Help- Outdoor perimeter warehouse camera layout.

[diyengineer 0]

Here is the camera package i went with:

http://www.costco.com/Lorex-Eco2-16-Channel-Security-System-with-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-12-High-Resolution-660TVL-Bullet-Cameras-and-1-Pan-Tilt-Zoom(10x)-Camera.product.100002500.html

 

Here are the camera housings i went with also:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310476681185?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

The camera system comes with 13 cameras. One tilt pan zoom camera will cover the entire inside of the building. The other 12 cameras are bullet style fixed cameras. The outside of the building i'd like maximum coverage. What does everyone suggest? Mounting 3 on each corner of the building? or should i mount 3 per each side? Each camera has roughly a 90 degree viewing plane. Let me know what everyone thinks, cameras would sit about 15' in the air.

 

Also, must i remove the glass that is in the camera housings so the IR LED's will work properly in night vision mode? I could always replace the glass with a plexi glass cut out that the lens can slip through. Any input on that would be great.

 

Thanks for the feed back!

[Neutech 0]

Can i ask why your putting external bullet cameras in another external housing? The IR will bounceback and your gonna have a mess of an image

[Kawboy12R 0]

I'll second that. I've tried using IR through glass and it just doesn't work. You could remove the front plate from your housing but that would pretty much negate the heating and moisture protection that a housing is for. I have a Lorex 8ch Eco DVR. Saved video quality sucks. The live view of the included cameras isn't bad but has major weaknesses. IR night view has a central hotspot and doesn't adjust even when a subject steps right in front of the camera, pretty much rendering even closeups useless for ID. They don't like a mix of shade and bright sunlight either. IR filter remains retracted sometimes leaving everything in sun washed out. Lorex has better cameras with multiple rings of IR LEDs so if your kit has those they might be a bit better. If you're looking for something other than poor video to show your insurance company "Look! There it goes!" then I'd probably look elsewhere.

[diyengineer 0]

More info:

 

-I have ( 250W mercury vapor lights that light up the surrounding perimeter like its damn near day time. Its bright, and i mean really really bright.

 

1. The glass will be removed, and i will fab a plexiglass filler plate to keep the area sealed while allowing the IR LEDS, and lens to sit flush. This will allow the IR to work as intended. I live in one of the rainiest areas in the US. From what i have read from other users, their "external" rating is not the best, and others have had issues with them left in the rain going wacko. This will give them proper protection, and a hair better defense from being tampered with by the occasional rock thrown at it, etc. $25 a housing is cheap insurance to extend the longevity, and get them out of the elements.

 

2. These cameras have great resolution at 660 TV lines. I don't know how many lines of res your cameras had, possibly 400 which i agree suck. These look great! Not trying to record a professional film with them, just keep tabs on whats happening.

[diyengineer 0]

As far as placement, what does someone suggest? I know each has about a 90 degree viewing angle, so three cameras makes up about 270 degrees, or a full corner of viewing. I guess i will have to fiddle with the placement and do some dry run tests. I also have (4) 24" convex mirrors to install. One on each corner, i don't want these to interfere with the view.

 

 

Found this awesome link!

 

http://www.pelco.com/sites/global/en/sales-and-support/downloads-and-tools/tools/pelco-camera-tool.page

 

I will play with that and post some different options.

I believe the cam specs are 3.6mm focal, 1/3" sensor, F/2, 78 degree, 1/60th-1/25000th.

[Kawboy12R 0]

What exactly are you trying to monitor with the cameras? If it were my shop and I was worried about what was inside the shop (no interior walls I'm guessing), I'd have a number of cams inside providing closeups of everybody who comes in the garage doors and man doors, as well as an overview cam to show me the big picture. Then have a nice zoom camera on the main driveway to show me plates of who is coming and going, plus some overview cams near the building corners to show what is happening in the yard. If the concern is monitoring items stored outside or what employees are doing in the yard, then I'd have a mix of wide angle cams and zoom cams on busy areas to catch faces and hopefully plates.

[the toss 0]

I'd be selling those "kit" cameras & putting the proceeds towards something decent.

[diyengineer 0]

I practically live @ work, and work is inside the warehouse. It does in fact have solid walls. I'm more concerned with what is going on outside the walls, possible trespassers, detect and deter, etc. I was going to use the 360 degree pan/tilt/zoom on the interior, thus letting one camera see the entire inside. I can access the whole system from my iphone or PC and even control the interior 360 degree cam.

 

As far as a "kit" system, ya i wish i had money to go blow on some high dollar setup, but I'm stuck with the ole' kit for now.

 

I have 3 open channels left on the DVR, i believe those are going to eventually go to the road and gate, but both of those are over 450' feet away. So that will be on the back burner.

[Kawboy12R 0]

You will be happier with the kit system if you mainly want it as a live extension of your vision while you're there looking at it. It'll relieve the claustrophobia of not knowing what's going on outside and give you a decent image. I'm much happier with the live view on mine than the recorded video or the occasionally unreliable multi-camera searching.

 

That being said, not knowing what the view is from the building, a generic layout would be 8 cameras outside mounted close to each corner with the views crossing in front of the wall they're attached to, plus maybe a zoom cam of some kind pointed towards areas of particular interest. Lots of cheap cams can have 12-16mm lenses mounted in them if you know what their mount is. Deal Extreme has a kabillion (ok dozens of) options for not much money if you wanted to DIY. If not, you've probably got a local computer or electrical supply place that does CCTV and wouldn't mind installing a custom lens for not too much money.

[yakky 0]

Why would you buy crappy cameras, then housings, then fab crap up? You'll spend more than a good camera wold have cost in the first place. Get some high quality IP-66 rated cameras with a genuine DSP. You say its bright as day out there, might be brighter than most but cameras will still struggle.

[diyengineer 0]

Why would you buy crappy cameras, then housings, then fab crap up? You'll spend more than a good camera wold have cost in the first place. Get some high quality IP-66 rated cameras with a genuine DSP. You say its bright as day out there, might be brighter than most but cameras will still struggle.

 

1. The system is purchased, and im not returning it. I know its not a commercial system.

 

2. The bullet cameras from lorex are IP66 rated, and works well for thousands of customers.

 

3. Supplying extra protection to a product is never a bad idea. I simply read one customers bad experience, and for longevity took the high road.

 

4. If fabbing "crap" up using a CNC machine to cut my acrylic out, and solidworks for the CAD/CAM design, then sure, ill be "fabbing crap" up.

 

5. If my $50 big game camera can take decent video @ 50' at night in pitch black, then i think these should work as advertised.

 

6. $1000 for the system, $300 for enclosures= $1300 dollars. My time, and my machine time are free for the 30 minutes ill have wrapped up into nesting 12 filler plates, along with the scrap of acrylic i have laying around. I'm not a pro, but for $1300 dollars i don't think that buys me much of a high dollar commercial system that you are hinting about.

 

To everyone: If you don't have any type of quality advice to give, in regards to my question that i asked "Help- Outdoor perimeter warehouse camera layout" please refrain from lending your opinion on other such subjects, and/or topics. Please move on and take your debbie downer attitudes to another forum.

 

Thank you to Kawboy12R who has actually helped a lot.

[Kawboy12R 0]

You're welcome. One other point that comes to mind though. Are you located in a snow zone? If so, you probably get sheets of ice and snow curling down your roof on two sides of that tin roof at certain times during the winter. Those sheets of ice will be nasty on cameras and mounts. The housings you bought to mount the Lorex cams in will have much sturdier mounting brackets but probably won't stand up to that kind of abuse if they stick out much past the eave. Tucking the smaller Lorex cam under the eave might work out better if it is protected. If not, then maybe vandal domes might survive better on those two sides?