cglaeser

Yes, that's what I would have expected after reading the manual. There is a setting that allows you to either pull up or pull down to trigger the alarm. Best, Christopher

Analogies in forums often remind me of the scene in "Throw Mama From the Train" where Larry reads the first sentence of Owen's paper and declares, "I have a terrible headache in my eye."

The manual mentions a setting for low-voltage and high-voltage. Perhaps there was an error in the translation and they meant something like 0V and +5V. Check the settings, and you might try pulling up with a resister. Best, Christopher

I used to run everything on my own equipment, and still do for some things just due to entropy, but if you run the numbers, it's often far cheaper to just do it in the cloud. Large server farms with acres of equipment racks are extremely economical to lease some space. I just paid Hostmonster about $200 for a three year extension, and I host a dozens of websites, many email addresses with Postini spam filtering, ftp accounts, SQL databases, and numerous other services. They provide high uptime, backups, UPS, and high bandwidth. Best, Christopher

In addition to form factor, what are the differences between the VBM-24VF and VCM-24VF? Best, Christopher

I think some of you have both of these cameras. Which has better low-light performance? Best, Christopher

OK, understood.

Agreed. I'm surprised at how well some auto configuration tools work these days (e.g. email, wifi) and something as simple and common and DHCP support should be a given. Some vendors get it and some vendors don't. We stopped purchasing Canon printers because they refuse to release 64-bit drivers for many models. We switched to Brother because they are solid affordable printers and Brother understands how to develop software. Some companies have great security cameras, but if the software falls short, it's very frustrating. Best, Christopher

I encounter this issue with other types of devices from time to time. I change the PC to something like 192.168.0.2, connect to the device, change the device to something like 192.168.2.20, then change the PC back to 192.168.2.2. But yeah, it's a bit of a hassle given the broad support for DHCP. Best, Christopher

Wowzers! Do you want to see the intruder or fry them? Best, Christopher

Thanks. I have a 502 and eagerly await the side-by-side night images. Best, Christopher

Did you get a chance to capture some night images? Best, Christopher

Thanks in advance! Best, Christopher

Yeah, I was thinking outdoor, but on second read, I think you're right, the OP may be referring to indoor. Best, Christopher

I have a camera and PIRs aimed at a concrete driveway with large trees on the side. On sunny windy days, the tree shadows dance a jig on the concrete. The Optex PIR motion sensors are never never ever ever confused. Never a false due to high contrast moving tree shadows. And when someone walks up the drive way, bingo, the PIRs always pick them up, day or night! Which video motion detector can match that accuracy? Best, Christopher

Does exacq support IO boards such as the KIO-1616? Best, Christopher

That yard is perfect for a photobeam fence. It would be easy to build an early warning system to alert you if anyone came into your yard. I would reduce the number of cameras and allocate the money to Optex photobeam fencing and a couple Optex or Crow PIRs. Best, Christopher

Check out the Panasonic 502. Yes, if you want covert, semi covert, or don't want light pollution. The white leds are awesome if light pollution is not an issue. Best, Christopher

In addition to the comments posted above, there have been significant advances in Super HAD II vs Super HAD. Most of the relevant data I have seen compares sensor technology, and I've seen very little comparing actual cameras, but just based on the sensor data sheets, one would expect good low light performance from this latest generation of Super HAD II. Best, Christopher

Does it have to work? Best, Christopher

No offense taken. My first system was the Powermax Visonic, and I replaced it with the Lynx. The reason I replaced the Powermax was because the chime would not tell me which zone was faulted. Although the Lynx has a limited vocabulary, the vocab was sufficient for my purposes. So, I know before I get out of bed which zone is faulted (e.g. front yard, front door, garage, side gate, mailbox, etc). In addition, I have several wireless remotes around the house, so I can hear the zone fault announcement anywhere in the house. That said, the most important feature is to know that an outdoor sensor has faulted in the middle of the night so that you can monitor the video cameras for further action. Virtually any of the security systems will support this, including the Powermax and others. Best, Christopher

Right, I wouldn't add the outdoor motion sensors to the monitored home alarm. I have two alarm systems, one that is monitored for the house, and one for all the outdoor sensors (motion, side gates, and mail box). The alarm for the outdoors has voice commands, and lets me know which zone is faulted at 2 am so I can get up and check the video monitor. The Optex PIRs are excellent. The Crow DareDevils are reportedly very good too. I used a Honeywell LYNXR for the second alarm. Best, Christopher

OK, perfect. When a homeowner's car is burglarized, they often install cctv camera systems with the intent to ID the burglars. That's really hard to do with cameras alone, particularly at night. When they notice their car has been burglarized, they review the cctv tapes, only to discover they can barely tell if the person is male or female. A much better solution is to install cameras in combination with PIR motion detectors that set off an audible alarm next to your bed. Then, when the alarm goes off at 2:30 in the morning, you can wake up, check the cctv camera monitor, and call the police. Optex makes a good selection of wireless PIR detectors that work with virtually any alarm system. They also have a model that works standalone. One well-place Optex PIR can easily cover your driveway and notify you when someone is in your driveway at night. FWIW, I have bagged four arrests in the past six months using a combination of cameras and motion sensors. FWIW. Best, Christopher

Yes, I can recommend some improvements. During the theft, where were you? Sleeping in your house? Best, Christopher

Which distributors are on your list so far? Best, Christopher