Home Security Camera question

[Masempine]

Flex conduit would be best. Solid conduit from breaker box to central wiring point with two circuits. If they cut one power cable at a camera, will short conductors and trip breaker. Put half of cameras on one circuit and half on another. If you dont have spare circuits you could separate and separately fuse circuits at that central point

 

[buckeyefarmer]

There are boxes available for some cameras, or mount camera over the hole.

 

[EddieWalker]

FYI anything over 2mp doesn't give good nightvision results.

I do not understand what that means? Does it matter if it's Cat 6 or Cat 5 for the best night vision results?

 

[chesternator]

Flex conduit would be best. Solid conduit from breaker box to central wiring point with two circuits. If they cut one power cable at a camera, will short conductors and trip breaker. Put half of cameras on one circuit and half on another. If you dont have spare circuits you could separate and separately fuse circuits at that central point

Should be using battery backup for clean signal that keeps working for some time if power goes out or is purposefully cut off.

 

[chesternator]

I do not understand what that means? Does it matter if it's Cat 6 or Cat 5 for the best night vision results?

Cable wont matter for night vision. It is yet another consideration though when it comes to picking out cameras. Specifically need to look at night vision capability if you dont have great lighting. Better or more expensive camera does not mean it's also better at night

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. In a few years, I will start a thread and ask for suggestions on what to buy that will work with the Cat6 cables that I will have installed.

 

[CMV]

I do not understand what that means? Does it matter if it's Cat 6 or Cat 5 for the best night vision results?

I don't understand either. There are plenty of <2MP cameras with crap night vision too. Think of a game cam - these are working same way with a ring of IR LEDs to illuminate the night vision. Just like those have vast differences in quality level for both day & night pics, these cameras will have same issue. Hotspots (like car headlights, a streetlight) can wash out an area just like your game cam. The benefit of PoE and say 8MP camera is they have color night vision technology - they will use available ambient light and not be so quick to switch to IR (like my interior shot before - you can kind of tell the ambient lighting level inside the house just from the BW pic + the outside pic from same time of day. Not "dark" in the house by any means, but not extremely well lit either. That camera was in IR mode. A newer color NV camera would be using that ambient light and staying with a better full color picture in those same conditions.

Does cat5 vs 6 cable matter? - nope. Either vs BNC probably does - there are very few BNC cameras with color night vision. Although there are plenty with excellent (for what it is) IR night vision - just like there are plenty with crappy IR night vision. Again - think of the variation in pic quality you have with a $45 game camera vs a $180 one & how a $120 falls in between but generally a lot closer to the $180 one.

Color night vision will still switch to pure IR B&W picture, but won't do that unless there just isn't enough ambient light. Like your game cam, even though you have 2 pictures at same resolution, the daylight color is lot better overall quality than the night IR.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. While it's way to early to commit to anything, my current plan is to have a total of 8 cameras. One will be dedicated to just the driveway heading towards my house, then two will be on the front porch covering the door from the side that will also show the front parking area, and another will be at the door, like those Ring commercials that show the persons face when they come up to the door. The other five will cover the back yard and interior areas that somebody would have to walk through. I also want to see what my dogs are doing during the day!!! My thinking will be to get the best camera for each location. I've seen too many security pictures that are too fuzzy to identify anybody or anything.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Either cat will work.

 

[Masempine]

I bought cheap wireless cameras for grandmas front porch. Great in daylight (color) fuzzy B&W at night. Grandma didn't like them. If someone sees I've got cameras they'll come in to get ME . She has a point. Depends why you want video. For online remember that a hacker can see what you'll be seeing.