Security cameras

[Greytness]

Next week is aviary installation day! Have been thinking about adding a security system for peace of mind once my babies are outside. Was researching Nest Cam, but see that you also have to buy a storage package per year.

Looking for recommendations as to which system might be my best bet.

[SRSeedBurners]

Oh oh...I have done a TON TON TON of research in this area.  I am currently running a Foscam FI9826 in their bird room and have been for years.    Foscam is chinese as are most of the cameras you can buy.  The camera is average, decent, whatever, but my problem with it is accessing the camera offsite.  Their software absolutely SUCKS!  On their support forum it is nearly a 'set stores on fire, turn over cars' riot situation with users like myself who have spent money on these pieces of shit and they will do nothing to address the issue of accessing their cameras.   A camera is pretty useless if you can't access it right?  So far their only answer is to use a very outdated version of IE if and until they decide to somehow write an interface for HTML5.   They won't because they rip everything off and nothing has come along to steal. 

Don't buy Foscam.  

Don't buy their U.S. former counterpart - Amcrest - they have the exact same issue.

 

Nearly all cameras will have this issue with browser support being a moving target I've learned, so while it's not really Foscam/Amcrest's fault that their crap no longer works, they are still selling their cameras under the pretense that you can use a browser, bullshit.

 

I have considered all the usual suspects: D-Link, Nest, AvertX, Q-See, Lorex, Arlo, Samsung, Night Owl...     There are just too dang many to really figure it out so I threw myself onto the cctv gods, thankfully.

 

 

I have learned that the Dahua cams are pretty damned rock solid and very highly trusted among the cctv gurus.  Also the issue of accessing them offsite is pretty much solved by running Blue Iris on a machine dedicated to running the software.  It has the ability to function as it's own webserver.   You can also buy a pre-packaged NVR system too that does the same thing. 

 

Do you have cabling to the area?   Power or will you need PoE (power over the ethernet cable).  Want wireless or wired?   Pan/Tilt/Zoom?  Do you need it to be 'outdoor' proof?  Do you need nighttime IR capabilities (I use my IR all the time)?

 

I can recommend a setup once I know what you're parameters are.   It will be one of the Dahua Starlight series as they seem to be the best on the planet right now at consumer pricing.

 

 

 

[Greytness]

Wow! Thanks for all the info! Most appreciative! Right now I'm thinking of having something pointing towards the aviary double doors. My fids will be brought in at night, so night coverage won't be high on my list of needs. I can certainly do Wifi. Must they all run on a power cord, or do some run on lithium batteries? Our outlet is probably 30 feet away, and either we or the dogs would be tripping over the cord. It needs to be outdoor proof and be able to encompass the entire perimeter of the aviary. Want something that isn't known to have annoying 'false alarm' alerts.

Speaking of power cords, couldn't someone theoretically unplug and deactivate it before making their way to the aviary?

 

What is a NVR system? 

[SRSeedBurners]

NVR is Network Video Recorder.  It's similar to a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) camera system which is what you typically see at a 7-eleven or some other stop-n-rob type joint.   Both record video for later viewing.   DVR transmits an analog signal, over coax cable, directly to a DVR unit which in turn does the H.264 compression/conversion and stores the video.  OTOH, IP cameras run over your standard Cat5 ethernet cable, are fully compatible with your LAN and do the H.264 conversion right at the camera sending the feed either directly to an NVR unit, or through your LAN/WAN whatever.   They seem more versatile to me.  I won't even consider a DVR unit if someone gave me one for free.   I'm sure there are good uses for them I'm just hell bent on an IP camera so no DVR for me.

 

Based on what you wrote, the only camera that I can think of that fits what you want is the Arlo camera.   They are wireless - completely - running on batteries.   I tried some out in my outdoor aviary and I could not make out my Jardines and Caique from the surroundings half the time.  But it sounds like you are more wanting a perimeter surveillance?   Not something to watch the birds?   If you use something that gives motion alerts inside the aviary I can imagine it would be going off non-stop.  I can't recall if the Arlo required a subscription for alerts or if you got a certain amount of cloud storage and alert for free.  

 

I'm highly adverse to any kind of subscription service for my cameras.   I'm probably going to setup a BlueIris system and run my own server.   I'm ordering my cameras this weekend once I crawl up in the roof and see how the heck Im' going to run cabling to the soffits.

Edited January 19, 2018 by SRSeedBurners

[Greytness]

Your lingo is a bit over my head! LOL! I want a camera that both monitors the fids and anything that might want to mess with them. I could get an electrician in to do some wiring, so if the battery operated surveillance cameras are that limited, I'm flexible. 

 

Can I borrow you? ;-)

[SRSeedBurners]

I'm not sure one camera will work for your situation.  You are wanting to survey the surroundings and receive alerts but you don't want the fids interfering with that.   So in that case a bullet camera, mounted at the top near your roof ridge to monitor the perimeter of the aviary and a PTZ camera inside the aviary to watch the fids.   That's what it's looking like to me.

 

I would definitely consider getting it wired.   Where is your electric panel in relation to the aviary?  If it's just inside that wall where the cement was poured easy-peasy for an electrician.  You can run a cat 5 and electric out of that vent just below your roof ridge.

[Greytness]

Unfortunately the panel's on the opposite corner of the house. The electrician I've used in the past is great, so I'm sure he'll be able to figure something out.

So the perimeter camera sends alerts, but the PTZ one just allows you to observe?

 

[SRSeedBurners]

That's the way I see it.    I'm not really up-to-speed on alerts and how they work as I don't plan on using them.  I suspect that alerts are done through some software detection either on your own NVR system/BlueIris or you pay for a service, like the Nest cams, that do it for you.  In both cases, your aviary cam would constantly be sending you alerts from the birdy movements if you tried to do it with one camera.   

I have seen some of the software, where you are setting up your zones and you could map out the aviary outside of the alert zone.  I think that's how it works.  In that case you could get away with one over-head turret cam.   There are professional systems installers if you think it's something that will get over your head quick too.

 

In our case, this new aviary is getting security bars on the inside that will serve to keep the birdies from crashing into the windows and also keep someone out.

[Talon]

Are you looking for security from thieves, or a camera that lets you watch your birds or both? 

 

I have Dlink to check on my birds, but ADT for my house with a camera as well.

[Greytness]

Both. Once my birds are using the outside aviary, I'd like to have a security camera pointed towards its entrance. I'd also like to have one to watch the birds while they're using the aviary.