brianparkes

Does anyone have the lists of the protocol (DIP switch) settings for the Honeywell (Ultrak) KD6, HD6, and Samsung SCC-641 PTZ cameras. I swear, it is like these companies hide that information like it was a treasure map. I'd like to use them through a Coaxitron, or if that won't work, through a different matrix system, but finding a good list of the protocol settings is holding me back. Thanks.

I had to do a similar thing to bench test a bunch of Pelco PTZs when I didn't have access to a Coaxitron (device that allows you to operate multiple Pelco PTZs that goes between the keyboard and PTZ cameras). I did the same thing you did with hard-wiring the cat5 cable and plugging it directly into the keyboard. To get them to operate on different channels you will have to go into the keyboard setup and program each channel and do the same with the DIP switches on each PTZ. I am not familiar with the operation of that particular keyboard, but I bet you could find the answer if you got the manual for it online. Good luck

The only experience I have had with DVRs is hooking up analog cameras to them. I was helping out one of my properties which have DVRs and analog cameras and came across an IP camera that was just lying around. The DVRs have 16 channel analog ports and 4 IP ports. They said they think that the camera was never installed due to licensing? I've heard that each IP camera has to be licensed, but I don't have any actual experience with this. Is this true? The camera has an analog feed line (BNC) and an ethernet port. It might be POE, but it also has a plug that can just be put in a wall outlet, so that is likely the way I will go with power. I tried the feed with the BNC connector and was unimpressed with the picture quality. I'd like to try hooking it up to the IP ports, but I'd like to know if it is basically "plug and play" or will it be more complex than that? Will I need to figure out an IP address to sync up with the DVR and camera? If I need a license, where should I start to find one? The camera is likely 6 years old (or more), but it is a GE product, so I might be able to get help from them. I've had bad experiences getting information from them if I am not a licensed installer for their other brands Honeywell/Ultrak. The camera is a GEC-IPDRH-24VA DR Series Rugged IP Dome Camera, 520 TVL, MPEG-4. I didn't write down the DVR information, but I can get it if it will help out. I am just hoping for some pointers so I go in a little more prepared when I go there next week and any suggestions as to what to look out for is greatly appreciated.

I'll look into the model of the DVR to see if I can find a compatibility chart. The only reason that we have this camera is that when the DVRs were installed 6 years ago the company set up this IP camera for a demonstration or something (probably trying to get us to purchase them) and I think this one was left behind (or so I am told). I hooked it up to a computer and got it working that way, but I'll just have to see if it will work with the DVRs that property has. At least by hooking it up to the computer I was able to get the IP address, which I'm sure will come in handy for the install. I am not very impressed with the picture quality, but that makes sense since it is only 520 tvl's. I have a feeling it was closer to "top of the line" back in the day, but it is no better than most of the analog cameras we already have.

If you end up being allowed to post the cameras you have, please do so. You can send the message to me if you want. I am always shopping around to get backups for the places I work at to keep the surveillance operation going.

Any chance you can set it up next to your DVR and "bench test" it first to see if there is a problem with the communications. I've come across some issues with the signals for the controls when not using twisted wire, but sometimes it works just fine. Try using a small section of the cable to hook it up next to the DVR first to see. If you do end up having issues with controls (but it gets power and video feed), then you will know you have to figure something out with the cable (as long as you are sure that all your DIP switch settings match your signal and the Rx Tx connections are not crossed)

I've worked on the Spectra II's and III's, but not the IV's yet, but whenever I have an error like that it is due to a communication error. Maybe the wires are crossed between the Rx+/Rx- and the Tx+/Tx-. If you are using a Coaxitron, then it won't be that issue. It could be that the dip-switches are not set for the correct controls. What kind of controller are you using (Pelco or through a computer)? Make sure the settings are correct for both. Check the manual and make sure both are on Pelco-P or something similar. Beyond that, call Pelco. They are very useful for troubleshooting problems like that over the phone or via email. Good Luck

The only issue with just splitting the signal (with a T shaped splitter) is that the signal will degrade a little bit. Some definition will be lost. You could look online for a distribution amplifier. I tried the really cheap one and it wasn't that great, and therefore not worth the money. The last one I got was around $40 and works just fine. It has 1 input and 4 outputs, so it is more than I needed, but again, the cheap 1 in, 2 out one I tried wasn't that great. I'm sure you can find a cheap enough one online. Just make sure it is the kind with an actual power supply (the TV channel splitters that don't plug in won't work well for a CCTV analog signal).

