shockwave199

'Most likely' is an assumption. You can adjust the zoom settings accordingly. I have a night video of auto tracking that demonstrates it. I see you've carpet bombed the board. Typical.

I've had my gadspot ball domes of that type out in the weather going on two years. Storms, hurricane, freezing temps, humid hot temps, no problems. This gadspot outside, no. Strickly indoors- This one outside, no problem.

A really great 8 channel dvr is a q-see QS408- http://q-see.com/products/product_description.php?cId=34&pId=58&id=34&pid=27 A QS408-5 is one that includes a 500gb hard drive. You're on a tight budget, so full D1 isn't in your price range. The 408 has D1 on the first two channels. The rest have HD1. It's an excellent full featured dvr. You can swap out your cameras for gadspots as budget permits- good affordable cameras. Also, you don't need to 'dump' the dvr. You set them to overwrite when full. Anything for remote viewing such as cell phones or any computer anywhere requires networking and port forwarding in your router.

Like I said, you'll find no one here who endorses it. I, who actually uses it regularly, find it can be a useful addition to the camera. My camera also includes alarm and aux hookups too. I would be sure the camera includes that too, not just auto tracking. You can set the camera to look right at a triggered alarm, which is really good. Although that goes to the theory of one object at a time only and it remains static. It's just way more dependable that your camera will for sure point in the direction of a triggered alarm. You could couple that with auto tracking as well and increase the time the camera is shooting a suspect. And that's really all it's about. People seem to judge tracking by how well it will track a person perfectly the whole time. It's not really about perfect tracking of every movement the WHOLE time. It's about increasing the time the camera is looking at a suspect. All you need for helpful or positive ID is one single perfect FRAME of footage. The more you can increase that chance, the better. Tracking on it's own can provide that. Tracking coupled with alarm triggering can be even more successful. That won't sway anyone here though- they like to argue the point down every time. I understand. But I think tracking can be another useful tool in an already full featured camera. The choice is yours.

that's why you don't mount it right on top of the camera. But then how will you get your ID shot when they look at the motion light that pops on- a popular thing to suggest vulnerable to what? if there's nothing creeping around to turn on the motion light, there's nothing to be recorded. Darkness makes your property vulnerable to falling prey for being a good choice in the first place. Crooks didn't start the life yesterday. You don't think they're in the 'dark' about motion lights do you? Does anyone really think that motion lights coming on makes someone intent on vandalizng or stealing run like a girl in fear? Constant light deters. Darkness draws in. and cheap ir cameras don't??? Garbage IR cameras, true. Inexpensive doesn't always mean garbage. and that's better, how? cheap ir is cheap ir, but at least if you're separating it from the camera, you're drawing the bugs away from the field of view. I agree, but I've seen very decent IR cameras with a good strong spread. I see cheap IR fixtures give nothing more than a flashlights worth of spread. But I do agree that a good IR fixture will help keep the camera itself clear. "convenient", that's your key word. you're trading off effectiveness for convenience... which pretty much describes the whole industry. It's not a trade off by default. To suggest IR cameras can't be effective is short sighted, imo. I'm just suggesting that the old low light camera mantra does not always mean a reduction in motion detection OR the best picture for ID in low light.

+100 but we have been down this road already. Very true, and I was able to auto track the whole thing.

You're suggestions are starting to sound very familiar, like I've read them before. The opposite side to that scenario is, what happens when the camera can't track either? Then you have no shot at all. Auto tracking can increase your odds, simple as that. It may track just what you need and provide perfect ID in time of need. It may start to do so and get distracted and track something else that's not important- leaving you extremely frustrated. It may not be adjustable enough and be tough to keep still in general, when there's nothing really to track. You may have so many tress and bushes that it wouldn't be practical to have auto tracking- too much movement causing false tracking. You'll find absolutely no one here in favor of auto tracking for various, logical reasons. In my signature link videos I demo my ptz camera in auto tracking mode extensively. It can be effective. And, it can be useless. It depends. An animal, passing cars, blowing vegetation- all of that will keep your camera possibly moving for nothing or worst case, in the wrong direction at the worst possible time. But still, I have found it useful. It's my hands when I'm not at the camera. It increases the odds for ID. My camera is an inesun ptz09. You'll find it. It's very reasonable for the features. It comes from hong kong though, so figure that into your decision. Having used it for a good while now I can say it's great, but I can't say it would be great for you personally. Good luck in your quest.

