Birdman Adam

Samsung makes great DVRs. BUT - THAT DVR is an all-in-one box. I would not go with that. You will NOT be easily able to use other cameras with it. They make this DVR to go in the big-box stores... It can do 15FPS on each channel at once on D1. That is fine, but a sign of quality is a unit that can do the full 30... Refer to my project thread in my signature: You can see the cameras I used, as well as the DVR (a really GOOD Samsung DVR), and view test shots, and a youtube video of the live viewer. BTW - it has 5 internal HDD slots, so you you could load it up with 3TB drives, and have 15TB of storage!! And thats just internal capabilities. It has I think 3 USB on the back, and one more in the front for the mouse. So you have LOTs of options.

Yea, well for once in my life I have a nice computer, with a nice screen resolution, so I recorded in 720p - so that you guys could really SEE what was going on. (You can tell I hate low-def screen captures!!!) OK - the video is private: Samsung SRD-870DC Web Viewer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ond1V9kPrHA Photobucket pictures: http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h350/Birdman-Adam/CCTV%20Stuff/ Product page for the SRD-870DC: http://www.samsung-security.com/products/video-recording-and-management/dvr/8-channel/srd-870dc.aspx OH - Hey, is it possible to change the name of this thread??? I'm positive it will confuse people!

Thanks Dan. Rory - sounds like a tetanus nightmare! I have been shocked by 120V a few times, through arms and across the chest even. I think my record is about 30 seconds standing outside while my whole body was shaking. I had completed a christmas light string circuit. It was funny because as I completed the circuit, all the lights came on...flickering dimly while I shook... Since I was across line & neutral, the GFI didn't stop the flow... Are GFIs common there? (I'm guessing not!) BTW I am almost done uploading a 800MB (takes forever on a 30KB upload speed) youtube video that showcases the web functions of this DVR. Not sure how I should share it with those who want to see it... I don't want to make it public for everyone... Suggestions?

I had never heard of hijet before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Hijet What kind of mileage does it get? Seems like a good solution - room in the back, but small.

Damn. I need to start working in the CCTV industry!! I have completed a very nice 8 camera analog system for a friend at his cabin near Mebane. Also a super cheap system for my home, completely from stuff I already had. Literally, a sub $200 system, 4 channels, D1... I am saving to get the good stuff!

Welcome! " title="Applause" /> I'm in Chapel Hill - (Chatham County though). Just a chapel hill address really... I'm a DIYer, but have a good bit of experience. How are you liking the heat we are having? I guess it is typical to hit 100 during the summer here... Also, how is the CCTV business in Burlington?

I HAVE FOUND IT!! It is a DIN-6 connector, more specifically, DIN 45322: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector http://pinouts.ru/connector/6_pin_DIN_male_connector.shtml I have found these in use on some cheap cameras. Usually two pins are for video, two for power, and 2 for audio (if available).

Rory that is kind of what I'm wondering. When almost everything is IPv6, will I be able to keep my home LAN as it is, or will I have to give everything an IPv6 address? What is the IPv6 address for internal networks that use this: 192.168.*.*

The thing I like to think about, is how many cameras you can fit on the screen without shrinking them down a lot. So if you have a 1080 (progressive or interlaced) screen (1920x1080), you can basically fit 9 D1 cameras on there with very little shrinking to make them fit. That is surely a lot better than feeding a 1080 screen 1024x768 VGA!

Honestly, what is the need for the car when you can just have a policeman walking down the street like they are supposed to be. When I was in NY there was one on almost every block! I felt safe there.

The install is actually done, has been for a while now. My friend is real happy with the whole setup, from being able to check in with the cameras (DDNS subdomain for free), to being able to arm/disarm the alarm from any phone. (I think that is so cool - I might have to add on that board to my system!) So if it goes off, it will call him, and then he calls back to disarm it, after confirming whether it was a false alarm. Yea, two 30W outdoor's and one 15W indoor's is overkill - but my friend specifically wanted them. So I was like, sure! We were considering getting an add-on PGM output board and power board, plus another transformer for the panel so we could run a couple more! I should mention, the cabin is rather far away from other houses, so the huge sirens are not that big of a deal. The sirens will by triggered by the alarm if any of the 14 connected zones trips. That includes 3 motion detectors, 4 glassbreaks, and like 35+ door and window contacts. All major areas and a hallway have motions' and there are glassbreaks next to each 'group' of windows. I think I spent all of 2 days climbing under the house with mice, a raccoon, and funky mold pulling all of those wires to the center of the house where the panel was... Rory I'm sure you are familiar with this? At some point, I would like to add up all of the connections I made... Probably over 500 including the camera connections, and wiring the phone lines and modem through the UPS. Only snag we ran into was a faulty modem from the ISP, as well as some minor motion adjustment. This was my third time programming a DSC alarm, the newer 1832 was pretty much the same as the two 832's I've redone. I will probably be uploading an HD youtube video showing how the remote viewing works with this DVR.

Well it depends on the output of my video source. If it is HDMI, I will search for a TV-oriented monitor. They can be had cheaply now! If it is DVI, I will go for a computer-monitor. Simply because TV's usually don't have DVI inputs. They usually DO have HDMI as well as VGA with a 3.5mm audio jack.

