Numb-nuts

I agree with this suggestion A little expensive at first glance, but actually it will save you lots of trouble and performance issues so I would have to agree this is a valid method, but I would use the zonal distribution method for both signal and power and drop the voltage from 24V AC or 240V AC at the distribution point then transform down to 12V DC there. I'd keep power and video signal separate before the distribution points, combining them into a single Cat5 after that if you must. The 6A cable you have been using already would be fine for taking power to a distribution point at each zone.

That make you twice as stupid as I am!

I usually only use the orange ones atat 0.5 mm. search ebay for "bootlace ferrule". Checkout ebay.com.au for the tool or if you want a cheaper one check ebay uk This is a real top notch one about AU$55 on ebay.com.au click the piicture to see the kit at Rhinotools, you get a starter kit Check out these ebay items as two alternatives 280761958119 & 270845918023 the second being a REAL bargain and probably perfectly sufficient for the job. Any electrical wholesaler or supplier of crimps should have the wire end ferrules. edited ebay item number. I generally use the 0.5 mm (orange) sleeves. In the UK, I buy my ferrules from here I find the quality has never let me down and the price is acceptable too. I have no connection with these guys except being a customer of theirs.

I hope so, insurance is an area that many people don't give consideration, but it's so important.

I for one have handyman's public liability insurance, (formerly small works builder's insurance). No insurance will cover stupidity but it will cover common risk such as in your friend's case. When having work done in their home, a home-owner accepts thee is an element of risk to the property fabric and so long as any damages are repaired suitably they have no claim on the contractor for things like stress, pain and suffering etc unless they are injured. That again comes under the public liability insurance. It was unfortunate that your friend put a hole through the ceiling, I have done that at my own home once. I felt very stupid but actually, the damage looks a whole lot worse than it is. It doesn't take a lot to repair and redecorate, although the entire ceiling may need refinishing afterward to restore it to a good finish. My home-owner insurance took care of that. As insurance policies become more specific to their purpose, they require careful consideration and you should speak to a broker about the risks that need to be covered. I have two policies, one covers me for personal injury, falls and loss of earnings in the event of hospitalization.

This is the perfect chance for you to try out Cat5 and baluns. Regarding your power supply situation. I would look at the overall plan and see if you can create 4 'power zones' each one ideally feeding four cameras, That way you can use a number of PSUs sited centrally within each zone,one for each zone and distribute the power over a shorter distance. Racking up the voltage to compensate for distance is never a great idea with DC voltage, as you can damage cameras that way. Se what solutions others can suggest. You can do the same with your cat5, for each zone, run 4 bnc patch leads to a 4 way passive or powered balun to a second balun located next to your PSU for that zone and from there you can run coax a shorter distance. Hope that makes sense to you. By the way, there is no degradation when using Cat5 cable and appropriate baluns ( powered or passive). Some will say the image is better and there may be some truth in that but I can't support that with technical facts as I do't know. So far as I am aware the image shows no discernable degradation. Just remember to use appropriate Cat 5 cable too, solid cores internal cable internally and outdoor rated solid core cable outside. I also like to terminate the solid pairs with 0.25" or 0.5" chord end ferrules before connection to screw down terminals as in Baluns and PSU. Cat5 conductors are not designed to be used in screw down terminals, they are designed to be crimped, or to be punched down.

This is exactly what I was talking about with newbies not understanding varifocal lenses. Well noticed.

It just occurred to me, if you are planning on doing more CCTV in the future, you should invest in a portable 3.5" screen so setting up lenses and focusing can be done at the camera as you adjust the lens. I've seen the cheapest simple versions of these on ebay for about £50 but not sure just how good these are but it;s sure to save yuo going up and down a ladder like a demented yo yo and walkie-talkies are not really a substitute because you need two people and it's not an ideal way to focus a camera. What I should also have mentioned, with lenses the smaller the focal length value, the wider the angle of view and conversely the larger the focal length value, the narrower the angle of view (and the further away you can focus) but it's just a generalized statement. So a 2.5 mm lens has a wide horizontal angle and a 100 mm lens has a narrow horizontal angle of view (and can focus much further away). addendum I am fond of the calculator I have linked to as it visually reminds me what I'm trying to achieve. I also quite like the other calculator, I like the fact it does the pythagorean calculation for you AND allows you to specify height or width. I have never yet needed to consider too carefully the scene height but can envisage one or two scenarios where this would be useful. So far I've managed without but then the jobs I undertake aren't usually that demanding and the equipment and focal specs are already decided before I arrive on site. I just do the nuts and bolts so to speak.

