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Several... gmail, comcast, 1and1. Nothing works. Just got off the phone with SCK tech support and they stepped me through all the steps I'd already been through. Only thing they can figure is that since I'm working remotely, that I may need to actually be at the NVR and make sure my menu settings are "sticking." Guess I'll stop by and check that out. But the info he gave me was spot on with how I'd always configured my NVRs/DVRs. I'm just pulling my hair out on this one.

I'm stuck at testing. Haven't been able to click "Test" once yet without getting the "Test Failed" message.

Awesome. Thanks!

I use an NVR to monitor an area which includes a parking lot. Got any good ideas as to what kind of alarms, strobes, sirens, etc. can I connect to this to ward off trespassers, and where would I shop for them? And would they receive their power from the NVR, or would they need separate power supply?

I just ordered one. Looks like this will give me some good options. Do you know the specs for the power supply? I know it's 12V DC, but what about amps? Thanks for your help!

THanks for the reply. I saw your video yesterday, commented & you replied about getting it. Know how I would go about getting something with just a bright strobe? This is for a small parking lot - 25 spaces or so - surrounded by homes. So I'd like to have a bright light without a loud siren that would disturb home owners.

Thanks, Randy. I actually already ordered parts similar to what Tom posted above. I appreciate your help!

I'm trying to find the Dahua DH-987FS Swan mount bracket for my Speed Dome PTZ found here: http://www.securitycameraking.com/20x-2-megapixel-infrared-ip-network-ptz-security-camera-59117-prd1.html Here's a link to the mount I'm trying to find: http://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/ptz-dome-bracket-249.html#pic5 I'm in the US and prefer not to order from overseas. Any help is appreciated!

Ok, never mind.... I gotcha now.

Thanks, Tom. Good concept. Is that a corner mount shown? Are you saying I will need two brackets in addition to the satellite dish pole?

Tom, I called and they don't carry those anymore. I'm trying to solve my problem that I posted here... viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37820

Yeah, that link is a bit quirky - it takes you to a page with several mounts. The swan neck is the one in the 5th thumbnail image. I don't see the part number you listed. More info is in Dahua's PDF here... http://www.dahuasecurity.com/download/179-180.pdf Who is that phone number to? Thanks for helping out!

Oh, and the SD slot is just another recording option... in case you don't have either a DVR or NVR. I'm no expert, so if someone else wants to chime in, please do. Hope this helps out.

Thanks, Lucky. The swan neck mount is about $300. And I'll be viewing the feed through my NVR as a lower-bandwidth second stream. I'd like to keep the camera up at the very top of the roof rather than on the side of the building.

I just bought a PTZ camera from Security Camera King. Here's the link... http://www.securitycameraking.com/20x-2-megapixel-infrared-ip-network-ptz-security-camera-59117-prd1.html I need to mount this thing on the very top of a 1-story building that has a shingled roof with a peak so that I can get a 360-degree view of the property. I've attached a screen shot so you can see what I'm talking about. There is a short horizontal section at that peak. The swan neck mount for this camera is incredibly expensive and mounts perpendicular to the surface (straight up) which wouldn't work for me because of the angle of the peak and the slope of the roof... unless I use a corner bracket to the peak and mount the swan neck to that. But that's even more money. I could - but don't want to - cut a 5-inch square hole in the roof and mount a square post, attached to the rafters inside and extending straight up. But that brings the possibilities of water leaks and a big ol' square pole blocking a lot of the camera's field of view. Any ideas on how to mount this thing without breaking the bank? Thanks in advance!

I appreciate the concern (I think) but it sure would be good to get some answers to the mounting question rather than critiques as to why or how I'm doing the wrong thing.

We need the PTZ to monitor multiple areas: cars & license plates as they enter/exit the parking lot to the north, being able to give descriptions of vehicles and occupants trespassing/loitering at night to the west, suspicious activity at the picnic tables by the pool to the east, vandals on the tennis courts to the south.

Those areas closest to the building will be covered by 10 cams under the eaves.

Because mounting on the top of the roof will give me a better view of all sides around the building.

The amenity center in my neighborhood has been using a Digital Watchdog VMAXFlex-16 for the past year - until it got struck by lightning last month. It's a great system that made scrubbing through video on the timeline very time-efficient... unlike some other DVRs that required a block of time for each camera to be downloaded. Since we're having to replace the unit now, we're thinking it's time to convert our entire system to HD cameras. We have 9 cameras and would like to have the option to add more if needed. Can anyone recommend a really good HD system that I should consider? Fast scrubbing, mobile device access, and alarm trigger inputs is a must. Thanks in advance!

I have a Digital Watchdog VFlex with multiple alarm inputs available. I also have a driveway that I need to keep tabs on at night to know if anyone is entering the property. Motion detection with the cameras isn't reliable as variations in ambient light, bugs on the lens, etc. make for many false motion detections. So I'd like to know if it's possible at all to use a cheap driveway alarm like the one list below to connect to the alarm inputs on the DVR. Would it work to use the speaker leads inside the receiver and connect them to the DVR's alarm input? If so, I could have the DVR send out a text message to let me know when the driveway alarm has detected a vehicle. http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-driveway-alert-system-93068.html Wireless Driveway Alert System from Harbor Freight for $17.99

Currently, I do not have power in the area where I could put the transmitter, hence it is running on batteries now. There is a possibility that wiring may be run soon, but I have to disregard that hope for now. While the transmitter must run on battery, I can certainly place the receiver on the outside of the building, or at least extend the antenna wire and run it out through a window.

Because of the lay of the land, wireless is best. That keeps me from having to trench through an asphalt parking lot. The transmitter is best positioned on the other side of the parking lot because it faces back toward the building that houses the DVR, thus limiting false alarms that may be triggered by traffic out on the main road. I would consider a hard-wired transmitter if I could mount it directly on the building without getting those false alarms. From the building, the "hot zone" would be 30-50 feet away - that's where cars pass through the parking lot. Beyond that is the main road. Make sense?

I successfully rigged the receiver with a relay to send a signal to my DVR. It worked ok at times but I had a lot of problems with range & reception; it was simply a cheap product to begin with. So if I were to shop online for such a driveway alarm with relay output, where would I begin to look and what are the product specs I'd be looking for?

I have a parking lot which has only one entrance/exit driveway and I need to monitor it for trespassing traffic at night. I've been using a wireless driveway alarm that I bought from Harbor Freight. I added a small relay inside the receiver and ran the wires to the sensor inputs on the DVR. Any detected motion set off a sensor event which in turn sent out a text message and e-mail. My problem, though, is that the driveway alarm just seems to be poor quality. Range and placement has been a huge challenge and it's very inconsistent with its operation... many more lack-of-alarms than false alarms. So I'm thinking that I should either: 1) replace this driveway alarm with a simple hard wired PIR motion sensor or 2) replace it with a better quality wireless motion detection system. If I stay wireless, it's about 50 feet from transmitter to receiver and goes through one concrete block wall and needs to pick up vehicle motion up to 30 feet away. If I go hard wired, transmitter/receiver distance is very short, but it needs to pick up vehicle motion up to 40 feet away. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance!