multi-camera point-to-point system.

[dalepres 0]

I'm looking for an inexpensive solution for sending the surveillance camera signals from my house and property to my in-laws next door when we're out of town or away from home. My in-laws are not tech savvy at all. They can't operate the caller ID on their phone, let alone a computer or the Internet so I'm looking for something relatively simple. I may just put in a big TV with 4 cameras showing all the time and leave it at that for the user interface.

 

THe part I'm missing is how to get the video from my house to theirs. I used to work in the business years ago, up to around 1993, and was very competent at designing digital and analog microwave video, data, and telephone systems, both the RF and data parts of the systems. But that was then and this is now. And those systems required licensing that was complex with engineering documents, etc, and they were very expensive - let alone big. The point is, I am pretty familiar with the concepts but I'm 20-years out of the loop on what's available and for how much.

 

System design requirements are:

 

1. 400 foot range, clear line of sight
   
2. 1080p bandwidth. I could live with 720p if I had to.
   
3. PTZ/camera selection from the remote end back to my house.

 

With today's cheap, commoditized, wireless systems, I was wondering if there is anyone making inexpensive wireless point-to-point systems suitable for reliable consumer or SOHO use? Though I'd prefer a system for under a dollar, I would be willing to pay up to several hundred dollars for the RF part of the system if I had to.

[hardwired 0]

A pair of Ubiquiti Nanostation M5's http://www.ubnt.com/airmax#nanostationm would fit your requirements for the RF data link side of things, usually under $200 USD for a pair (or the smaller Nanostation Loco M5's, at even a little less cost).

 

At that distance, you will want to adjust the output power on the units almost all of the way down, to avoid overload. (Using units in the 5Ghz band helps avoid interference with most home routers, and other Wi-Fi gear).

 

Depending on the channel bandwidth settings, you can get up to 60+ Mbps throughput, enough to carry multiple megapixel resolution cameras.

 

Basic configuration guide for your type of setup here- http://community.ubnt.com/t5/airMAX-Configuration-Examples/airMAX-Configure-a-Point-to-Point-Link-Layer-2-Transparent/ta-p/419941

[dalepres 0]

Thanks! That's an amazing value. I had searched for hours and not found that. I had in my mind to connect video to the RF, since that is what we had to do in the 80's, but the network connection makes even more sense - and offers more utility.

[hardwired 0]

Yes, there has been a lot of progress over the last few years, especially. I have done a lot of systems in the past with really overpriced, under-performing analog video links, and hoped for something more like this to come along. Then, I was building IP based links with custom router boards, mini-PCI cards, terminating LMR400 cables, etc.... Then, this stuff comes along (earliest Ubiquiti gear), and blows everything else out of the water on a price-performance basis.

 

There are others out on the market as well, now, but I still find Ubiquiti gear to be a great choice for a lot of my installs. (I buy Nanostations by the case, now!)

 

Few things to note, if you go this way- use shielded cable and metal CAT5 plugs between the radio and power injector for ESD protection, and adjust transmit power at both ends to get as close to a -50dBm signal level for best performance.

[dalepres 0]

Thanks for the tips; I'll remember to take those steps.

 

The amazing thing to me is that I saw on their site where folks are setting up ISP products using these inexpensive devices. If a person could find reasonably priced tower or roof-top space, setting up a wireless ISP would not be too hard. I'm definitely running this through the central processing unit right now since I live in a rural area where only satellite Internet service is available but there are probably a few hundred lake homes within a mile of me...

 

Well, enough dreaming... I better focus on one project at a time.

[dvarapala 0]

I'm looking for an inexpensive solution for sending the surveillance camera signals from my house and property to my in-laws next door

 

First of all, my condolences for having to live next door to your in-laws.

 

You mention a distance of 400 feet - is this a real number or just a guesstimate? The reason I ask is this: if the actual distance is under 100m (~300 ft), you could just run a direct-burial Ethernet line or two between your houses. That would both cost less and be more reliable. Even if your span is truly 400' and you need to put in a mid-span switch to act as a repeater, you'd still be better off with a hardwired solution.

 

That's my suggestion.

[dalepres 0]

First of all, my condolences for having to live next door to your in-laws.

 

No kidding. It has its moments, that's for sure. We bought property next to them years ago and eventually moved onto it.

 

But the only problem is there's a gravel road between us so hardwired is not an easy solution. Since I actually own the property the road is on and there was never a right-of-way granted - it was a driveway and the schoolbus started using it to get to another road behind us that was accessible from another route - I could always fight for my right to dig a ditch on my own property. I should have never let that first schoolbus turn down my property. Now the county assumes it is their property. They even rejected my request to name the road after my granddaughter and put their own name on it.

 

Or I could pay for a boring machine. My son does cable laying and boring but he works for a jerk who would never let him use the equipment for a personal job.

 

So, especially considering the low price of the Ubiquiti units, wireless seems like the best solution.