jimbo

We paid $80 (Cdn) for a ND filter and then one of the guys dropped it. Go to your local welding supply shop and pick up some welding filters (we pay about $5.00 (cdn)each. I try and wrap the edge with duct tape and attach a lanyard so you can hang it around your neck. Again I quote from Charlie Pierce's site (http://www.ltctrainingcntr.com/) If you contact a manufacturer, they will tell you to use an "ND" (neutral density) filter. These filters are very expensive however. To combat cost and potential loss (dropping of very expensive filters) I recommend welding glass filters (about $5.50 each). I also recommend that you purchase four different densities to combat the various lighting conditions that you may be working under (#1, #3, #5, #. A #1 filter is very light and is like a pair of sunglasses. A #8 filter is extremely dark and is good for very bright conditions (full sunlight).

I posted this message to the Alt.Security.Alarms Newsgroup in response to a question someone posted about whether crip-on connectors were worth the money. Far too many dealers I see (and read about here and in other online forums) don't seem to appreciate the difference between the two types. Anyways here's my original message: Twist-on connectors as good as crimp-ons?!? Shame on you! Let's see what Charlie Pierce the guru of video has to say on this topic. ################################################################## The following pulled from Charlies corner at http://www.ltctrainingcntr.com/ Dear Charlie, I have a bet with my Service Manager that screw-on BNC connectors are not the best connectors that we could be using. He says that they are faster to install and so we should use them to cut costs. I say we should stick to the crimp on BNC. Who's right? Help! This is worth$10.00 to me. Just sign me Cash Coming in California. Dear Cash Coming, You are right! Although the Screw-on BNC connectors appear to save you time in the field, they have too many factors against them to make them a true cost saving factor. 1. Screw-on connectors can and do vibrate loose, causing for sporadic video signal problems. 2. Screw-on connectors are not considered moisture tight and in actuality suck up moisture through the threaded base of the connector causing corrosion of the coaxial cable. 3. Most cases of connector problems that I have seen, that involve the Screw-on connectors are caused by improper installation of the connector and/or the use of a cheap connector. 4. These connectors cannot be used in any circumstance where; the cable may be in motion (pole to pole or pan/tilt installations); outside (to many humidity problems); or where the connector may be put on and taken off a piece of equipment often (field patch cords). In the end, many manufacturers of cameras systems are starting to label the Screw-on BNC as an illegal connector due to the extensive problems found in the field. My best advise is that if yours is a long term company, stick to the three piece crimp on BNC connectors. At the end of the day, a good technician can install a three piece crimp on BNC connector in the same amount of or less time than a Screw-on connector. end of article ##################################################################### Personally we have been using the two piece connector from ICM Corp (http://www.icmcorp.net/F-ConnSeries.htm) for a number of years now. These connectors are built like a battle ship and come in two pieces. A base that gets crimped on the cable and is sized to match the cable (rg59 vs rg6). A 2nd piece is threaded onto the crimped base to provid3 either a BNC or RCA connector. They also make F-connectors (F59) for those of you doing satellite or dtructured cable. Their website kind of sucks as it doesn't show how the connectors go together but take my word they work really well. Call them and ask for some samples.

It's called Siamese cable when the power cable and the coax are bonded together. see http://www.axiontech.com/prdt.php?item=36959 for an example. Frankly when I have costed out Siamese vs coax and 18/2 the per foot cost for siamese is always higher. Why do you need to bring power all the way back to the monitor. Can't you find a local power source (I don't know if you are running 20 feet or 500 feet but a shorter cable means no power drop issues) RG-59 is good to about 750 ft and then you will need to swithc to bigger RG-6. Just make sure is is pure copper center conductor (not copper coated steel) with 95% braid shielding (not foil). If you use the other type of cable (meant for RF) your signal suffers.

Consider using a UTP transciever (see http://www.nvt.com/products/NV_3213A.html) . Then you just need to run a >32 pair UTP cable between the two rooms. I don't know of a single fiber unit that will multiplex 32 signals (and I suspect this is going to be cheaper than using fiber)

Try digi-key (www.digi-key.com) we buy lots of little items from them all the time. You will go broke making Radio Shack rich.

We paid about $650 Cdn if my memory serves me. (expensive but probably cheaper than an O Scope - and I can teach a guy how to use it in about 10 minutes; a scope would take an hour or more). The back focus function is slick. With the rotary switch in the focus position you adjust the back focus and watch for the highest reading. Each camera seems to be different - some come up around 300 and some 500 or more but just adjsut for the highest possible reading and you are focused. now you still have to drag the little lcd service monitor to the top of the ladder but only to ensure the camera is pointing in the right direction. (am I catching the loading door at the end of the hall?)

Do you have Line Lock enabled? If so turn it off. see http://www.fmsystems-inc.com/articles.htm for information on the problems with line lock and over-driven video levels. We have a Cm-1 Camera Master from FM Systems and it is the best tool for trouble-shooting video systems. (try dragging a O-Scope or a 9" monitor to the top of a 15' ladder). Buy it directly from them on a credit card (that was almost $200 cheaper than buying it locally from a distributor)

You're right, using X-10 in a commercial setting is dodgy. You may want to look at the UPB product at www.pcslighting.com You could just install a relay in parallel with the light switch that was rated to handle 120/240 and tripped by 12VDC (Omron among others make them). If you're not an electrician -hire one to install it. This would be foolproof. Relay could be installed in a box adjacent to the light switch so there is no need to go into the electrical panel at all.

I can recommend http://www.cctv-information.co.uk if you need more indepth information on CCTV systems. It consists of a number of articles the author (a consultant) has written for a British trade magazine.

Well it's nice to see a familar name. (I used to watch the alt.security.alarms ng several years ago and pop in every once in a while to see if much has changed - NOT MUCH!) I hope you spec'd the job in writing - if so I wouldn't pay the guy until it was completed properly. Good spec's (written of course) are a wonderful thing for the customer and a *** for the supplier (not only does it keep them honest but they can also put some incredible restrictions on the work) Anyway back to the job at hand. I don't know if the cabling is laid out in such a way that you could run UTP and pick up several cameras on the same run. I have become a big fan of UTP in the last couple of years and used it to replace coax on sites with noise and grounding problems. In any event I'd replace the cable. Amps and Slope Equalizer boxes are just another item to break down as opposed to cable which when installed properly just chugs along for ever.

I haven't noticed this mentioned anywhere else on the forum; there is a great piece of shareware out there for the Palm OS family of PDAs. PCAM is available at http://www.davideubank.com/. Not only will it do all the standard FOV calculations a wheel will do for you but (and I love this part) it will give you a sample scene (just a couple of stick figures) to show you how big a view you will have with a certain lens at a certain distance. This is perfect for demonstrating to a customer that if they want to be able to count the hairs in a guys mustache they will end up not seeing what's in his hands or the opposite; they want to take in the entire parking lot people will just be little specs. Now all I'm looking for in a Palm program is something that will calculate voltage drop and wire guage (just like the Vdrop calculator on the Altronix website will) And if you don't have a PDA yet - get one. It changed my life.