Security surveillance camera

[E350]

The first snow was that night. The best of the video is next morning of me with a shotgun slung on my shoulder about jumping out of my skin as I buttoned up the trap when he hissed at me. He never growled he only hissed. The worst of the video is at night with his eyes and teeth lit up by IR snarling out the grate.

I was afraid that he would somehow get out and come inside where he had pushed his way in four times before when I wasn't home but where I was now sleeping. I would wake up and check the camera. He never slept. Just looked out the grate at the camera (at me).

The tag on his ear is from a former capture and release from Nevada. El Dorado County California does not release bad captured bears.

The County Trapper who took him away to be shot and backhoe'd said that he was 500 lbs. and recognized him as the bear that had charged him while on horseback earlier that month.

California has more Black Bears and mountain lions than it has ever had in its history. They are "protected." Stay close to your children in our forests.

California has 400 percent more trees in the National Forests than it has had historically. Environmentalism killed the logging industry.

That is why California burns every Summer now. Too much fuel. Trees die and fall resulting in 75 years of too much fuel on the forest floor. Environmentalism kills. 85 burned to death in Paradise, California. They didn't count the burned to death wildlife.

California has 50 percent of the Nation's homeless people.

Health care, housing and food is to be earned. It is not a participation award.

Viva Venezuela!

Don't think California can't happen in your State? Vote Democrat.

 

[Sanoman]

Wow! That last post went political in a hurry. I thought this was a surveillance thread?

 

[mxmark4]

Well the government is watching us all so I guess its all related right?

 

[OCD Solutions]

New 4K cams showed up today to replace the 5MP units. I like the looks of these new ones better but the bases are plastic. Still, they install just as easy and adjustment is super simple.

These pics won’t show the resolution improvement but the field of view alone was worth the upgrade.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Reolink has finally released the 16Ch version of their 4K NVR for $899. Unfortunately, they have only released it as a package bundled with 8 bullet cameras.
https://reolink.com/product/rlk16-800b8/

They do plan to make it available as a standalone package but they cannot say when.

 

[Quinc]

All we care about is the view on the turtles.

 

[E350]

OCD et al.:

Are those the cameras which you personally would select to go with the 16 NVR?
Are the camera's powered by a single cord which also sends the video?
20 fps is a little slow for video isn't it?
Can the NVR stream or daily download to an offsite NAS device?
How does the mobile app look?
The Nest mobile app is incredibly good.
How does it compare?

 

[OCD Solutions]

OCD et al.:

1) Are those the cameras which you personally would select to go with the 16 NVR?
2) Are the camera's powered by a single cord which also sends the video?
3) 20 fps is a little slow for video isn't it?
4) Can the NVR stream or daily download to an offsite NAS device?
5) How does the mobile app look?
6) The Nest mobile app is incredibly good.
6) How does it compare?

1 - The 16 Ch system comes with 8 of the B800 4K bullets which we now have 14 of. We also have 2 of the D800 4K domes. It would really depend on how you are mounting your cameras but my preference is still the bullets so the cams in the kit would be perfect, plus there are only 8 so you could mix and match the rest to get exactly what you need. The bullets have a smaller dia. mounting base so they may fit in more places. Both have tons of adjustability so that's not as much of a concern but the Bullets have a wider Field of View that sees so much more. (97deg vs 87.5). Plus the bullets are on sale right now for $59.99 vs $79.99
2 - The cameras are POE, Power over Ethernet so all you need is a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable from the NVR out to each camera. Cable length is limited to 328ft though.
3 - Slow compared to video cams and cell phones but this is surveillance footage, not an action movie. 20 FPS is fairly standard.
4 - Reolink offers cloud based storage as well as NAS backup, I haven't messed with any of it yet as it's typically more than I would ever spend. The 16CH NVR comes with a 3TB drive which I rip out immediately and upgrade to twin 4TB WD Purple Surveillance drives, ($110/each off Amazon). The 4K systems use H.265 compression so they actually use less bandwidth and storage space compared to 4 or 5MP systems. 8TB of storage gets us all cameras 24/7 for just over 9 days.
5 - The mobile App is very good but that is quite subjective. I do 90% of my interaction through the App itself. The only thing that really sucks is trying to control any of the PTZ cameras remotely. The latency makes it near impossible to drive them accurately, made even worse by the default travel speed being about 10 times too fast. The work-around is to have all the locations set up as presets and then just hit the shortcut buttons to move through them, which work very well.
6 - I have never played with NEST so I have no way of comparing. I think all those cams have excellent image quality but lose my interest as soon as the footage cuts off at 30 or 45 seconds. They either miss footage, start too late, cut off too soon, etc for my taste. I want a system that records 24/7 but sets motion alerts so I can go back and review all the footage, not just a snapshot of what happened that leaves me wondering WTF just happened, how did it end?.?.?

