Birdman Adam

Good info! I will definitely be removing the password protection! And saving the current config is nice - didn't know that existed. So a bit of info on Modulator... Here is the one I used. It is a single-channel, analog modulator with audio and video. It is rather high-power, and can easily be split into 6+ TVs like I did. There is a WIDE option of channels, not just like 2,3,4. More like 14-64 for UHF antenna signals. More for CATV: http://www.linearcorp.com/product_detail.php?productId=224 Then I used a simple splitter/combiner to combine my antenna's amplified output with the modulators signal. The output of these combined signals is a single cable that goes to the input of my 8-way splitter, then to some TVs. (I dont have anywhere near 8 TVs!! ) http://www.linearcorp.com/product_detail.php?productId=160 A pic of the output: Result is a crystal-clear composite video+audio signal. The way I have it set up in the DVR is with the combination of a 9-view Tour after 12 seconds, and a 8-view (one enlarged) view when motion is detected on any particular camera. So when someone walks by it jumps to them (with the other 7 small), then after 12 seconds of no motion it returns to 9-view. When channels 1 or 3 have motion, the audio is put through as well. (I may split the audio to be heard constantly however). The modulator and combiner cost under $60, and I think it was well worth it. Now when people come up the driveway, I just flip to channel 33 (which I chose) and watch them all the way in!

Yea, I have used the models similar to bpzle's - they are perfect for simple UPS setup with 20+ minutes of power with 8-ch DVR, cameras, etc. Bigger DVRs with multiple HDDs will last like 20-30, but my tiny Qvis Zeus goes more than 30 with the cheap CyberPower I have. Biggest deal is preventing problems with <1m events, like flickering, brownouts, etc. But they are still useful when you have an extended outage. Oh, and guys never forget to set your DVRs to turn back on after losing power!!

Maybe tell them their calls are being recorded, and threaten with something (legal stuff? ) I know with Verizon as my wireless carrier, I can tell them to block numbers from being able to call/text me. You may want to look into that.

I've used ethernet over power before, worked fine and speed was good. Yes, keep the modules on the same half of the split phase. Otherwise it has to go all the way up to the transformer to talk back to the other module. In old homes, or homes with hack electrical work, the speed will be less due to crappy wiring techniques (like loose screws!) Also, I have seem reduced speeds when big loads come online (AC, Dryer, etc) presumably due to more noise on the line. Fat inductive loads like chest freezers on the same circuit of your module will reduce speed more. All in all, it was still fast with my setup, so not a big deal. Just slowed down huge file transfers.

Oh, well I don't 'have' to use tasks, but I guess i find it slightly odd to have to create a task, then set it to open at launch to view cameras which (IMO) should all come up at once anyways. All in all, I guess tasks are a pretty good solution... I jsut like the web interface better. Some afternoon shots of the 6 cameras I have. Camera names are in black next to channel names. FrontDoor is missing as I have not completely focused it yet... Will edit that in soon! At this point almost every entrance to the house is covered. Will do some more shots at night time to show IR, and set some license plates around so you can get an idea of detail. EDIT: FrontDoor camera added!

So I have a question for anyone familiar with the Motion Detection. Is there a way to have it switch to the motion-view faster? What I mean is, when there is motion, the red symbol pops on/off, but it will not jump to that camera unless there is a rather significant amount of motion. I remember seeing a setting for like 'dwell' time or something, maybe that can help it jump faster? This is basically so when watching through my TV it is more responsive. Here is a clip of the Web Service for those who want to get a feel for what the interface is like. It works quite well, but is of course slow if used over slow internet connections (mine is only 30KBps upload). The overall organization and quality of the web interface is not up to the Samsung's level, but for the cost it is amazing: Watch in 720p to see full details! (Hey I like the new Youtube embed feature!) LlEnPrI8wkg And a clip of the PSS software. I honestly like the browser interface better, because it is easier to preserve the aspect ratio of the cameras. In PSS, with my widescreen computer, it is a bit annoying as it likes to stretch out the cameras. Also, having to open a task is sort of silly. Again, Samsung's software is better, but hey the price on this is great. The Zeus line really is a great budget DVR: KNG24BR97ek Lots of camera shots upcoming...

