I’m looking to record security footage of my barn. There can be foot traffic to it and I would like to be able to identify faces and license plates.
I currently have 2 cameras, both are a Wyze cam 3. One of the cameras is inside while the other is outside.
The problem I face is the barn does not get good Wi-Fi (using a TPLink EAP 110 Outdoor Directional AP), so the bitrate of the cameras is poor and this the quality of the video suffers. I am unable to easily view faces or make out license plates. I believe the Mbps on average is around 3, with varying packet loss based on weather conditions. I may consider upgrading to a better model.
I’m looking for cameras that will be able to locally record content (with smart features like person or vehicle awareness) so that when the Wi-Fi quality suffers the quality of the recording does not. The outdoor camera should be able to see a license plate about 30 feet away (max) and the indoor camera needs to make out faces well. I would be okay with a wired or wireless solution.
Start out by reading the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page on a real computer, not a tablet or phone. That will get you "grounded" in how to set up a video surveillance system that actually works. Wyse, and all the other plug-n-play cameras, are not really capable of doing what your goals are.
Do not chase megapixels, chase sensor size. There is a direct relationship between resolution and the size of a sensor to produce good video in low or no light situations. Remember these sensors are shown in fractional sizes so they are inversely proportional, IE a 1/3" sensor is smaller than a 1/2.7" sensor. They are also a fraction of the size of the sensors used in cell phones and especially in DSLR cameras.
The next thing is lens size, focal length. Wyse, and all of those cameras, always offer wide, sweeping, views that look impressive. The problem is that all detail is lost to get that wide view. A camera with a 2.8mm lens will not produce a useable identification shot unless the subject is within 15 feet or less of the camera, and that 15 feet is being generous. It's more like 11 feet or so.
The next problem is mounting height of the camera. A camera needs to be o higher than about 7 and a half feet to produce good facial identification. Mounting them higher results in nice shots of the top of heads. That can be mitigated if the camera is higher than 7-1/2 feet and further away bt that requires a longer focal length.
The smartest thing to do is to buy a good varifocal camera, set it up in a test rig, use the built in GUI of the camera and test each proposed location. That allows you to find the right focal length, there's a converter in the Wiki, and also lets you become familiar with all the adjustments required to maximize the performance of the camera. Wyse, and all of those, keep things on automatic which is not optimal and rarely, if ever, actually produces the quality level that a camera is capable of.
In terms of connecting back to a remote location you can use a dedicated, encrypted, RF link like the Ubiquity Nano Station Loco M5. It is a dedicated point-to-point link and will span several kilometers if needed and will easily handle a half dozen, or more cameras simultaneously.
The three basic rules of video surveillance cameras-
Rule #1 - Cameras multiply like rabbits.
Rule #2 - Cameras are more addictive than drugs.
Rule #3 - You never have enough cameras.
Quick guide -
The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.
Disclaimer - These sizes are what the manufacturers advertise and may, or may not, be the true size of the sensor in the camera.
720P - 1/3" = .333"
2MP - 1/2.8" = .357" (think a .38 caliber bullet)
4MP - 1/1.8" = .555" (bigger than a .50 caliber bullet or ball)
8MP - 1/1.2" = .833" (bigger than a 20mm chain gun round)
Focal length, lens size, is another critical element in camera selection. A 2.8mm lens will produce a nice wide view but will be useless for identification at distances greater than abut 10 or 15 feet.
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
ipcamtalk.com
Don't believe all the marketing hype no matter who makes the camera. Don't believe those nice night time captures they all use. Look for videos, with motion, to determine low light performance. Any camera can be made to "see" color at night if the exposure time is long enough, as in half a second or longer. Rule of thumb, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 or higher to get night video without blurring.
Read the reviews here, most include both still shots and video.
Avoid Reolink, Foscam, SV3C, Nest, and all the other consumer grade cameras. They all struggle mightily at night and never get anything useful on video. Here's a link to a whole thread debunking Reolink in particular.
Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...
I will review and high light some of the image capture issues Reolink has in low light conditions from the following youtube video: ( commentary below ) Reolink RLC-823A Review - 4K IP Camera that has Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Spotlights and Motion Tracking LifeHackster Feb 5, 2022 ref: update: One...
