Laptop with PoE port?

[robert 0]

Any? It would be so much easier to focus ip cameras. How do you focus them ?

[thewireguys 3]

Veracity is coming out with a product that will help with this. You take this device and plug in to the camera then you take your network drop with POE and plug it into the device. Finally you plug your network port from your laptop into the last port of the Veracity piece allowing you to power the camera with POE from your switch and view your camera locally.

 

I can't find the product on there web site but I saw it when I was at Arecont training.

[Metrico 0]

Here's what I did to focus the cameras for my installation.

 

Sat in the server room with a laptop and preprogrammed the IP settings one at a time with the laptop and camera hooked into the PoE switch. Was fairly quick process for the 11 cameras I had.

 

Installed the cameras, and got them all on the switch, so they all were powered up with the right IP configuration (Made note of which IP was which camera too!).

 

Hooked up a wireless access point to the switch and connected wirelessly to the individual cameras with my laptop.

 

 

Focusing was pretty easy as things go, has the added benefit of no cords to screw with at that point. Very handy since I had all domes, and to connect an external power source aside from the main switch would have made it that much more difficult for the install. If you're doing a complete PoE setup, this should be a viable way to do things. If wireless is too far at the switch, patch a drop into it that's has a closer outlet to where you're working. Running a new drop just to do this might be overkill though.

[Soundy 1]

Yeah, a laptop that sources PoE would be a pretty rare find, but there are plenty of ways around it. Carrying a simple PoE injector in your laptop bag would work, for example. I've used the wireless method before as well - just plug a cheap wireless router into the same switch as the cameras and away you go.

 

Or the camera can also be plugged directly into the router at is location, allowing the laptop to link to it wirelessly (you'd need a switch with PoE though, or some other power source). My solution for this was to attach a small board regulator to my 12V gel-cel test battery, and adjust the regulator for the 5VDC the router requires; the battery can then power the router and the camera, and the whole setup can be temporarily placed at or near the camera for setup and testing.

[hardwired 0]

The injector we got at Arecont training was this.. http://nitek.net/products/IPT148.htm

I've been using this for a while now: http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/detail.jsp?tab=features&pathtype=purchase&sku=WEBBNCNJ220SYS ,it is a 4 port managed switch with PoE power and passthrough on one port.

 

Sourcing PoE out of a laptop would be difficult, you would need to add a DC to DC inverter to boost to the 48 volts necessary, and if you had a class 0 or 3 load (up to 15.4 Watts), at the laptop battery voltage(12VDC or so) that is at least 1.3 amps additional draw, not counting inverter inefficiency. I am looking at building a small Lithium-Ion battery pack to do something similar, though.

[jhonovich 0]

The Veracity product is called PinPoint and prelim info can be found at: http://www.veracityusablog.com/2009/07/veracity-announces-the-release-of-pinpoint/

[robert 0]

The Veracity product is called PinPoint and prelim info can be found at: http://www.veracityusablog.com/2009/07/veracity-announces-the-release-of-pinpoint/

 

Cant find it on the internet, just few articles, but no actual product info

[jhonovich 0]

I spoke with Veracity two days ago. They are finalizing the spec sheet, etc.

 

I got a pre-briefing, looks pretty good and fairly inexpensive. I think they will have the public release wrapped up soon.

[thewireguys 3]

The Veracity product is called PinPoint and prelim info can be found at: http://www.veracityusablog.com/2009/07/veracity-announces-the-release-of-pinpoint/

 

Thanks John.... I couldn't remember the name.

[rory 0]

focus the camera before you install it. same with CCTV cameras.

[Privatteer 0]

Its a once in a blue moon event that a camera I have backfocused in the workshop has exactly the right amount of zoom at installation. But then again I'm a perfectionist that hates cameras looking at meters of worthless wall/ceiling.

 

Generally is practical and quicker for the apprentice to do the focusing and me to sit in the control room/nearest ethernet switch on 2-way.

 

When its not I use a standard 50V dc POE injector running off a 12v dc buck/boost converter and a cross over cable.

Bit bulky but works.

[Soundy 1]

I dunno about any others, but the nice thing I find with the IQ cameras is that they all support 12VDC (most also do 24VAC, although a couple models do 24VDC rather than AC), so I just power them off my little 12V gel-cel battery for aiming and focusing.

[rory 0]

use a viewfinder to get the exact FOV so you can focus it properly prior to installation.

a camera should never be focused out in the field unless there is no other choice.

[Soundy 1]

I would never trust a camera that's NOT focused in the field, once it's in place and adjusted to its desired view.

 

I assume when you set these up on the bench, you've measured out the exact distance from the planned mounting point to the intended target, and you then set up a target on your bench at that exact distance, so you can get the proper focal distance? And of course, you never run into instances where you have to change the mounting location after the fact? Never have clients decide at the last minute that they want to view changed?

[rory 0]

I would never trust a camera that's NOT focused in the field, once it's in place and adjusted to its desired view.

 

I wouldnt trust a camera thats NOT setup prior to installation, setup includes focusing.

 

I assume when you set these up on the bench, you've measured out the exact distance from the planned mounting point to the intended target, and you then set up a target on your bench at that exact distance, so you can get the proper focal distance?

its setup exactly how we want it, either way its been discussed before, so please use the search feature.

 

And of course, you never run into instances where you have to change the mounting location after the fact? Never have clients decide at the last minute that they want to view changed?

like i said .. unless there is no other choice.

 

i Guess in Canada you can get away with focusing outside .. what with no sun and all . down here forget about it .. doesnt work. If you want it focused properly it should be done before installation, it also makes the job alot easier. Remember when you are focusing it after installation you are only dealing with one single condition .. eg. light, low light, or dark. In a controlled environment you can adjust the conditions to get the best focus for all, light, low light, and dark. Anyone thats not doing this for at least Day/Night Infrared cameras, aren't setting the camera up to its maximum performance.

 

But hey .. das juss me.

[thewireguys 3]

http://www.veracityusa.com/products/pinpoint/pinpoint.pdf

 

Pinpoint was released

[VeracityUSA 0]

PINPOINT has been released and is shipping (and selling)!

 

What this device does is allows you to not only locally focus the camera at the installation point but to do so quickly, easily and efficiently. With cameras that allow for all parameters to be set via web browser you can actually take the camera right out of the box, mount it, set it up and focus it at the location rather than setting it up in the office first.

 

I am attaching the data sheet for anyone interested.

 

MSRP is only $49.95 and, when you couple that with a netbook (many of which can be bought for $200-$300) you have an entire setup and focus kit that is both inexpensive and light!

[Soundy 1]

Only catch I see here is that this thing is really only particularly useful if you're powering your IP cameras through PoE. While I try to use PoE when possible, it's usually a hard time selling customers on the extra cost of the PoE switch or injectors, especially if the IP camera is replacing an existing analog camera and there's already power available at the camera's location.

 

So far, all the IP cameras I've used will work on 12VDC, so even when we're using PoE, I find it quick and easy to just temporarily power the camera with my 12V gel-cel battery.