. Hope to read some good stuff here and hope I can contribute.
I decided to try my hand at my own system after seeing one of my board members had a setup and so I just kinda copied whatever he built. I bought 2 cheap cameras (2MP, 2.8-12mm lens) off Amazon, experienced some issues w/ them cuz they were cheap, got them replaced, then hooked them up. I'm currently running 3 of the cameras through a Netgear POE switch, then I was originally reviewing all of the footage on an Amcrest 1104 NVR with a 1TB WD drive, and my phone/pc occasionally.
The system worked great for what I didn't really have into it initially. The MD/record settings were the hardest to figure out w/ Amcrest's software, but I was able to get what I needed done. Was able to catch some people coming up my driveway, at least until they saw they were on camera, ha.
I've since upgraded my pc software to Blue Iris, thanks to @Mike talking me into and helping me set it up. I've had it since Friday night, and I've already gotten better adjustability out of my MD settings, I've eliminated a ton of the false triggers I couldn't figure out w/ the Amcrest software. My next thing to tackle once I watch the videos is to figure out how to eliminate the headlight triggers at night that occasionally come into my trigger zones. So far so great though, I absolutely love it. There's so much to play with, it'll definitely keep me busy for a while.
My plans include upgrading the camera that's watching over my driveway entrance for a higher MP unit that captures faces more clearly. I'll probably look into one of the 4 or 5MP Dahua or Hikvision units I've seen discussed/recommended on here. I also have a 4th camera that I just don't have installed yet, mainly because I ran out of cat5e. I gotta buy a roll and add that to the front of the house so I can cover the front lawn area where I've seen people walking before. I also need to move the drive from the NVR to my pc, or just buy a new drive and leave that for backup. Since I'm only recording MD events, it doesn't fill up that quickly.
Anways, I'm super busy w/ work transitioning us to working remotely full-time (our office is closing soon), my neighborhood association, my daughter's dance schedule, and whatever time I have left for myself that's not spent gaming, camping, or shooting. Hope to read some good stuff here and hope I can contribute.
