Straight Forward Technology

Quote Details

This quote covers two security cameras for the cottage and stage areas at The Portsea Camp. These locations are far from the main building where the recorder is located, so wireless bridge units will beam the camera feeds back without digging trenches across the property.

For the stage area, a metal pole with concrete base will be installed to mount the camera up high for optimal coverage. Both cameras will record to the existing system in the main building, plus save footage locally to their own SD cards as backup if the wireless connection drops out.

The Cameras

Dahua 5MP WizColor cameras will be installed at both locations. These are professional-grade cameras that record in full colour even at night – no more grainy black and white footage. They use AI to tell the difference between people and vehicles versus trees blowing in the wind, so false alarms are dramatically reduced.

Key features:

• Full-colour night vision using ambient light (moonlight, existing lighting) – warm LED adds gentle fill light when needed
• AI smart detection that ignores leaves, shadows, and animals – only alerts for actual people and vehicles
• 5 megapixel resolution – clear enough to identify faces and read number plates
• Built-in microphone for audio recording
• 256GB SD card in each camera for local backup if the wireless drops out
• Fully weatherproof for Australian outdoor conditions

The Wireless Bridge System

Ubiquiti NanoStation 5AC wireless bridges will be used to connect everything. Think of these like invisible ethernet cables through the air – they create a dedicated wireless link between buildings.

How it works:

• One unit will be mounted on the main building and broadcast to both camera locations
• One unit at the cottage will receive the signal and power the cottage camera
• One unit on the stage pole will receive the signal and power the stage camera

These aren’t like typical WiFi – they’re enterprise-grade point-to-point links designed specifically for outdoor installations. They handle up to 450 Mbps, which is way more bandwidth than needed for two camera streams, ensuring crystal clear footage.

The Stage Pole

For the stage camera, a heavy-duty metal pole with proper concrete foundation will be supplied and installed. The pole will be dug down and set in concrete so it’s rock-solid in any weather. The pole provides two mounting points – one for the wireless unit and one for the camera up higher for better coverage of the stage area.

How It All Connects

Both cameras will connect to the existing 32-channel recorder in the main building. Currently 15 cameras are connected, so there’s plenty of capacity for these two new ones with space left over for future expansion.

The cameras will record 24/7 to the main system like the other cameras, but will also save footage to their built-in SD cards. If the wireless link has a hiccup or power goes out in the main building, the cameras keep recording locally – no gaps in coverage. The SD cards hold about 7-10 days of footage each.

Installation

The installation includes:

• Stage pole: Excavation, pole positioning, concrete pouring and curing
• Wireless bridges: Mounting all three units, alignment, network configuration, signal strength testing
• Cameras: Cable running, camera mounting, aiming and focusing, power connection
• Configuration: Adding cameras to the recorder, motion zone setup, SD card backup configuration, system testing, demonstration of mobile viewing