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
ipcamtalk.com
Avoid WiFi cameras, even doorbell cameras. WiFi is not designed for the constant, 24/7, load of video that a surveillance camera produces. At best, with two cameras on WiFi, they will still experience dropouts multiple times daily. Murphy's Law says that will happen at the worst possible moment.
Lens size, focal length, is another critical factor. Many people like the wide, sweeping, views of a 2.8mm lens but be aware that identification is problematic with a lens that wide. Keep in mind that it may take two cameras, or more, to provide the coverage you need or desire. Another factor that effects view angles is the sensor size. Typically larger sensors will have a larger field of view in any given lens size.
The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.
At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...
ipcamtalk.com
The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.
Intro I’m excited to be doing another Worlds First Review. this time as I mentioned in the full color thread, I’ve been testing the new Dahua full color 4K camera. This was provided courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY for a fair, honest, no holds barred, unbiased review. I’ll attempt to answer any and...
Ok, who's ready for not only a review BUT another World's First Review ? You heard it here first, new camera in hands and almost ready to review. Thanks as always goes to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) for providing this camera in exchange for a fair, honest, non biased, no holds barred review. I’ve...
Hey guys The full color 2.0 has been released. Most cams I already posted here. Like: IPC-Color4K-X Bullet 4MP Motorized Full color. Today I bring a secret model, 1st release for the Dual-Lens Full color model in the world. Dual-lens Camera( Sample at Early Sep ) Ø Dual light fusion...
Intro I’m pleased to announce we have another worlds first review to kick off, this time on the new Dahua DH-IPC-PFW5849-A180-E2. What’s this camera all about ? Well in a nutshell, take 2 x 5442T’s, squeeze them together, apply splicing algorithms and end up with a stitched 8MP (4096 x 1800...
Hope all of you are doing well ! Intro Its time to do another review and this time (as you may have seen in my Coming Soon video), we have 2 of them. Both of these cams are from the same MFW-7x42K1 family and feature dual sensors. I have the 7442 (4MP) and 7842 (8MP) versions of these cams...
IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal from @EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret Varifocal Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $200.00...
ipcamtalk.com
Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+
All, thanks to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY ) we have a new 4MP AI camera for testing. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This camera is using the OEM model number of IPC-B5442-ZE which is the equivalent of the Dahua IPC-HFW5442-ZE for reference. The IPC-B...
Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $160 Link to camera...
ipcamtalk.com
Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Turret, Full Color, Starlight+)
Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Andy's Email: kingsecurity2014...
ipcamtalk.com
Review: IPC-HDBW5442R-ASE-NI - Dahua Technology Pro AI Bullet Network Camera
Many thanks once again to Andy @EMPIRETECANDY we have for testing the OEM IPC-B5442T-ASE-NI 4MP Starlight+ Full Color bullet. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a fixed 3.6mm bullet (Pro AI) series with the 1/1.8” sensor. It has no built in...
ipcamtalk.com
2231 Review
Review-OEM IPC-T2231RP-ZS 2mp Varifocal Turret Starlight Camera
Again courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY EmpireTech Andy we have a new cam to look over. Its a new model in Dahua's new Lite H265 Series of cam's. Available for purchase here: Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles and more Price is approx...
IPC-T3241-ZAS from EMPIRETECANDY 2MP WDR Turret Varifocal AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Purchase in the IPCT Store Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price...
Hey guys A new PTZ is out now, it's using the new dual light and Polar light new technology, attached PDF file is the details for checking. This model we will bring one for review and for fun.
The new Dahua 180 degree bullet camera (IPC-Color4K-180) should be available soon from Andy along with its data sheet. Looks like a most interesting camera for many applications.
Well here we go. I dont see anywhere more approriate to discuss this. Ive been messing around with putting together a cctv system for close to 3 years now. Ive bought everything i needed and also bought 2 cheap cams from a third party seller on walmart. Those cams cost me a grand total of $50...
