Birdman Adam

Looks like they based their GUI off of my microwave... Seriously though, I looked, and can't find a source for that software... It's probably somewhat generic stuff that comes with less expensive 'kits'.

Hey! I found a great site for calculating voltage drop: http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

So the PTZ may draw up to 3 amps. Does the power supply output 12VDC or 24VAC? Most RG59+2 cable uses 18 AWG cable for the power conductors. Voltage drop may be a problem! The question is: How long is your run? 16AWG wire would be preferred, and will be necessary for longer runs. One more question - what are you using for the data line on your PTZ?

Is the picture clear when viewed on televisions connected to the CATV box? Actually, your diagram is missing a modulator to convert composite video to RF video to be put on a channel for the television to view. If the video is clear on the CATV end, then I'd lean towards the monitor being the problem. Can you test it with another video source to be sure it is operating properly? Make sure your RG59 cables are connected well and are not running near other electrical wires for long lengths.

Auto-tracking PTZs are cool, but they still have a bad habit of missing critical situations: I think it would be much more useful for you to use 1+ high-res cameras (megapixel IP) so that you can zoom in on the recorded image. Maybe use 2+ of these cameras with wide(ish) lens to get about 180 degrees view. With a good camera, even a car in the distance can be zoomed in on after the fact to see the license plate. You will need good illumination to get good pictures at night!

By default Zoneminder captures at 320x240. Zoneminder can capture cameras at full resolution (640x480) - a memory settings tweak is all thats necessary. I have found that with BT878 cards, Windows can only use a limited number of channels, usually just one, sometimes 2-3. Some silliness about drivers I suppose... Linux will support the card with out any set-up with its 'Video for Linux' (V4L) or V4L2. Another thing about these cards - don't expect 7.5FPS on each camera (30/4) from 4 cameras. Most likely your card has only ONE BT878 chip, which means it has to 'switch' channels to capture from each camera. I get 4 FPS on each camera when running 4 cameras. If you need more FPS, buy a card with multiple BT878 chips, like 4. That way each chip is only capturing one channel, and they won't have to switch. Of course, with multiple chips you could also connect more cameras, up to 16.

I always have a problem with the shadow of trees on the ground. even with smallish winds the trees will sway, moving the shadow and trigger recording. Remember - its always good to have some false-positives than to miss important action! That's why I just prefer to constantly record.

All I can say is that they take practice. 50 Ohm will probably work, try it and see!

I think ZoneMinder can use most any IP camera. Just give it the URL of the camera that spits out jpegs and your good to go. There is a video on Youtube about how to get the URL and do this. Not sure where. BTW I use ZM too, has worked fine for me. I am only using analog cameras. Not sure what makes it a 'non-reliable security solution'. Has almost all the same functions as other stuff. Does the same things reliably. Setting it up in the first place is the hard part. I'm not a Linux native. Here's where you set up a new camera:

You definitely don't need a full 30 FPS. Above 4-5 FPS is good, I'd say 5 is 'on the edge', meaning for many areas its good, but some places you'd want more. I say go for 1280 x 800 @ 5 FPS.

Here's the specs in case the link gets removed: Pick Up Device 1/3 SONY CCD Horizontal Resolution 520 TV lines Minimum Illumination 0 Lux IR On Scanning System 2 : 1 Interlace Synchronisation Internal Video output 1Vp-p 75ohm Gamma 0.45 Lens Type 6-50mm varifocal auto iris lens Iris Control Auto Iris IR LED Range 40 Metres IR LED Angle 90 Degree Power Supply DC12v Power Consumption 650mA max Dimension 162 x 100 x 90mm I would rate it as a 4 in a scale of 1 - 10. The amount of IR LEDs should make the illumination pretty good, but the sensor they use probably isn't taking much advantage of it. At least the sensor is 1/3", thats a good thing. The varifocal lens is nice, although at its smallest it may not have wide enough of a view for you. It will have a 67 degree view at 6mm. Use this camera for tighter shots, maybe of entrances or the like. Oh, and its really expensive, a camera with those specs should cost like half of that!

If you hadn't said smoke-free I was going to suggest you clean the lens! (jk) Maybe a manufacturing or design blunder with this model of camera? Since it has acquired this tint over time there's not much else it could be. I would try out some new cameras.

Any time! Got any test pics? It's interesting how these little 'companies' offer these devices which can be ordered in bulk through these sites. I wonder how it got from over there (china?) to you! I don't see any place online where they are sold.

FOUND IT!!! http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Low-Cost/p/bg/1000404186.htm Here it is on Alibaba: http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/10812166/O_RITE_AV_IP_Network_Box.html This site has info on how to use it, like default passwords and such. In terms of connecting to it you should be able to let it connect and get an IP, then login on port 80 with password guest, guest. There must be a small hole to reset with a paperclip?

Those RCA Y cables are meant for the RCA audio, but splitting two video sources together and just keeping one off at a time should work. My TV does this at my house, although its built in. The DVD comes in via S-Video, and we have an old VCR going in one of the composite inputs. If I have the VCR on, then turn on the DVD as well, the picture goes crazy. If I turn off the VCR, the DVD video is just fine. They are obviously connected internally.

