20,000 Sq/ft Indoor Arena needs cameras

[KentuckyAirsoft 0]

Hey guys, We are going to be starting up an Indoor Law Enforcement Training Facility. We are building a small cluster of rooms and houses inside a 20,000 Sqft warehouse, and we would like to have cameras spread out around the facility to keep track of how the simulations are going. And to let the rest of their team back in the briefing room see the other members progress.

 

we would like 15-20 cameras run to TVs with 2 cameras per TV, do not need to record.

 

Any suggestions on where to start looking? to find out what I need and what to expect cost wise? I expect it to be expensive, but I'm hoping for a rough idea.

[bpzle 0]

Neat project!

 

Price? Hard to say... every job is different. Depends on how you have your rooms setup, lighting, etc....

 

I would recommend using a dvr instead of some pre-historic multiplexr. I know you don't need to record but this will be the most cost effective way to see all the cams at once. Plus you could do neat things like get the cams on the internet ad view from phones or computers...

 

Are you interested in installing this system yourself? I have some pretty cost effective ideas... but would need to know more details.

[Birdman Adam 0]

Gotta love airsoft - I play all the time!

 

Choosing cameras depends on how much detail of what they are doing that you want. If you want a good view of "Four people have reached Room #2", you can spend as little as $50 per camera, and still get a pretty decent picture.

 

If you need to see in the dark (like completely dark rooms), you will need to use cameras that have IR (light we can't see) to illuminate the area. Indoor domes from CNB could be a good choice for you all around. Just Google the model names, you'll find prices online. Many of these cams have vari-focal lenses, so they can be used to get a nice wide view of a room, or tight shot down corridors or entrances.

 

http://cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product_list.php?maxx=1&midx=4

 

On getting this to TVs, can't think of an easy way to split TVs into 2 or maybe 4 cameras each, other than to use a DVR. Plus, you may feel like recording in the future.

 

In case you need any ideas on design of the room - check out this channel. They help out the local law too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MilsimJunkie1

 

Wish I had a place like that around me. Would love to do some CQB...

[KentuckyAirsoft 0]

Have to stretch every dollar as far as I can - so Installing myself is prob what will happen. I can give as many details as you need with what we now have locked down - But we are still in the bank/red tape phase so things are in flux.

 

Id like to get as detailed an Image as possible, but Money is an issue ( like always ). I think a NV cam would be interesting for all dark Operations, But customers would be using flashlights in those situations, will that mess up a cam set to see in dark/low-light? I haven’t budgeted for this expense yet, so How much I have to spend is in flux - I'm mostly wanting to get an Idea of what i can expect - or what I could get for the money. I know, I know .. there are SO many variables, that its really hard to nail down a number - but, I have no experience with this field, so I'm not sure what to even expect.

 

my Big question is, if I go Wired, how do I run the cables? this buildings will be free standing, on a concrete floor, with the ceiling 15-20 feet overhead. would I need to either stretch cables though the roof and then across the beams back to the Briefing room? Or is Wireless the way to go?

 

Most of the building will not have covered roof, so mounting a camera up high, can be focused down to see almost an entire buildings insides. Means we don't need a camera in Every room/hallway as if place high enough ( set up on a pole attacked to outside wall and pointed down) could see a lot

 

 

Birdman: Yes, I’m a big fan of Milsimjunkie - We plan to model our facility in similar fashion to CQB City, where its a series of buildings and terrain, like a small city. Rather then some other facilities where the entire facility is JUST hallways and rooms, no separate structures.

[KentuckyAirsoft 0]

And, the Idea of streaming our feeds live to the Internet, is actually a really cool idea. Might be something to look into.

 

I'm looking around and seeing a few Package deals for 16 camera setups with DVR in the 1,600-2,500 dollar range. How good are package setups?

[bpzle 0]

Packaged systems? Blah... there is no single camera right for every job. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on this but I would stay away from packaged deals. That way you can pick and choose each camera, even send one back if it doesn't do the trick.

 

Also, in 99% of the "packaged" deals I've seen the included cameras are very poor quality. I've tested quite a few of the "popular" ones... I could go on and on about why they suck... but there's only so much time in the day.

 

I know its tempting, but be very careful if you take a peak on Ebay or down at Costco/ Frys. Lots of junk from China being sold and what seems to be crazy good prices... not so much.

[Birdman Adam 0]

Stay away from the package setups. They sound good, but the cameras will be bad at night-vision, and most comes with silly pre-made cables. Plus, the DVRs are cheap and clunky to use.

 

Putting something together is really the way to go, everything can be done just how you want it. In terms of cables, I would probably mount your camera where you want it, then run the cable straight up to the ceiling. All cables can be run to a sort of 'home-run' raceway that goes to the briefing room.

 

If you feel like you may want to stream video at some point, then a DVR is definitely the way to go. Others can suggest good DVRs with nice live view and streaming features, because I have no idea.

[SDM Group 0]

I would probably look at Axis M1054, so much flexibility as far as streaming video. Also has 2 way audio that may come in useful. Would need storage and software also.

[thewireguys 3]

I would probably look at Axis M1054, so much flexibility as far as streaming video. Also has 2 way audio that may come in useful. Would need storage and software also.

 

 

The customer is looking for a LIVE viewing. I would not recommend a IP system for this setup.

[bpzle 0]

I would probably look at Axis M1054, so much flexibility as far as streaming video. Also has 2 way audio that may come in useful. Would need storage and software also.

 

 

The customer is looking for a LIVE viewing. I would not recommend a IP system for this setup.

 

Agreed.

[Tailbone215 0]

Neat concept! I hope you guys get it off the ground. The goal here should be quality, not quantity as you will end up with a pile of crap at the end of the day. Start out small and add more if the cameras you select meet your needs. You are in a commercial building with open space so wiring is a breeze. If budgetary restraints are an issue, I would look into some used true day/night box cameras w/lens on eBay. There are always great deals on Bosch, Toshiba, Sanyo, and Panasonic. Buy four of them and set up a temporary install and see if the resulting resolution meets you and your customer's needs. Everyone is always looking for HD quality images, but not willing to pay the price.

[bpzle 0]

Neat concept! I hope you guys get it off the ground. The goal here should be quality, not quantity as you will end up with a pile of crap at the end of the day. Start out small and add more if the cameras you select meet your needs. You are in a commercial building with open space so wiring is a breeze. If budgetary restraints are an issue, I would look into some used true day/night box cameras w/lens on eBay. There are always great deals on Bosch, Toshiba, Sanyo, and Panasonic. Buy four of them and set up a temporary install and see if the resulting resolution meets you and your customer's needs. Everyone is always looking for HD quality images, but not willing to pay the price.

 

Great advice!