UMDRanger

For Cat5E I've used punchdown blocks, and I've used those small white "dolphin" beans to clamp the two wires together (then use electical tape to wrap it all up nicely). I've had more problems with the punchdown block as the wires kept coming out, but that was likely due to me having the defective punchdown tool. For a recent coax run, I used an idea I got from here, infact I think it was Rory who posted it. I soldered the center and braid to the other center and braid. Works like a charm, and there isn't a 3db loss from a connector, nor two more BNC connectors to waste.

I feel your pain, I'm also in LP, and I know how hard it can be getting what you need and want from higher. My solution has been Ebay. I've found quite a bit of great gear for dirt cheap. Yes, it's a gamble. But if nothing else, I've been able to use PTZ parts to swap and repair other broken PTZs. Present your higher with the problem "the mux is shot, so I can't complete my mission as Loss Prevention. A new one is $xxx.xx, a digital system is $xxxx.xx, I know these are out of the picture, but how about a replacement from ebay at $xx.xx?" PM me and I'll give you the name of the seller I bought my color 16 channel MUX from for $20. Works great!, and they has more last I checked. Not sure what the problem might be. I'd try unplugging the MUX and letting it sit for a day, then re-apply power. Also, like you said, a hard reset if that option is in the menu fuctions. Good luck.

dah dit dah dit, dah dah dit dah, dah dit dit, dit, [callsign] So besides VST and myself, who understands that? Gilligan's Island was a classic even when I was growing up, good old late morning tv.

I'd also check the power supply at the junction box, as well as at the PTZs. The flicker effect I have seen on cameras that have a video low signal, and or low power. One of my chip cameras gave me the flicker until I re-adjusted it so it got more light. Another one of my 12VDC cameras was giving me some problems until I upped the power supply. I've also seen the flicker effect on a camera I powered off another camera, which had a home-made connector to the J-box. J-Box---> Electronics Cage---> Recieving Line. The Electronics Cage camera was fine and dandy, but the Recieving Line was black with the flicker of text from the matrix. Turned out to be a power problem (after 4 hours of troubleshooting). Yet the Elec Cage was fine the entire time. And as far as the Big Brand techs... not impressed. I had them look at a few of my PTZs, including one that wouldn't zoom much anymore. "I don't know. Thats as far as it goes it looks like. Bye". So I took it apart and found that the lense was gummed up, so the motor couldn't spin it. WD-40 fixed that baby real quick. Zooms like a charm. Is there anyone in your company that is a CCTV-guru? Usually there is one (like myself), who knows how all the company's camera systems. I'd ask them to come over and help you track it down. Also, check the video line from the camera prior to it hitting the matrix. See if you have any live video signal. Hope you get it working. I know the frustration of "damnit they went into a blind spot" and they come out without the merchandise...

Have you tried viewing the camera feed by hooking it up to a tv monitor with a RCA jack? Can you describe the interference?

Have you tried different settings? Like constant recording verses motion? How about adjusting the motion sensativity? Otherwise, it'd mean trying a different card

Bad connection at BNC (shield touching core, core damaged, etc), too many connectors causing signal loss, or who knows! For example, I have 16 cameras on a Javelin switch. Those 16 cameras come off a Multiplexer. Cameras are a mix of PTZs, stills, 24AC and 12VDC. I have the Javelin input into a Geovision 800-4, allowing me to choose any 4 out of 16 cameras to be recorded. But for some reason the Geovision won't accept some of the cameras, including the 24VAC PTZs. Some work, some don't. Aside from trying to swap out some of the parts or cable, not much else I can tell ya. Start troubleshooting it, each part at a time, until you find the problem.

Low signal, low light, motion detection too high... all have caused that effect for me.

So for the last few weeks I've slowly been doing upgrades to my CCTV system at my store. I've found large sections of Sensormatic composite cable just sitting in the ceiling, with connectors, but going to and ending no where... I've found that several cameras added by previous LP used off the floor coax (cable TV) with silver or even just a foil shield as opposed to RG-59 with 95% copper... But last night I found the kicker... as the last part in a stockroom cable loop, after several barrel connectors and various lengths of cable (rg-59 and others), was a 50' section of 18-2 with RCA adapters spliced in I really have to wonder what type of image they got after that mess... Anyone else have any "WTF?" moments when rewiring a system?

Access control - who has access to what areas. - how are areas protected (fence, door, camera, access control device) Alarms - who has access, when are areas armed, etc. CCTV - what areas do you want everyone to know you watch (main entrances/exits) Your question for help is a bit vague. Please give more detail.

Rory - On a lot of older US homes the outlets only have the AC vertical slots, so you may need to use a 2 prong adapter to plug in your normal AC with ground pole plug.