I wouldn't use this. -Cheap camera -2.4GHz transmission will interfere with WiFi, WiFi will need to have a channel change to avoid this. Don't believe the 'Zero Interference'. -Range will not be very good

There is a problem with this... The video coming out of the BNC outputs is Composite video - the signal the TV expects on the cable (F-Connector) connection is RF (radio). You need a device to modulate the composite signal onto an empty channel on your TV (converts composite to RF on an analog channel). Here's how I would do it. Get a modulator/injector like this: Connect the output from the cable box to the 'ANT IN', connect the TV to the 'TO TV' output. Connect the BNC output from the DVR to the Composite input with one of these: Then choose channel 3 or 4, whichever is empty. Choose 75 ohms. You can also connect left/right audio as well. This pretty much just injects your composite signal onto an empty channel. Then just add this channel on your TV, and switch to it whenever you wish to watch the cameras!

I wouldn't try and push the Ethernet limit. What would end up happening is your speed would go down more and more the farther you go, this may be OK for a bit, but another 200M will probably be too much. What I would use: Analog signals can easily make it to your house (and further) if you transmit them on cat5e cable, with baluns at each end. You would be transmitting the analog signal over a pair of wires in the cat5e cable. Passive baluns may be fine, maybe go with an active balun at the receiving end. The great thing about using cat5e is that the other pairs can still be used for other things, like maybe 24VAC for camera power (may not be possible at this distance) or maybe data (for a PTZ/remote settings changing). You can run this cat5e in conduit, or buy direct-burial (more expensive) and shove it right into a trench! Normal coaxial cable (RG59) won't make it there. Having a good choke point at the beginning of your driveway is awesome! Cameras with a nice tight lens (and proper filter) can capture plates well. Make sure you have a normal camera for vehicle details too. With the length of your driveway, I don't think anyone looking for trouble will be coming to your house. Has been my experience that they won't try and drive all the way to a house which they can't escape easily from. If you put up a gate, and maybe a no-trespassing sign/cctv warning sign, it only gets better.

I'm always amazed how something as little as that can mess things up. Glad its working now!!

Don't replace, repair!! These garage door systems are very repairable, generally built fairly well. -Could be that the starting capacitor on the motor is going bad, causing the motor to draw too much current. I believe they do have an over-current protection device built in (to sense when it is coming down on a kid). -Check for excessive friction in all joints and such, also look for any shavings! Slide the door by yourself to be sure its not the door/track. -As a side note, check the gears (mines a worm gear driving a normal gear connected to the belt), you are actually supposed to re-grease them every once in a while. Otherwise they run dry and hone each other out due to greatly increased friction. I had to install new gears because we had no idea! The kit came with a big tube of grease. Don't go spraying WD-40/Silicon/Lithium grease on the gears - they need the thick stuff the kit includes. Every year I open it up and re-apply the grease that has been pushed to the bottom/top of the drive gear back on them, this has really helped, and I see no wear accumulating. You can see the grease tube there, it can be bought separately if needed. -There are little contactors that are driven by the drive gear that tell the controller when the door is closed or open. Check that these operate properly and contact when they should. -Could the IR beams be moving when the door opens (causing it to stop)? The IR sensing should only affect door movement if the door is closing.

Most real analog cameras (not cheap Lorex stuff) do not have audio outputs. You will have to place your own microphones (with amp if needed). Be aware that in many places it is illegal to record audio without obvious notification of some sort. For indoors, the DBM-24VF (http://cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1066) would fit nicely. Online stores have it at around $120. Outdoors, you could go with the VCM-24VF (http://cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1073). This is the same as the DBM-24VF, except it has a waterproof vandal-resistant housing. Important for outdoor applications. Around $150 online.

CCTV cameras simply output composite video (like the yellow RCA cable). So as long as your VCR has a composite input, and can record that input (pretty much all can), then your good to go!

I can't be the only person to have thought about this... There are so many common tips, and solutions to specific problems that we have all submitted to help everyone - wouldn't it be cool if we could write little mini-articles on specific things about CCTV? This would be a member-written thing - I know I have a few things I would like to write down! For example, we could have a 'checklist' page on video signal problems for people to go through. Could contain all the usual problems suggested in a thread on signal problems, like 'PSU probably isn't big enough when IR kicks on'. Wouldn't a page that explains lenses and sensors to beginners be cool? We could even have a page for common DVRs - with info on common problems, maybe how to do port forwarding, etc. I know you can search the forum (takes a while to wade through many threads + posts), but it seems that directing new members to look at a wiki first may make it easier for them.

If its not too much trouble - check to see if the cables run near/along side electrical/phone/catv wiring. All of these could cause that too. I have a camera that used to run along side a phone line, when the phone rang, the picture would get running lines like that!

Domes under eaves are great for good shots - high enough so that even tall people like me (6'4") can't mess with the camera without a bat. If you get a dome, make sure its waterproof, usually this is classified as -'vandal-proof'. The case is metal, and the dome is polycarbonate, very strong!! Good example: I would home-run cameras to structured wiring closet/area. PSU and recorder can go there as well. Probably have a dedicated switch (10/100 - most cams aren't 1000, maybe like 12 ports?) for all the cameras and recorder to go into, with uplink going to the router/modem in your office. Any device on the LAN (and outside if you port-forward) can view the recorder. Run obviously cat5e to all camera locations, plus at least one 18/2 to each. This way you can power stronger infrared lights if need be. Don't you love climbing around in attics?