Now, one important flaw to Reolink IP cameras is that they use video motion detection. This means that they trigger motion alerts based on any movement on the screen. They do have some tuning ability for sensitivity and ways to define "regions of interest", but, they do not distinguish between headlights, shadows, spiderwebs, reflections, etc. This can be very frustrating to dial in correctly and could very well be a deal breaker for some. This is why I bring it up. There are many other systems on the market that have a proper PIR detection system that uses Passive Infrared sensors to detect the heat given off by humans, animals and cars, thus being much more reliable if you wished to set triggers based on true motion. I don't know if that actually works out better in the long run or not but if I was in the market for a whole new system, PR would be a huge consideration. Reolink is getting hammered in social media for not offering PIR in their new 4K line-up.

 

[OCD Solutions]

All we care about is the view on the turtles.

You mean these guys!

 

[OCD Solutions]

I posted these pics of a Crane Fly on our “Turtle Island” Facebook page and tagged Reolink so they shared my post to their US and Cambodia pages so we got over 8k likes in a single day.

 

[Quinc]

Awesome! Have you seen much of that prehistoric looking turtle?

 

[OCD Solutions]

Awesome! Have you seen much of that prehistoric looking turtle?

Which one?

Sparkles the Florida Softshell

Or the geriatric slider, AKA, Old Geezer?

Sparkles doesn’t come around too often these days but we see the old guy all the time.

 

[E350]

OCD: FYI, Nest is continuous recording. And continuous streaming. (You are thinking of the short clips which Wyze cam has. I played with Wyze cam and have no interest in it.) Nest 5-day cloud storage is very reasonably priced but it will not store to NAS or a PC or to anything local.

Couple more questions:

1. Reolink is POE but does it send the video signal through the Ethernet cable as well? (Nest is wifi signal video transmission to the router. I don't like that, because it is Power Over Ethernet to power the friggin' cameras but is subject to wifi distance degredation for the video signal.

2. Does Reolink work on PC/Desktops? Nest works great on PC. So, I usually check and stream it on my laptop. Or stream it continuously from a desktop PC to the T.V.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Ethernet cable is comprised of 4 twisted pairs of copper wire. POE delivers power over 2 pairs and video communications over the other two pairs so yes, one cable does everything.
Reolink does have a Desktop Client for Microsoft and IOS, in addition to the App on androis and IOS.
I use it to review all my footage plus it allows to take snapshots and videos.
The only time I ever direct access the NVR is setting up a new camera or reviewing large time frames of footage. The NVR can playback footage at up to 16x's but that feature is not supported by the PC Client.

My wife works from home and has a couple of our old iPads set up to stream our cameras on either side of the desk. One does ours, the other has her parent's house.

I have the PC software on my computer as well as one of my CNC PC's so I can have them up out in the garage as well. Plus I supplement with my phone as needed. Unfortunately, work blocks them so all I get during the work day are the email motion alerts.

We also have the NVR in a cabinet beside our entertainment center with a 24" HD monitor that gets turned on every morning so the Overview is always up.

Turtle Island was originally setup with a pair of Reolink Argus Pro WiFi Cam's but even with a router on the exterior of the building, there were times where streaming was sketchy. They did not stream continuously though so we were constantly missing things. They had PIR sensors but they still miss things. When we switched to 4K, I ordered underwater rated Ethernet cable and hard wired 2 cams all the way out to the floating platform 30ft off shore. We do love our turtles, lol.

 

[Quinc]

Sparkles! My God that thing is ugly! Have you seen any other ones? Have you tried selling them online yet?

Another idea is to put a Master Splinter toy out there on the platform.

 

[OCD Solutions]

We have never seen another and she has nearly doubled in size. They get up to 24” long and they only get uglier the bigger they get.

The babies are of course very cute and soft.

 

[E350]

OCD: Thank you for your knowledge and your patience with my questions.

1. Does each camera record audio?

2. Can you provide a link to the source of long, heavy duty, waterproof, UV resistant Ethernet cables. I will have to string from gable end to trees to get a good view of the back of the house. (Where the bastards took down one of my Nest cameras. under an eave..)

3. I hate IR video. So I would like to pair each camera with a motion detector light which is bright as the Sun. Any recommended sourcing for that?

4. What do you use for indoor cameras? Can I set up a different notification tone for the indoor cameras? In other words, high alert if an indoor camera goes off.

5. Is there another company you would consider switching to because of their features, quality, etc.?

6. Finally, do not be offended, I have to ask, are you affiliated with Reolink in any way either as a shareholder, officer, director or employee or do you receive product for free or at a discount?

Quite frankly a 16 camera kit with NVR and a decent mobile and PC interface for $899 is a smoking deal if the quality is there because otherwise I am planning on adding another two Nest IQ Outdoor cameras for $668 and I will just continue to over load my router's wifi capacity when I do.

And I hate google. Anyone who thinks a private company had the funds to drive down and record video and gps info and router info on every street on planet earth simply does not understand the profit motive in business. You don't see google monetizing its google maps or google earth in any way do you? It is all NSA, which is now infiltrated by China. I want to stay as far away from evil google as possible.

 

[OCD Solutions]

No problem. I’ll do my best to answer but I may me running out of experience that applies to what you are trying to do. It may also require some testing to see if it’s even possible.

