Lesst

jackhandsome I am sorry that my reply was terse, and I apologize to you, rory, and any other reader of this post may have felt that I was just flaming you or worse. It was not to demean you, I think you made that point. Now that you explained what the bigger story was, I'm sorry your timing was off and the new cameras were not focused properly. FYI, IMHO at dusk is the best time to focus your lens, as the lens (iris) is wide open and depth of field is at its narrowest. Plus you see the local viewing monitor screen to aim and focus better than in daylight. Then if the camera switches into night IR mode you can check it all during one time block. Please forgive me again, as I stand by what I said in my first post, maybe not how I said it. People are buying CCTV equipment, and coming to this wonderful forum to learn things, and I amplified a learning moment. Your story only emphasizes my point that you, for your father, are experimenting and investing in CCTV cameras and recorders to deter an act of crime or vandalism, and protect property. In this case a commercial storage facility that is paid by its customers to provide at some level a secure location to store their property. My point to others is why would you spend any money on cameras at a business if you didn't want the video to be used by the authorities to identify and convict a criminal act if necessary. Please, I'm not flaming again, I too have been experimenting to find a more reasonable costing camera that can be used as a license plate reader. The key with any license reader is to be able to stop the tag from moving during the exposure. Any camera that gives you control of the shutter speed to at least 1/2,000 of a second may do the job for you. I have been using some other makes/models to do this but, I am currently checking out two new IP cameras from CNB, CNB-IGC2050F and the IGB1110NF, they are amazing for under $400 w/o lens. In an analog camera the incredible, infamous CNB Mona Lisa chip BBM-20F (less than $150. w/o lens) can capture up to 1/120K. Setting it to 1/2500 works for tags moving up to 20mph or so. You will also need IR Illumination LED Floods to light the reflective material on the tags at night, and the tags will be all you see in your LPR camera at night.

Reality is not what you see on TV, CSI, or Hollywood. You can't enhance something from nothing. All I can think of is how much more do you wish you had spent on a camera that was sharp enough to read the tag, rather than the low res camera that you have to protect $30K+ of equipment? If you can't read the tags clearly every time when you install it, it won't do it when you need it. Everyone, See this as an example, if you can't do it right so it has value when you need it, don't waste your time or money installing cheap cameras, or low res CIF recorders. Everyone wants security video, but I will not sell my customers something that won't do what they need it to do, which is clearly identify people and objects so it can be used by the authorities to locate and convict a criminal if necessary. I walk away from 50% of potential sales, I won't make money by doing a bad job.

I have installed a 4 Axis camera system with Aver DVR in an attorney's office, and have all connections working on my router. The office has a Linksys WRT54GS, with DHCP turned off. All in-house computers have fixed IP's. The office network guy set it up this way. The 2 routers are set up on different subnets, Router 1 = 192.168.1.1, and the video router = 192.168.10.1 He assigned my router (Trendnet TEW652BRP V2.00.32) on his network to: 192.168.1.222 and said that should go into my routers WAN, He then did a DMZ on router 1 192.168.1.222 for my Routers WAN This didn't work! He doesn't want to just make the connection of my equipment directly and have my system enter his network as a switch, but keep my router "Separate" from his network. How is it done so it works please, I appreciate your insight. I know this may not be as secure, but this is the only option for now according to this network guy. The client is upgrading their net services soon so I'll have my own IP in a month or so, but the boss wants to see his video on his iphone sooner. Thanks

Using Trendnet TEW-6xxx class routers. Current job TEW-652BRP (Version v2.0R)

I need to log into cameras so I can "Play" or make any adjustments. I'm using some of these cameras be able to read License Plates, and I have been changing the lighting and shutter speeds to see different results. They seem to do a good job at this. I'd rather play with the settings at home during the night rather than sit in a small cold empty room with an equipment rack, not much fun playing there I can understand the logic better now, that you (industry standard good practice) would prefer to set up like Soundy suggested (?) so you can only login on local network. Referring to local connection I do set up a wireless network and name the SSID the local police name to confound, confuse, and hopefully deter too if someone is sniffing.

I'm glad I brought this up again, great comments guys. I've have been working with video cameras since 1970, but I'm still way to green in the networking department. My current job is in a homeowners association, with cameras and non Windows DVR's at front and back gates with router on DSL, and in the clubhouse on a separate IP from the office network. How is this vulnerable? Also, I cannot VNC into a computer on the local network to 'address' the cameras. So I don't see a way to do this any other way, or don't understand enough if alluded to in above comments. I think I understand Soundy's comment to have all cameras on port 80, and internal IP's :111 :112 ….. but how could I get to each camera separately from outside the local network without being able to address each camera {port} directly? I use all Avermedia DVR's that has a CMS (VMS) but it doesn't connect to any controls of the Axis cameras that I use. Thanks for your additional comments and insights.

I do need to assign each camera its own port number after all. Since I use IP cameras, each one needs its own distinct Port # so it can be logged onto directly from the outside Internet. I use a DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name Server) to make each job easier to find. So to go to the DVR at a site I'll use http://www.whateverdynamicname.com. To login into camera # 2 at that site I go to http://www.whateverdynamicname.com:11112. I wanted to reply so that others reading will know why different ports may be necessary Good Luck Les

Yes I replace the client's router with mine (Gigabit Wireless N). I'll use a Gigabit switch with POE too, sometimes if I have IP cameras needing that. If the client needs multiple wired connections, I set them up a switch separately from my camera switch and just feed the 'one line' from the router to the "house" switch My Network 101 lesson, I only need to open 1 port and just assign distinct IP's for each IP device. Les

I have a weather cam too. The most popular way is ImageSalsa, for capture and moviesalsa to make the time lapse.

