SpyGuy10

I need to install a couple of dome cameras in the pilot's lounge of a private airport. I'm planning on using CNB VBM-24VD cams (based on what I've read about these cams in this forum). Access to the lounge is restricted to the airport's tenants and their guests, so it's not an area open to the general public. On the other hand, these are not being installed within a private home either. So I feel the mounting should be more secure than simply attaching them to the sheetrock. But looking at the user manual for this cam, the mounting instructions only discuss screwing the base to a wall or ceiling surface. Of course if it can be screwed into a ceiling joist, that would be stronger than just into sheetrock, but that would be a maximum of two screws in the joist, and there may be problems with routing the cables out the back of the cam. Any recommendations?

I'm seeking a megapixel IP box cam with lens to go into an outdoor housing; budget for the camera body and lens is about $500. (May be able to go a small amount over that if it will get us a significantly better camera.) This is for use at a small private airport. Initially, the cam will be used to monitor a construction site to prevent loss of materials. After that project is complete, the cam will be relocated to the runway area to provide pilots a view of weather and runway conditions (via web site feed), with the additional benefit of capturing any mishaps or other unusual circumstances. When in service at the runway, there will be no auxiliary illumination for the cam: the only light will be natural light and the runway lighting. Therefore, good low-level light capability is preferred. Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for the clarification. I have no objection to a person being compensated for his advice or recommendations, provided that the recommendations are sound. Nevertheless, in fairness to the recipient of the recommendation, such compensation should be openly disclosed. That being said, I have always found Soundy's posts to be quite helpful and very informative. So I hope this situation gets resolved amicably, because I think we will all lose if Soundy stops being an active member of this forum.

So doing some comparisons, it appears the Dahua model number for the 3MP cam you mentioned is the IPC-HF3300. However Dahua has a new 2MP box cam listed on their web site with better specs: the IPC-HF3200. This new model has a larger imaging sensor (1/3" vs. 1/2.8") and better color low-light capability (0.1 lux vs. 0.2 lux). However, a quick search of the Internet failed to turn up anyone selling this cam. Do you know of Dahua distributors in the US?

Sorry to the OP: you were asking about bullet cameras and I replied about box cameras (since I'm shopping for a box camera right now, I've got them on my mind).

That Q1604 does look impressive, based on the photos you posted in the "images" thread, as well as the Axis datasheet for the camera. A search turned up the Q1604-E at Beach Audio for $1,285. That is quite a bit more than what we were planning for, but maybe I can make a convincing argument. One of the other features I like about this cam is its WDR capability. Our runway has a heading of 40/22, and the cam will be pointed ~045 deg., so the camera will be looking into the sunrise every morning. Unmentionable? Why? I'm not familiar with the "politics" of this industry.

Some considerations: 1. For a residence, dome cameras are far more visually appealing; housed box cameras will make your home look like a fort or a bank. 2. Besides aesthetics, you often do not want the camera to stand out. The more obvious the camera is, the more likely a perp will find a way to defeat it and/or vandalize it. 3. Dome cameras have small lenses, whereas box camera lenses are typically much larger. Bigger glass equals better low-light capability and better resolution. 4. A dome camera can see along the face of the wall it is mounted on. 5. A dome camera can be mounted on an arm to extend it's position away from the wall. This can often improve the view. The downsides are that it is more visually obtrusive and easier for a vandal to attack (like throwing a rope over the arm). Of course, the same goes for the housed box camera. Since you're building new, perhaps you can work the cameras into the architectural design of your house.

This kind of TV fantasy nonsense is why killers now walk free from American court rooms: the idiots in the jury actually want to see this kind of "perfect" made-for-tv proof before they convict anyone. They have no capacity to reach a conclusion "beyond reasonable doubt" based on the logical analysis of real-world evidence.

A better reply would be: "Well, ours won't be the cheapest, but it will be the best value for your dollar."

Have a Panasonic POH-1000 outdoor box camera housing. The "Rear Cap/Gasket" is broken (this is the plastic plate and sealing gasket that makes up the back of the housing); the part number is 30-VL956. Are there any Panasonic distributors here who can get this part?