Start out by reading the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page on a real computer, not a tablet or phone. That will get you "grounded" in how to set up a video surveillance system that actually works. Wyse, and all the other plug-n-play cameras, are not really capable of doing what your goals are.
Do not chase megapixels, chase sensor size. There is a direct relationship between resolution and the size of a sensor to produce good video in low or no light situations. Remember these sensors are shown in fractional sizes so they are inversely proportional, IE a 1/3" sensor is smaller than a 1/2.7" sensor. They are also a fraction of the size of the sensors used in cell phones and especially in DSLR cameras.
The next thing is lens size, focal length. Wyse, and all of those cameras, always offer wide, sweeping, views that look impressive. The problem is that all detail is lost to get that wide view. A camera with a 2.8mm lens will not produce a useable identification shot unless the subject is within 15 feet or less of the camera, and that 15 feet is being generous. It's more like 11 feet or so.
The next problem is mounting height of the camera. A camera needs to be o higher than about 7 and a half feet to produce good facial identification. Mounting them higher results in nice shots of the top of heads. That can be mitigated if the camera is higher than 7-1/2 feet and further away bt that requires a longer focal length.
The smartest thing to do is to buy a good varifocal camera, set it up in a test rig, use the built in GUI of the camera and test each proposed location. That allows you to find the right focal length, there's a converter in the Wiki, and also lets you become familiar with all the adjustments required to maximize the performance of the camera. Wyse, and all of those, keep things on automatic which is not optimal and rarely, if ever, actually produces the quality level that a camera is capable of.
In terms of connecting back to a remote location you can use a dedicated, encrypted, RF link like the Ubiquity Nano Station Loco M5. It is a dedicated point-to-point link and will span several kilometers if needed and will easily handle a half dozen, or more cameras simultaneously.
The three basic rules of video surveillance cameras-
Rule #1 - Cameras multiply like rabbits.
Rule #2 - Cameras are more addictive than drugs.
Rule #3 - You never have enough cameras.
Quick guide -
The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.
Disclaimer - These sizes are what the manufacturers advertise and may, or may not, be the true size of the sensor in the camera.
720P - 1/3" = .333"
2MP - 1/2.8" = .357" (think a .38 caliber bullet)
4MP - 1/1.8" = .555" (bigger than a .50 caliber bullet or ball)
8MP - 1/1.2" = .833" (bigger than a 20mm chain gun round)
Focal length, lens size, is another critical element in camera selection. A 2.8mm lens will produce a nice wide view but will be useless for identification at distances greater than abut 10 or 15 feet.
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
ipcamtalk.com
Don't believe all the marketing hype no matter who makes the camera. Don't believe those nice night time captures they all use. Look for videos, with motion, to determine low light performance. Any camera can be made to "see" color at night if the exposure time is long enough, as in half a second or longer. Rule of thumb, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 or higher to get night video without blurring.
Read the reviews here, most include both still shots and video.
Avoid Reolink, Foscam, SV3C, Nest, and all the other consumer grade cameras. They all struggle mightily at night and never get anything useful on video. Here's a link to a whole thread debunking Reolink in particular.
Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...
I will review and high light some of the image capture issues Reolink has in low light conditions from the following youtube video: ( commentary below ) Reolink RLC-823A Review - 4K IP Camera that has Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Spotlights and Motion Tracking LifeHackster Feb 5, 2022 ref: update: One...
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
ipcamtalk.com
Avoid WiFi cameras, even doorbell cameras. WiFi is not designed for the constant, 24/7, load of video that a surveillance camera produces. At best, with two cameras on WiFi, they will still experience dropouts multiple times daily. Murphy's Law says that will happen at the worst possible moment.
Lens size, focal length, is another critical factor. Many people like the wide, sweeping, views of a 2.8mm lens but be aware that identification is problematic with a lens that wide. Keep in mind that it may take two cameras, or more, to provide the coverage you need or desire. Another factor that effects view angles is the sensor size. Typically larger sensors will have a larger field of view in any given lens size.
The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.
At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...
ipcamtalk.com
The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.