My suggestion is to use a good wireless bridge with a directional antenna. Try to get the antenna as high as you can too. Good luck, pro CCTV folks don't like wireless because it often doesn't work or drops out. But you have to do what you have to do or try anyway.

Axis Cameras allow bandwidth controls, "The average bit rate can be seen by setting #b or #B in the overlay text for the video image. To display the frame rate, use #r or #R in the overlay text. #r shows the frame rate with two decimals, #R shows the frame rate with no decimals, #b shows the bit rate in kbit/s and #B in Mbit/s. To configure the overlay in the product’s web interface, go to the Video streaming > Image Settings, and under Overlay Settings , check the box Include Text and enter, e.g. the following in the text field: #r fps, #b kbit/s. This will show the frame rate and bit rate as overlay text for the video on the Live View page " From there you can do some figuring. It's interesting to see how much less bandwidth is used in h264 vs mpg4 or mjpg. After monitoring and looking at your Verizon usage you can get an idea of bandwidth use. Remember bandwidth changes as the scene gets more complicated making a frames files larger, so bandwidth use isn't constant but ever changing as the scene changes. I think you can schedule connections/events too. Axis offers free DNS service http://www.axiscam.net/ you must use serial # of your camera. If you get a good Sprint signal I would use them for the unlimited data plan. We just got G4 where I am at and plan on using this setup a lot in the future for remote setups. But the G3 works well too, just less available bandwidth.

I'm not sure about your budget, but here is how I would do it. A solar panel or two that gets plenty of sun (maybe wind?) and current, with a few heavy duty deep cycle batteries, (almost $200 each for the lead) to run at night, electronics and wiring will cost more than a thousand bucks. Search Altestore and Sunwise for suppliers I wouldn't convert to 110v (lots of energy loss) but use 12 volts all the way. A CradlePoint wireless router with a Verzion Aircard will get you connected, be aware of the bandwidth you'll need to subscribe too. Verizon does not have unlimited data plan like Sprint does. Then you buy a camera, I like Axis cameras, the M1011 is the basic indoor camera for around $160.00+/-. The M1031W has a light that will come on when motion detected around $270.00+/- these cameras have no low light viewing, that would cost more too. Good Luck. Any other ways to do this guys?

I recently ran cat5 underground through PVC conduit and it worked great. Cat5 underground (UF) traditionally has a Gel Filled or flooded core cable. The cable inside is coated with a Gel substance to fill the voids in the jacket to keep water from seeping in. You can find it unfilled so maybe if your in a desert environment it's OK, but I'm in Florida with all the rain and humidity I went with filled wire. It's just a little messy when you cut it and separate the wires, just clean off the gel and use as usual. All conduit will probably fill with water eventually so you must use UF underground if you want it to last a long time.

I picked up a nice lens on auction, but cannot find a wiring diagram for the focus - zoom wires that I can understand or believe. Google leads to an old post on this forum but links to a Pentax webpage that no longer exist. Can someone please put the wiring info here? I have red, green, white and black wires in the focus zoom wire, the auto iris wiring cable is intact and works fine. I just need to make a switch box using center off double pole switches to control the zoom/focus. FYI the lens is Fujinon D6x8.5C-SND52B Thanks

I am doing my first exterior camera install at our beach side condo complex to watch over pool area. Camera will be facing East, I know the lens glass area will be getting covered with salt mist, like our windows and need periodic cleaning, so I think I want to use a flat port rather than a dome, and locate it so it can be easily cleaned when needed. Does anyone have suggestions as to best camera or housing type or any other install info to help with the salty air?

I installed direct burial CAT 5, 2 years ago at a HOA community playground to connect the local DVR to a DSL line so security office could view cameras. It is tough stuff with a heavy exterior. We had no problems putting it in as you mentioned but in Florida we just were moving sand. Be sure to dig it deeper if the yard guys may edge any area, like around trees, sidewalks, or curbs. You should try to get it at least 4" down I would think. I ran the cable through a ¾" x 24" metal pipe to help push the wire into the deepest part of the trough and fed it out and down the narrow trench then my assist would step on the cut to seal it down then I would pull the next little strip out. We moved along as we trenched. Easy with 3 one the job, a little harder with 2, a pain if one guy was to do it.

Your Lens mm? = field of view and size of sensor? determines

Thanks, I'll put that in my memory bank. This is why this forum helps a lot of us by you ALL sharing the knowledge that you have, so we're smarter for our customers

Wecome! What are you wanting to do to "watch" your car/home??

I had used Linksys exclusivly for years, and delt with others using D-Link BUT> I was told about Trendnet routers and they are great. I get the old (brand new) Wireless G's now for about $20 the N's for $45+ . You can log into the router too, so you can do any additional port forwrds remotely or check the "line" out. Also because Trendnets are not as popular there are fewer who can hack them if your concerned. Just change the password and Ports from the defaults.

Bright colors are more of a hardware / software issue rather than the chip. You can bump up the color on most DVR's by using the saturation setting. Try to compare sharpness between the two.

As mentioned a lot of factors make up a cameras final recordable image. But I have always found the Sony chip cameras better than Sharp sensors. Also note that many Sharp imagers are the 1/4" imagers not the 1/3" chip that the Sony chip cameras "typically" may have. (Both make both size imagers)

Welcome to the CCTV Forum

Welcome to the CCTV Forum

Welcome to the CCTV Forum