I've always thought it stupid to put the main breaker OUTSIDE the home! And I remember reading somewhere that technically you are not supposed to lock it, as it is there for fire response. Don't take my word for it, I just happen to remember that! I have all my power wiring protected by at least PVC. Networking (phone line) is inside PVC too. Looks pretty crappy from the picture you have - I could just walk up with some snips and make a mess! I didn't know Progress Energy was in Florida - they power me in NC too!

A good PIR Motion Detector will always be FAR superior! For critical applications I would only ever use a real PIR detector. I've used many from DSC and they are awesome! Now if you just want to know when people are in your driveway so you can peek out the window (or similar situations), video-detection may be fine.

So a bit about the DVR. By comparing to the Samsung I've installed this Qvis (Dahua) is very feature-full for its price! It has everything a basic/medium user needs. 8 channels at D1 with 7FPS on each. Audio on the first 4, lots of inputs/outputs, spot view, VGA out, PTZ stuff, great motion detection,lots of remote-viewing options etc. It takes SATA drives (only one of them) up to 2TB, and I put in the single 1TB 7200RPM drive from my Zoneminder computer. Bottom line is, if you want a cheap DVR don't think for a second about going to Wal-Mart/Costco/BJs. Buy this thing and you will be very happy!! For under $200 I don't see what else I could ask for. What I think is really cool is this feature advantage continues up-the-line with Qvis, you can get real-time D1 DVRs up to 16-ch for great prices as well. The Qvis line certainly is not as robust as the Samsungs, (remote viewing is not quite as intuitive), and the DVR interface is not as full-fledged. But hey, its such a deal. So after installing the HDD, I booted up and set up the basics. Everything was easy to find. I have found the motion detection to perform very well. I currently have it set up to jump to the camera with motion inside a 8-view (1 big, 7 small) so that when I tune in with my TV I can see whats going on easily. Then after 8 seconds of inactivity, it goes back to a 9-view (1 screen shows recording bandwidth). I achieved that by enabling a Tour after 8". For recording settings, all channels are D1, with 2 unused channels at 3FPs, the Driveway cam at 10FPS, all others at 7FPS. CBR is set, at max quality. Two channels have audio, the Driveway and Garage via a small microphone board I ripped out of a no-namer. Its nice because I can hear everything going on outside while sitting on the couch! I have to go for now...I will edit this with more to come!!

Now that I think about it I am glad I got almost everything in before the holiday season! We've already had a couple (not-so-good-looking) cars drive by real slow, that always gets on my nerves! Some general images: The ESC3-WDR. I mounted this under the deck to watch the porch area including two windows and a side door. One of the windows was the one that the criminals entered last time! You can see the CAT5E there, the whole setup was installed to be removable rather easily. (As we may need to move it all in the near future). Front door area always has lots of light so I didn't need help there. It blends in under the soffit rather well. I definitely wanted an eye on the front area, with 4 windows and the door. The walk up to the door is covered by the driveway cam, so that is why this is not pointing the other way. Here's the deck cam. This one was a fixed lens, 3.6mm so it kinda had to go here in this wide, close area. It watches another entrance and some windows. At this point almost every entrance is covered! All these cameras have IR so they cam see great at night. The No-Name that I hacked to work with some old pre-made cable. Its got a 6mm lens, and watches a side entrance. The resolution sucks, but because its such a tight shot it works out good! Here is the ESC1 complete with a huge amount of IR! It would go out like 100', but I have it looking over the driveway/pad area to watch the garage. Unless stated all these are varifocal from 2.8-12mm. So here is the little tiny closet for the DVR and electronics. Just ignore the beater Dell I have in there. All wiring comes in at the top, excess stays in back-top and comes down to DVR and power sources. You can see the UPS and extra power strip in there. Everything is off of the Battery side of the UPS, except for the network switch (router upstairs would go out anyways) and power for the wireless receiver (transmitter would go out anyways). I am estimating at least 30 minutes runtime off UPS, as the DVR and PSUs consume VERY little power. A fine example of the somewhat 'temporary' wiring. Its about as clean as I could get it... And where the DVR hides... You would never know its there! More pics can be seen at http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h350/Birdman-Adam/CCTV%20Stuff/Home%20Project/

If there is a voltage drop problem, use 2 or even 3 pairs of the cat5 for power. I have always used at least two, and never had problems with runs under ~300'. Use a multimeter to check voltage at both ends. Its possible your baluns are junk. More likely, you need an active balun at one (or maybe both) of the ends. This allows the signal to go much farther. 800' is a rather far distance! Also, test the camera with a monitor locally, to see if it is putting out a color or BW image. I'd bet the camera is simply switching to BW because its in a low-light area.

