Numb-nuts

Wilkommen, Bienvenue Welcome

Yes Hello and welcome. Hope you enjoy the forum

I have always found this calculator to be a good guide in real world situations. It has calculated the closest size lens I need and taking account that only stock sizes are available off the shelf I have had good result than by just guesswork. Try it against some installation you have done and see if it calculated accurately. I think you'll find it quite good.

Here in the UK we have Sipgate or Vonage. I use the Sipgate service, no particular reason, it was the first one I used and it's never disappointed me. I haven't used Vonage but have never heard anything but good reports about them. Not heard anything bad about Skype for that matter. Only praise.

Sex, Cameras, rock & Roll, it's all the same to me Mind you it wasn't always like that, I used to play with my controller when I was younger!

Probably won't tell you anything but do a whois search on the domain name or IP address.

You should see the look of surprise on their faces when they realize they're finished here. Also I have been advised to install separate IR as there are two distinct advantages 1. If it's seperate to the camera, you can avoid spiders webs reflecting IR back into the lens 2. You can direct the IR from a different angle giving a softer light on the subject and thus avoiding white-out of your subject. I am hoping to experiment with diffusers to soften iR flood-lighting. There is nothing to stop you turning the camera IR to it's minimum or even off altogether.

You should consider a couple of Dobermans, great protection and good company for an old lady. My mother is 92 yo and has only her giant schnauzer Rex for company and security. A panic button near the front door and the back door too!

What's wrong with using ordinary 'cheap-as-chips' security spot lights controlled by PIR? Cheap, good light, colour image and barely any white-out! No single camera can cover all bases out-of-the-box. I have used difusser film over the IR with some small degree of success, remembering of course to make a cut out for the lens

CCTV cameras almost always use 2.1 x 5.5 DC Line plugs and jacks but really any type of two way connector that serves your needs will work. These can be solder on or screw on (see first picture) Some people just use ordinary terminal block. Connections that are outside should be enclosed in a weatherproof junction box. A minimum rating of IP65 is recommended. (IP rating has nothing to do with IP Cameras) I have also heard that the gel filled telecom connectors are good in high moisture areas such as coastal locations. Sorry you bought a bundled kit before coming onto this forum, hope it does what you expect of it anyway.

Like I said before, you need a properly planned scheme before you go buying anything or you could end up with a system that doesn't really do what you want properly.

Generally speaking, the smaller the figure the wider the angle but that is not quite it. a 2.8 mm lens has view angle of 129 deg. and a 12 mm lens has a view angle of 28 deg. a 6 mm lens an angle of 32 deg and a 50 mm an angle of approx 5.5 degrees. How far from your target will your camera be, and what size is the sensor 1/4", 1/3" or 1/2" ? We already know that the target width is 8 ft, (possibly 9 ft) now go to the lens calculator here and fill in the gaps. You should then have a rough idea which of the varifocal lenses matches your needs more closely. Unless you have a ranch, the smaller would be my guess, however, they should both do what you want, but there is no substitute for trying it out first. Your dealer should be happy to set up a demo for you if you commit to buying one or the other. It's easy enough to set out a target to set up the camera before installing it. Set up your target (Could be a friend standing at a location) on the ground and mark out the width and the camera distance from the target Now focus on the target until it fits your setup. You might like to put tape over the vari-focus and iris knobs if they are external, and easily upset. You're ready to fit the camera! Love to see a pic of the 5-50mm camera.

Where are you?

Okay here is my suggestion, if you've had quotes, the suppliers must have put forward scheme proposals of some sort. That would be a good place to start your planning. Doing the install work yourself will save you considerably, I am suggesting you get in a professional to design your scheme for you and prescribe which equipment you should be buying. That is NOT going to cost you $12,000 or more. I think we all understand how when you have the ability to perform the installation, you would want to do it yourself, but the important thing is that if you do, it should be effective for you, or you might just as well not bother. Decide on a budget lower and upper limit for equipment and approach a designer specifier. They will either tell you to go away and rethink your budget or design a scheme within it. Good luck.

Aside from using unhoused board cameras to replace faulty ones in mini dome housings etc what do you find them useful for and what limitations do you feel they present? Do any of you create your own covert cameras using board cameras or do you prefer bullet cameras for coverts?

You see, I do listen and learn from you experts. What is the sensitivity of the B&W camera that made the second image?