Lou, Been a while since I got to work with a MP 48, but as I recall using the touch tracker you can access all the menus. Maybe a jumper setting (master/slave) or something?...Brett

In case anyone wants to know just how badly the signal will be degraded... I've got a 12v b/w chip camera running on about 200m of RG-62. The picture is good enough for me. Since its only a 380 chip camera, any degradation / variance from normal is hard to tell. I've also got a 12v color chip camera on 150m of RG-62, then 50m of cat5e with baluns to the head end. Is it the best? no. And with copper prices the way they are, the fact that I just found 11 RG-62 cables to an area of the store where I had none, and now can put cameras up... damn near priceless. BLUF: It works. But yes, RG-59 would be best. Tangent: Weird thing is that Geovision won't accept some of my RG-59 cameras, but will accept the 200m RG-62.

Is there some difference in the old style Baluns (has two screws on top for the cat5e, or you can use a ethernet jack with only two pins being installed on the balun) and the new ones? I got 8 baluns from another store's supply (who didn't know what to do with them, but had them a long time)... but when I use any of them all I get is a messed up signal. Image is twisted into a "V" shape, and scrolls top to bottom ultra fast. I got the same results on just a 4' section of cat5e as a test. I did find that if I applied pressure on the balun at random places that the image sometimes started to stableize / scrolling speed slowed. Ideas?

I was able to get a ATV brand 16 channel duplex color Mux on Ebay for $15 + shipping! Oh, and it works like a charm.

Since EAS has a large cost to start up (as you know), and then the repeated application of the tags, and the ease of removing them... how about something to secure the items physically? 1. Most retailers use plastic wrapped metal cables to secure LCD tvs to the shelves. Make them long enough where the customer can handle the small products. Just need to find a way to secure them to the item's case without damaging it. 2. Some retailers have an alarming cable system. My camera bar works by having a small switch that is on a stick of sorts. The stick is mounted by tamper screw into the tripod screw hole on cameras. When flush, the switch is depressed by the camera. There is a small (24/2ish) wire that goes from the swtich/stick to the alarm box under the shelf. When someone rips the stick off, the switch is no longer closed, and alarm goes off. Same thing when the cable is cut, alarm goes off. The benefit of these systems is that you can use live display products, let customers have easy access to them and use them, yet you will know if theft is attempted or occuring. I can throw ya more suggestions when I get home in a few days...

Nice. The best part is if he is caught "I didn't do it", "it wasn't me", "no, thats not me on camera" is all he'll say. I love those statements when I arrest someone...

$20.50

I got $20 saying Scorpion will post a guide to it soon. His other two guides were great in my opinion. Check them for some quick hints.

You could install XP with the free Corporate Key. I think the catch on it is that it doesn't let you do the automatic updates. And I assume you did the basic attempt of trying to boot in safe mode.

First thing DM tech support will ask you is to do a hard reset which will return the unit to fresh factory settings. Google the manual online, or get it off DM's website. Do the hard reset, set up the remote view data, and try it then. Not sure what your experience is with the unit, or if you have a security company that installed it. If thats the case, I'd check with them before doing a reset. Also, while DM's tech support was fast and friendly... last time I called them they ended up sending me two DM DS2s, and both had the same problem... turns out that the manual said I could do a framerate of 1/50,000 and in reality the unit got unstable and repeatedly crashed with anything above a framerate of 1/3,000! Beta testers never got that info to the writers Yea, that made the client who wanted a time lapse real happy I think tech support finally realized their problem on my 7th call and after checking 3 DMs.

Great advice!

I figured you wouldn't be able to, and I understand the reasoning (if I was dealing with that kind of money, I wouldn't want to disclose anything). But I figured I'd ask just to be sure. Thanks.

Reminds me of a job I did at the UI Art Mesuem. We did an upgrade and installed more cameras and replaced the old ones. The existing cables came up through several small holes in the floor under the security desk from the basement crawlspace. Since it was a DVR upgrade with a client PC at the desk, all the existing cables had to be brought down to the crawlspace and ran to the server room where the DVR was. Wow... it took me about 2 hours to untangle the wires. Then another hour to link them to CAT5 and coil them neatly. Even then it was a mess. To make it look really nice would have taken about another 4 hours we estimated. James - would you be able to post a picture of the new camera room? I've always wondered how more advanced the casino rooms are compared to what we have in the retail world (which vary greatly from 1 monitor and 2 cameras all the way up). I walked into my old Target office a few months ago and they had upgraded, it was literally monitors, muxes, VCRs from top to bottom accross 8'. I looked at my crew "this is the standard, this is what we are aiming for", as we are upgrading my office in a month.

As an actual employee of the US Gov't (Army Reserve Officer), thanks Ken for taking the time to pick apart this guy's story and expose him. For the high speed prankster: I don't think you realize the severity of your action. Not just from a "pissing off others" standpoint, but from your own personal safety. Let me just remind you that Al Qauda is winning the information war at the moment. They have guys sitting around just searching the web (forums, blogs, etc) looking for weakness is the US Gov't and facilities they can attack. By saying you are a consultant, well, you just became a possible target for a "talk" with them that I don't think you'd enjoy. And they really don't take "I was joking" for an answer.