marklyn

I tried this question in another forum elsewhere but didn't get any bites... hoping someone here will be able to offer suggestions... I have a Blue Iris system running 24/7 with about 11 cameras. Two of the outdoor cams are Hikvision, one PTZ and one bullet. The Hikvision PTZ (DS-2DE4582) is a good camera but doesn't have that great of night vision of a person standing 25-30' away in the dark. I'd like to replace it with something more powerful but I keep getting lost in the specs of potential replacements (image sensor size, min illumination, etc.). I have spotted the Dahua SD65F230F-HNI and it looks good, but price is near $700ish. My main priorities are, PTZ tracking, POE+, at least 20x optical zoom, Blue Iris compatible and low light is important to see good details @ 30'. Am I on the right track with this camera? I want to be able to see detail on a person that is 25-30' away at night (there is a street light in the front). I'm open to other reliable/reputable brands but would really like to stay between $500-$700 tops. PS, what am I referring to when I want to see the detail I'm asking for? Image sensor size, resolution? Thanks! I should also add that this is my "splurge" camera. Normally I'm buying Hikvision or similar brands for around $150-$250ish range.

For years I've tried all kind of "remedies" to rid the area around my cameras from spider webs. Peppermint oil, various commerical sprays, home-made concoctions, etc. Nothing ever worked or worked for more than a few days. Until... I discovered that if I place (hang) a small plastic container with about 4-5 mothballs under the camera that either the flying bugs (bait) or the spiders finally give up and stop coming around. I've done this to 5 cameras that I had webs and spiders and flying insect problems with and now I have had zero problems with spiders or webs and rarely does a flying insect come around. My theory is that the slow release of the fumes of the mothballs discourages flying insects from coming too close to the camera's IR and if the spider doesn't have food in a known good area they don't come around. Maybe the spider doesn't like it either, who knows... all I know is that I've used this method for months now and have had no webs unless I forget to reload a location with mothballs. An uncovered container usually lasts about 3+ weeks and a covered container lasts 2+ months. My method is to use a small container with small holes in the bottom (in case rain gets in) and place those under the eve of the house, mostly protected from rain. For cameras out in the open I used the same method but with a top for the container and I add holes at the top of the container to let fumes out so that the fumes waft upward toward the camera. I've attached a picture. PS. for some reason a cheesecloth sack with mothballs was not nearly as effective as this setup!? I'm telling you. This.works.well! Also, get the mothballs in the big box at home depot, they last much longer than the cheap ones at the dollar store!

Actually FOSCAM US, in Houston has the camera for the same price with no shipping. I might just get it from them since they are the manufacturer and only 150 miles from me, should get it quick.

I can't use separate IR because I that wouldn't work in a PTZ situation well, I'd have to have IR lights going in multiple directions, don't want to go down that road. I'm needing a dome over a bullet because the camera will be about 3' from an owl house entrance so when I move the camera it needs to be as inconspicuous as possible as to not frighten the owl(s). I did find a FOSCAM FI9828P camera that seems to meet my needs and it has IR. FOSCAM is hit and miss. I have a couple of their outdoor bullet cams and they have worked well for my needs but I also know that FOSCAM users do have occasional issues with their cameras. For $249 it probably is still worth the risk, I had just hoped I'd have another similar featured camera option besides FOSCAM.

The lux specs are the same as the wireless model I'm looking at but I'm thinking I'll need IR lights to accomplish what I want to view. I have 11 cameras running on Blue Iris, half wireless, half wired/poe and I don't ever have any issues with reliability unless it's something specific to an off brand/cheaper camera.

What is the model number of the one you have, I'd like to look up the specs anyway. I'm aware of wifi issues, I currently have two wifi cams that I use now for my project and once in awhile I lose a wifi signal on one for a moment but all in all they have both been very solid (wifi connections). It would be too difficult to run a wired (poe) solution this this location but power is not an issue since the location is in a tree which is very close to a power outlet.

I need a good PTZ, wifi, without IR. The best I could find so far is a Dahua SD22204T-GN-W which is reasonably priced (under $350) for home use. I need PTZ and no IR since I'm placing it about 3' from an owl house opening and want to be sure no IR lights cause problems with owl or bugs and spiders. The min lux on this camera says 0.005 lux @ F1.6 (black/white image) I don't have any way of knowing how much I can see in the dark with these specifications, so could use some help from some experts out there. Thanks!