Security Camera for 1 Mile Driveway

[Yooperman]

I have a 1 mile long driveway and want to put a security camera at the start with a gate to follow. The problem is that I have contacted 3 companies on the net that sell security cameras and the longest I have found can only be used 2500 ft away. To add to the problem, there is on electricity available at the start location. It would have to be powered by solar.

Does anyone out there have experience in this area for I am learning as I go?

[jwmorris]

There is a 20 watt model here Video transmitters for long range transmission that will transmitt 50 miles.

Key is that you will need "line of sight" more or less, so you might have to mount the TX and RX up on poles at both locations or would need a repeater of some sort at a central "high spot".

[MotorSeven]

Yoop my drive is over half a mile & no available power and I want the same thing. I'll be following your thread......

[Western]

Another option may be a trail camera that uses satellite to notify you when a photo has been taken. It can notify your smart phone, email from what I've been told. I think this may be the best viable option for you.

Heres some::
Satellite Game Camera
https://www.smartscouter.com/ssDefault.aspx
BuckEye Cam

[dstig1]

Can you put a repeater in the middle? There are ways to do this. Starting with an IP cam is the first step. You need to covert the signal for long distances.

Also are there options for short cutting the path? Never hurts to be shorter than the meandering driveway might be...

Try this for starters:
Ethernet Extension Kits - Point to Point Backbone - ethernet extender kit
http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=sh...emart&Itemid=1

[CurlyDave]

... To add to the problem, there is no electricity available at the start location. It would have to be powered by solar.

Be careful with a solar installation.

The highest stress will come on the shortest day of the year, usually around December 21. My neighbor installed a solar panel for his driveway gate in summer. When winter came the solar panel was in the shade of a large tree for almost the entire day.

[Ben in the north]

I will go with an optic fiber 1 pair (50 micron or 62.5 micron multi-mode) and solar power at the end. You can buy cheap ethernet to fiber converter and put a standard IP camera. You will have a standard ethernet available to control you gate also. This fiber can go easily up to 2km.

Benoit

[MikeFarm]

Hiya

I'm using a camera with wireless transmitter and solar panel to send images from my paddocks back to our farmhouse. The camera is a Mobotix camera (an M24 MOBOTIX AG - The HiRes Video Company / IP Video Cameras) with Ubiquity NanoStation M (Ubiquiti Networks, Inc.) and a 65 Watt panel and a 12V car battery. That transmits to another NanoStation M at the farmhouse. It will transmit over many miles, just adjust the power level. I'm using it over about a hundred yards at very low power level. The Mobotix camera allows you to get different lenses from wide angle to telephoto.

Mike

[Yooperman]

Many thanks to all who responded with solutions. For whatever reason, when I was searching, I couldn't find any workable solutions. Now, thanks to all of those who contributed, I have multiple possible solutions.

This is a one year project and I have a lot more to research and learn. But, for now, I am leaning toward the optic cable. Since there is no way I could do a line of sight approach without multiple repeaters and my area gets lots of snow (and weather) I would not have to concern myself with atmospheric interference when using fiber.

Now I need to find a company that can put together a workable fiber package. Or, find something that explains fiber in detail so I can understand exactly what is going on and put together my own package. I suspect it's like most other areas, it is easy and understandable once you know the basics. I have a lot of basics to learn.

[Ben in the north]

Hello Yooperman,

If you go to an electric supplier like ANIXTER our any electrical cable supplier, normaly they sell fiber and you can also ask to have the fiber already terminated with connectors. You will pay about 40 cents per ft. The connector will be around $50 to $100. You just have to ask for e burry type fiber and put it about 6 to 12 inches beside you road. A good weekend job. After that you simply connect a converter/transceiver of the type below and you will be ready.

These are TRENDNET transceiver. I use them often on small job. You can go 2 km and normaly a lot longer.
100Base-TX to 100Base-FX Multi Mode SC Fiber Converter
TFC-110MSC (Version v3.2R)

Regards,
Benoit