Billy_ICU

Swap the connections for the LP cameras and the Bullet cameras. See if the Bullet cameras have the same trouble on those connections. If yes, then not a camera problem. Also you can turn on the video loss alarm. See if the DVR is losing the video signal at night. Perhaps the wire run is too long or cheap wire used? Maybe just a borderline wire-run - night might not work so well for some reason. Another thing is DC (Direct current) voltage drop with long wire runs. Night vision uses more electricity. Try running an extension cord to one of the cameras and plugging in its AC adapter right at the camera. Then there will be a short run of wire from the camera to the AC adapter and very little DC voltage drop. Voltage drop for supplying DC power can be fixed with using a larger gauge (size) of wire to power the device. This differs depending on voltage, amperage, and distance of the wire run. Search google.com for the following words... DC voltage drop calculator

Search google.com for voltage drop calculator. Most of these are for AC or Alternating Current (house electricity), but some also have a DC setting (The 12 volts for cameras is DC or Direct Current- same a cars.) So you would select 12 volts DC, the size of the wire gauge, and the distance. Note the higher the number of wire gauge, the smaller the wire.

The alarms on DVRs like that are for a security guard watching a bank of monitors 8 hours a day. Something happens and it draws the guard's attention to a particular monitor. For an inside burglar alarm, you are best to install a burglar alarm [security] system. For video systems, motion detection alarms can be used to determine what is recorded - record prior to, during, and after the alarms and not keep other recordings (saves disk space). Also to activate the recording of other cameras. Send emails, whatever. So it can do "automatic stuff" and also "alert someone stuff". But you don't want to be alerted each time that cat walks back and forth!

It is especially stupid for outside cameras which are designed to be mounted over the hole for the wire - need to stuff wire into hole/wall before mounting camera.

http://thespystore.com Click on Counter Surveillance

Oh My! I didn't know all those bugs and spiders I've been seeing on my cameras were actually GHOSTS! And on my cameras, I can clearly see them at least. Anyway a broom will get rid of the long thin "ghosts" (spider webs) and bug spray will keep the slowly crawling ghosts away for awhile...

Try a different TV. Borrow an old fashioned TV from someone. Or you can get old TV's at 2nd hand stores for $10 to $25. Be sure it has an RCA connection on the back for VCR or whatever. If same problem, then the problem is with the DVR. Also maybe you could take the borrowed TV upstairs and try a BNC to BNC and RCA adapter cable just to be sure it is not a cable problem. They make a BNC to RCA adapter, so yes you can go from BNC to RCA. I've done it many times and all has worked fine. And beware of new TV's which have a component (3 wire) video connection AND a regular 1 wire video connection on the same input. And it automatically senses which to use - don't have anything plugged into the component plugs if using the regular video connection.

Try connecting the camera to a video connection on the back of a TV and see if you get an image. Should work that way, but if it does not, then there is a problem with the camera or its video connection. Also connect the cheap $20 camera to the TV to be sure it and the TV are working - that you have the correct "input" selected on the TV.

I've had some cameras which are viewing nothing moving, yet trigger the motion alarm. Some of these were older non-Swann cameras. And all cameras trigger the motion alarm at night if set at the same sensitivity as day. So for the night hours, I totally turn down the sensitivity. Day more sensitive. Older cameras may have the motion alarm totally turned off. Higher quality cameras have an OSD or On Screen Display and also may give you the option to reduce the "noise". Noise looks like snow. Note if you are wanting an alarm system, get "dual technology" passive infra red / microwave motion detectors connected to an alarm system. No false alarms! Here is a bit on those... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_detector#Dual-technology_motion_detectors

Search google.com for the words... Retail CCTV Retail CCTV Loss Prevention Retail CCTV Analytics ...then read, read, read! With the above searches you will also find company names of businesses specializing in retail CCTV systems. Might want to call them as well.

In the U.S. at least, those are called a "Pedestal". Search for Utility Pedestal, Cable TV Pedestal, Meter Pedestal, Round Pedestal, etc.

Just pretend your eyes are the camera inside and a regular outside flood light is lighting up the outside. The outside light would not need to be on during the day for you to see. You could set it on a timer or sensor to turn on only at night. Then inside if there were lights on, you would not be able to see outside due to the reflection in the glass from the lights inside. So best to turn off the inside lights so you could see outside. Note night vision cameras come with their own IR lights which automatically switch on when it gets dark. If the camera was inside, that would be the same as you turning on a light inside, then trying to look outside! As for Foscam, I see they have *many* different models. I suggest you call the manufacturer and ask what would work best.

Search google.com for the words... door annunciator Note there are "home automation" gizmos, which when they receive a signal a door has opened, can then "do something". Like then send a signal to an interior chime and also send a signal to an outdoor chime. Or less expensive might be to buy two door annunciators - one sounds a signal inside, the other outside. A simple magnetic contact, power supply or battery, and a buzzer could continually make a sound outside until the gate is closed. Ask at an electronics store like Radio Shack in the U.S. Or search for "alarm magnetic contact". You would need to get the type which makes electrical contact when the door opens. (Most do the opposite - some have 3 connections and do both.)