It's easy enough to add light in any given situation. IR boards with a hole for the lens are easily available from many sources,and very cheaply. You can use a low light board camera in almost complete darkness and still get a useful picture without additional IR light. If you select the right board camera, no additional light would be needed in low light situations cameras with a low light rating as low as 0.0014 Lux can be found. I am not sure how they might cope with longer lenses but they are available.

On Friday I installed another high resolution IR camera to watch over my car. The picture quality is quite impressive but within 24 hours, I was experiencing some strange difficulties. Friday night it rained and the rain was so intense it was making the motion detection record even after setting to sensitivity level 1. I haven't figured this one out yet Within 24 hours of installation, I noticed during IR operation that a small light source was visible within the picture shaking around and setting off the motion detection. Took me a while to figure out what it was becuse it only happens during IR operation and as the camera is about 4m up the wall, I saw no cobwebs. Tonight I tied a feather duster to a 3m length or plastic conduit and waved it over the front of the camera, problem solved, What was it? Those of you with a lot of experience will know what I am about to say. It was a spiders web having caught a fly in it and the IR light was reflecting off it making it look as though someone was shining a torch into the lens. Any suggestions about the rain setting off the motion detection so easily would be appreciated. Think I'll have to try some of that anti spider spray. The camera does a a huge onscreen menu system but I left it at default.

I would call in someone to sell and specify the correct cameras or you could end up spending a lot of money for not a lot of system. You don't give enough detailed information and a survey is needed. That is far from a domestic do it yourself job and there are far too many unknowns. If you must install it yourself, get a survey and professional recommendations of a professional that has visited the site. I understand how you want to reduce your costs, but you can't expect the professionals on here to help you with what should be a commercial project. It's like taking your own food to a restaurant. Nobody minds you taking your own wine but your entire meal? I don't thinks so do you?

I think he likes the screw on plugs

Getting back on topic, I think the ide of installing the IR seperately to the camera and a few feet away is a good idea but the rain problem is yet another issue. I think the PIR route is the one I need to explore as if I get a pet friendly one animals (cats) won't trigger the cam and rain is not significant enough even when heavy. I can run a cat 5 to the PIR to take the alarm signal back to the DVR. I may even use PIRs on the other cameras at night because cars seem to turn around near my house but out of view and the lights often set my DVR recording on more than one camera. I can probably run just one DC cable and a cat5 to run all the PIRs as they don't have to be located adjacent to the camera to be useful do they, they just need to cover the appropriate trigger area. By the way, I feel a 500GB HDD is quite large enough for a 4 channel domestic CCTV system, however I am aware of recording space and want to preserve the space as diligently as it will allow. I don't record people passing the house, but anyone approaching activates the motion sensors in cam 1 which is 'record linked' to camera 3. I am very satisfied with the way cams 1 & 3 work, just camera 4 that needs some triggering refinement. Camera 2 is a PTZ and will act as a static camera when it's not monitored.

I discovered this to defraud the government out of millions see what you think.

Personally I prefer to solder on the DC plugs myself. At least I can check for a good tight fit first. If you find pigtails useful, why not make a batch of you're own? Or has been suggested, some installers do away with them altogether and just use connector block. ( I have been tempted) The plugs illustrated above are also a popular solution and I have used them before without problems too. My preference I have to say is for the solder on types because before engaging them, I can slip a piece of heat shrink over one side and after engaging the plug and socket, shrink it over the mated connectors for a secure connection. The screw on DC plugs and sockets are about the ONLY I now get from ebay. I keep a few as a back up mostly. Don't be embarrassed you got sold a pup. It's happened to us all at some time.

Yes but then you and I aren't TV snobs

I always find there are no real bargains in CCTV unless you pay extra for the best stuff. Better quality is a better buy. I now pay 3 times what I used to pay for crimp-on BNCs for RG59. The new ones NEVER FAIL like the cheap chinese equivalents off flee-bay. I buy Tyco connectors or Greenpar and not only do they crimp easier and fit tighter, they don't pull off or corrode. (a bit of electro-lube helps) The coax is taking your signal to your DVR so after your camera and recording equipment, it is really the next most important component of the setup I wouldn't risk cheap cable until I was entirely satisfied. The copper braid on your cable looks very poor and I would guess it's actually, copper coated steel wire and I am willing to bet that the center conductor is not solid copper either. (is it really soft to cut?) Take a craft knife and scrape the center conductor a bit then try that with the braid ( the outer woven part.) The reason I suspect that, is that it has a vapor barrier tape in it and that is because of the extra risk of corrosion with steel wire. I could be wrong though!