Working on an older Panasonic CCTV system with a mix of cameras: Panasonic box camera (with power zoom) on a PT mount, Panasonic PTZ domes, a stationary bullet cam (unknown make/model), and a DoorKing pinhole cam in a gate entry controller. The Panasonic box camera on the PT mount recently failed. Yesterday, I replaced that box camera with a new CNB IGC2050F; this is a hybrid megapixel cam with both analog & IP outputs. [The plan is to use the analog output with the existing Panasonic system for now, and later upgrade to an IP system.] The new cam has a varifocal lens, but no powered zoom (which was an unused feature on the older Panasonic camera). The Panasonic system was designed to operate on 24VAC, while the new CNB cam operates on 12VDC. So I disconnected the 3 wires for the power zoom from the Panasonic PTZ controller, and used two of those wires to bring 12VDC out to the cam location. The new camera powered up fine and I got video on my hand-held LCD monitor, both at the cam and also at the end of the coax run where the DVR/Controller is located. However, there was no video being displayed on the Panasonic system monitor. The way the Panasonic system is set-up, there is a WJ-MP204C Data Multiplexer between the main system DVR/Controller and the box camera's PTZ controller. The multiplexer injects the PTZ control signals into the video coax cable to the PTZ controller. The PTZ controller extracts the PTZ control signals and then sends power on discrete wiring to the pan and tilt motors at the camera mount (the zoom controls no longer being used). In an attempt to get the system to work, I powered everything off and then back on again. What I found was, when I powered off the WJ-MP204C Data Multiplexer and then powered it back on, the Panasonic system monitor would briefly (about 1 second) display the video from the new CNB camera, but then go black. This was repeatable every time I powered off/on only the multiplexer. So the Panasonic system is "seeing" the video signal from the new camera, but it is not displaying it continuously. I am at a loss to explain this strange behavior. The camera is outputting basic analog NTSC video with a 1V peak-to-peak signal, so I don't see how the camera could be a factor. But it's the only thing that has recently changed in the system. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Currently, there is a hybrid DVR system at one building with several analog cams connected. We want to place two more cams at another building. These two cams will be spaced about 40 feet apart at the second building, and each cam will have different views. But both will have to feed back to the main office building which is a 500-foot home run. Cabling can be strung aerially on our existing phone poles (there are no power lines). We will probably want to stay with analog cams at the second building in order to minimize expenses (cost of cams + IP licensing fees for the DVR software), however am willing consider IP if there is a compelling advantage besides just higher resolution. I'd like to get recommendations on the best way to make the home runs (assuming we stay with analog cams): 1. Two parallel 500' RG59 coax cable runs? or... 2. A single Cat5e cable run with two sets of video baluns at each end to encode/decode the video stream? or... 3. Some other option? I've seen dual RG6 coax with a messenger cable for making two parallel aerial runs (used for dual satellite feeds), but all I've found so far is copper-clad steel conductors and 60% braided shielding; this grade of cable is not recommended for CCTV signals. I have not yet found any dual RG59 solid copper cable. Line power is available at the second building, so no need to worry about supplying power on this cable run; only signal. Or is analog obsolete and I should really be looking at IP cams?

Could you please elaborate on this statement? I'm curious why Avigilon would require half the labor. I assume you're talking about software set-up labor only, right? So why would there be a big difference between setting up the cameras in one software app versus another? Also, how does Avigilon compare in price to NUUO and/or Exacq? Ballpark figures are fine.

Not on my watch. I pride myself on my installations.

I wouldn't even worry about a patch panel in this case: terminate the Cat5e in an RJ45 plug, and plug it right into the balun. Screw the balun to the wall (or whatever you're mounting it to), anchor the Cat5 in place, and you're done. I wrote that about the separate patch panel + baluns before discovering the 4-channel balun with RJ45 port and 4 BNC connectors. With the 4-channel unit, a "patch panel" is essentially already built into the unit. So, I agree: I would simply mount one 4-ch unit near the cameras, and another near the DVR and I'd be good to go. I didn't think 500' was that great a distance for baluns. The 4-ch unit I posted above is passive and they claim it's rated to 1,200 ft on Cat5. Of course that's probably a "theoretical" maximum (ideal conditions), but shouldn't I be able to get at least half that distance?