If the inside cameras you are talking about are the box cameras (or the same size and smaller) there are housings made for them. Not only do they lock for security reasons, they have small fans and heaters in them to help deal with the heat/cold/wet conditions. I've seen a lot of them on sites like ebay for $20 or less (used). You might need to replace a fan or two, but those can be found cheap too. The housings are fairly bulky though, compared to the cameras themselves. If the cameras you are talking about are PTZ cameras and are name brand, they should have an option for an outside housing that is sealed better to prevent moisture from getting in. You might be able to find an outdoor housing from a different brand (used) and fit the new one inside since a lot of the newer stuff is quite smaller than how things used to be. I know moisture used to really mess up my outside cameras when I got to this place. The seals were bad and the PTZs kept crapping out. Expecially if you are paying the higher prices for the name brand stuff, it would save money in the long run to get the correct outdoor housings. If they crap out, you might not be able to find replacements for the same deal you have found this time.

Well, if he works for a different company and still thinks they are pretty good, I'll consider that a good thing. I tried out their demo software that they have on their website. It's not the worst one I've ever worked with. PS. Well said Numb-nuts.

My company is talking to a sales rep that is selling Airship DVRs. The two models he is are the AIRSHIP LD Series Hybrid DVR and the AIRSHIP LDR Series Hybrid DVR. I definitely like that they are hybrids. I use all analog cameras now, but it does give me the option to slowly replace some cameras with IP cameras in the future. Does anyone have any positive or negative comments about using these DVRs? For my place we will have to get 7 of the 16 channel ones to cover everything. These models do seem to state that they will record 4CIF(D1) on all 16 channels while maintaining at least 30fps, which I need. I've never used their software before, though. I would prefer to get the LDR versions and run them all through a router to one computer to access the recordings (we would likely build our own computer to save cost). Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

I assume you have already tried wiping the system clean and reinstalling everything. You could also just try replacing the hard drives. They may have become corrupted over the years. It would be a cheap(er) solution to try out first. You should be able to find new hard drives online for less than $100. Since it is a PC based system that worked ok originally, it isn't likely a software issue with the DVR program. Do you use the computer for any other tasks, or just for the DVR recording/reviewing?

Just curious. Is there a difference between what the power supply is providing to the cameras and what the cameras are rated for (in volts and amps)? Since it goes away after you unplug it (to put on a new connector) it is ok at first, but it starts going bad relatively soon. That would be the first thing I would check.

I'm looking to replace some parts in my monitor matrix. It is an Ultrak Max 1000 (HD series). I would like to get some of the cards that go inside it. If anyone can help me track down someone that has some, I would appreciate it a lot. Thanks

Sometimes when I experience a view like that it depends on the monitor. Some views of mine do that on my cheap HD tv, but not on regular old monitors. Also, most of the time when I have used a T splitter the signal does get degraded pretty bad. To solve this I've used a distribution amplifier that has 2-4 outputs so you can run the signal to multiple monitors/recording devices. A quick search online should help you find one that is cheap enough. Are each of the cameras sharing a power supply port? I also assume that you are using the correct voltage power source for them (not putting a 12V camera on a 24V power supply). In my system I had a camera acting poorly like yours and found out it was a 12V camera on my 24V power system.

Such as?

What brand/model of cameras do you have? Do they have the option to put an auto iris lense on them (usually on the side of the camera there will be a square port that looks similar to the USB port on most new printers). If the camera has an internal menu you can access, that would be where the setting to make it switch to B&W under low light conditions would be. If you have the user manual (or can find it online) it should tell you how to do it.

Not a bad idea with the extra tint on the dome. If you ever get to a point where you might replace the bulbs, you could try a slightly lower wattage bulb, too. Before you go spending the money though, try to find some somewhere else to see if you can test them first (or just make sure the company you purchased them from will take them back if it won't permanently solve the issue). I had a lot of glare issues on one of my shots (not the flicker issue that you seem to have), but reducing the wattage from 35 to 25 on the bulbs helped a lot and it really didn't affect the employees working in that area (I also went from "cool" to "warm" bulbs for better color enhancement).

