LLigetfa

Hi from NorthWestern Ontario. Since IP cams and NVRs need a network to run over, I somehow got roped into this. My forte is networks and servers. My first involvement was when I was brought into an IP cam/NVR deployment at the 11th hour. It was a bunch of Sony cams, some fixed, some PTZ, recording to ONSSI NetGuard EVS. Recently, I deployed a small Milestone XProtect GO NVR with mix of 8 Ubiquiti airCams, BUllet, Dome, and Mini. I plan to grow it with more cams. Now there is talk of resurrecting our long abandoned analog Panasonic PTZ cams. They are outdoor mounts with wipers. I am out of my comfort zone there.

Attached is the TOC page from the manual for our 90's vintage camera system that has fallen into disrepair. Everything got ripped out of the guard station, leaving only the coax feeds terminated in the ceiling into GI transformers. Some of the cameras have a single coax for both video and control but most of them dual coax. I contacted the company that originally installed them but I'm not sure they have any old-timers that would know how this stuff comes together. Is it a lost cause?

I got a six figure proposal from them to forklift the entire system. That's not going to happen anytime soon.

Thanks for your input. My guess is that this is not going to happen anyway. They announced that they are idling more than half of the plant and laying off more than half of the workers. Loss prevention is deemed too expensive... cheaper to let them steal. Never did hear further from the firm that installed the cams.

Thanks for the detailed response. It is starting to sound expensive if I have to put in a Panasonic PTZ keyboard. I guess I was hoping that something like an AXIS Q series video encoder might do. We have no idea what state the equipment is in as it hasn't been used in years and would only find out after hiring someone to evaluate it. Maybe the original firm that installed it will get back to me, or maybe not. They know our industry is in severe decline and that we don't have deep pockets.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I'm not so much concerned about converting the analog video stream to digital. My concern is the control of the PTZ and wipers. As for ripping out the head end, that was done long ago. All that is left are the GI transformers in the ceiling. What would I need to put in to control the PTZ and wipers? I was hoping to control and record everything through Milestone.

Searching on the word "Panasonic" found 3086 matches so surely there must be a Panasonic expert here that can render an opinion? I emailed the TOC page to AXIS to see if they could spec a video encoder but came up empty. I even sent them schematics.

Little chance of that. "I'll eat my hat" is not something I ever promise.