The issue becomes somehow, you need to see in darkness or very low light. Somehow or another this needs to happen. 'Great low light cameras' is nice to say, but they don't come without a price either. Sometimes it means a very noisy picture in low light. Sometimes it means a noise free picture in low light, but the picture is too dark to be useful- to see anything. Sometimes it means the camera has some digital 'effects' to make the picture look well lighted and noise free, but at the expense of severe motion blur. I haven't seen that 'great low light camera' do the business of seeing in very low without some kind of the sacrifices I mention, minus some kind of light support- be it conventional light or IR light. Conventional light will attract ton 'o bugs. Motion light could be an option, but that leaves the area vulnerable in total darkness a majority of the time. Not to mention, the best of the 'low light cameras' still won't help you in total darkness. It also leaves you depending on the motion lights faithfully picking up motion, which can sometimes be a hit or miss proposition. And when they do come blasting on, sure as hell the cameras get blasted out white picture too, which can wipe out a chance at ID. Separate IR fixtures could be good but let's face it, cheap ones suck balls. At that point you may as well have the IR in the camera. And as good an idea as separate fixtures are, it's more installation labor too. Hanging a camera is often all the installation anyone wants to be concerned with. So, hello cameras with IR. They have their own annoyances with spider attraction. But in the long run, they can be convenient. They can illuminate a very dark area for general viewing, and for ID. And they can be smart IR and adjust themselves for better ID brightness. It really depends on each location and each install. You can't just universally proclaim- get 'good low light cameras' as a solution every time. What you can say is, whatever option you choose, get quality. Otherwise it won't really be helpful. My ptz, an excellent low light camera with the IR off- Nice noise free picture and will see things even in that low light. But it'll have a hard time ID'ing anyone. Same camera with it's IR on mid brightness- THAT will help ID someone. Point being, a 'good low light camera' on it's own with no light support will be a challenge for ID. It's nice to say 'good low light with TDN', but it's not a given that will help at all.

No, not the sun. If you can, RMA that camera and get a working one if it's still under warranty. If not, another camera with working IR will have to be installed. I had one Q-see camera with IR failure. Upgraded all my cams and never bothered to get an RMA for replacement. I just went with different, better cameras from gadspot.

IR or no IR, if there's light around the general area you will get motion events- even if it's just bugs whizzing by towards a light out yonder. You can try to adjust the sensitivity down some. You can mask out areas that don't need to specifically pick up motion. And you can jump for joy if you're in a region that gets a cold winter, when all the little bastards DIE, DIE! MUUUWWWWAAA! Other than that, cameras are in their world, and they move in their world. Do as bet you can and that's it. Good luck.

You can see which direction an eyeball is facing. A dome you generally cannot- or it's much harder to tell, so they are more off putting because of that. Eyeballs handle IR better. Domes tend to reflect IR on the inside of the dome and are generally more problematic with IR, as far as I've ever seen. I would not get a dome with IR inside. Eyeballs rated for exterior will handle the elements. Interior rated eyeballs would be better inside. If there is sufficient light on your store front all night, no IR would be good. If it gets fairly dark, use IR. Varifocal is always best for the most flexibility to dial in the proper fov. By all means, put people in the shots and look at how you see them, when determining the best position. And don't skimp on cameras. Don't have blind spots. You know, I've been going to a drug store for years and have been well aware of the indoor eyeball cameras. I only recently noticed they had eyeball domes outside in front as well. Black ones aren't as noticeable as you'd think. Good luck.

Also the cops usually know the morons of the area. It's likely they'll recognize this guy from priors and even though it may not be enough to take to court, they can give him a firm warning to cut the crap or else.

Don't forget that what you essentially did was put your place of business at risk because you got a camera stolen once. So you saved the camera with a high install, and you were willing to sacrifice an ID shot for it. How did that work out for you? And was that a varifocal camera, where even though it was installed high up it could have had a tighter fov? Worry more about the dvr part of the link- the thing that holds the evidence. Analog cameras are dispensable. As long as they collect the right images, they've done their job. The lesson to be learned is no matter what type of camera you put out there, you have to be wise and prudent as to how, where, and how many will actually have a shot of helping you in time of need.

Now what, what? This incident is over. Use this as a learning experience. What have YOU learned? What will you change and/or add to your system to correct the problem? I'll give you a hint- it's not the equipment that failed you.

I am the end user and I know enough to know the installer is less than good, unfortunately. I have been up and down the ladder myself this past week, running through all osd settings, trying different things including moving the fov for a more appropriate shot. It's no longer in direct sunlight, but it still does this. I can only conclude the camera is malfunctioning, getting stuck on a DRC [dynamic range compression] setting even though it's off. New camera need. New installer needed. I have a feeling as I get my arms around our system, it's going to be me.

Well, you have to ask questions to get answers.

