Mrcarcrazy

+1, Cat5e - 3 twisted pairs used for power, 1 pair used for video. Works for my CNB's...hoping it works for IR equipped cams as well.

Being in the healthcare profession, I will say there is no real evidence that I've been able to find that says IR=good/bad....but I can also say I won't install an IR camera in my baby room. I'm going w/ a True Day/night camera. and keeping the door cracked to let in some light. My thoughts on this are "why add something that there is little data on the consequences of?" With my child I'll err on the side of caution.

First I'd like to say thank you to whoever made this forum. It has been a great resource for me to search through for the past few months on and off. I've made my first purchase, and I'm stoked to get it in and start fiddling with it to figure out what is what. I'm a DIYer. I have a Qvis Zeus 8 and two CNB VCM-24VF's on order from Nelly Surplus (huge thank you to Sean H on this forum for all his help the past few days). I'm planning on between 6 and 8 cameras eventually. I have read thread after thread raving about the CNB VCM-24VF being a bang for the buck camera...now I just have to figure out how it all works, and get my placement right. First Camera will cover the front door. Second either the garage or the back doors. Anyway, great forum you guys have here...glad I found it!

8'' if I had to guess. see attached image.

I'm rather pleased with it. As you can tell that's during the middle of the night...so my porch lights are doing their job (I added foil to the panes of glass facing the camera and it got rid of the glare noted at the beginning of the thread. ) I guess someone deleted Rory's post. strange.

Here's a visitor @ night. I'm pleased. she is looking straight ahead @ my step-son...who has the door open. This is w/ AGC turned completely off. and speaking of one of the people w/ more knowledge than I...Rory!

Here's screen shots from today. I'll pull up one for night.

nicely done, thanks for the pics.

I found an issue w/ my number 1 cam @ night. peoples faces were white out with little lines through them (aka not useful). I asked those with more knowledge than I...Decrease AGC. If you have a camera and lots of light near the camera, and lots or dark elsewhere turn AGC down or off. Images of faces are now massively improved. I have enough light to still see my entire yard w/o AGC, but it is noticeably darker...but up close (where the camera is focused on anyhow) is much easier to see details.

currently only 2, I will be buying 4-6 more in the coming weeks. (8Ch. DVR, so probably won't exceed 8, as I really don't want to repurchase a DVR).

I'm pleased with mine...but I don't have a more expensive camera to compare it with. This is after me refocusing a little. I haven't messed with any of the settings. But quality wise it looks pretty good to my untrained eyes.

To answer my own question - if others get here later and are too dense to catch on like I am. The sticks w/ slots in them are really just set screws...you loosen them, THEN you can adjust the focus and zoom. (Thanks Soundy) oh and here's a night shot from last night on that camera...may have to tinker a bit, but this isn't bad IMO

Yeah, I haven't adjusted that camera at all. I only have a cpl hours after work each day to do this. so it's taken me all week to get these two cams installed. I'll get to adjust it tonight possibly. but you are 100% correct, it needs it! And yeah that is from a porch light. I have one on each side of my front doors (double doors). Here's a screenshot of cam 2 this AM, it is covering the front entrance as well as two windows which are not covered from cam 1. I did tinker w/ the Focus on cam 2 as it was amazingly blurry last night when I installed it. Question - on the VCM-24VF, the focus screw and the wide/tele screw. I got the focus to work, but couldn't see the other one doing anything...it is supposed to zoom in/out right? It did take a few times in/out of the focus screw before I noticed it doing anything, so maybe I wasn't patient enough?

I'm installing a system in my 2 story as we speak. It's a lot of work, and every home is "unique" so I'd say it is impossible for others to tell you how easy it will be until you get in there and see what kind of access you have. I'm lucky...as this is my home, and I know the attic spaces like the back of my hand. There are no visible wires or conduit on my home, and there will not be once I'm done either. a huge factor to me is where the DVR is going to be...as all roads lead to the DVR, so if it's in a difficult to access location like mine is, then you'll have your work cut out for you.

as far as I know the DMSS app is the only way to view on android/iOS (at least for the DVR I'm using) No clue on a Windows phone.

I did this on accident w/ the wife's phone....make sure the IP you set up as the IP for your router (in the phone settings that is) is the IP of your entire network...not the DVR itself. If you do the DVR itself it will work while you are on the network...as soon as you leave, gone. set it to the entire networks IP and no problems while home or away.

Not as of yet I do not. I'm hoping to get #2 installed tonight after work....then I'll be able to get some video. (the learning curve has been interesting for me.) I'll be curious to compare your pics with mine though...as I have the Zeus (cheaped out a bit on that I suppose) so I'm Curious to see the difference.

I need to make a list of all these acronyms

Bumping this to the top, in hopes of an answer, I am just now tinkering w/ my first VCM, and want to know more.

Here's a Day and night shot of the camera over my front door. It will show anyone walking up to the door. Motion activated recording is my plan. Will block the street from activating the camera, as I don't want a shot of every car that goes by. I haven't adjusted/focused the camera...as I really do need to read a little more so I don't screw anything up. these shots are just screen captures from my phone, so only @ CIF resolution. But you get the idea I suspect.

I'm a newb @ all of this, but just thought I'd drop my .02 about cheaper stuff...avoid it. I'm up to about 800.00 for 2 cameras, a DVR, 1TB HDD, Cat5e, baluns...I'm planning on adding 4 more cameras...so I expect this number to ~ double. Be realistic with yourself, and accept that you get what you pay for. Research the hell out of everything before you buy it. (by research I mean Search on this forum, and maybe on the rest of the internet a little as well). Then once you've searched you might type up your plan on here, and see what the more knowledgeable people on this forum (not me btw) say about your plan. The more you research the less disappointed you will be. Just .02 from another person in a similar boat.

I don't know where you live, but if you are allowed to have firearms, I suggest your family takes a vacation, but you stay behind w/ a 12 gauge inside the house. Stay silent, and keep lights off...make it appear that everyone is gone. IF anyone comes in, shoot them. (I'm in Texas, we can do this here, not sure if you can where you live...might be wise to find that out first).