I like what all the other responses said. Since you run with 240v power supplies, most of the places I shop for parts/supplies would not have the right equipment for you (plus they are mostly US shops, so I'm sure the shipping would take it out of a reasonable price range). The stuff you have seems fine from what I can tell. Good luck.

Exactly what brand is that camera. You mentioned night vision. Do you mean IR (infrared)? Does it have it's own light source or is it an auto-iris lense? Some cameras do have a little panel on the side of the camera that you can take off to reveal more of the setting switches. Best be would be to get the exact make/model of the camera and look up the manual for it to see if they mention this issue. One other idea. Try taking the camera down and put it in a room without the tube lights to see if the same issue persists (that way you can narrow it down to if it is the light bulbs that are definitely causing the issue or does the camera do this with other types of lights).

Does anyone have an old Ultrak Maxpro-1000 matrix switcher (MX32128) cards. I need to expand my camera ports and I would like to add another PTZ controller card. Thanks.

Are your camera views going to be only inside, or outside too? If they are only inside, do the lights get turned off often so you would need the IR options? If not, you could probably find something a little cheaper if you went with cameras that don't have the IR option. The DVR with only 1TB of memory with all 16 channels recording at best quality without motion detect might only give you 5-7 days of recording. Is that enough for what you want, but if you want longer storage before rewrite, you might want to see how much they charge for the additional TB of memory. If you stick with only the 8 cameras with the package, 1 TB should be enough for a full week. If you consider that purchased individually, each camera usually runs right around $100 new, and you can expect to pay $300-$500 for a DVR like that, with the rebate it is a good price. It looks like you will have to purchase the cable separately, though if those 60' cables aren't enough. Once you start running up and down the walls and around corners, it eats up that length kind of quick, so depending on how big your office is, you might need to pickup some cable (it looks like the cable they supply is a BNC/Power siamese cable, and I've found pretty good prices for that kind of cable at bulkcctvstore.com. Make sure to pick up some BNC ends and female to female BNC adapters to extend any cable runs. If you have to purchase cable, make sure the BNC ends match the cable size (RG59 for example). The twist on BNC ends work just fine and are like $0.50 each on that site. Bottom line, I don't see anything about this product and price that would deter me from using it for an office setting. The one thing I don't see mentioned is if the DVR will put a "watermark" on the video. If you ever do catch something criminal on the video, most law enforcement people I talk to say that without it, a lawyer could try to argue that the video footage could have been tampered with and make it inadmissible in court. Of course that depends on where you live, too. The one time I purchased a DVR that didn't have one, I called the manufacturer and asked them about it and they sent me a software patch to give me one if you are concerned. Good luck

I usually go for their $90-$120 cameras. Of course the stuff they like to list first are the more expensive stuff, so you have to go to the end of their product list, but I've had decent results on the cheaper cameras and lenses. True, a lot of their stuff is way over priced, but once you find their cheaper stuff, it is just fine. I'm open to suggestions of other sites that have cheaper stuff.

What $5k hybrid are you talking about? My prices are stupid? I'm not selling anything, just letting you know where I found a lot of my stuff because my management hates it when I spend money on camera equipment (not part of a "revenue producing department").

I manage a surveillance department in a casino. Are you looking to put in fixed view cameras or PTZ cameras? For your fixed straight down shot, most of the cheaper cameras on supercircuits.com work just fine. For the 30 foot shots, you might want to get ones with a little better resolution, and make sure to get a lense with something like 5-50mm range on it. I would strongly encourage you to avoid auto-iris lenses for these shots. The straight down shot is usually the best, but you'll have to tweak with it to see where you are getting reflective glare from your lighting (a casino nightmare everywhere I've worked). Make sure to put some cards on the tables while adjusting your cameras. Also, the best way to adjust those cameras is to drag one of your monitors out there to plug into the camera while you are adjusting it, instead of using a walkie talkie to talk to the other person in the surveillance room. Depending on what state you are in for regulations, you will probably want to put 2 cameras on each table (wide shot that goes roughly from table rail to rail, and one "tight" shot that is just wider than the betting spots) to get the best coverage.