dahomes555

I have a client that is requesting to have us install an underwater camera at a depth of approximately 2'. I am planning on installing an IP67 rated camera, but am concerned about the best way to make the connections. I am planning on using direct burial Cat5e cable with some sort of waterproof RJ45 connector. Any tips or suggestions on the best way to utilize cable, connectors, junction boxes, flex conduit, or whatever other materials to make a reliable connection would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Having been to the Hikvision factory I can assure you that there is no affiliation between them and Dahua. They are similar in size and function as the two largest OEM manufacturers of cameras and DVRs in the world. But they are large rivals and very competitive. They are based in the same city, Hangzhou, but there is a lot of manufacturing there. They're as affiliated as Coke and Pepsi.

Thanks. Do you have a link to it, by chance? I know Ubiquiti (agree that their cameras suck), but can't seem to find that tool on their website.

To you professionals, what design software do you use? I've been designing systems for years, often with basic software or hand drawings. We are doing a ton of business and I need a way to generate more professional plans, both for video work as well as fire/intrusion alarms and access control. I need to just buckle down and learn a CAD program, but not sure which one. There is obviously AUTOCAD, but it has been 15 years since I've used it and while it is certainly powerful, it may be overkill, as I'm trying to create something that I can work on quickly. There are also well known programs like Visio and OmniGraffle, but I would like to hear your feedback and recommendations. IMPORTANT FEATURES TO ME: - Ability to import floor plans, either from PDF or from CAD, Visio, etc. While creating plan from scratch is obviously important, I often get plans/drawings from my clients and don't want to have to re-draw them. - Ability to create an image library of simple drag and drop icons (cameras, alarm devices, fire alarm devices, access control devices, etc.) - Ability to create wiring plans for installers. - Ability to work on multiple layers so that I can create simple plan of device layout to show a client, or complex plan with full wiring diagram and installer notes. Cost is not a huge factor to me, so long as it is within reason (few hundred bucks or less is fine). I run both Mac OSX or Windows 7, so operating system is really not a huge factor, though Mac would be preferred. I can do my own storage calculations and lens calculations, so I'm not really looking for a "camera design software" per se. I'm more looking for a good, industry accepted design/engineer software. Let me know if there is anything I'm missing or should be thinking of. I appreciate your feedback and recommendations.

Check out engines for powerful, non-private band wireless options. I've installed dozens of these radios for specialized wireless applications and have never had one go offline in 110+ degree weather.

Nelly's Security. Search for them at nellyssecurity.com. Bought cameras from him for years. Good prices and great support.

No worries. IP cameras are going to be the way to go. I install mostly 2-3 megapixel cameras and they all seem to work very well. I sell a lot of HikVision and Dahua cameras, which you'll read a lot about on here. Most will have built in IR illuminators, which do a decent job in dark areas, so long as your expectations are reasonable. Make sure to get an NVR that matches the resolution of the cameras you want to use. You could buy a 3 megapixel camera but only buying an NVR that supports 1080P (~2MP) means you won't take full advantage of your camera's capabilities. Make sure your cameras support PoE (most do). That makes it easy to wire them, as only a single Cat5 cable is needed for each camera. Let me know if you have other questions.

Oh, see I was understanding that you wanted the camera 100 feet away from the house (i.e. At the end of the driveway). Finding a good quality IP camera to cover that area isn't going to be a problem. There are literally hundreds of cameras that will suit your needs fine. The main issue you're going to run into, though, is the night vision. My advice is to typically take what the manufacturer states the IR range is on the camera and cut off 1/3 and that's what your effective range ends up being. Your problem is that you don't really care to see the 0-100 foot area, as much as the 100+ foot area. Right? Getting truly effective night vision will be tough, unless you already have good lighting in that area. Good lighting >>> good cameraq

Dahua is a manufacturer, not a distributor. You can find Dahua products distributed and marked under a variety of different brands, such as: Q-See, IC Realtime, Mace, Dahua, etc. You'll rarely see Dahua branded items outside of China, unless bought second hand.

Yes. Practically the same camera spec wise. Haven't installed the 3MP Dahua yet, but have done the Hik and plenty of 2MP Dahua's. Great value on either camera.

Your recording time isn't of greatest concern. Increasing storage time is as easy as increasing size of hard drive(s). The main question is how are you going to run your wiring to the camera and what are you planning to mount it to?

Cat5e. If you're going outside, either rum cable inside conduit or use outdoor rated Cat5e cable, otherwise the cable will fall apart over time exposed to elements.

Some VMS require a separate license on each lens of the Arecont 180° cams since technically it is 4 separate cameras. I know a few years ago Milestone used to, though they don't any more. I can't speak (thankfully) for ONSSI and how they deal with the licensing on those 180°'s.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Ok. Well, I'm in Arizona where the sun is almost always shining, so worst case scenario without sunlight would probably be 24 hours. On most days it would be approximately 10-11 hours on battery. So, what should I do if I'm needing to have a network switch which runs on 110V? I'm going to have two cameras with outdoor speakers mounted on a pole with a wireless bridge pointed about 400 feet back to the construction trailer. So I need the switch to split the ethernet signal to the two cameras. Is there not a way to get a 110V outlet on a solar panel?

It's definitely consumer grade. Lorex is not something you'd ever find in a professional's arsenal. But if you're trying to do it cheaply, Lorex certainly comes in at an attractive price point. If you're using this in a home for general home surveillance usage, you'll probably be ok with it. I've never used any of their products (taken a lot of them out, though), so I can't say for certain whether it will work or not for you. But Costco generally doesn't sell cheap crap since they warranty it basically for life. Lorex seems to have decent consumer support since their target market is the end user. So, give it a shot!