Intro I’m excited to be doing another Worlds First Review. this time as I mentioned in the full color thread, I’ve been testing the new Dahua full color 4K camera. This was provided courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY for a fair, honest, no holds barred, unbiased review. I’ll attempt to answer any and...
Ok, who's ready for not only a review BUT another World's First Review ? You heard it here first, new camera in hands and almost ready to review. Thanks as always goes to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) for providing this camera in exchange for a fair, honest, non biased, no holds barred review. I’ve...
Hey guys The full color 2.0 has been released. Most cams I already posted here. Like: IPC-Color4K-X Bullet 4MP Motorized Full color. Today I bring a secret model, 1st release for the Dual-Lens Full color model in the world. Dual-lens Camera( Sample at Early Sep ) Ø Dual light fusion...
Intro I’m pleased to announce we have another worlds first review to kick off, this time on the new Dahua DH-IPC-PFW5849-A180-E2. What’s this camera all about ? Well in a nutshell, take 2 x 5442T’s, squeeze them together, apply splicing algorithms and end up with a stitched 8MP (4096 x 1800...
Hope all of you are doing well ! Intro Its time to do another review and this time (as you may have seen in my Coming Soon video), we have 2 of them. Both of these cams are from the same MFW-7x42K1 family and feature dual sensors. I have the 7442 (4MP) and 7842 (8MP) versions of these cams...
IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal from @EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret Varifocal Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $200.00...
ipcamtalk.com
Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+
All, thanks to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY ) we have a new 4MP AI camera for testing. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This camera is using the OEM model number of IPC-B5442-ZE which is the equivalent of the Dahua IPC-HFW5442-ZE for reference. The IPC-B...
Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $160 Link to camera...
ipcamtalk.com
Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Turret, Full Color, Starlight+)
Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Andy's Email: kingsecurity2014...
ipcamtalk.com
Review: IPC-HDBW5442R-ASE-NI - Dahua Technology Pro AI Bullet Network Camera
Many thanks once again to Andy @EMPIRETECANDY we have for testing the OEM IPC-B5442T-ASE-NI 4MP Starlight+ Full Color bullet. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a fixed 3.6mm bullet (Pro AI) series with the 1/1.8” sensor. It has no built in...
ipcamtalk.com
2231 Review
Review-OEM IPC-T2231RP-ZS 2mp Varifocal Turret Starlight Camera
Again courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY EmpireTech Andy we have a new cam to look over. Its a new model in Dahua's new Lite H265 Series of cam's. Available for purchase here: Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles and more Price is approx...
IPC-T3241-ZAS from EMPIRETECANDY 2MP WDR Turret Varifocal AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Purchase in the IPCT Store Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price...
Hey guys A new PTZ is out now, it's using the new dual light and Polar light new technology, attached PDF file is the details for checking. This model we will bring one for review and for fun.
The new Dahua 180 degree bullet camera (IPC-Color4K-180) should be available soon from Andy along with its data sheet. Looks like a most interesting camera for many applications.
Well here we go. I dont see anywhere more approriate to discuss this. Ive been messing around with putting together a cctv system for close to 3 years now. Ive bought everything i needed and also bought 2 cheap cams from a third party seller on walmart. Those cams cost me a grand total of $50...
Thank you for the information there is a lot to take in here. Now that I see there is a lot more to cameras I might need some additional help. Firstly I'm going to return my Wyze Cam 3's as they will not cut it. Secondly I'd like to ask your recommendation for my budget and needs.
I have a few needs, ordered by priority:
1. Record faces of those who enter the building and what they are doing
2. Record the license plates of cars that enter the property.
3. Remote access
4. Local storage
5. Software with smart detection
Some more details about my needs:
1. Face and activity recording
The building is a 15' x 15' x 17' there are no obstructions. There is one entrance/exit. Located directly in front of the people will be a cash box, to the left and of the entrance are goods. Depending on the season there are also goods placed outside the building, which may need to be monitored by the
LPR camera or another camera should that be necessary.
2. Car / License plate recognition
To enter the property there is one driveway. The parking lot surrounds the building and can hold only 3-4 cars. The building sits about 30 feet away from the farthest point of the exit/entrance.
3.
