dodge0790 0 Posted January 15, 2012 Hi, I was wondering if this looks normal or does it look overkill. I don't think anyone else on the street has any CCTV cameras at all. It's sorta just this weird hobby I have. I don't want to draw attention. I also found some of my neighbors caught me spinning my camera around one morning and I noticed them looking and pointing their fingers at my camera. Bad thing is you can easily tell which why the lens is pointing too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 15, 2012 Hi, I was wondering if this looks normal or does it look overkill. I don't think anyone else on the street has any CCTV cameras at all. It's sorta just this weird hobby I have. I don't want to draw attention. I also found some of my neighbors caught me spinning my camera around one morning and I noticed them looking and pointing their fingers at my camera. Bad thing is you can easily tell which why the lens is pointing too. This is the section I meant to post in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted January 15, 2012 Hi. showing images to installers will always make for a bit of criticism. so i hope you dont mind why did you not mount your PTZ right at the end of your sofit. that way having alarm sensors front and side of your house would have given you more protection. you have lost 60% of your cameras function Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 15, 2012 Hi. showing images to installers will always make for a bit of criticism. so i hope you dont mind why did you not mount your PTZ right at the end of your sofit. that way having alarm sensors front and side of your house would have given you more protection. you have lost 60% of your cameras function If your talking about me installing the camera on the very edge of my house to see around the side of the house is because all there is there is a bunch of little trees there. (esp in the summer time when they are full with blooms and whatnot) I wouldn't able to see anything anyways. I do thank you for the criticism though I know I'm not professional I just am doing this as a fun hobby for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted January 15, 2012 It's a tidy install which is at least a positive in your favour. I just wonder if it is possible to move it and keep the trees trimmed. That way you might be able to utilize the alarms and presets even tours. To prevent passers by noticing where your camera is pointing, try either a tinted dome or a chrome dome if available. This will prevent anyone from knowing where your camera is pointing. It doesn't look that bad actually, in the pictures you can't tell where it's pointing and there is a reflection off the dome. Anyway so far as I am aware there is no law to stop you recording video in a public place. There may be exceptions but I've just got in from working all day at a livery stables, (2days installing single camera) and I'm really too tired to think about it. (This one camera has taken two days to complete because of the existing wiring, the nature of the stables, and the moving horses around and storage sheds full of stuff. I have to add it was lot of fun though) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PaulsonLaw 0 Posted January 16, 2012 Based on the pics... It looks as if you could cut a, say 10", hole in the soffit matching the diameter of the PTZ. Then, with a section of soffit removed beside the whole, you could toss in a 1x4 flush to the roff deck & mount the cam to that... then put back the section beside it.... It looks like just an inch or so of the housing would show.... Only a tape measure can tell Good Luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted January 16, 2012 Based on the pics... It looks as if you could cut a, say 10", hole in the soffit matching the diameter of the PTZ. Then, with a section of soffit removed beside the whole, you could toss in a 1x4 flush to the roff deck & mount the cam to that... then put back the section beside it.... It looks like just an inch or so of the housing would show.... Only a tape measure can tell Good Luck This is what we did with some domes. Got some 1/4" vinyl board at home depot. Cut a hole so you only see the dome. The 1/4 will fit right where the mesh plastic stuff is, that comes out in 10 or 12" pieces. The good news is once you do that, people coming over never notice the cams. P.S. I asked my girlfriend (and we have cameras all over our house) and she said "no". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 16, 2012 Based on the pics... It looks as if you could cut a, say 10", hole in the soffit matching the diameter of the PTZ. Then, with a section of soffit removed beside the whole, you could toss in a 1x4 flush to the roff deck & mount the cam to that... then put back the section beside it.... It looks like just an inch or so of the housing would show.... Only a tape measure can tell Good Luck I was hesitant to do this even though it has came to my mind several times. I might just check with the tape measure in the morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PaulsonLaw 0 Posted January 16, 2012 Based on the pics... It looks as if you could cut a, say 10", hole in the soffit matching the diameter of the PTZ. Then, with a section of soffit removed beside the whole, you could toss in a 1x4 flush to the roff deck & mount the cam to that... then put back the section beside it.... It looks like just an inch or so of the housing would show.... Only a tape measure can tell Good Luck I was hesitant to do this even though it has came to my mind several times. I might just check with the tape measure in the morning. I think it will work out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiona 0 Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) I wouldn't worry too much about 'what looks normal.' If