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fa chris
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Everything posted by fa chris
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Be real- Hobby? Necessity? Or both?
fa chris replied to shockwave199's topic in General Digital Discussion
1. I think you guys might be a bit paranoid. 2. UPS frequently delivers late, driver has to get the packages done. I used to work in an UPS warehouse in college, the drivers always told me they loved delivering packages late at night, people were always happy to receive their package. During the day they almost always get left on the porch. -
Honywell CCTV equipment has won my vote
fa chris replied to Numb-nuts's topic in General Digital Discussion
Honeywell launched their security division branded under their own name to pair it up with their building automation unit to compete in the low voltage commercial and federal market (building controls, fire alarm, and security - cctv & access control). Most controls companies have small fire & security units to complete the package, but their focus is on building automation. Difference is, Honeywell always wants every product they sell to be manufactured or branded by them, hence all the re-badged stuff. The other controls companies don't care what security system they're sticking in as long as it integrates with their BAS software. -
Geovision Bullet Vs. Arecont Bullet
fa chris replied to securitysys's topic in IP/Megapixel Cameras and Software Solutions
I programmed over 100 areconts in the office recently and they all worked out of the box. Once in the field we sent back maybe one or two, but I think the installer messed one up. My biggest problem with them is they keep forgetting their IP and factory keeps telling us it's impossible, they should never forget them. -
What is the Future of CCTV for North America? US, CAN, LATIN
fa chris replied to emholic's topic in General Digital Discussion
Coax is all but done. If you have a private dedicated CCTV network, it won't be shut down unless you shut it down. Problem with JFK is they were riding on the airports network, probably on their own vlan but some trigger happy network admin pulled the plug on the entire network instead of just shutting down the public vlan. That's IF they have a properly designed network. With cameras quickly moving towards all IP, the cctv guys need to adapt and really start understanding network design so they can get in with the IT guys from day one (if the cameras are going onto someone else's network). Instead of proprietary DVR's with expensive cards we now have servers which can be bought from anyone anywhere (with unlimited expandability in size, we can get away from the super expensive NICE systems!), slap on the NVR software and connect to the network and we're done. No encoders, looping matrix's, etc. Any workstation can easily attach to the network and run an entire command console. I'd even guess PTZ's will be outmoded sooner than later. With camera manufacturers now releasing high megapixel cameras with 180 and 360 degree views (by including 4 or more imagers in the same housing), there's really no need for PTZs which are always pointing the wrong way when something happens anyways. Now we have an entire image full time instead of panning and tilting... and hopefully we have high enough resolution so the digital zoom offsets the PTZ's zoom for most applications. Future of cctv is a fixed IP camera powered by PoE, running back to a network switch. For outdoor or distance we'll see a local power supply powering a camera, possibly a heater/blower, and a fiber module which will run back to a network switch. All recording done on a storage server with NVR software on it. It's not just going there, it's already there. -
If you look at http://www.pfsense.org/ they have links to vendors who sell appliances very similiar to an off the shelf router so you aren't using a full blown computer. Same size, look, and feel with massive power for a few hundred bucks. They usually work with smoothwall, monowall, etc. too. I normally use switches in cctv systems though.
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Theft --- Someone STOLE one of my cameras! *VIDEO INSIDE*
fa chris replied to Toaster's topic in General Digital Discussion
Parapet mounts are ugly but work great. If it's not a gas line, you could apply some voltage to it so nobody hangs on it. If it is a gas line, grease it up. I guess I'm the opposite of everyone here, I only use bullets when the camera won't fit in a dome because the lens is to big. -
What kind of system do I need?
fa chris replied to watchyourgame's topic in General Digital Discussion
Four 16mp avigilon cameras with very good cannon lenses per site would do the trick, along with avigilons enterprise software to manage multiple sites. Won't be cheap though. -
If the cable is rated for outdoors, it's fine. You probably already have coax for your tv and cat3 for your phone lines ran on the outside of your house with zero issues, and conduit might look funny on residential. For security, I try to stub straight out of the structure into the camera or a back box for the camera if possible, instead of running any cable on the outside of the structure it's all ran on the inside. Sometimes this isn't possible though, so look for outdoor rated cat5e (or whatever you decide to use) to run on the outside.
