Razer_SE

Wow, that has to be a BI limitation. I'm running a lot of the ACTi cameras in a lot of locations with no issues like that but I'm using Exacq. Location I was at today has 9 IP cameras / 10 analog and two of them are 5211e cameras running at full 4MP resolution and there is minimal delay. Like a second or two max. They are set on variable bit rate high quality. My other 7 IP cameras are set between 1.5 - 3 or to variable also. I don't get horrible lag even when viewing the location over the internet in a web browser!

Other than Ubiquiti cameras I know of nothing in that price range. Might be worth a look though, I've bever used them but I have used other Ubiquiti networking stuff and it is amazing at any price. http://www.ubnt.com/airvision http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Aircam-Megapixel-Indoor-Outdoor/dp/B007RFFTUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344365304&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+aircam Usually for an entry/mid level brand you are looking at about roughly $300 a camera or so.

We need to know what you definition of inexpensive is. $100? $300? $973? Also, what kind of camera, indoor, outdoor, dome, bullet, PTZ, need IR, need megapixel? I'd say there are plenty of inexpensive IP cameras out there and they are only getting better for less money.

In exacq in the linking area you click on new, then choose soft trigger. Event source you then name it whatever you want, likely Garage Door. The next area to the right is action type, choose output trigger. Once you have that clicked then the available alarm outputs on your cameras should show up. Choose the correct camera output you want to use. The last option is time on the right, for how long to hold the output. That you might have to play with, but I can't imagine it needs more than a second and maybe not even that long. As for a relay, in the gate systems I play with more often the current needed and relay and such is already there, you are just closing the loop for to complete the circuit momentarily. In my case if I wire directly to where the keypads are connected then I need nothing else at all, just closing the loop will cycle the gate. No help with a garage door opener, but I'd assume it works the same way in some cases anyway. The ones that have a doorbell type connector is just closing the loop for a second. Wire to that connection on the opener and try it I guess? If I tap the strike wires for a second it works, and that is all I want my output to do, close the loop for a second and shut back off. If a relay is needed then it looks like hardwired has what you may need! That is my best guess on the opener side, on the exacq side I just made a trigger and typed it out so you should be able to do that easily. Then the soft trigger shows up on the main view page of exacq and look like a light switch in the newest version. In the phone app there is a button at the bottom labeled triggers, you will click there to use the trigger on the phone.

If you have an Exacq built server with the output triggers it should be possible pretty easily I would think. You just go to event linking and choose soft trigger as the input and name it, then choose the output trigger, then choose the target for the action and decide what it needs to do and for how long to correctly trigger the door opener. Try this to see if you have alarm outputs available. If you do not have the built in triggers on the NVR itself then maybe your cameras have a alarm output. My ACTi cameras have outputs on them, so I could wire the door opener to the camera, hit the button in Exacq and it will trigger the alarm output on the camera, closing the door. Makes for a shorter run usually too if you use the camera to handle the trigger. A site I just pulled up has 13 possible alarm outputs from the DVR and the cameras. Without the output triggers built in to the NVR or camera I do not know how to make it work though, so someone else might have an idea.

Plates where I am are non reflective, or at least not like other states I've lived in. Worse yet, they are totally flat and not stamped like they used to be so there is not even ridges to try and make out. Dumbest plates ever. One of the plates now has two small letters stacked over each other, then normal sized letters. Instantly made it 5 times harder to get the whole plate number. Not a fan.

I just ordered a couple of the 5611 cameras, I'll compare to my 5211e cameras and see if there is a major difference. Thanks for the video, though it has way more light than a lot of my locations it was nice to see at least.

The 5311e is a closeout item I believe is it not? I thought I read that that one was going away in the next month or so. You might be able to get a better deal on that model, or you might get the newer model because of the sensor being so much bigger. How much better is the 5611 than the 5211e? The sensor is just about 1mm difference, and only in one direction. For those that have tested it how much better is it really? Any comparisons of the two in the same locations? I need to order some more ACTi cameras in the next few days and that is my one major complaint with the 5211e is that it really needs a lot of light. If the difference is significant I may order a few of them to try in my darker locations. I can handle the 2mp vs the 4mp, though a larger sensor on the 4mp would be the best really.

In my case I'll be using these to get enough light so that I'm not constantly recording when in night mode. I do have visible light via motion, but unless it is on I get motion all night recorded because of the lack of light. Adding these will keep two 4mp cameras from recording all night long, and I'll still have natural light when motion is detected. Perfect combination, and is sure going to save me some hard drive space! I have a couple of locations that I'll be using these like the OP too though as a trial, where there is not enough light and I need to keep the camera from recording all night long again. Should be a nice test as I've tried everything else to no avail.

