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Depends on what the cameras require. Suggestion: CNB VBM-24VF or VCM-24VF. Work on 12V or 24VAC, work great in low light (no IR required), vandal-resistant weatherproof domes. VBM-24VF straddled between 2 street lamps, both 75 feet from target. All factory default settings. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6103627/CNB%20vbm24vf.jpg

Anyone play with this yet? http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?inc=spe&seqx_prod=1081#p_v1

NOTHING in this world is free. You must not have tried very many... that's a rediculous statement. Doesn't exist. "DVR cards" are propritary to the software and vice versa. "Ebay dvr cards and NVR systems"??? Lol! Good luck! The cloest thing to what you think you need is the Linux freeware Zoneminder. What you need is a true enterprise solution. Avigilon, Genetec, Exacq, hell even Nuuo would be light years ahead.... Not some Mickey Mouse garbage pieced together off Ebay... Time is money. You're going to waste both on freeware and Chinese capture cards/ crap... Rory how many Dahua containers did you and your friends import? Look at the size of this guy's project... That's one serious fibre backbone and you want to recommend Chinese standalone DVRs and CMS software for a 300 plus camera job??? Wow....

I have a cam for sell in the classifieds.... it's designed for mobile applications. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=24459 You would need light with this cam.... but it has onboard sd card storeage. You could play the video back off the card... if you wanted wireles you'd need a gaming adapter or a ptp connection back to the house.

Define "open platform."

Here's a full rez shot http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6103627/porch.bmp

They need to both be on the same subnet.

You guys know who the best (maybe even free??) service provider is to get a VOIP phone number for nationwide wide calling? I'm tired of dropping calls on my cell phone (thanks Sprint) and I'd like to be able to leverage my stellar Charter internet connection when I'm at the house... Thanks!

Anyone have any experience with Tranzeo? I got a recommendation for them for a point to point solution I'm working on. Certainly much more expensive... Supposedly the packet throughput is better than Ubiquiti?

Anyone know of any standalone DVRs with the ability to view live, playback, have audio, AND be viewed on a Mac? That's a tall order, I know. I sell a lot of budget units that work in any browser, but none that can playback archived video via Safari or any kind of Mac compatible client software.

Try using Gmail

Wiha precsion screwdrivers are the best I've ever used. If you do tech work, get yourself a set and you'll never look back.

Do you pay for your Hotmail account? If not, Hotmail does not support free smtp. Also, many DVRs do no support the latest SSL required for Gmail or other freebie smtp servers. If you get free email from your ISP, you may try using that. A lot of time they are behind the times, and may not use the latest encryption if they use it all.

I would like to take a thoughtful moment and congratulate Rory on his gif avatar selection. I find it quite fitting, and I got a good chuckle out of it. Thanks for your hard, and often unappreciated work.

Is there a standard that I'm not aware of for remotely punching in "enter" on fixed cameras with RS485 connections? I like access to the OSD via the DVR sometimes and I always have a hard time figuring out what's "enter". I've ran into this with numerous brands...

You can save yourself some trouble and just get a siren and hook it to a small circuit that activates the siren at random times for no reason The result will be about the same as the motion detection function of a common DVR. It is possible to do something along the lines of what you are looking for, but you're probably going to have to step up to higher end equipment. HAHA! By rofl, I mean no offense electro.... However, he's right to some degree... I applaud you for using PIRs for motion detection, instead of video. However, DVRs are NOT alarm systems. There are very few DVRs in the world that could successfully pull this project off... and I know nothing about the one you're looking at so I shouldn't pass judgement on it's worthiness of your goals. You should know, however that what you're trying to do is going to be very tricky to get it reliable enough for a "security" solution... I would advise putting most of your PIRs and/or external triggers onto an alarm panel, and just have a handful on the DVR for basic various alarming/ recording functions. As a suggestion: put most of PIRs and/or triggers on an alarm panel where you can setup zones, scheduling, and arm/disarm parameters. Most any off the shelf alarm panel will do this... if it doesn't have an aux out, you can hook a relay up to the bell output in order to close contacts on your DVR. Security panels are dirt cheap these days... even the tried and true ones. Hope this helps!

lol nice try rory, i took the picture...

Haha...I was thinking that too... and maybe the just recycled the housing?

This is debateable.... but I have not heard fantastic things about CNB dvrs. Although.... to play a devil's advocate: I've heard steller things about CNB cameras and from personal experience that's proved to be a mixed bag... There's no shortage of opinions... Different strokes for different folks... At the end of the day... it all has to do with accuratley matching up YOUR indiviual needs, concerns, and enviornment with a budget. Not something we can easily do without more detail....

Symantics aside... Generally speaking, DC only cameras are polarity sensative and can be fried if the polarity is reversed. I know, I've done it... When it doubt, use a volt meter.

I like that response.

Deciding to make it on your own?! Congrats! I've been there, still learning to do that.

PM sent.

Removed

^Good idea!