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Ditek, transector, and littlefuse all make good surge suppression devices for any lines coming into a structure from outside. I'd advise putting them on any outside cameras or any other line you have leaving the building. We put suppressors on the 120vac coming into any power supply too. It often falls under installation material like cable, back boxes, etc. which is why most cctv distributors probably don't carry them.
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I'm not defending or talking about the rioters by any means, those guys were simply idiots. When you're creating laws to fit your ideals and looking for any infractions against those laws, you're targeting the general population, including all us working stiffs who pay for all those freeloaders.
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Well if we're going that route, might as well just put pfsense firewall on a machine. http://www.pfsense.org/ It'll act like a router, switch, etc. as well as a firewall. Imagine dd-wrt on crack and steroids that's been bitten by a radioactive spider.
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For ease of installation I'd try to mount all the cameras on the house. You can put a camera or two on the north east corner of your house pointing over to your garage and it should cover the entrances there. Same with a camera pointing at your driveway. Might require different lenses, but very doable. Prevents you from having to do any trenching and the servicability of cameras all on your house with all the wiring ran in your attic is much easier.
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Dictating peoples behavior to fit into your view of what's proper seems like fascism to me. When are uniforms in public going to be mandatory for you guys? You can only put so many chains on your population before they revolt...
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Yes, you can connect the DVR/Remote power switcher to the hub, then connect the hub to the router.
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Remote login with anytime anywhere Prolems!!
fa chris replied to davedillon's topic in General Digital Discussion
I think it's part of the ongoing complete BS software patent wars Apple is constantly waging on everyone. They want to own and control everything... -
I had two dlinks I had nothing but trouble with. I finally bought a linksys and it's been running rock solid for 8 years. Eight years is an eternity in the manufacturing industry though, I can't use it to speak for the current generation of linksys routers. I was a big fan of the stackable blue bricks, don't really like the new designs.
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So babies are like security customers... interesting.
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I heard this thing was heading for turks & caicos this morning on the radio. I just don't understand why people would live in an area with hurricanes just to be in paradise. Good luck.
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axis dome screws
fa chris replied to drvcrash's topic in IP/Megapixel Cameras and Software Solutions
The one's I've used use M4x8 screws. -
In a typical access control system you have four components on a door: 1. card reader to read someones credentials presented with an RFID card typically, sometimes accompanied by typing in a pin. 2. Electronic lock - a lock on the door which the access control system can control by providing or disconnecting power. 3. Door Position Switch - this is a magnetic switch in the top of the door frame so the system can tell if the door is open or closed, and provide an alarm if needed. 4. Request to Exit motion sensor - this is a motion sensor mounted on the secure side of the door which activates a relay when someone is there. The access control system reads the relay, and knows to automatically unlock the door so the person can exit. All 4 of these basic components are wired back to an access control controller which has inputs, relay outputs, power, and inputs for the card reader and all other associated devices. There are many different ways this part of the process is done, some have a controller board at the door, some have special card readers that everything wire too, some have everything homerun back to a closet somewhere containing all the necessary equipment. The controller is usually connected to a network somewhere and a server sits on the network checking if there's a valid card read, making sure the doors are closed, unlocks them when they need to, etc. and talking to the controller to make sure it's doing what it needs to do. That's how a very generic system typical access control system works. The 4 components at the door are pretty standard on every system, but how the head end works has a pretty wide variance.