The footage should be remotely accessible (the TPLINK EAP110 does not cut it ~1.5Mbps Down and ~2.5Mbps Up with latency from 27-2400ms under load.) What solution would you recommend for this? The barn is 300 feet (in clear view without obstruction) to the house. The wifi signal is better outside the barn (about 4x as strong), so something like Wi-Fi v6 isnt going to cut it.
4.
The footage can be stored in the building locally, or it can be streamed if the connection is stable (to a NAS or something in the house), I have experience with Ubuntu Server, TrueNAS, and Windows Server(s).
5.
The software package used (i.e. blue iris) should be able to use smart detection features. Be accessible on mobile and have other basic security features.
My budget to start will be around $500. What are your recommendations?
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.
I’m looking to record security footage of my barn. There can be foot traffic to it and I would like to be able to identify faces and license plates.
I currently have 2 cameras, both are a Wyze cam 3. One of the cameras is inside while the other is outside.
The problem I face is the barn does not get good Wi-Fi (using a TPLink EAP 110 Outdoor Directional AP), so the bitrate of the cameras is poor and this the quality of the video suffers. I am unable to easily view faces or make out license plates. I believe the Mbps on average is around 3, with varying packet loss based on weather conditions. I may consider upgrading to a better model.
I’m looking for cameras that will be able to locally record content (with smart features like person or vehicle awareness) so that when the Wi-Fi quality suffers the quality of the recording does not. The outdoor camera should be able to see a license plate about 30 feet away (max) and the indoor camera needs to make out faces well. I would be okay with a wired or wireless solution.
You're probably going to need to solve the connectivity issues to the barn first ..
Search for Ubiquiti Wireless solutions to this in the forum .. many have posted good info on solutions for buildings in rural areas like farm buildings ..
update: see the links @sebastiantombs posted ..
Ubiquity Nano Station Loco M5
TP Link Bridge
In the short-term, you could get some capable cameras with an SD card and keep the system local within the barn (that you could only access there) until you get more funds or decide the best approach to get internet connectivity to the barn. You could start with one 5442 camera and the 5421-Z12E for plates to start and stay close to your budget after you add cables and SD cards.
But thinking down the road, you have to decide, do you want plates or overview, you cannot have both with one camera, especially if you do not have enough light.
Regarding a camera for plates (LPR) - keep in mind that this is a cameradedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.
At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my 2MP 5241-Z12E camera (that is all that is needed for plates):
Thank you for the information there is a lot to take in here. Now that I see there is a lot more to cameras I might need some additional help. Firstly I'm going to return my Wyze Cam 3's as they will not cut it. Secondly I'd like to ask your recommendation for my budget and needs.
I have a few needs, ordered by priority:
1. Record faces of those who enter the building and what they are doing
2. Record the license plates of cars that enter the property.
3. Remote access
4. Local storage
5. Software with smart detection
Some more details about my needs:
1. Face and activity recording
The building is a 15' x 15' x 17' there are no obstructions. There is one entrance/exit. Located directly in front of the people will be a cash box, to the left and of the entrance are goods. Depending on the season there are also goods placed outside the building, which may need to be monitored by the
LPR camera or another camera should that be necessary.
2. Car / License plate recognition
To enter the property there is one driveway. The parking lot surrounds the building and can hold only 3-4 cars. The building sits about 30 feet away from the farthest point of the exit/entrance.
3.
The footage should be remotely accessible (the TPLINK EAP110 does not cut it ~1.5Mbps Down and ~2.5Mbps Up with latency from 27-2400ms under load.) What solution would you recommend for this? The barn is 300 feet (in clear view without obstruction) to the house. The wifi signal is better outside the barn (about 4x as strong), so something like Wi-Fi v6 isnt going to cut it.
4.
The footage can be stored in the building locally, or it can be streamed if the connection is stable (to a NAS or something in the house), I have experience with Ubuntu Server, TrueNAS, and Windows Server(s).
5.
The software package used (i.e. blue iris) should be able to use smart detection features. Be accessible on mobile and have other basic security features.
My budget to start will be around $500. What are your recommendations?
