draken

Do the cameras have a movable IR filter? They may need resetting. Try covering the lens with your hand for 10 seconds or so, trying to block out all light. Then move your hand. You may hear clicking from the filter moving as you do these steps. The filters getting stuck is a common issue with lower end cameras after a power outage.

If you could post a photo showing the mounted camera, and a shot from the camera itself, we'd be better able to help you troubleshoot. But based on your description, sounds like the IR is reflecting off the dome back into the lens. Check the lens, there should be a foam or rubber gasket that surrounds the lens and touches the dome. This is there to prevent the IR reflection. If it is missing or not in the correct position, you'll have IR reflection issues.

Glad to hear you got it working! Glad I could be of some assistance. Cheers!

My cameras have a movable IR filter. In the box, there was a note about how to reset them if the IR filter was misbehaving. Said to take your hand and cover the entire front lens and IR area as much as possible for 10 seconds then uncover. You may hear some soft clicking during this time as the IR filter moves. The note said this may have to be done after a power failure, perhaps this will work for you.

IR is much like visible light. It drops off very quickly. Take a flashlight and shine it up in the sky. Don't see much, do you? Now point it a tree or fence or something 10 feet in front of you. You'll see a lot more. The object is reflecting the light back to your eyes so you can see it. IR is the same, it needs to be reflected back to the camera for it to be seen. Perhaps camera 2 is getting a better reflection than camera 1. Have you tried moving camera 1 a bit to see if you can improve the IR reflection? Wide open outdoor spaces are the most difficult to light up, so what you have may be the best you can expect with your current equipment.

Thanks for the tip, I'll have to give it a shot.

I have a Q-See QT428 DVR and I'm accessing it via IE on my computer (local area network). I'm following the directions given here: http://www.q-see.com/files/HowToFiles/NT-Backing%20Up%20Files%20over%20the%20Network.pdf When I look at the destination folder, nothing shows up. I don't receive any error messages and everything looks like it is completing properly. Any ideas as to why this isn't working? Firmware is 3.1.83. Haven't yet updated to the just released 3.1.9 as I don't yet have a USB thumb drive to use for the upgrade. Thanks!

Some DVRs will only output the menu one one of two outputs, TV (BNC to RCA cable) or VGA. If yours has both, have you tried the other one? On the DVR I have, it defaults to VGA, and you have to press and hold the stop button (if I recall correctly) until it beeps to switch the output to the TV. Can't hurt to try the other output if it has one.

Hello all, I'm about to venture into my first residential CCTV install due to some troublesome teens near me. I've been reading the boards for a while now and have found quite a bit of useful information, so thank you all. The system I'm putting in isn't the preferred choice of most users here, but I had to stick within my budget. It is an 8 camera (bullet, 600TVL, 1/3" sensor, IR, IR cut filter) and DVR from Costco. It is the Q-See brand. Once the weather warms up a bit I'll start running the cables and placing the cameras.