Cheap DVR-based cold weather video surveillance system?

[minc3d]

Hey everyone,

Looking for suggestions for a client job I am doing which we are setting up a lower-end video surveillance system for. I have scoured the various kits out there from Swann and Night Owl but none seem to offer cameras (dome cameras?) that are for colder weather.

Being in Chicago, we need cameras that can withstand up to about -10F degrees. Most cameras in these kits either stop at +10F or 0F.

1) Any good bundled systems that offer the cameras and DVR together (4 cams) that can take such wind/snow and temp like we get in Chicago?
2) Are weather ratings on these external cameras truly to-the-dot on what temps they can handle? Or are these merely guarantees on what the manufacturer believes the camera can handle?
For example, if a cam is rated for 0F, can it "technically" be used for Chicago weather?
3) Would it be better to merely just buy everything piecemeal? DVR, Cams, and cabling?

I have little experience with video surveillance but have an industry coworker who is helping on this job and is showing me the ropes, but he has not done a whole system setup from start to finish on his own yet either.

Any advice is recommended. Thanks video folks

 

[wimwauters]

I'm only aware of weather-proof housing with heating (or hot air blowing) in them.

Military spec IT hardware can deal with higher temps, but for lower temps they just use heat from elsewhere (engine/fuel) to keep the transistors going.

Maybe check on CCTV forums and then report back to us

 

[minc3d]

The most cost effective option that I have come across seem to be these dome Sony CCTV cameras off the net which are supposedly rated to -4F which is about the best bang for the buck before stepping up to the -30F and -40F units which have their own heaters inside. I can't justify a price tag that crazy (over $150 per cam) since our weather in Chicago only rarely gets that bad ... it isn't always common. But it does happen, and I don't want the cams going out/down due to it.

I guess I was just looking for insight from anyone who installs cams/systems like this for what they have seen in the line of work. If you have gotten away with using cams rated for a few degrees below zero, have they sustained operation when temps hit below what the cams are rated for?

That is my biggest question. I will likely be going with a DVR from Night Owl as they seem pretty reliable and are cost effective.

 

[beeptc]

DVRs/surveillance cams is an exciting industry - having worked for a surveillance company recently with fairly crappy cams and software, I researched into this area quite a bit.. IP cams are awesome, and if you look on newegg there are some good deals.

I am not too sure on your exact situtation what cams would be guaranteed to survive harsh conditions like that. I have heard stories of people in very cold areas using off the shelf web/IP cams and being just fine exposed to the elements for a couple of years. It depends. some times you can find enclosures that are heated. that may be the way to go.

I would check out this DVR software. http://vitamindinc.com

 

[minc3d]

IP webcams that are weather-ready and provide as smooth a framerate for the price range I am looking in just arent cutting it, spec wise, like their BNC counterparts sadly. I would def go IP Webcam with POE if I had a price limit per cam of $180-220.

For about $80-90 per cam I can -4F coax cams with enclosures that are vandal proof. Only more expensive part is running the siamese cabling which is more per sq foot than good cat5e.

Thanks for the suggestion though - I am going to investigate that software.

 

[silvano]

Don't mean to threadjack, but I've got a client who purchased Lorex LNE3003 cameras. The included software only does rudimentary recording with no overwriting/dvr capabilities. Any ideas or thoughts towards relatively cheap/freeware software that can do what we need? Trying a few different things, but not having any luck finding anything that works behind standard viewing and basic capturing/recording.

 

[minc3d]

Did u inspect the link mentioned above, vitamindinc.com?

 

[silvano]

Did u inspect the link mentioned above, vitamindinc.com?

Completely missed it, thanks for pointing it out. Demoing it now, but feature lists seem to be just what I was looking for.

 

[pceinc]

Check with UnixCCTV. They are a disti of all things CCTV. I've not used CCTV in extremely cold environments like you get in Chicago but the cameras we get from Unix don't require heaters unless you go IP based.
I use Axis cams in my office. The kit from D&H was approx. $2000 bucks 3 years ago plus I bought an 8port POE swith for $250.
However, they are indoors, not IR, but have excellent resolution. The Axis recording software is excellent as well. Highly recommend them for higher
end jobs. Axis is easy to become authorized.