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casey

Outdoor cameras

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I hope to get some recomendations on some outdoor color cameras. I live in Wisconsin where the winter temps commonly drop below 0 degrees F.

I hope to use 5 IR cameras outside the house under the overhang and 2 IR cameras in my garage were it will still be cold but out of the elements.

 

The outside dimensions are around 50' with not much for light to bounce off of.

The garage is around 25'.

I will try to use motion detector lights were I can.

My budget per camera is around $300.

I welcome any thoughts or advice. Feel free to PM me with any prices.

Thanks.

 

Casey

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with a budget around 300/camera i would go with some nice d/n toshiba box cameras and put them in a housing with a heater and blower - dont go with a bullet or a dome because it wont last through the winters we have and u get colder than here in chicago... put motion dector lights on the key areas like doors in the back of your house, inside the garrage for sure, back yard..

 

you can look into IR from extreme cctv( http://www.extremecctv.com/ ) but i dont think u can buy any of their cams for under 300.. you might want to check with the wizkid http://www.wizkidoptotech.com/ but i have found with iR if ur arent spending the bigger bucks 500+ you really arent going to get a good camera

 

rory is the master of the outdoor IR so im sure he'll offer some advice

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Quote: "dont go with a bullet or a dome because it wont last through the winters we have and u get colder than here in chicago"

 

Why is this? Will the cameras break or will they not work when it is really cold? I see a lot of domes around Pittsburgh which is admitely not as cold as Wisconsin or Chi Town but we still see some fierce winters with some singe digit temperatures. Also, do you guys feel that a heater/blower is mandatory for colder installations? Would a standard Pelco dome without a heater/blower be silly? Finally, I saw on the Pelco web-site that the camclosure series has "Low-Temperature Operation to -50°F (-46°C); De-ices to 25°F (-4°C)." Is this untrue?

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I have many cameras outside that have been through 25 consecutive days of below 10 degree NY weather with no ill effects. Weather with a high of 10 and a low of 0 (Jan 2004). Both bullets & box cams in housings.

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showoff

 

maybe i'm paranoid after having several bullets die last winter. if its outside i go with a high quality housing with a heater/blower. there are several domes that are rated for low temps which i would use but i bullets are the ones i would still stay away from

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spend your money on a good camera, low light type, and install motion lites. Great IR costs big $$. Cheap IR bullets are cheap, but work like crap unless placed in a small tight area with lots to reflect off of.

Heaters are required in your part of town, unless the operating temp specs say otherwise.

AND, check your warranty. Get a 3 year if possible.

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Hey guys,

Thanks for the info. Does anyone have a certain manufacture in mind? Maybe with a quality warranty?

 

Casey

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