Just wondering - do you guys usually lock up your recorders, or at least lock the rooms they are in? Seems to me the equipment should have been locked up better! Maybe watch out for other screw-ups from the previous guy?

TheWireGuys, I have been curious about this. What brand of PSU do you use? And could you offer an approximate price? I am wondering how much more a really-good quality one costs?

Yes sir - they are extremely loud. Within like 15 feet, they should cause temporary hearing damage. They are mounted on opposite sides of the cabin, about 15' up. When we did the walk test (2-second siren on each zone violation, for testing), the sirens would echo for a couple seconds after they turn off! We had a neighbor (1/2 mile away) ride up on his ATV to check things out, with a nice little revolver on his right hip. Lots of good old country guys there - good people to have around! These sirens have built-in drivers, with the option of a steady siren (yellow wire positive), or yelp (used for fire usually, red wire positive). So they put out a siren sound. If we wanted even more ear-rape, I would have bought a separate speaker (like a 60W or 100W), and connected it to an individual driver. Also, to follow up on the DVR, it is truly wonderful. GREAT build, from hardware to software. Runs cool & quiet, records great video. And when set on 30FPS - it is practically no different from live video. Remote viewing has been wonderful, set up a DDNS account for free, and my friend can log in any time. If with very slow modem upload-speed, he can watch all 8 cameras at CIF resolution, at normal quality, at about 2FPS.

Read some of the reviews on Newegg... Looks like some people have problem over like 50 feet. But then, they sell cables past 100 feet, and people have said they work fine. The manufacturers are able to get around the distance problem by using thicker gauge wire inside - so the signal can travel farther due to less resistance. They have said the cable is 1/2 inch in diameter, and the connector is larger than normal...

I disconnected my home phone a few years ago to save money! No need when I always use the cell. About connecting cameras to the PSU: See the screw connections? Top is positive, bottom is negative. Fuses for each connection are above the positive screws, along with indicator LEDs. Power wires from the cameras go into the box through one of the knockouts in the top, side or bottom. Strip the wires, loosen screws, and tighten down screws with wire wrapped around it underneath. Keep it tidy with zipties! mA (current) specifications on PSUs simply show the current they are capable of putting out. mA (current) specifications on devices (loads), like a camera, simply show the current they need to work properly. It is totally fine to run a 300mA camera off of any PSU above 300mA. It could even be a 100A PSU, you would still be fine, as long as the voltage is still 12VDC. What you don't want to do: -is connect your cameras to a PSU with a voltage higher (or lower!) than 12V -is use a PSU BELOW the current rating of your camera. The PSU will be overloaded and get mad at you. -is use the wrong type of power to run your cams. e.g. don't supply a camera with AC power when it needs DC!! Some cams can take both. Look at the specs.

IMO, any recent DVR should have a good HDMI output. That way the cameras can be displayed together with more quality. Remember, HDMI can be converted to DVI, and visa-versa as well. No audio through DVI of course!!

I wouldn't recommend from ebay... My picture was just from a generic google image search... Nevertheless, I'd bet the ebay one you got will work just fine for a long time. I payed $65 for my 9-port, 12VDC, 10A power supply. The build quality is very good, from the case, to the PSU, and even the switch. Basically, it is a very small computer PSU. I have 8 cameras on it, and they only pull about 2 amps total. If you go cheap on PSUs, don't load them down a lot. And most importantly: USE A UPS!

Europe has some wierd and dumb ways of using CCTV... Why do they get so freaked out about parking! How were they allowed to spend the money on that silly vehicle!?

Yea, a big PSU with many fused (or PTC protected) outputs are great, and usually pretty cheap:

So its you that dubbed them Neverfocus! If it is fake WDR, forget about that camera. If you need it get a true double-scan one. Plus, in the description it said that to achieve the lux rating it has to set the 'sense-up' to like 256x!!

Is there no manual??? My SRD-870DC came with a nice manual, everything was easy to find. Here's the manual for your DVR: http://www.samsung-security.com/SAMSUNG/upload/Product_Specifications/SRD-450_UM_SPA1012.pdf Seems like half of it is in Spanish? Since all of these DVRs are in the same series, their manuals should work for every model (in most cases). It says in the settings: System Management ---> System Information ---> Broadcast Format ---> NTSC/PAL You could change between the two here. So navigate into that area in the settings, and you shoul dbe able to change it! If you still have problems, I suggest you contact Samsung! http://www.samsung-security.com/support/technical-support.aspx

I would try using something to diffuse the light from the LEDs some. Its a bit 'hackish', but if it works... Maybe try a ring of plastic shopping bag or something? Also, you can maybe bend the LEDs outward some. right now if someone looks up in the middle of the shot, their face will be way too bright to see.

I'm in a neighborhood that is safe. But - we have like one house with some bad kids, and down the street a half mile there is a trailer park that the police are constantly going in and out of! So my problem is, people drive into our neighborhood to throw bottle out the window, hit mailboxes, and rob houses. For me and the other neighbor who has cameras, we have been good. People DO notice the cameras, and everything they do from that point on they think twice about. I put up some no trespassing signs, along with CCTV signs. No more strangers walking around in the woods! So even if you take out the fact that CCTV can aid in the persecution of someone, people realize they are being recorded, and think twice - often deciding NOT to throw that bottle out of the window.