shockwave199

Don't use the thin stuff to make your own. Use good quality siamese cable and use twist-on bnc connectors and good quality power barrels if you have to wire them on for cameras. I'm not just being super picky suggesting that. It's just that the premade wire is for people who don't want to be bothered, but when you commit to putting your own connectors on, you want good cable for the effort. Good luck.

No not the HD, only the symptoms.

I've noticed this as well and not just on my q-see either, for real time remote viewing . I always thought it had to do with remote viewing/frame rate/internet. Whereas, the higher the fps the less noticeable it is and the lower the fps the more noticeable it is. But it's an every second thing, perfectly in time with passing seconds. It does not do this locally when viewing in real time right on the monitor at the dvr. I don't believe it's on my backup footage though. I believe if I view my backup footage remotely, which I almost always do, it does it. But I think playing back footage in the dvr it doesn't. Pretty sure that's correct because I do demo vids with backup footage and it's not recorded within that footage. And that's why I thought it was just inherent to remote viewing/network speed or something.

Where are you located? If you're in the states it'll cost you big time to ship anything back for repair or replacement- if inesun won't cover the shipping. I have an inesun ptz and I hope I never have to test them on that. If you're in the states you could consider what looks to be a nice selection of cameras from gadspot. I haven't looked there in a while because I've been done with my install for some time. But I just took a peek and the selection looks good- http://www.gadspot.com/c-4-all-ip-cameras.aspx

To me it's mostly about camera placement. I agree of course MP cameras give a better picture. But I'm not ditching my analog system yet just because of that. I'd sooner consider how I could better place my existing analog cameras for optimal results- something I think a lot of DIY'ers overlooked in the first place. Plunking an MP camera in the same spot may give a better picture, but it may or may not be more helpful for ID- especially when you're back to square one with fixed lenses on cheaper cameras. More pixels doesn't automatically mean 'I gotcha'. Frankly I haven't gotten over the pain of installing my analog system and it was two years ago already! I'm not ready to take it all down- I like what I see live and on backup even still. I know when I do make the switch I'll prefer a box NVR and I'd like to see them support better resolution/fps specs, have as many POE hookups as there are channels, and be more open to third party camera support. In an odd way, to me it seems the hardware NVR's are at the infancy stage of where analog dvr's were, before analog matured to 30fps throughout at highest res- D1. And then there's the cameras. Cheap fixed lens cameras will not work for me. Nor will investing a bunch of money on an MP camera with IR built in to solve low light issues. I'm not gonna go backward in function just to say I have an MP camera. The ones I'd choose are out of my price range for sure. The q-see MP cameras that come in the costco package are as limiting as their analog cameras that come in their analog boxed packages, imo. Not interested, MP be damned. When the time is right and the gear has matured more and maybe even come down in price, yes. Personally, I'm still rockin analog. But it's getting might lonely out here! LOL!

From the q-see specs- Supports 3 SATA HDD up to 6 TB That would indicate it supports 2TB HD's, up to three of them.

Now that would be worth a picture- of the camera!

LG is DVD unit made by fairly big company in Korea dvrlink.net is their DDNS server I figured that was the case but then I noticed there are LG cctv dvr's as well. Guessing anyway- guessed wrong.

Well, I'll guess it's an LG! Is there a splash screen that says what it is when you turn the dvr on? Is the iris missing on the software ptz in the dvr when you call it up, or the remote software, or both? Can you get a screen capture of your ptz controller within the remote software so we can see it and the remote software? Even a picture of the ptz controller in the dvr when you call it up?

Frequently enough there is a birdwatcher who asks about a ptz. I don't see how a ptz would be helpful. In my experience they just can't keep up with them. Birds are fast and fidgety creatures- more than any ptz would help you appreciate them. Maybe you could zoom in on one at a feeder, but you could have a fixed camera for that. If birdwatchers think they'll gain the ability to have an appreciable view of birds because the camera can move, I think they would be disappointed in the outcome for all the money spent. I would not buy the inesun camera you mention. Interestingly enough however, I am an inesun ptz owner and user- probably the only person you'll find here that is! LOL! I rolled the dice and I bought this one last year- http://www.inesun.com/650TVL-SONY-EFFIO-CCD-27x-Outdoor-CCTV-PTZ-IR-Camera-Auto-Tracking--17165.html If you look through my vids you'll find a number of them covering this camera. I do like it a lot. It has worked perfectly thus far, even through our extended artic cold this past week when at night the temps fell to 2 degrees. I wouldn't use it or any ptz for bird watching, but I do like the camera a lot. But I wouldn't recommend you buy a hong kong camera, frankly. If the camera comes broken or if it breaks, there really isn't any support to fix it. You're not gonna spend 100 dollars or more sending a defective camera back. I took a risk- I wouldn't recommend others do unless you're in a position to do so. For a quality ptz that can be had here in the states, I would suggest this one- http://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/sd6923-6930-6936-6970-h--86.html I use this one as well and it's excellent. I still wouldn't recommend it for bird watching, but if you really want a ptz, this one at least can be bought in the states by a reputable dealer. Good luck!

Is it possible to just get a new dvr? It may be better than chasing down a problem with a used one at this point.

You may be surprised to see installers looking for help. Just be willing to spend your time crawling and fishing wires in awful places for low pay to start. You gotta 'crawl' before you walk. Are you a skinny guy? They'll put you on the tight squeeze gigs for sure! Call up your local installers and just ask if they're hiring. Our network administrator who services our office also does cctv installs. I could work for them I'm sure, but I'm 50 and one thing I've learned installing what I've done thus far- it's hard work and I break easy! I'm not really cut out for attics and crawl spaces anymore. Expand your search for installers and just ask. You may be surprised. Good luck.