I didn't mention a varifocal lens which would be a great choice, but when I have recommended these to newbies in the past they have hit a load of difficulties with focusing, but certainly a varifocal lens with a suitable range would be a good choice. Some cameras are supplied with a varifocal lens already installed. You may even have one or two in the equipment supplied to you.

I get the feeling this whole project was dumped on you and to replace everything with IP cameras is going to be quite expensive. While IP megapixel cameras produce a great sharp image, so too can high resolution analogue cameras with the correct lens fitted. What are the cameras you have already? Some cameras, even cheap ones have interchangeable lenses, some are fixed lens. Choosing an appropriate lens will help achieve a correct depth-of-view and an appropriate image focussed correctly. Imagine the view is flat on screen, from which point to which point do you want to view? If you just want to capture people's image as they pass through a doorway, the scene width would be the width of the door at a fixed distance. To now assign a distance from the camera, you need the horizontal distance to the doorway and then the height of the camera. Using the pythagorus law, you can calculate the actual distance to the door from the camera. In reality, in your situation you can probably use a tape measure depending on the size of the DIY shop. Now check the camera's spec sheet and find out it's lens size (mm) and it's CCD sensor size ¼", or ⅓" or ½" and the lens type if specified. So now we have The lens type, )could be C, CS or '12mm thread' board lens Thread as opposed to focal length. the camera's lens size (mm) a ⅓" sensor in the camera (Typically) the scene width (in m or feet) the distance from camera to the field of view (doorway) (in m or feet) With this info, we can save some time using this online lens calculator for an example, you have a camera situation thus; ⅓" sensor in the camera (assumed) A horizontal distance of 15 ft to the doorway a camera mounting height of 12 ft Pythagorus: 225+144=369 , √369=19.2 ft actual distance to doorway and the doorway is 4 ft wide (assumed) putting all this data into the lens calculator wee see we need a 23.04 lens in reality no such lens exists so we need to get one as close as possible to that figure so changing the scene width to say 3.5 ft and calculating we see that the lens required changes to 26.33 and again no such lens exists but a 25mm lens is quite common so we can play a bit with the scene width to get as close to an available lens making sure we are still within an acceptable width. I hope this is helpful

If you are seeing a grid where the images should be then I think that you may not be connecting as you thought. Have you set up the second stream on each channel? To avoid confusion, and so that someone may be able to help, list the steps you have taken so far please. Adata DVRs are notoriously simple to set up so you have probably overlooked a simple but essential step.

I have to agree with the above, and to add Swann aren't the best value or quality for the money, but at least you are using a DVR that has an acceptable frame rate, (if the specs can be believed). Regarding cameras with 6mm fixed lenses these are an all round camera and generally average at all they do, but they are not brilliant as no camera/lens combination, can do all jobs well. The closest you will get is a camera with varifocal lenses which target more closely the 'operational requirements'. Do a proper lens calculation, and buy a varifocal lens that has your required focal length within it's range of adjustment that way you stand a perfect chance of achieving the results you want. Also remember that built in IR will require higher current availability and will reflect back into the lens from trees, and often cars and white clothing too. (when too close) IR light is better set at an angle across the intended subject to avoid such destructive IR light reflection.

Geuterbrueck ? Sounds like some kind of European pastry or German Sausage?

It's impossible to predict what effect signage will have. If a burglar is determined enough, most likeley they won't be put off crack-heads and addicts have no real logic so who knows what they'll do. Just use a standard commercially available sign. They advise of CCTV but don't give away anything. With your idea, a burglar would just need to find the telephone line and cut it. No more CCTV! What is certain, that signs will at least reduce the chances of criminal events. Hence the reason some dummy cameras with sign are commercially successful. But merely as a deterrent. Putting smart @rse signs merely challenges some potential intruders who see it as such an may encourage criminal behaviour.

He's a part time burglar?