I'd say he's an absolute idiot. You don't park nice car like that outside if you have the money to buy them. Put them in the garage (all the time). Don't keep valuables in them. Get an alarm system. The cameras are shyte. He got ripped off by $10,500. If I had money and stuff like that, with my paranoia it would be WAY harder to jack. I would have sold the stupid MKS and bought some nice megapixels!!! Sorry, people stealing things makes me REALLY mad.

For now... IE Tab for Chrome works perfectly! (Thanks Sean for the awesome tutorial on it!)

Yep, thats how it works with my Qvis. What you do is go into Display, and enable a Tour, say 1 view (one camera shown on screen at a time), and cycle between all every 5 seconds. I have done similar, with motion set up to bring the camera up on 8-view, one enlarged. Then the normal tour function brings it back to 9-view after 6 seconds.

Couldn't find any good info on the Samsung SHR-8082 (edit, SRD-870DC) on the forum. Wondering what people's thoughts are? Looks like a great DVR, good recording capabilities, etc. It says it deinterlaces the video, is this a joke or is it actually going to be better than other dvr's. A friend had his cabin in western NC broken into, so we are going all out with an nice alarm system (DSC 1832) and 6+ cameras. Lots of glass-breaks, motions, smokes, and contacts on all doors/windows!! And don't forget the 2 30W outdoor sirens & 1 15W indoor one! So anyways, what are your thoughts on this DVR??? Would be paired with a good UPS in a safe place. Most of all need good quality recording (will be using 3.5TB (edit, 4) of HD's), and remote viewing needed. I already told him that viewing 6-8 cameras all through a medium-speed DSL connection ain't gonna work well!! You can probably guess what cameras in using. The situation around the cabin is perfect for them. Think I'm gonna go with CAT5e and baluns on this setup.

Well I would connect the "offending" cameras to a normal TV monitor and see what you get.

I have no idea about anti-dither, but I know some other settings (like Tour delay) have a minimum of 5 seconds. So I bet its a feature (or a non-feature)?

Yes! Those are exactly the ones I have seen. 68 lbs for the small standard one! Properly footed, this would be impossible to remove or damage.

What I am thinking: 1. That is a pretty cheap camera in terms of quality, brand ,etc. This is a part of the problem. 2. How wide is that driveway? It may not be feasible to cover that whole area with analog unless you just want 'overview' (which is what you are getting now).

Yes, BNC connections are standard for analog CCTV. Pretty good design if you ask me, with the twist-locking and all...

I've seen some very thick, armored mailboxes around here. Literally, like 1/4" steel all around, with a thick steel pole sunk like 10' down with concrete. The handle is such that it can be opened to put mail in, but mail cannot be taken out without a key. I'm not sure you could knock it over with a car, let alone a bat! I've always wanted to fill my mailbox with concrete...

What does the text on the chips say? If it is a common chip(s) like BT878 then you ought to have been good to go with V4L or V4L2. I've never had much luck with other odd chips. Any card with BT878 has automatically been recognized for me.

Love this article! This shows why you have to be smart about how you aim your analog cams, you can't just do 'overviews' like that. Unless you have the money for megapixel, and 16 of them in the sample image at that! Certainly we could have the license plate in that pic with analog, but you'd need a whole lot of cameras to cover it. This is a perfect scenario where megapixel makes sense.

I have mine in a small closet, like a sort of structured-wiring center for the whole home. I always try to hide it in a good spot, one where it will take someone some time to get to it.

Real-time refers to the card recording a channel at full 30FPS. When it says "1-4 non-real-time", that means the FPS is split between channels, so each channel may record at only ~7.5FPS (realistically like 3-5FPS).