Like I said, hit the IP forum and read. A good deal of the products they talk about there are reviewed on this members blog- http://www.NetworkCameraCritic.com Not only is that a great resource, looking through everything there brings into perspective what IP/MP is all about and helps to narrow what might fit your needs.

Does this happen at daytime too, or only at night?

Good grief, wasn't this worked through already in another thread?

Hey Shockwave, What is the IP forum and what will I learn differently there than here? I thought all the systems were digital. How can I tell which ones are analog? Shows how much I know. I wish it were just as simple as you telling me what to buy, or you can't go wrong with this, this, or this camera (or DVR, software etc.) Thanks! The IP forum- viewforum.php?f=19

Scott- dig into the IP forum here too. Understand the differences in install, gear, and software between an IP/megapixel camera system and analog. Most here would advise you to not install analog any longer or if you do, at least use Cat5 so you can easily upgrade to an IP/MP system in the future. Do not commit to the system or the gear you choose until you fully understand what you're dealing with. So dig into that forum too. Understand all the gear choices and how they are best installed, and hopefully you'll have success with it. That will take a while to wrap your brain around, but it's worth reading and asking questions before you decide, spend, and install. That's really the best I can advise you. Very best of luck with it all!

Meaning from all I've ever read, it's less than good. But, I've never used any zmodo stuff so I really shouldn't pass judgement. If you're considering analog, we use an openeye dvr at work and it's been doing well- http://www.openeye.net/products/recorders/e-series/oe3-e480/ What's cool about them is they have good support for their product should you need it. Their radius software is really good too- I did a short overview video of it. Nice system that has some good features to it. I gain nothing by mentioning them- it's just I have a lot of experience using it. Whether an installer would know of them or care to- I don't know. To your point about your employer, it's a slippery slope. Just be careful. If you want the job just for work sake, I understand. But realize installing this stuff is typically done by pros for a reason- it's actually not easy. There's a lot to know. That's why there are certified professionals that do it. I speak from experience with this- I'm not just ruminating on it. I pushed my employer to let me administer our system and even install a ptz camera- a tough install for me not being a professional either. It's worked out fine overall, but it's taken quite a bit of time and effort to get my arms around a mere seven cameras that weren't installed particularly well in the first place, re-aiming and getting into menus to set them better, etc. The best camera on the line is the ptz *I* installed. I had to tweak all the other cameras the 'pro' installed, so be very choosy when deciding who you give the job to. But I had installed my own system at home and had been digging in and studying for over a year before I felt comfortable enough putting my ass on the line for my employer. And even then, you can certainly make the argument that that did not qualify me to jump in the middle of a system installed at a business! Here's the thing to remember- it's not just getting everything in place and installed. If you take the job on, it will be you who will have to explain why the system possibly failed when you needed it most in an emergency. Questions such as why wasn't there a camera monitoring that area, why is it I can see the intruder but I can't possibly ID him with that view, why was that camera not working at the time, how could they have seen the coax to cut it, why was it so easy for them to reach the camera, why didn't the system call or email me, why did the sun completely ruin the shot when the intruder was right in front of the camera...on and on. You take on that responsibility too, along with just installing the gear. And that can take up a lot of space in your brain man! So my opinion, be honest with your employer. Tell him that you can do it at a reduced cost, but you can only do the best you can not being a pro. Or, you can source him a qualified pro. Let him decide. But if you do the job, understand you take on the system in the short AND long run. Good luck!

One down. NEXT!

What you should really be doing is gathering info on perhaps three installers, have them come and walk the property and give you an estimate. Choose the highest rated one, not just the lowest price. If you don't really know anything about installing, here's some likely scenarios if you do it yourself- - You'll buy cheap crap that won't work - You'll buy expensive stuff and you won't get the most out of it - Either way you'll be installing it all and YOUR ass will be on the line - You'll curse the day you took this on when the installing gets tough- and it will - You'll be the one who has to keep after it, maintain it, and fix everything always - The words 'I thought you knew what you were doing'- get used to hearing that - Thousands will be spent with marginal results- that works against your job security Study up here and read so you're not completely ignorant when you interview installers. That's fine. But let professionals install it- my opinion. It seems easy to do, and yet it's never completely straight forward. You're gonna spend the bosses money either way. Spend it wisely on a pro who'll install it right and who'll support his job after the fact if there are issues. My two cents. Good luck.

Yeah, yuck! But like I suggested, run a temporary wire quick and easy just to confirm that is the problem, before you go nuts. Thin as hair wire over 145'...might very well be the problem. Good luck- stay warm if you can!

Yes you can. You should check and make sure the wire is in the dvr solid as well. Make very sure you have it hooked up to the proper terminals in the dvr, and that it's in there with a good connection. Often times the hookups are small and finicky, made all the worse if you're looking over the dvr from the front in a kind of compromised position to begin with. So at least make sure the 485 on the dvr end is in the right terminals and in there securely, for the wire that's in place already. Again though- what is approximate distance you're dealing with? In a barn makes me think you have a long stretch.

How far is the camera from the dvr? Perhaps the distance is so great that you need a thicker gauge wire for the 485. I'm assuming you're using cheap pre-made cable? Good quality siamese cable has much better power wire than what you'll have to work with when cutting off the power barrel on the cheap stuff. Perhaps it's just starved for enough power because of a long distance. You could try running a bit thicker gauge wire as a test to see if it behaves and if it does, make it permanent. As for the movement, it seems like a preset was set and the camera is doing some kind of one preset tour. It's not an auto tracking camera is it? You'll need to go into the menu of the camera and check to see if there is any kind of active tour and schedule set, and reprogram or set the camera back to defaults to clear it. But you'll need to solve the 485 problem first.

I agree- thank you for noticing!

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