Lloyd

you can get a regular ip camera for about 200 and software to run on your comp, with motion activated recording for up to 16 cameras, for about $30.

Is it decent software, and what is it's name?

Instead, look into a WV-CP484, the "box camera" version of that dome. That will let you use pretty much any available C/CS-mount lens that suits your needs, with all the same features (SDIII, auto-backfocus, etc.).

 

The following Tamron lenses fit your needs:

 

Vari-Focal: 1/3"

13VM20100AS 20-100mm F/1.6 Aspherical, Manual Iris - NEW

13VG20100AS-SQ 20-100mm F/1.6 Aspherical w/connector, DC Iris - NEW

Motorized Zooms: 1/2"

12PZG10x8C 8-80mm F/1.8 Compact Zoom, DC Iris

 

Motorized Zooms: 1/3"

13PZA20x56 5.6-112mm F/1.6, Video Iris

13PZP20x56 5.6-112mm F/1.6 w/Presets, Video Iris

 

Motorized Zooms: 1/2"

12PZA10x8C 8-80mm F/1.8 Compact Zoom, Video Iris

12PZM10x8 8-80mm F/1.8, Motorized Iris

I have been running WV-CP484 with a Tamron 13VG20100AS-SQ 20-100mm F/1.6 Aspherical for over two years.

It monitors the last half of my 1100' driveway.

I can't read licese plates at the far end, but I can sure see what is going on.

Palomino, what part of Wisc do you live in?

I live in South central Wisc.

Was told today that the Panasonic CP484?? models have this "Peak White Inversion" switch on them. Since I have never bought one, can anyone on this forum, who has this model(s), confirm this? If this is true, has anyone tried to set the switch to see the outcome at night?

I run a CP484.

I have not run across any setting in this camera that says "Peak White Inversion", or anything similar.

I also scanned over the Operating Instructions, and saw no reference to anything like it.

But I am just a DIYer, and I could be overlooking it.

You can Google for info on the camera, and find a pdf file with the complete Operating Instructions.

PhotoShop ..... "Invert" command will do it.

I got a few Bosch questions ....

(1) Is it the Bosch LTC 495 that is discribed by cctv_down_under in the photo below as the "Bosch True Day/Night"?

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6562&highlight=camera+comparison

---------------

(2) When I look at the spec pdf file for the LTC 495 series, I have a question.

I see 495/11 and 495/21 are for the low voltage models, and 495/51 and 495/61 are for the higher volatge models.

I don't see any expaination as to the difference between the 11 and 21 on the first, and the 51 and 61 on the second.

Could someone please tell me?

--------------

(3) When using the Bilinx method of setting up this camera, what type of connector is required to establish the connection?

The pdf shows a T connection in the cable that runs from camera to recorder.

What type of connection is at the T ?

Do you just clamp onto the cable with a connector that comes with the camera???

Do they provide 'Bilinx software' that you install and run on the PC you use for making changes in camera settings.

Thanks guys.

Long as we're talkin about lens .....

Are these things any good??

I just had to show you guys this .....

Fair surveillance video, really bad driving

Ya, it's been real strange for weather this year.

I have enjoyed an unusually warm winter so far with very little snow ....

while I've seen many other places in the US get just pounded with crap weather.

Denver has really cought hell, and you guys in Oklahoma too.

Let's see, Washington state has been beaten up .... east coast, California, Ohio, .... man .....eveybody but us in the Wisconsin area.

I'm not complaining, I just don't understand it.

I feel very lucky ..... and sorry for the many people affected by the mess.

Yes, current in a series circuit should measure the same at all points.

Yep, today was the second snow storm of the season here is Wisconsin.

First one was about 3", and todays was about 4".

Very easy winter so far ...... muz be the global warming thingy .....

I used a Samsung Hi8 camcorder as my GeoVision input for years!

To get it to give me a video signal out, I had to:

Turn the camera on, with no tape in it, and leave the cassette door open.

I had the ice cube power supply adaptor powered from a UPS.

That way it remembered focus ( I used manual focus option ), and other settings that would change on me when power went off.

At night I would shut off the camcorder, and in the morning I would start it back up.

This sometimes caused an accidental change of the camera position.

The new CCTV camera I replaced it with remembers everything with power loss.

That is a big improvement for me.

The picture quality of the CCTV camera is better.

It took me awhile to get the focus right, but I am a noob at this stuff.

Towards evening, my CCTV camera will see better longer then the camcorder.

And if/when I add some IR to my target area, the mechanical cut filter on the CCTV camera will give me a reason to leave the camera run 24/7.

Overall, I am pleased with my change from the camcorder to the CCTV camera ..... and I am sure a properly trained and experienced CCTV installer would be able to make additional improvements.

If you have a quality camera, your problem could be simply finding the right ajustments/settings.

Merry Christmas to all !!!

I have enjoyed reading and learning from this forum thru 2006, and look forward to the discussions of 2007.

