Security Cameras for Animal Barn

[Reed Green]

Last year we lost several newborn goats due to our inability to constantly monitor them. We are exploring options for the cheapest way to set up cameras in the barn that can be watched live from our phones while at work. We do not know enough about camera tech to make sure what we are getting is what we need so here is what we are looking for and any recommendations for equipment and brief deployment steps would be greatly appreciated. 

• Safe for outdoor use
• The barn has power but solar panels are preferred
• Night vision
• Ability to livestream to mobile devices
• The barn does not have internet but does have line of sight to the house if there was a dish/antenna thing that was cost effective
• Cameras with AT&T cell capability could work maybe
• Our goal is at least 3 cameras under $500 but we have no reference for price so we could be way off, also 1 or 2 more cameras wouldn't hurt

Our overall goal is simplicity and low cost and once again your suggestions are greatly appreciated

[Bombastinator]

47 minutes ago, Reed Green said:

Last year we lost several newborn goats due to our inability to constantly monitor them. We are exploring options for the cheapest way to set up cameras in the barn that can be watched live from our phones while at work. We do not know enough about camera tech to make sure what we are getting is what we need so here is what we are looking for and any recommendations for equipment and brief deployment steps would be greatly appreciated. 

• Safe for outdoor use
• The barn has power but solar panels are preferred
• Night vision
• Ability to livestream to mobile devices
• The barn does not have internet but does have line of sight to the house if there was a dish/antenna thing that was cost effective
• Cameras with AT&T cell capability could work maybe
• Our goal is at least 3 cameras under $500 but we have no reference for price so we could be way off, also 1 or 2 more cameras wouldn't hurt

Our overall goal is simplicity and low cost and once again your suggestions are greatly appreciated

I can’t speak to money, but internet connected outdoor cameras with night vision are pretty common.  The difficulty seems to be getting internet to the barn.  There’s a couple ways to do that.  Which is best depends on how far the barn is away and how it is connected.  There is wireless, wired overhead buried wire, and ethernet over power.  Ethernet over power is potentially the cheapest IF the wiring that powers the barn has no breaks in it and can be directly tied into.  It’s base2 so it’s not exactly fast, but it’s fans enough for a couple low Rez video signals, so if you can use the electrical lines to carry data as well as power, it’s a lot like buried cable for free. If you Can’t though you can either run an overhead cable or a buried cable.  Buried cable is normally far too expensive but you sound like you’ve got farm equipment and if you’ve got the right kind, like some ditch witch analog, it might be the cheapest way.  You’d need to buy a spool of underground ethernet cable.  It will be rated just like electrical cable, and it likely won’t be cheap, make sure it’s rated correctly.  You don’t want it to leak after a few years. As far as cameras go there are a bunch of kinds.  They all need power though.  Often a standard 110v outlet nearby..  there is also POE (power over ethernet) which is sometimes more expensive but might be needed depending on how the electrical system of the barn works.  If the barn HAS NO electrical power you’ll likely do POE from someplace that DOES have power. So there will be running of cables. If the barn DOES have power but ethernet over electrical wire won’t work (sometimes it doesn’t.  More often than not really) and the barn isn’t terribly far away, you can just do repeaters.  This will likely require 2 to 3 wireless base stations. One in the house with a narrowcast antenna to hit the barn, one in the barn (probably on top or some other not handily accessible place) to recieve the signal and either pass it to the cameras via ethernet, or to a third wireless station which then passes it to the cameras.  So that one sort of depends on how much wire you would need.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Bombastinator

[Ahoy Hoy]

13 hours ago, Reed Green said:

Last year we lost several newborn goats due to our inability to constantly monitor them. We are exploring options for the cheapest way to set up cameras in the barn that can be watched live from our phones while at work. We do not know enough about camera tech to make sure what we are getting is what we need so here is what we are looking for and any recommendations for equipment and brief deployment steps would be greatly appreciated. 

• Safe for outdoor use
• The barn has power but solar panels are preferred
• Night vision
• Ability to livestream to mobile devices
• The barn does not have internet but does have line of sight to the house if there was a dish/antenna thing that was cost effective
• Cameras with AT&T cell capability could work maybe
• Our goal is at least 3 cameras under $500 but we have no reference for price so we could be way off, also 1 or 2 more cameras wouldn't hurt

Our overall goal is simplicity and low cost and once again your suggestions are greatly appreciated

How far away is barn away from the house. Getting large industrial outside WIFI areils to get it back to the house and onto your network.

A generic CCTV camera would work fine. But price wise if its total 500 your going to strugle. Cheapest thing I can think of would be Reolink Argus. They are cheap PTZ camereas so you can move them around to get better look at the animals. They also have solar panel accessories. They also have a phone app so you can veiw it.

 

[alanmoser]

On 12/18/2021 at 8:54 PM, Reed Green said:

Last year we lost several newborn goats due to our inability to constantly monitor them. We are exploring options for the cheapest way to set up cameras in the barn that can be watched live from our phones while at work. We do not know enough about camera tech to make sure what we are getting is what we need so here is what we are looking for and any recommendations for equipment and brief deployment steps would be greatly appreciated. 

• Safe for outdoor use
• The barn has power but solar panels are preferred
• Night vision
• Ability to livestream to mobile devices
• The barn does not have internet but does have line of sight to the house if there was a dish/antenna thing that was cost effective
• Cameras with AT&T cell capability could work maybe
• Our goal is at least 3 cameras under $500 but we have no reference for price so we could be way off, also 1 or 2 more cameras wouldn't hurt

Our overall goal is simplicity and low cost and once again your suggestions are greatly appreciated

I would encourage you to check out Wyze Cameras. If you can place the Outdoor Basestation near a window that has line of site to the barn, it's something worth considering. I use them for home security and they have pretty good coverage. Bonus of the Wyze outdoor cams is that they have built in battery back up, so if you lose power they'll keep recording.