Razzi

Hi all I have just purchased a system comprising an Avtech dvr and 4 sony 600 line bullet cameras. I shortlisted 6 systems, and this was actually the most expensive one that I picked - I would have preferred dome cameras as they look nicer, but one needs to be under a soffit and it is a very small overhang so I didn't think it would be big enough to hold the dome, but the main reason I chose it was due to the hopefully better resolution cameras, the others were all 420 or 500 lines. Anyway to the problem - the cameras have an aluminium body and sun shield, the sun shield is held onto the camera sides as in the enclosed picture only by its springiness (but it is very tight though). Looking at it head on the edge of the sunshield is shaped and it matches guide holes down the sides of the camera so I am assuming that I need to unclip the sunshield and instead insert it into the guide holes and slide it along the full length of the camera? (See the red bit in picture). I have tried to do this with 2 of the cameras but after 2 hours of trying I gave up! I can only get one side or the other in, but not both at the same time. Am I just being silly - is the sun shield intended to go into these guides (I would guess so as the shape is the same) or is it intended to simply clip onto the outside as it is now so it is easily removed? Thanks!

Hi Adam The whole system is here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-SONY-CCD-Camera-600-TVL-IR-CCTV-System-KIT-AVTECH-DVR-/270772841268 it is an AvTech 674 4 channel DVR with 4 Sony 600 line bullet cameras, preformed leads 2x10m and 2x20m. Since my last post I have been experimenting with it - I have 2 cameras on the back of the house, 1x10m cable and 1x20m cable which both run through the same hole into the attic space, and do not pass very close to any mains cables so should not get any interference. I also temporarily removed the network cable as that runs alongside the cables for a few metres, but the shimmering effect was still present. However I no longer think that the shimmering is anything to do with the cameras - I have swapped which ports the various camera cables plug into on the back of the DVR and I believe it may be a DVR fault as it is always channels 1 and 3 which give the shimmering effect, but intermittently, sometimes it is fine, sometimes it shimmers, sometimes it shimmers a lot. It basically looks like someone is holding the camera and shaking it up and down very quickly (and no there wasn't a high wind at the time). But on the whole I am not happy with the quality of the pictures - I shortlisted 6 systems, but in the end went for this one as it had the 600 line cameras, which I thought would produce better image quality than the other systems which all had 420 line cameras, except one which had 540. I have also had an internal Axis 207W IP camera for a number of years, but it does not have infra red and is not suitable for external use. The resolution of this is 640x480 and it gives a much better quality image than any of the external cameras even with their 600 line capability, even when I am standing a couple of metres away looking right at the camera my face appears all blocky. The main reason that I bought this system is if anything such as vandalism happens I would at least have a chance to capture some images of the offenders which could be used for identification - but I do not believe there is a chance of that with the image quality I have seen so far. I am beginning to think that this was a bad purchase ...!

Hi guys - thanks for your replies, sorry I took so long to reply but I had to work at a different office away from home for a couple of weeks and so didn't have access to the cameras to try anything. I had another go when I got back, tried oiling the guide/runner but it just wont fit. The 'male' part is bent outwards towards the edge of the sun shield - I think if it was bent inwards it would fit in nice and easy but I just could not get it to go in so have left it clipped on to the outside. As Numb-nuts said I dont think it will blow off in the rain. My electrician finally installed the cables and cameras for me a couple of days ago so I have been able to see it all in action at long last - when It was delivered I hooked up one camera just to test it worked ok, but couldn't really do a proper test with all cameras outside until now. Unfortunately I am not impressed with the image quality, but perhaps I am expecting too much? A couple of the cameras appear to e reasonably good, but with the other 2 the image appears to shimmer constantly and give a very poor image quality, and I cant use movement detection on those 2 as it constantly triggers due to the image shimmering. As far as I am aware the cables do not run alongside and mains to get interference, and where they go into the attic 2 cables run together - one has a good picture and one a poor one. I'm not sure what I can do about it now though as they are installed, maybe I could send some example pictures to the supplier and ask if he has any suggestions?