IF your birds are valuable to you, and you are only buying the one camera, it doesn't make sense to skimp on the cost of that camera. By the way, I have had so called weatherproof IR cameras and they too can leak. Far better to get a proper low light camera and lens in a (12v DC or 24V AC)heated housing. Most of these body or box cameras have the option 12v DC or 24V AC so you could go for the AC camera and your loss will as you say be minimized.

If on the other hand you can fit those cameras inside a protective housing, you can run flexible conduit to a weatherproof junction box fitted adjacent to the housing mount then through the junction box into the wall so no wires are exposed. I do this all the time and have never seen anyone attempt to damage the flexible conduit. You could even spray it with silver paint to make it 'look even tougher'. Run your outside cameras to a central junction box and from there downward in rigid plastic or metal conduit to another junction box where they exit into the crawl space under the house. Paint it a colour that makes it less conspicuous.

and make him a much richer professor! It's mind blowing a kind of CCTV DNA profile?

Thought you all might like to see how this was done. The chap in red is the victim who is slightly merry. The chap on the right distracts him with a street dance routine, while his accomplice walks close behind, at the point of taking the wallet, the victims foot is troden on and he looks down. As he does, the wallet is taken and passed to the accomplice who has now started to pass them. He turns and walks in the opposite direction removing all valuables from the wallet then turns sharply again and passes the victim dropping his now empty wallet behind him. The thief no 1 then points it out to the victim, who naturally checks the wallet while the pair make their escape in different directions. The image shows the point at which the wallet is about to be passed. If the victim realises at this point, he turns toward the thief no1 who naturally doesn't have the wallet and the theft proceeds as normal then "look there it is on the floor" for effect. The whole theft took about 15 seconds from start to finish

I think Chris is right, they would have to have created a unique set of analytic criteria for a limited market and so the price will obviously be relatively high. But what a worthwhile project.

There you go, give it a go you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. If you do get strange effects, you can always resell and begin with a corresponding varifocal lens. By the way that lens has a huge range if you can't make it fit the width of scene you want, I'd be very surprised. How wide is the scene you want to cover? 540 TVL is okay, it's considered high resolution, then there is 600 -700 TVL which is considered ultra high resolution. (I'm not so sure though these days with the widely available IP megapixel cameras) Let us all know how you get on... I haven't seen the result of a mismatched lens and sensor. Perhaps you can take a frame from a recording and post it here for us to see.

Basically, thats it in a nutshell. There is very little extra worth adding to that.

Hi Rob. Although your lens will fit the camera, in theory you would lose some of the area around the image you capture (I think). It may be that your image is cropped ( i.e. you don't see it all). Needless to say you won't be able to rely on conventional calculations and the lens will alter your light sensitivity. The ⅓" CCD sensor is normal for most cameras and you are more likely to find a suitable lens for that than you are to find a suitable ⅔" camera, although they are readily available. Better to re-sell your current lens as there will be people looking for ⅔" lenses. (you might even make a profit). If the lens were a smaller format, then you'd experience a port-hole-effect. So you know the distance to the FOV (Field of view) what is the width or the scene you wish to capture, and at what height is the camera to be mounted? When you know the height of the camera, the distance to the FOV and the scene width, visit this site and use the online lens calculator. If the exact lens you require is not standard, you need to order one that has your requirement within it's range. For example 7m horizontal to the FOV, a camera height of 4m will give an approx distance to the FOV of √(7²m + 4²m) = approx 8m i.e. distance from camera to FOV. Assuming a scene width of a farm type gate, say 4m wide and a ⅓" sensor hit the calculate button and you find you need a ⅓" lens with a focal length of 9.6mm. You can either buy a 10mm lens if you don't mind narrowing the scene slightly or you can buy a ⅓" varifocal lens something like 3.5-12mm. If any of this is wrong, then I have no doubt someone will jump at the chance to correct me, meantime hope this has helped some. If doves or pigeons use the dovecote, don't forget to house the camera in a protective housing because you know what a nasty mess the birds make.

Where are you based? 12mm is as Soundy says a standard board lens thread. The lenses are usually secured with a fine grub screw or similar. If you get a board camera you obviously need to buy one with a case or you will have to house it. Better to buy one in a housing.The higher the TVL the better picture you will get. Aim for 600 TVL and you won't be disappointed. If you want to save some money, a B&W camera will still give you a razor sharp image, however colour cameras are now exceptional value.

£65,000.00 that is a shock but it saves lives so perhaps it's worth it.