Search google.com for the following words... cctv long range transmitter receiver (You will still need power at the remote location.)

Well that eliminates settings on the camera, problems with wiring. One more thing to try is to use the power supply from another camera and also connect to that camera's connection to the DVR. (Could be bad power supply or bad connection(s) on DVR.) Basically connect good working camera. Then connect the new camera to the same power and connection. If bad, then a bad camera. (Also you can move a known good working camera to the new wiring/camera location - connections. See it if works OK there.)

Did you connect the cameras to a TV prior to installing? Can you do that now (remove camera and connect directly to a TV)? Also is there a PAL / NTSC setting in the camera OSD? Read the troubleshooting suggestions in the instruction manual which came with the cameras?

Metal CCTV lock boxes have louvers for air flow in the front and a fan in the back. Here is one - difficult to see the louvers, but they are there. http://www.cableorganizer.com/p/quest-vcr-dvr-security-lock-box-cabinet/ Then rooms in a house which need air - like a natural gas water heater room - will have vents at the floor and ceiling. Like this... http://inspectapedia.com/Energy/Combustion_Air1c.jpg

Search google.com for the following words exactly (copy/paste)... planning, design, installation and operation of cctv ...and you will find stuff like this... http://www.bsia.co.uk/app/images/publications/109-installation-cctv-systems.pdf

I use a clamp amp meter myself. Then there is no guessing. Note my cameras tend to use twice the amount of amperage at night when the IR LED's switch on. Also to use a clamp amp meter, the meter needs to be able to measure DC (Direct Current). And it needs to be able to clamp around one power wire (not the entire cable).

The following pdf shows pictures of what the various OSD settings do. As shown, also try BLC or BackLight Compensation. http://www.seco-larm.com/pdfs/Mi-EV-2726-NxxQ_OSD.pdf

In my experience, soldered connections are the best over a long period of time. (15 years down the road, the connections will still be good.) The WORST connections are wires hand twisted together and nothing used to crimp or hold them together. These will quickly fail - become a high resistance or intermittent connection. (As a rule for servicemen tracking these down, they will be located in the most difficult to get to location!)

I previously purchased a Swann PRO-760 camera and it came with an OSD control which can be installed at the location of your DVR/monitor (if you run an extra 2 conductor wire). And I did that - can get into the OSD menu from my DVR location... I was impressed with the OSD, so I purchased a Swann DVR which came with 4 PRO-642 cameras (also have OSD)... Well they wired the joystick control into the CAMERA PIGTAIL! With no connectors to move it inside the house. Plus the camera can be installed covering the hole where the wires come out, but you can't drill a very large hole. I was replacing one older camera and it had a 3/4 inch hole for the wires... And that joystick would NOT fit into that hole. So I "operated" on the joystick to remove its plastic cover (make it smaller to fit into the hole). And lo and behold, it turns out there was nothing requiring power for the joystick to operate! Actually it works by causing a dead short between the white wire and the black wires (to make the OSD menu pop up). And it causes various different resistances with various arrow movements between those same wires. So that meant I could connect a two conductor wire between the black wires and the white wire, run that inside to my DVR, then reconnect the black wires and white wire to the cable - Then presto! OSD access where it should be - at my DVR and monitor! Note the other wires are... Red Red - Connect both reds to +power 12VDC. Black Black - Connect both blacks to -power. Yellow - Connect to video center connection of coax/BNC. White - OSD (along with connection to the black wires). I chopped off the entire joystick end of the pigtail leaving enough wire (8 inches) to reconnect it inside my house. So I had to solder all the connections for power, video, and the OSD 2 conductor cable. Only the black wires and white wire are connected at the DVR end. I chopped off the unused power and BNC connectors from the joystick and put some insulating caulk on it.)

If you could run power to each camera and that power was near each camera, then it would free up 2 wires - which you could then use for the OSD. Note to anyone else reading this thread... I just bought a used 642 camera - it has a black thumb screw on it instead of the Allen screws for adjusting aiming. Anyway, that camera/joystick has a separate wire going to each position of the joystick. So 6 wires needed to connect that older version camera! (No resistors used.)

In the U.S. we would search for a relay based on its activation voltage - in this case 12 volts or 12VDC. And next by the number of switch contacts - SP = Single Pole, DP = Double Pole. And by if it is just making / breaking one connection or two. ST = Single Throw, DT = Double Throw. So you could search for: 12VDC DPDT Relay Then look at the contact amperage and voltage ratings. Also in the U.S., relays are typically to be mounted on a printed circuit board, the same thing called a solenoid is used for automotive, and relays designed to be mounted in an electrical wiring box for building wiring are called "contactors"! So perhaps: 12VDC DPDT Contactor Or: 12VDC DPST Contactor Of course Europe and the UK probably have different names for all this??? Also check in a home automation store for gizmos which are designed to turn on/off lights in a home. Wall plug-in modules and replacement wall switches. That might be a better and safer way to go - they may have some sort of controller which will accept a relay connection. Names for this stuff in in U.S. are X10 (old), INSTEON, Z-Wave, Home Automation.)

I use location along with direction (N, S, E, W). That's because there may be several cameras in one location. By adding direction, I can say "Front North camera" Or Front South camera".