Thanks! .. to all who have shared their knowledge.

May your hollidays be joyful !

Its definately essentiual to use the included software and cable to get the most out of the UPS. If it doesnt have them, then it probably is an old unit.

Not all new APC backups are created equal!

I thought I was getting a good deal when I bought a APC Back-UPS ES 650 from Dell.

Not so good of deal ....

The sticker on the bottom says it's a DL 650T.

It not only did not include software and comm cable, ... but it also has no jack for the comm cable to plug into!

Later I purchased another APC 650 ES. ( not from Dell )

The sticker says it is a BE 650R.

Came with cable and software ..... and cable jack!

Bottom line .... know your model numbers before you buy ... not all APC Back-UPS ES650 units are created equal.

Still dont know what the term dIY means.

I'm pretty sure DIY means, "Do It Yourself"

..... plus with a brand new Geo card you'll get future software updates.

.... unless the new software release will not work with your card because it isn't a new enough card version.

It all has to do with the amount of load you are going to put on the circuit.

You are refering to 24 VAC I believe.

You will need to know the total current ( amps ) needed by all devices on the circuit.

I have very little experience in the CCTV area, so I have no idea what the heaters, etc. require.

But all devices will have a watts or amp requirement identified.

Example:

The power requirement for a Panasonic WV-CP484 is shown as 4.7 watts @ 24 VAC.

The power, or watts, formula is P = I x E.

Power ( watts ) = I ( amps ) x E ( volts)

So filling in the blanks ....

Let's increase the power requirement from 4.7 to 4.8 watts .... just to make it easier to see.

P ( 4.8 watts ) = I ( .2 amps ) x E ( 24 vac )

There, now I know I need .2 amps @ 24 VAC to run the camera.

Now go here and find the chart for your distance, then cross reference for the amps and wire size.

I see that at 400 feet ( paired conductors ) with 16 ga wire, I can safely run a load of .42 amps.

Only .2 amps is needed for the camera.

Find your current draw for each device you are going to power.

Add them together for a "total amps needed figure".

Go to the chart.

I see the chart shows info for a 28 VAC tap.

Someone elso would have to tell you if it is standard in the industry to use the 28 volt tap, but it appears from the chart that it is.

If the 28 VAC tap is used, then the load in my example could be increased to 1.67 amps.

I hope this helped.

Thanks!

Over all, I am pleased.

This is my first real camera, so I am not sure what can be fine tuned.

I know that I have too strong of a white that is noticed at the far end of the gravel driveway.

It also shows well on the tank truck in the 10:44 photo.

I don't know if it can be improved.

The problem can be seen on the camcorders recording as well.

I wish the focus was a little sharper .... but isn't that the way it always goes? ( wishing it was better )

I gotta remember I am looking thru a two layer glass window too.

The FOV is good from this camera position.

It would be nice to see what some IR lites at the end of the driveway would look like.

I had some problems at first.

Never set up a real cam before.

It seemed like the B/W mode wouldn't kick in automatically, but then it started working.

I had to get a CRT hooked up to do the set up.

Finally I decided to set up the camcorder too, and record them both for comparison purposes.

So the camcorder is right under the Panaconic by about 3 feet.

Here are some comparison shots.

I'll be messing with it in the future some time soon, trying to get it a little better.

The whites seem a little too bright yet for one thing.

3.7 meg file download .....

So???

Ok .... I ordered a 10VA ( 24VAC ).... order confirmation came in right away.

I haven't heard from them since ... nothing in the mail, nothing UPS, nothing email.

I sent them email ..... no response.

Not good.

On the productive side, I got the camera up and running yesterday.

The wife is out of town until Sunday afternoon.

Shhhhhh ..... she doen't know I bought it yet.

So I found an old 12VDC power supply around. ( 13.8 VDC @ 4 amps )

Under no load a voltmeter says 16.52 VDC.

With camera attached it says 14 VDC or so.

Perfect ... I am using it.

I hooked it up to the 12 VDC terminals on the camera.

I moved the PC near the camera, so I could see the results of my learning the menus.

I'm learning.

I put the LCD monitor in native resolution.

The focus and back focus seem to be easy to ajust.

I know, I could do a better job if I hooked up a CRT to it.

I get better color from this camera.

The lens mm size selection was proper for the FOV I wanted.

I have a very slightly larger FOV then I had with the camcorder.

Close enough.

So far, towards evening, it appears as tho the picture fades to black sooner then the camcorder does.

Doesn't look good for dusk/dark images, but you guys warned me of that.

I am not sure if it is switching to B/W or not.

I'll be running thru the settings again ( and again ) in the next few days.

When I got it set the best I can get it, I'll post a pic or two.

Thanks for the advice guys.

It all sounds like good reasons.

I'll use a 10VA.

OK, so my WV-CP484 arrived today.

I see in the instructions it says, "Do not use a transformer larger then 10 VA".

It does not mention what size to use, but I guess a 10 VA would be proper.

