Camera suitability help

[caracortada_uk 0]

Hello all, i am completely new to CCTV equipment so sorry if i am asking any silly questions, the are mainly about cameras hence why it is in this section of the forum. I have found a good if simple DVR kit with 4 cameras which will meet my needs. They are coverage of 2 separate check out areas, 1 open area illuminated by 2 security lights and 1 main gate covered by 1 security light.

 

The package i am going for is:

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/dvr_kit__2420.htm

 

1) It seems to be a generic DVR but it has all the features i need. Remote access and motion activation being the 2 main. Does anybody recognise it? Is it one to avoid? Also is the internal HDD easy to swap out, just put in a correctly formatted new one?

 

2) The 2 bullet cameras with it will be used for the open outdoor areas. They say they are weatherproof, but how much? I plan to put them under guttering which provide a good deal of cover, but could they theoretically be mounted outside completely exposed? If a housing was required, is a typical housing a housing? And what is the benefit of a heater?

Also they will be mainly needed for night time viewing. Would the built in IR lamps plus the 2 security lights be enough to comfortably cover out to a 20m sight? Is colour still bad for night recording?

 

3) The dome cameras will be used indoors in a fully lit area at a max of 5m range so no issues there.

 

4) I also plan to use this camera (http://www.maplin.co.uk/2.4ghz-wireless-10m-nightvision-cctv-camera-with-audio-224374?ordercode=B21LZ#) if i can for the main gate. Again same question of how weather proof it is and how far it could reliably see with its IR with added security lights on the main area of interest at around 20m.

 

 

Thanks

[Soundy 1]

I think most here will say the same thing: we wouldn't trust one of these "kits", or any of its components, any farther than the weakest of us could throw it. Traditionally, such units provide sub-par quality and tend to be short-lived.

 

It says it has all the features, but there's no guarantee any of them are properly or fully implemented, or at all configurable.

 

The bullet cams would probably survive fine under the eaves, but I wouldn't risk putting them in direct weather.

 

As for the wireless camera, it claims "up to" 100m line-of-site... I'd be surprised if you got 20m without serious problems. And remember, line-of-site means you can actually see the camera from the receiver - no walls or anything else in the way. If you put the receiver indoors, expect the effective range to drop even more. Remember, too, that "wireless" cameras are almost never 100% "wireless": you still need to power them.

 

Besides that, though, the DVR you've chosen is only a four-channel model, and the you've accounted for all four included cameras: there's nowhere to plug in an additional camera.