dubwiser

This is the thread I've been trying to get going. Im looking at stand alones with a CMS that will string 70+ DVR's in one instance of the program. Im not going cheap and the list of viable units is getting smaller. The one im considering has a 64 ch. CMS and can connect (they claim) 100 sites simultaneously. In theory this gives me 1 camera view from 64 remote sites simultaneously granted I have the bandwidth on both ends and a robust enough PC running the CMS. Centralizing recording is quite an obstacle I'd assume unless you are running an IP solution. If you have the budget, anything is possible. The ability to do that on 500 hundred sites is mind blowing. Ill be sure and watch this thread. My last post on this subject was severely highjacked and I still would like everyones take on multi-site monitoring. Alopu, feel free to PM if you want to trade ideas. Im using some very reliable DVR's if you're intereted in some feedback...........Im not a dealer.

Good point. Value based equipment does serve people really well in a lot of cases. Especially those at the lower economic level who are forced to live in areas where video surveillance would be more of a necessity than other places. Saying that, knowing what low end works the best is a good thing. WHat I said earlier applies more in situations where the customer can afford to invest a fair amount in a system, but hasn't been properly educated. Congrats on growing your business!

Exactly. I've tested 5 or 6 brands of DVR's. None of them sucked as much as all you folks are describing, and I feel for ya. I think part of the reason I was able to avoid the really bad units was that I did a bit of homework before I bought. I came up with a list of DVR's that I compiled by simply getting on the phone and calling large alarm companies to see what they were using. All of them stand-alone, most of them pushing GE/Kalatel. Why? Because they dont break!. There are alternatives of course. I also think that if your main objective is to find the most reliable (profitable) low end DVR for your customer, then you aren't qualified to do video surveillance work and you're doing the industry quite a bit of harm in the process. Either you have the resources and the integrity to furnish your customers with solid equipment or you don't. Now, Im not in the "video surveillance" business per se, but I do know a little bit about equipment. If your customer threatens to go the Costco/DIY route, its not your customer. Encourage them to go to Costco........ they're more than likely to call you back first when they need someone to fix that problem 6 months down the road. They're also likely to be ready to incur the necessary cost of installing a useable CCTV system just the same. Dont waste your time looking for the best of the worst.

Too bad about the dud camera, but I'll trade my suburban hell (value-based bullet cam included) for your tropical set any day. Enjoy.

Thanks. Id rather have the IR option which makes 2001 more expensive then the WZ14 if Im not mistaken. C7, thanks for the link to photobucket and your offer to post for me. It seems to have worked thru photobucket. HQ1 Bullet - the dark areas at top right and left are from the detachable sunshade. I could not push it back any further. I guess this is a downside. Sorry no night shot. I guess I could remount this and grab one if anyone is interested. CFC6056EX Color 550 LOR Ex-View Weatherproof Bullet Camera # 550 Lines Of Resolution HQ-1 # 0.3 Low Light Lux (CFC6056EX) # 0.5 low Light Lux (CFC6055HR) # 3.6mm 72° FOV Mini Lens # Automatic Gain Control # Auto Back Light Compensation # Operates From 14°-122° F # Complete With Mounting Bracket # Size is Only 1.03?D x 3.5?L # Power 12 Volts DC @ 140mA $169.00 WZ14 WZ14

I guess Im of the opinion that picture quality isn't nearly as important in a 100 buck bullet than is durability. If they get any amount of water in them, ur screwed. 150 for Exview is worth it if the budget permits and the camera lives up to it's specs, but I'll probably end up spending that savings on the higher end DVR or more recording capacity I've used the 2001CH w/ IR (or similar import)for years. Too expensive though. Most of them are still in operation after 5 years. They are champs. The WZ14 at 100 bucks is the way I'll probably go.........solid housing, nice picture. It has endured some really heavy rains around here in the last month. Backlighting is better than I expected. Again, I would post recent shots of that one, but Im getting server errors. I must be doing something wrong

It's not worth the money especially if its going outside. I've had major problems with the glass fogging up after sunset. It takes a good 2 hours until the LEDs burnoff the moisture. You could do a silica packet inside, but as far as Im concerned this is not an outdoor camera. About the only feature that stands out is the IR range. Go for the Nuvico dome (CV/SD w/ IR option). Those work well.

I have a snapshot of this camera. It's not bad, but I'm getting the "check your FTP settings" error message when I try to post a .jpg. Is this on my end? I cant figure it out and I have successfully posted images in the past.

Would it be feasible to record during the day to the native drive, then after store close, record to the remote drive via ethernet or both? I would hate to create a bottleneck in the system while recording to both drives as mentioned in the previous post. The DVR Im using is a stand-alone and pretty high end so Im sure it's very capable of routing data efficiently. RJ45 in the bathroom??..........now thats dedication, but cant you get wireless connection in there? Im assuming it's for your network drive exclusively. I would have some explaining to do if I ever brought the lapper into the can with me

I think the most cost effective way is the USB solution. It looks like I can extend USB repeater cables from 40 to 80 feet. This way i can keep a backup drive in other rooms if I want. I have a bunch of 10 USB cables which would probably be sufficient. I can anchor the cable on the DVR end or the drive itself so if theres any yanking, the drive wont get damaged.

It looks like a ground loop. 60 cycles hum I would guess. More info on your set-up would help.

Great suggestions from VSTman. Could you elaborate on remoting storage via USB device? The dummy DVR is a great idea! Ill look into that. Also, I haven't moved into the IP-based video surveillance world yet. Can you recommend a good place to start researching 'offsite recording' via IP cameras? I have static IPs available at every location in our company, so this would be a viable option for backing up events. Much appreciated!

Can someone suggest a good method of avoiding DVR theft in the event of a break in? There are the obvious ones like hiding it, locking cabinets etc. I like to keep them in attics where heat wont be a problem but I rarely see those conditions. I've built pedestals above t bar, but again, heat can be a problem as well as access to the unit. I've also anchored industrial grade locking cabinets to the floor but most cabs (from experience) can be pried open. Most of the DVR lockboxes I've seen look pretty flimsy and can be taken as easily as the DVR by itself. I'd like to figure out a better way to make this less of a vulnerability.

Can I use the same run of cat 5 for power as well as video on a single camera? I've heard yes, but have not tried it yet. This is for 12 v cameras.......50 ft. max. runs. I am connecting 1 pair to the baluns (passive) and the second pair to an individually fused 16 ch. power supply. thx.

I have one coming on demo. I'll post a pic of it as soon as its on the wall. thanks