Hello and thanks from Indiana

Jul 31, 2025
2
1
IN
Hello, glad I found this place before I decided to pull the trigger on a cheap "out of the box" system. Big thanks to everyone who contributed to the all the newbie resources and documents, I have read most of them already this week. I am a contractor by trade and looking to put in a 14-16 camera system on a rural hunting lodge on some acreage and no internet access. The wiring, trenching, install is the easy part for me, my struggles are on the software side (I hate computers).
 
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The guides here are helping me figure out the exterior camera selection aspect pretty easily with a little planning and measuring, other than lpr cams which I need to research more. I am planning on empiretech cams and starting out with a few to test and get used to a new system before buying them all. The thing I cannot figure out from initial research is what NVR. My initial thoughts are one of the higher end empiretech NVRs with a secondary backup for storage. But I do not know what the finished setup should look like and if I am missing anything. I do not think I have the time, capability, nor care to learn the blue iris software for it to be worth it. Also, no internet at the hunting property so this will be a closed off system and mainly used for evidence gathering if I or a neighbor has an issue.

Do the nvr setups allow you to still adjust the cameras for better LPR? Should I be looking at a dedicated auto LPR vs a camera that is adjusted for LPR? Country road more of a pass through road so a bit more traffic at shift change. Speed limit is 40mph, most cars are driving 40-50mph, ~130' and 35 degrees one direction and ~45' and 20 degrees the other direction.
 
We just moved from Illinois to Indiana and had some kitchen cabinet work a couple of months ago. The guy did a great job with the kitchen cabinet modifications at a reasonable cost.

The guy doing the cabinet work had a few cameras up where he hunted near by and kept looking at alerts from his cameras on his smart phone.

Not sure how the cameras were connected to the internet. Maybe some WAPs around his public hunting area.
 
Welcome to IPCT! :wave: