PTZ & Camera Questions

[jdowning 0]

Hi everyone,

 

Great forum you have here - been very useful.

 

I own a business and we have outhouses which have been broken in to twice over the past several weeks.

 

It's a restaurant here with accommodation also.

 

I would like to setup a CCTV system myself as the price an installer has given us is quite hefty. I don't mind paying a little of a premium for a good quality system but I just think that I could do the wiring myself.

 

Firstly)

 

I'd like to have a PTZ camera in the yard - it'd be mounted up quite high. For this camera listed at: http://www.onlinesecurityproducts.co.uk/informer-ptz-domes/informer-ptz-dome-cctv-camera-samsung-500tvl-mini-dome-100x-zoom-38-38-lens.html

Would it be a good quality camera? Most of the time - I would want it to look at a gate (entrance) which is about 5 yards wide & the distance from the camera would be about 20 yards.

 

Would the 10X optical zoom cover that length with good quality?

 

And for that camera - is it better to have a black covering around the camera so people don't see where it's pointing?

 

Secondly) I'd like to wire the cameras using CAT5 cable. I know that IR cameras & PTZ cameras should have their own dedicated power source & this is fine, I'll run power up to them cameras... however, if I wanted to run a PTZ camera using CAT5, what would I need? I'd need a video balun at both sides, but how would I control the power?

 

And say if I had two PTZ cameras, how would I connect them to the DVR? I don't want to daisy chain them as they'd be too for apart.

 

Overall, would you recommend PTZ cameras? A man on a CCTV website didn't recommend them to me and he recommended a few static cameras would be better.

 

Thanks for your help, I'm desperately in need of it!

 

Jack

[EarlT 0]

PTZ cameras are fun and cool to have, but having fixed cameras covering everything are going to be more useful in the long run. The PTZ can only look one direction at once, and may miss a critical item that fixed cameras will get.

[tomcctv 190]

It's a restaurant here with accommodation

 

 

having just 1 ptz is a good idea for your carpark but i would back it up with fixed cameras as well. PTZ do have there place. but just pan tilt and zoom all day long is a waste of time. but in a restaurant carpark they do have a good use.

 

scanning all cars parked at least every hour just to log number plates. (much easier to find people who have left without paying)

 

your link has UK prices ??? if you are in the uk. your system will need to conform to DPA standards. it does not cost to be registered but fitting a cheap system may fail DPA regs. so dont spend twice buy brand named equipment from the start.

[jdowning 0]

Thanks for all your replies everyone - I'll take these all into consideration!

 

Does anyone know about the wiring?

 

Jack

[Soundy 1]

Hmmm, the specs listed on that camera make no sense... it says it draws "1.5A (9W)" at 12VDC... 1.5A at 12V is 18W; or, 9W at 12V would be only 750mA draw. That COULD make a difference whether it's feasible to run the power via the Cat5e. If you have an adjustable voltage regulator, though, you could probably pull it off, just dial up the voltage a little if it needs it.

 

In any case... yes, you can run power, video and control over a single Cat5e. Use one pair with baluns for the video, another pair for control, the other two pairs for power. You can get baluns that split out tails for control and power, but those don't do anything special; they're just a convenience.

[jdowning 0]

Hmmm, the specs listed on that camera make no sense... it says it draws "1.5A (9W)" at 12VDC... 1.5A at 12V is 18W; or, 9W at 12V would be only 750mA draw. That COULD make a difference whether it's feasible to run the power via the Cat5e. If you have an adjustable voltage regulator, though, you could probably pull it off, just dial up the voltage a little if it needs it.

 

In any case... yes, you can run power, video and control over a single Cat5e. Use one pair with baluns for the video, another pair for control, the other two pairs for power. You can get baluns that split out tails for control and power, but those don't do anything special; they're just a convenience.

 

Hi Soundy - I think I'd run power to it anyway incase anything didn't work out.

 

I don't have a clue about this stuff so I'd appreciate if you could give me a little more help, it'd be great

 

For the video & control, I'd have a balun at the camera where the video hooks into it... where would the control cable plug into? Then at the DVR side, the balun would have the CAT5 cable going to a coaxial cable going to the DVR? What about the control aswell?

 

And what if I wanted more than one PTZ camera? Would I just solder the CAT5 pairs together that handle the control?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Soundy 1]

For the video & control, I'd have a balun at the camera where the video hooks into it... where would the control cable plug into? Then at the DVR side, the balun would have the CAT5 cable going to a coaxial cable going to the DVR? What about the control aswell?

The camera should have terminals labeled for control, usually something like "RX(A)" and "RX(B)" (or maybe "RX+" and "RX-"). These would connect to the corresponding TX pins on the DVR (TX(A) to RX(A), etc.).

 

Most baluns have a male BNC, so they would connect directly to the DVR and the camera. I normally use these ones:

 

 

 

And what if I wanted more than one PTZ camera? Would I just solder the CAT5 pairs together that handle the control?

You COULD solder them... personally, I'd just twist them together and then insert that into the terminals on the DVR.

[jdowning 0]

Thanks so much - great help however do I need 2 baluns? 1 for video & 1 for control?

 

So it'd go like this?