We are planning to install some cams at a small private airport. The primary goal is one or two cams near the runway so that pilots can view live weather and runway conditions on the airport's web site. We may also add some weather sensors and other data devices that would need to communicate via network connection. It is not practical to run network cable out to the runway, nor to the windsock. Therefore, for the first cam, the plan is to install it on or near the windsock mast. The windsock is 300 meters (direct-line distance) from the airport office building which is the signal destination. There are some aircraft hangars and industrial buildings in the path between the windock mast and the office, however due to the height of the mast (~24'), there is direct line-of-sight to the windsock and the top of the windsock mast from the second floor of the airport office building. We are considering mounting a wireless transmitter at the top of the windsock mast, with the receiver mounted on the exterior wall of the office building, just below the roofline. There is AC power at the mast (for the windsock lights). One consideration is that there is a cellphone antenna array on the roof of one of the hangars. It is not directly in the line-of-sight path, but it is near to it. If I measure perpendicular to the line-of-sight path the the array, the lateral distance is about 20 meters. I don't know if this will have an impact on a wireless network signal, so that is one point I'm hoping to get advice on from this forum. For the web site weather feed, we do not need high resolution, nor do we need high framerates. However, if we can get both without adding substantially to the cost, it might be worthwhile to have for internal monitoring of aircraft operations on the runway (it would be particularly useful if there were a mishap). I've read good things in this forum about Ubiquiti products, but would appreciate some recommendations of specific models for our application. Would also appreciate recommendations on cams. Lastly, does anyone know what software we could use to take the video and generate a public web site feed? We don't want to present a DVR control panel, nor to we want to expose a cam's internal server to the public. Ideally, we would have an informational web page, customized to the rest of the airport's web site, with one or two live video feeds embedded in the page.

I'll post that soon. Thanks.

I was just googling video baluns and found this: a 4-channel passive balun that incorporates its own BNC patch panel. http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/4-Channel-Video-Transmitter-p/balun-4phub.htm

This sounds like the way to go. The DVR I'm connecting to is PC-based. So the coax connects to a PCI card in the computer via a plug-in, multi-cable patchcord (an "octopus"). So I can connect the individual BNC leads from that cable directly to the BNC patch panel. I assume you'd recommend I do the same thing at the building where the cams are located: coax cable from the two cams to the front of a centrally mounted BNC patch panel, baluns behind, and then connected to the CAT5. Correct? Is there a limit on the length of the coax from the cam to the balun? What make and model baluns would you (the esteemed members of this forum) recommend? Should I go for passive or active baluns? Also, should I go with UTP or F/UTP (a single layer of metallic foil shielding w/ drain wire overwrapping the twisted pairs)? The priceing is about the same for either.

The poles are already in place carrying telephone and fire alarm signal wiring between buildings. So the only cost will be the cable and the labor of stringing it on the existing poles. We have our own bucket truck on site for hanging the cable. While I agree that wireless can be the best option for installs where it is very difficult/expensive to run cable (and I have another site that does require wireless), I don't think this project qualifies. I'd prefer a hardwired connection over wireless just for reliability and reduced complexity. In this case, a 500 foot home run on existing poles would not be difficult, even if I had to run parallel coax cables.

I have a follow-up question to my original post... As I stated, this is for a small private airport. We currently have a PC-based DVR running NUUO software, and with a NUUO SCB-7008 (5 analog cameras connected, providing security for the airport offices). This is a hybrid system capable of managing both analog and IP cameras. In addition to the proposed cam at the windsock and/or runway to provide a "weather cam" feed for the airport's web site, we are considering placing some additional cams (3 or 4) at other locations out on the airfield for general security and observing aircraft operations. By necessity, these cams would be far from the airport office, as well as spread far apart from each other (and far from the weather cam at the windsock). The actual locations have not yet been determined, but there would not be line-of-sight between all of these field cameras and the office, and probably not even line-of-sight between all the field cams themselves. Line power will be available at each location, but not data cabling. Any recommendations on how to best interconnect such a wide-spread system of cams?

So far, my only experience with software DVR is from NUUO. I'm curious if anyone has used CNB's software for use with their IP cameras. If so, how well does it work?

Is this something you know for a fact? I'm only asking because the user interface for CNB's software does not look like the user interface for Digifort's software (based on screen shots posted on their respective websites). In any case, is CNBs CMS/NVR software any good? How does it compare against other software such as that sold by Avigilon?

For IP systems, is there a formula or guide for determining how much network data throughput is required for X cams at Y resolution? It would be even better if different cam resolutions can be taken into account independently (e.g., cam1 @ 1.5MP + cam2 @ D1, etc.).

Below is a summary of features for CNBs CMS software: The NVR and CMS software (and related manuals) for CNB's XNET IP cameras and encoders are available as a free download from their website: http://www.cnbtec.com/en/html/down/sw_down.php?seqx_prod=1278 You can read about their IGC2050F megapixel IP box camera here: http://www.cnbtec.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1278