If you can see the routing table to see the connected devices your router should show you the IP of the device. So yes, the router should "see" the access point. Not all routers show you what is connected though, most of the netgears I have used would not show connected devices but some of my other routers do. If you can see a list of connected computers and such in your router then you should be able to see the access point too. The router is the only thing that would allow you to possibly see it, to the devices your are connecting it is transparent. The only way to talk to it directly is to connect to its IP directly. Seeing as your AP is DHCP and not static that could be an issue. If you set the AP to static then you will really fix your issue as you can just ping it and see if it is the AP or the camera. Then it showing in the router or not is moot.

buellwinkle, I just ordered three for testing actually. I agree, for the price I can't go wrong really. That's my biggest issue at a lot of my locations, noise at night causing false motion. Normally the worst on my ACTi 5211 cameras as they do need a lot of light as you mentioned. My other 1mp cameras do not seem to have the issue. I even adjusted around it on my Acti 1111 cameras, but it's rough on the 5211s. Recording all night at 4mp is not my favorite thing in the world.... Thanks again for the links and images, much appreciated!

The access point will be transparent to your devices, but it does have an IP address. I have one in the office today that I could not remember what I set the IP to so I ran the discovery tool it came with and it found its IP for me. Then I can access it and do whatever I need to, but otherwise no device really knows it's even there. I would also recommend a static IP on the access point so you can easily access it and make sure it is working. If the camera drops and you cant access it then you can try the access point and see if it is accessible. Then you know if you have a camera issue or a access point issue and it will save you form a lot of troubleshooting and a lot of time. If it has a utility to find it then it's not as important I guess, but still recommended. Without my utility today I'd have been looking for the right IP for a while. Now I remembered to write the IP on the access point like I normally do so this will not happen again lol.

Thanks for the shots, I may get a couple to try in a situation I'm running into now at a new location. This may doe exactly what I need it it, and it's indoor so weather will not be an issue. I'm getting recording all night with a KCM-5211E because there is NO other light besides the built in IR until someone keys in and the lights come on. I have all the light I need then, but if no one comes in then I'm recording all night. This would fix that nicely I bet!

I've never ran into issues, but all my users usually log in under the same username as they all have the same permissions for the most part. Bandwidth would be the issue I would assume. I have 10-20 logged in at once at times with no issues. Most just use the web view here as it does everything most people want or need, it might help you as then you dont have to configure the client for 500 people!

I also looked at NUUO, I cannot remember why that one would not work for us, but I remember we found out pretty quickly it would not do something we needed so it was not looked at very long. I am using ACTi and Vivotek mostly, I am using the ACTi 360 cameras plus the boxes, bullets, and a few domes. With Vivotek I have only used domes and bullets. I have had more failures on the Vivotek cameras though, I sent two back yesterday for warranty repair actually. Repairs are done quick so no issues there, but I sort of moving more to ACTi as so far I've only had one camera ever fail from them so far. Camera wise it really depends on the need of the shot, I'm not stuck on a single brand. It's another reason I like Exacq as they support a ton of cameras so I have a lot of options. For us cost was much less with Exacq - but for some they may be more than Avigilon it really depends on your uses.

I use a ton of the hybrid systems and like them a lot, just installed two more the day before yesterday actually. You can get hybrid systems that will do 32 cameras too so you can use more of your analog investment that you have already done. When you purchase a hybrid system it comes with 8 IP licenses without having to get any more. I have systems running 16 analog cameras and 9 IP cameras and it runs with no issues at all. I just use the more basic 1608-12-1000-DT system and it runs perfectly with that many cameras. I've never used more than 16 analog, but I had zero issues, the processor overhead is almost nothing really so I don't think you will run into issues with the number of cameras as far as Exacq is concerned. I also purchase the 1tb units and add my own storage, it is cheaper that way. As long as the cameras are on the compatibility list then you'll have no issues, and I have made cameras that were not on the list work also though it will not work every time. You will probably see Avigilon recommended for your environment from others also, I tested it and several other brands and it came down to Avigilon, Exacq, and one other smaller company. In the end Exacq won out, it was much more inexpensive for our uses with what it included. Avigilon may be cheaper for other setups though.

You can adjust the sensitivity of the light sensor, I would recommend setting it to high sensitivity as it seems to react more the way I expect them to. It should switch earlier then, I have most of mine set to high. Also, make sure you are running firmware 1.04, nothing later looks near as good at night. I found a link eventually out there with this firmware and downgraded to it and it is much better at night. Much less grainy, overall amazing difference compared to the later firmware I've tried. Hope this helps you out a little anyway.

The switch I would recommend is the Cisco 300 series switch, the SF 302-08P. About $250 and a great switch for the price. http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-SF-302-08P-SRW208P-K9-NA-Managed/dp/B004496TFS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1340975907&sr=1-1&keywords=SF302-08P Cameras, well there are a ton. Good lower cost brands that you may consider are Vivotek and ACTi. I use both brands a lot and have had good results. I use the bullet cameras mostly, but I also use domes from both and I'm using the ACTi 360 camera and 4mp outdoor box cameras with great results too. Domes could start around $230-$250 and up. Bullets are normally starting around $300 or so. The sky is the limit of course, and the exact camera will depend on your needs. Others will chime in with some recommendations I'm sure. Personally, if you are replacing I would recommend going IP also. You will see an amazing improvement quality with the right cameras for sure, well worth it to my company anyway.