What is the reason for nothing bigger?

"For nature viewing your camcorder is working fine?"

Well, it's working, but I would like to have it better.

(1) There is alot of white-out with the sun hitting the surfaces, and a WDR camera should fix that.

(2) I get absolutly nothing of value trying to record after dark.

Towards dark when I can still see the end of the driveway, the camera is recording black ... and headlights are just a ball of white.

I'm hoping the panasonic will do better.

(3) Every morning when I turn on the camcorder, I have to press buttons on it to turn off the OSD ( on screen display ) .. otherwise it is recorded along with the picture.

Of course this means touching the camera and maybe changing the positioning a little by accident.

So I always have to check that it is still aimed where I want it.

(4) The lens is fairly cheap really ... only $136 delivered.

Do you feel that I will not see improvements over what I am getting from my camcorder?

Lloyd, would you mind posting a pic of your home from the drive?

Sure ... it's not a very good shot, cause I'm looking South and into the sun today.

Remember I said my video camera faces North...away from the sun.

It's located is at the top of that tall narrow window just left of the front door.

The door and window are recessed back a bit from the front of the house.

It makes it a nice little shaddowed location.

As you can see, there is no gable facing the driveway to put the camera in.

The gable above the garage will not work, cause it will not see the driveway end.

I have lots of trees on both sides of the driveway.

Really, I am totally happy with the location of the camera as it is.

I see just what I want to from this camera .... position wise.

The height is perfect... outside I can walk under it, and do not block the view.

It looks straight down the drive, giving me a nice view on both sides.

In the house, it is not in the way at all.

I can walk under it, and nothing is sitting on the floor .... like a tripod.

As far as getting power and cables to near the end of the driveway, that may come next year.

Like I mentioned, I am a retired electrician ... I can run conduit and cables.

I also own a full size tractor loader/backhoe.

I am all set to go.

But one thing at a time.

This security/nature hobby of mine can't become a bank buster for me.

I live on a pension.

This is camera one that I am trying to bring up the standards on.

It is for driveway 'overview' ... to see the wildlife, and to tell me what is going on at the end of the driveway and the first 1/3.

True, I will want more cameras nearer the end on the drive, but I want this one right where it is.

I have a GeoVision GV-800 - 8 card.

I have seven more inputs to fill in the furure.

I figure 3 more near the end of the driveway that I hope to be able to read vehicle plates.

The other 4 will be in the house, and run when a sensor network says "INTRUDER" during my absence.

I've had one breakin during my 28 years living at this location.

If it happens again, I want 4 cameras recording it.

And yes, I have come up with my own special way of hiding my 'GeoVision PC', but have to do it yet.

That will happen someplace along the way.

But this all takes time and money.

I've thought alot of this out, and this forum has helped me too.

Again, I wish to thank all who given their time to input their knowledge.

But for now, I am working on 'camera 1'.

It looks like I will be trying the Panasonic WV-CP484 and the Tamron 13VG20100AS-SQ 20-100mm lens.....

but I am still willing to listen to other suggestions from the knowlege bank.

EDIT: For anyone interested, here is a link to a 15 second video of the piebald deer I mentioned earlier.

It's not very good cause it was almost dark.

I captured this on the very first day that I got the GeoVision card working.

Piebald deer

"If its placed outside it would have to be in a housing, and that still looks through glass, or perspex/polycarbonate whatever the housing uses"

I was going to ask about that....

I was wondering if camera housings used a 'special' glass.

Altho I admit the window I am shooting thru is a thermo pane... two layers of glass.

But I do want this camera to be inside.

No housing to buy, no heater to run, and the shot is exactly what I want.... there will be more cameras in the future.

Rory, I like your idea about the rubber ring and near the glass.

I don't have a reflection problem during the daytime, but can get it at night.

The ring might fix all or most of it.

Computar Viewfinder = over $200 ..... no can do.

Using the FOV calculators I find on the internet, they all put me near or over the 100mm number.

Now that you see the application and criteria, I am willing to listen to suggested options for camera and lens.

After a very long search on the internet, there are very few choices for a lens in the 100mm area.

Any ideas from you?

Do you feel the choice I showed here would be a large improvement over my camcorder, or am I expecting too much?

Don't send me to Extreme, they have prices that are too high.

If I spend too much, the wife will kill me and I will never get to see the video anyhow.

Just a thought, have you asked the local authorities to install speedbumps to make those morons slow down?

LOL ... no, I am sure the town authorities and road crew wouldn't do that.

You gotta get the camera outside, having it look through a window like that is less then ideal. Also dont' get a fixed 100mm lens either.

 

Night will be tough unless you have a light out there, IR or not.

This camera is gonna be inside. More cameras and IR will come in time.

I get a very nice shot of the far 1/3 to 1/2 of the driveway... and I want that.

The lens I show is 20-100mm varifocal, if I am not mistaken, that is not a fixed lens.

( But I'm awful new at this, so correct me if I am wrong )