For instance, most of these cameras will switch between color and black and white. If you toss on a bunch of lights in the middle of the dark, the cameras may overexpose and then switch to color and be rendered useless for several seconds, right when you want them to be at their best.

I actually keep all our exterior lights off. We have better vision in the dark than anyone sneaking around and them using a flashlight may end up giving them away. But, we also have quite a few cameras with overlapping coverage so we have more angles and more IR light than most would. Take our driveway for example, there are 3 cameras covering our driveway, each with 42 IR emitters so it’s pretty well lit. Now that may seem extreme but if you like the effect, you could add supplemental IR flood lights that could make it near daylight to your cameras.

However, there’s plenty of validity to your point that the cameras don’t deter chit, so what you really need is more of an alarm system than a surveillance system. And that is not really my area of expertise. But, neither are cameras really.

I am an electrician/Instrument technician by trade but I have worked in many manufacturing facilities so I have become adept in many fields. I have wired everything from houses and log homes to 30ft tall CNC riveting machines for making Boeing and Gulfstream aircraft. I’ve worked in Gold mines, sawmills, OSB plants, Oilfields and even ran a Chiropractic clinic for a couple years.

I do not work, nor am I affiliated with Reolink, although I have received discounts and a couple beta cameras for providing reviews on Amazon. I was pretty honest and slayed 2 out of the 3 cameras they sent me. One was just horrible QC that never should have left the factory, especially as part of a promo deal, and the other was absolute chit that never should have made it past the chalkboard much less the sales floor. Their second and third generation wireless cams have gotten so much better though.

Not all the cameras will record audio but most will. I think my PTZ is the only one that doesn’t. You would have to check the specs. It’s also not a default setting to do so you will have to turn it on in the UI.

For indoor, I use a couple C2 Pros. They are no longer available in black though for some reason. I have their power connected to a smart outlet so they are only ever powered up when our alarm system is armed “away”. Like you, I don’t trust people to not be watching us in our homes so they can’t hack into something that isnt even powered up.

I’m pretty stuck on Reolink for home just because of the price point. The bang for the buck is really impressive. I have co-workers that have bought far more expensive systems that are quite disappointed with features and overall camera quality. My boss has built a server based system and has been trying all kinda of different cameras. He’s the reason I made the jump to 4K but my cameras were less than half the cost of his and just as good of an image.

Now, my other co-worker went with a Swann system with built in PIR sensors. I was really interested in getting his feedback but he basically installed it a year ago and hasn’t looked at it since and can’t tell anything about it. Bummer.

The company I work for has a dozen different facilities and each may have as many as five different camera systems on site. Some are old, some are newer but most are way too expensive to recommend for home. We are now standardizing on Avigilon cameras which have a ton of awesome features but even a single basic camera is more than my entire system. My budget for cameras alone on this current project is $250k including install.

I’ll send you a link to the underwater cable I used tomorrow. I can’t remember if I got it from Amazon or eBay.

 

[E350]

OCD: You are the best. Thank you for your help. I use the TP-Link Smart Plugs to turn on the electric blanket before we arrive and the Nest Thermostat to turn on the furnace. Yes, I was going to do this too: "I have their power connected to a smart outlet so they are only ever powered up when our alarm system is armed “away.”

My life is my "experiment." I don't mind experimenting. And will report back my results if I do this.

OCD: You are a good and helpful and knowledgeable person. Thank you for your help.

 

[OCD Solutions]

No problem, although I am in the doghouse for staying up so late last night.

I jumped over your question of different alerts for different cameras inside vs outside. I don't remember seeing that option but I use a different device for such things.
It's called the Guardline and they have many different options for use but I think it would be perfect for your location.
https://www.guardlinesecurity.com/c...0BbW0TDTFUBEuhXPvF9FBzr-cPeoWl9RoCvHkQAvD_BwE

You can wire in relays to bring on lights plus link different sensors to different zones to give you an alert based on direction or location of entry. Each module will link to up to 4 different sensors with distinct different tones.

We used these up north to wake us up if somebody came into our yards during the nights. Mine paid for itself in one night when it woke me up to a truck in my yard and two gentlemen walking around my shop.

My original unit sensed the metal in the vehicle and is now on duty at my parents house. It's been going strong for over 15 years now. I upgraded to the Guardline version because it has PIR and because it has multiple zones. My parents live on waterfront so theirs is setup to alert them differently depending on how the property is entered. They have one on their wharf and another on their driveway. The one I have on my front door was actually purchased for them but it didn't have the range so we brought it home. now it's gives us a 3 seconds heads up before the pizza dude rings our doorbell.

Here's a link to underwater and UV rated ethernet cable.
https://www.amazon.com/Vertical-Cab...e+filled+ethernet&qid=1578142042&sr=8-2-fkmr1

I didn't need 1000ft so I bought mine off ebay.
Just search CAT5E or Cat 6 24-AWG Copper Direct Burial UV Outdoor Gel Filled Bulk Cable