 

Video:

DVR > Balun (male or female?) > CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera > Balun (male or female?) > plugs into video transmission cable.

 

Control:

I'd use right up to the 'CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera', however I'd need a different balun than the video one and it'd plug in to the control wires?

 

Sorry if I seem stupid, I'm new to this.

[tomcctv 190]

Thanks so much - great help however do I need 2 baluns? 1 for video & 1 for control?

 

So it'd go like this?

 

Video:

DVR > Balun (male or female?) > CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera > Balun (male or female?) > plugs into video transmission cable.

 

Control:

I'd use right up to the 'CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera', however I'd need a different balun than the video one and it'd plug in to the control wires?

 

Sorry if I seem stupid, I'm new to this.

 

 

 

 

Hi. you will only need the baluns for your video (one at each end) the data for your ptz is a rs485 connection. 1 pair of cables from your cat5 back to the rs485 on either your dvr or ptz controller.

 

which DVR do you have. not all will control a ptz camera ???

[jdowning 0]

Hi Tom,

 

I haven't exactly bought a DVR yet however I'd be looking at an 8 channel one which can support PTZ.

 

I'm really stupid but how does the CAT5 cable ran to the camera with video connect with the control cables? And what about the other side aswell (connecting to the DVR?).

 

thanks so much, please bare with me!!

 

Thanks so much - great help however do I need 2 baluns? 1 for video & 1 for control?

 

So it'd go like this?

 

Video:

DVR > Balun (male or female?) > CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera > Balun (male or female?) > plugs into video transmission cable.

 

Control:

I'd use right up to the 'CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera', however I'd need a different balun than the video one and it'd plug in to the control wires?

 

Sorry if I seem stupid, I'm new to this.

 

 

 

 

Hi. you will only need the baluns for your video (one at each end) the data for your ptz is a rs485 connection. 1 pair of cables from your cat5 back to the rs485 on either your dvr or ptz controller.

 

which DVR do you have. not all will control a ptz camera ???

[tomcctv 190]

people use differant colour codes but you can do this ..

 

orange and orange and white ..... use for video balun

 

brown and the brown white (twist together) ..... use for + power

 

blue and blue white (twist together) ..... use for - power

 

green and green white ...... use for data (rs485)

 

 

 

[jdowning 0]

people use differant colour codes but you can do this ..

 

orange and orange and white ..... use for video balun

 

brown and the brown white (twist together) ..... use for + power

 

blue and blue white (twist together) ..... use for - power

 

green and green white ...... use for data (rs485)

 

 

 

 

Yes but how does the RS485 at the camera get converted to a pair of the CAT5 and the same at the other side?

[tomcctv 190]

green and green white ...... use for data (rs485)

 

 

these two will go to (TX(A) to RX(A), at the ptz head and the rs485 connector at DVR end.

[jdowning 0]

green and green white ...... use for data (rs485)

 

 

these two will go to (TX(A) to RX(A), at the ptz head and the rs485 connector at DVR end.

 

So would the control cable on the PTZ be like this:

 

 

And I just have to put a pair of the CAT5 cable into that and tighten it together? And put the corresponding pairs of the CAT5 in the DVR at the other end?

[tomcctv 190]

you will see a conector more like this at your camera end.

 

 

[Soundy 1]

Thanks so much - great help however do I need 2 baluns? 1 for video & 1 for control?

You'd need two for video - one for each end. That's it.

 

So it'd go like this?

 

Video:

DVR > Balun (male or female?) > CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera > Balun (male or female?) > plugs into video transmission cable.

Right. The BNCs on the camera and DVR are typically female connectors; the baluns have the male connectors.

 

 

Control:

I'd use right up to the 'CAT5 cable going to PTZ camera', however I'd need a different balun than the video one and it'd plug in to the control wires?

 

No balun needed, just connect the wires directly.

 

For me, I typically use the blue pair in the Cat5 for video, orange and green pairs for power, and the brown for control, or for a spare (most often for a second video feed). There's no particular reason for that, just a scheme we came up with that made sense to us.

[jdowning 0]

Great help - has cleared lots up for me!

 

So can you verify this is correct? I think I'll run a power cable to the cameras directly.

 

Just a quick question - would I need an 'active' or a 'passive' balun for each of the cameras and what's the difference?

 

Say I have 4 cameras (2 PTZ, 2 normal)

 

The normal cameras:

 

From DVR: Balun connected to CAT5 cable going to another balun which is plugged into the camera. The power is sourced locally.

Same for the second normal camera.

 

The PTZ cameras:

 

From Camera: RS485 connected to a pair of the CAT5 cable (used by video as well). This is sent back via the CAT5 cable. Because of the 2x PTZ cameras, the equivalent CAT5 cables on either end will be stripped and joined together (positive and negative?). The positive will go into the + on the DVR and the - of DVR.

 

Also - one other question. A lot of outside buildings have normal CCTV box cameras with housing. Can you get these to work with infra-red? How would I do this? I'd like to have it as a visual deterrent.

 

You've all been a great help - thank you!

[tomcctv 190]

hi. if your cameras are spread apart. if they are upto 80m then you could just use RG59 with power to all cameras including your ptz. and just run a cat5 to each ptz for data.