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IP Network Setup (IP Addressing or Subnet)
fa chris replied to MasterVision_Tech's topic in IP/Megapixel Cameras and Software Solutions
We use the customers network quite a bit, or they will provide the network for us to our specs. Always have them put the security network on a vlan, it isolates the broadcast domain. When a device on a network transmits data (a cctv camera to a server for example), the switch sees the data, and forwards it only to the segment of the network it needs to be forwarded too (the server). However, all devices talk to each other on what's called the "broadcast domain" (they send commands to find each other so data can be properly routed, this is where the MAC address comes into play and how a devices finds another devices MAC address), so when it sends data on a broadcast domain, the switch sees the data, and forwards it to ALL other segments. This can cause a lot of data collusion's, devices can get confused by who's sending what and to who, and pretty soon a camera thinks someone else is your server and is sending data addressed to the wrong computer, the data can become unroutable and the camera will drop offline and won't come back up until the broadcast domain traffic settles down and everyone figures out who everyone else is again. With a tool like wireshark you can monitor the broadcast domain (xx.xx.xx.0 I think) and really see all the "behind the scenes" chatter constantly going on between devices on a network you never normally deal with or think about. By using a vlan, you isolate your cameras and equipment to your own private broadcast domain so you don't have to worry about any interference from other peoples equipment, only traffic your cameras and servers will be seeing are the other cameras and servers, and not some random point of sale workstation or something. If a vlan is used isolating 200 cameras and a few servers, you should be good to go. Regardless of bandwidth, If a vlan isn't used and all of a sudden the broadcast domain includes 200 cameras, a few servers, a few hundred customer workstations, a few hundred VoIP telephones, and a few other random servers, things get messy. The bandwidth aspect has already been covered, just make sure the customer knows your bandwidth requirements in each telecom closet so they can compensate with gigabit switches, fiber, etc. as needed. -
Need help piecing my entire surveillance system
fa chris replied to ulterior_motive's topic in Installation Help and Accessories
I don't think your calcs are correct. Voltage drop at 1000 feet using 18 AWG copper for 24V AC at 1A is 12.77 = 11.23V. Since the OP longest run is 130' his voltage using 24VAC would be Voltage drop: 1.66, Voltage drop percentage: 6.92%, Voltage at the end: 22.3. You want to keep it under 5% usually. For 12v DC Voltage drop: 1.66, Voltage drop percentage: 13.83%, Voltage at the end: 10.34. Those numbers get worse if the ambient temps are higher. Most power supplies run at a higher voltage initially so that helps compensate for the drop. Cable specs tell the resistance per 1000 feet, so your mileage may very. Pretty sure NEC states 7.77 ohms, however you're right, I did make an error. The distance would actual be double because on a 1000 foot wire run the entire circuit would actually be 2000 foot (1000 feet of conductor going out, 1000 feet coming back...), effectively making our resistance 15.54 ohms (if we use 7.77 as our resistance). I do see a lot of calculators say the voltage drop is 12.8 volts for 1 amp at a 1000 feet on 18awg for 24vac. I know the cable I actually use is spec'd for 6.2 ohms per 1000 feet, making it a 12.4volt drop. I only used 1000 feet and 1 amp as a reference because they are simple round numbers. At 130' he'll have zero issues with 24vac, as I doubt his cameras are drawing 1amp and they should be good within a 10% tolerance. -
Wire Jacket Color For Video
fa chris replied to Seitz333's topic in Installation Help and Accessories
There's no national code requiring it, but a lot of states and local codes specify fire alarm cable must be red. Because of that, I would avoid using it for anything else... never a good idea to anger the fire marshal. If you're color coding your cabling, green is very common for security, it's what I see specified by a lot of the big engineering firms and architects typically. Again, there's national standard and you can do whatever you like. Network guys like to use their own color coding for cat5e, something like using blue for workstations, gray for patch cables, orange to go off to other racks, yellow for critical systems, etc. or whatever else. All preference, as long as the system makes sense to you. -
Problem Cameras will make Problems for your DVR
fa chris replied to SEANHAWG's topic in Digital Video Recorders
Probably not a direct hit but most lightening damage is from surges or massive interference due to near hits, lightening is a weird thing like that. Proper surge protection does a very good job at isolating the damage to your camera outside. If we're really concerned about it, we run fiber out to the camera. This is usually a camera on a parapet mount/lightening rod hanging out over the top of building. If it's a fixed camera under a soffit or something normal surge protection will do wonders. -
Problem Cameras will make Problems for your DVR
fa chris replied to SEANHAWG's topic in Digital Video Recorders
More importantly, use surge protection on outdoor cameras so it doesn't fry your head end equipment.