Yeah, I've been adjusting our digital watchdog cameras at work for three nights now. They have starlight. That, along with DNR was the very reason I had to take it into my own hands and start adjusting these cameras. With those settings on, the camera shows beautiful night shots- super good. Until of course a person walks in the fov- they become a blur. If they stand still, great. But who stands still? So off that digital effects crap went and now the pictures are more noisy in low light, but with some adjustments it's entirely acceptable. But more so, moving people look perfect now. Now ID can be had. Long and short- sens up, starlight, DNR are all counter productive for the best night shots of people in motion.

You did well and planned your install. You may have to make adjustments when you actually install because of any number of things. But it all looks good on paper. Good luck with it!

I hear you on the hard drive thing. I think it's just the way we think about hard drives in general. But helping a hard drive work efficiently helps the longevity of it for sure. And even though it will double back and start to re-record, the goal is to maximize the recording time in case you find you need older files. Settings such as constant+motion with fps adjustments can be really good, but constant recording even at cif and low fps will keep the hard drive in action all the time, which can reduce the life of the hard drive. Sometimes it's necessary to record 24/7. Arguably you should always do so. But I prefer only motion. Some dvr's will bump up fps to max overall for every motion event, which is good too. You mention night noise. That spells less than good IR cameras, where the IR is too weak. What kind of cameras are they? Cameras with good IR will help to clean up weak IR noise. Also exterior light will help any camera see much better as well. Once you take care of this problem you'll be able to set motion sensitivity much better, and get triggers from actual motions. It may be bugs and animals and people too of course, but it will no longer be weak IR noise. And you won't have to compromise by trying to dial out that noise either.

For exterior motion sensing, that's the best you can hope for. All kinds of false triggers during the day, all kinds at night. Set the channels strong enough to catch humans where you need that to happen. Carve out your motion detection areas as best you can. Keep it on motion recording because after all, it will save hard drive space. Keep the cameras clean and clear of webs and other debirs along the way. If the day or night is super stormy with heavy rain, stop recording for a stretch. Put the fps of each channel to 5-7fps, which will save hard drive space too and still do well for you. But really, that's the best you'll do with motion detection per channel in the dvr for cameras outside seeing all kinds of things.

Not sure what you mean with all the neighbors. You all want your own cctv systems? That's good. But what's the group project aspect of the thing? If you have no street lights, you should all install exterior lights, first off. Motion is ok, but dusk to dawn lights can be even better. You want to light up the area, not keep it dark until motion. Darkness draws in the wrong element. Lights deter them. Lights also help cameras see better at night. For a great 8 channel dvr for short bucks, but full featured, I still love the q-see 408-5. It comes with a 500gb hard drive in it. I have two and they work so well- really an excellent dvr. Look at my vids in my signature for a review on it, and cameras I use. All good product to consider for you all. This could be a something to consider for your driveways and such and you can get creative with how you apply it. My review on it- 0cQ--B11kZ0 If one or more of you want to take neighborhood watch to the next level, a ptz monitoring the fronts of properties is excellent. Some vids I did of mine, looking over things out front for all of us- fFcnM3tvILM n8Quujp27N8 If you're all ok with it, if you get the same dvr's such as a 408 you can use multi client software and actually load in some or all of each others cameras. You could give each other rights to watch perhaps one front exterior camera of everyone else, so anyone who's up at night can open the software and have full view of their own system, and also one front camera of everyone else too, all in the same software- hence multi client software. That kind of thing is a serious commitment to a neighborhood watch, as all would have to be ok with one or more exterior cameras being viewed by the others. Browse all my vids. I tried to cover a ton of stuff for residential. Good luck to you all!

You're talking to spam.

700 bucks is a bit low. If you must have a 16 channel unit at full D1, bump your budget up to 800 to 1k. Q-see has one, QT5116- http://q-see.com/products/product_description.php?cId=40&pId=75&id=40&pid=28 Check your PM for another one to consider. Good luck.

I don't understand that question.

You'll probably get specific responses about equipment but I must ask- didn't you see this guy before investing in all the property? Is it possible to change locations still? I ask because for all the surveillance in the world, it usually doesn't help the situation with back woods ding dongs like this. They LIVE for trouble. It's the very thing that gets them out of bed. Put up cameras, they'll destroy them. If the cameras catch them and you prosecute, when he serves his 60 days he'll be out and get even. They have a missing link in their brains. They are more than happy to oblige you in a tit-for tat cat & mouse game, endlessly. Reasoning with such a person is futile and winning the battle is as well. He'll have more than enough time when he's sober and in between mud romps to figure a way to get over on you and your security system, your locks, your lights, your sirens, your dogs, the cops, you name it. It's what they live for. My advice, get outa dodge man. Cut your losses and get out. One thing is for sure- HE isn't going anywhere. They NEVER do. And, they have friends as well. Save the money on security- get the hell out. Good luck.