I would look to try to use a basic laptop or desktop webcam if I were you, it seems simpler to me and then there is no cabling at all, just place a webcam phone call and go. Hook a computer to an external monitor or TV onsite and place your "call back in time" or whatever. The transmitting end can use software to make that end look old film like, add text over the video, change voices, animated backgrounds that you then move the whiteboard to see, in all kinds of cool effects. Just use Skype to call each other, it is free and a good HD web cam like the Logitech c920 is only about $80. Then whatever in software if it costs at all and you are set. There are a ton of webcam / Skype effects software packages out there, do a Bing search and download some trials and you should be able to find something that will work. Setup the whiteboard in front of the web cam, lots of options. The c920 even has a tripod attachment option! Would make it easy to setup for looking at the whiteboard. You could also connect the laptop directly to the TV, but then location for setup could be an issue. HDMI or VGA directly to the TV. Cheap and easy, with great results. Another solution would be to just wire a normal camcorder to the TV directly, set the camcorder to black and white and you'd be set for the basic shot. I like the web cam idea better as it gives you more options and you can set up your transmission anywhere giving you more options for locations once you are on site.

Just once, it keeps the settings you give it. It's still not WDR by any means, but it sure does better than the 8332. I have about 70 of the 8332 cameras up now, so they are doing a pretty good job. I still think the 1111 will be what I move to in this price range though. Going to get a few more and test them at another site now, I was waiting on them to be added to my NVR compatibility and they are now so I will have an easier time with them. I made them work before but motion was wonky without a hassle in my software so I waited after getting the first 4 up.

I think I prefer the 1111 in the image department really, though they are pretty close. You are getting a larger image with the 1111 as it is not a widescreen image like the 8332 is. I think the 1111 handles differences in brightness better too, it's not WDR by any means but it is worlds better than my 8332 cameras. Morning sun can towards camera almost totally ruins my shots, or hard building shadows in half a shot makes the image look bad on the 8332. Big improvement on the 1111, but I only have those at one site so I want to try them more before I decide to totally switch to them. The only way Vivotek is better that easy to see is the colors are more vibrant by a lot, though I'd think I can tweak that on the 1111 I've not messed with it yet. If they add just a very few features in the firmware I'll likely totally switch to the 1111 cameras personally. I've just had my 4th Vivotek 8332 go bad within 4 months of install so I'm not feeling too good about them right now. Colors go off, I have another thread about the problem here somewhere, but it's not fixable once it goes out of whack.

When you mention you use manual night mode settings are you referring to settings such as brightness/contrast/gain/exposure type settings? How far do the IR led's project distance wise would you say? 20-30 feet? Do you find minimal lighting helps out with night vision? Thanks Tony You are correct, in the camera under video there is a tab for exposure/white balance. In there are two separate settings, one for day mode and one for night mode. Day mode needed no tweaking, to get night mode to work I had to manually set it to manual, then choose white balance setting, then exposure gain. Exposure gain was what I had to tweak a few times to find the right setting. Shutter speed is set to 1/30, that is as low as it will go. It switches from day to night mode automatically, there is no setting for sensitivity for the switch. I have very little lighting there, but the cameras are not totally in the dark either. IR is of limited use I'd say, not a ton of IR leds there. Still a good overall picture. There are very few options in the firmware compared to the other ACTi cameras I've used, but then again it is doing everything I need it too. There has never been a firmware update for this camera yet, so maybe there will be more options later on, I don't know. There is not even an option to disable the IR LEDs for example. Pretty sparse features compared to the Vivotek ip8332 camera at least.

I have four of the 1111's installed and working and I am very pleased with them. Right after install I had issues with the cameras at night generating too much noise resulting in motion being detected no matter how low I set the detection. I finally set the cameras manually for night mode settings and after a few nights of trial and error got them working perfectly. Great picture with low noise and this location is not lit the best so I'm very pleased. My only other dislike on this camera is that it is not sealed at all on the back, it is open from the cord opening all the way inside. You'll want to run the conduit for you cable or otherwise seal the opening somehow once you run your cable into the camera. Still am happy with the camera, working great for about two months now.

Quick question as I have never had to use encoders yet, are there any recommendations from you all on an encoder choice for use with Exacq? I will be encoding just one analog camera so it only needs to support a single camera, but if the cost is low enough I would consider something that could handle more than one so I am more future proof with my purchase. Don't have any real specific needs that I'm aware of, pretty basic will work. I am using ACTi cameras already and I know they make encoders, but thought I'd ask opinions first. EDIT - Cost matters some as I'll be getting 22 or so of whatever I get. Thanks all!

If it does I have no idea how to use it lol. Not saying it doesn't just that I was unaware of that. For ACTi or Vivotek anyway any motion window you set in exacq is in the camera when you look at the camera interface itself. Also, you can adjust the window in the camera and it reflects in Exacq too, but you are not supposed to do that for whatever reason. I had to for a non supported camera model as motion windows were not setting properly in the camera from exacq and it worked fine for me though. Made the non supported camera work perfectly.