we all tried to look normal all the time, we'd end up with a society of conformists and the death of creative expression - McCarthyism all over again. The first PTZ in any neighbourhood always stands out. It's a little like the first satellite dish or the first PIR activated light. The 'new' always imposes its moment of readjustment as we bid farewell to old ways and old habits. As far as the camera goes, I think it looks excellent: it couldn't be any more discreet. You always get the gobsmacked gawkers who've never seen cameras look back at them. After a while, they'll wonder how your neighbourhood got by without it; especially when they come knocking on your door for help when they fall victim to crime. You might want to install a couple of fixed cameras too. The angle of vision of your PTZ is only about 60 degrees, and it looks like you've got at least 270 degrees of area to monitor. (How did my post end up way down here? Originally I was the first post before Tom, making my comments all the more pertinent - despite what the date and time evidence says. The Silent Hand is at work again.) Edited January 23, 2012 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdman Adam 0 Posted January 17, 2012 Nah, I think it looks good. That's a sharp looking camera. It stands out a tad more than a little flush dome, but nothing wrong with that! The (potential) bad guys will pick up on it and decide to stay way. I know because I've caught people walking around my home, noticing cameras and shying away. Certainly if your homeowner's assn has some rules about cameras, then abide. I've had a neighbor give weird looks about the cameras, but then I remember he will be the one asking for footage of the street/my property when his home gets broken into! People don't understand the need for them until they have had something bad happen. A while ago we decided as a neighborhood we would install cameras at the entrance, but some people did not want to spend on them as they did not realize the value if it/were scared of them/just stupid people. If we had installed them 5 years ago we could have caught 4 burglaries red handed. Now they scoff at my cameras, and I just give back a big smile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cbodbyl 0 Posted January 18, 2012 Looks fine, the only thing I would highly recommend is changing the clear dome for a smoked dome. That way your neighbors or criminals can't see what direction it's facing. Oh and one last thing, you might want to put some video blanking on the camera if it's able to see into areas where people have a "reasonable expectation of privacy". Not sure where you live but where I am in Canada there are some loosely enforced laws that prohibit security cameras from seeing too much of a private dwelling. Colin B http://www.compatiblecameras.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indragm 0 Posted January 20, 2012 I agree, best to put it in the corner, and even though you got trees over there, at least you can view those area whenever you need it. About the hole, it'll be even tidier if you could do that too. Might as well re-positioned it while doing the hole. That way your neighbors won't point so much to your home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
liveinxs 0 Posted January 21, 2012 it looks good to me, what make camera is that? and let your neighbors look, if they don't like it, they can tell you, where-as you can tell them to mind their own f'ing business.... i have 9 outdoor cams, including my new corner mounted ptz, hitting 270 degrees of view, its nice to see what goes on around your home and also document it, just in case... but i do agree, you should relocate your ptz to a corner, just pick up a corner outdoor mount... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 21, 2012 Thanks for all the posts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 21, 2012 Thanks for the idea's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troy6363 0 Posted January 22, 2012 What type of camera is this? How much did you spend on it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sawbones 0 Posted January 22, 2012 I like the look of it... nice install for somebody who doesn't do that kind of work for a living. And who cares what your neighbors think? They probably wish they had something like it on their house... and the first time something happens, they'll come right to you for pictures. My system saved my neighbors some trouble when it ID'd a bunch of teens vandalizing their yard. They've been big fans ever since. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodge0790 0 Posted January 26, 2012 What type of camera is this? How much did you spend on it? GVI Video Plus 36x Outdoor PTZ Camera, AHP-3136S - MSRP: $2250 - Summary VideoPLUS AHP-3136S PTZ dome cameras feature 36x optical and 12x digital zoom with 1/4” Super HAD II CCD that creates 650TVL high resolution. 400°/sec panning speed helps to have no event loss during video surveillance. Complexity gets simplified with features such as Auto Flip, Return to Home, Endless Pan and Intelligent Pan/Tilt that sets pan and tilt speed based on the zoom level.True D/N with ICR filter, Shadow Fighter XDR, 2D/3D noise reduction, and Digital Slow Shutter features increase the image quality in various light conditions.AHP-3136S model also features an outdoor, IP66, anti-vandal housing with a heater equipped inside, improving the operating temperature range to -49°F ~ 122°F. Features • 1/4” Super HAD II CCD • 650 TVL Horizontal Resolution • 36x Optical Zoom, f: 3.4~122.4 mm • 12x Digital Zoom • True Day/Night • 360° Endless Pan • -10° - 190° Tilt Range • 400°/sec pan speed • 256 Presets • Proportional Pan/Tilt • Shadow Fighter XDR • BLC • AGC • Noise Reduction 2D/3D • Alarm I/O: 8/1 • IP66 • Anti-Vandal • Operating Temperature: -49°F 36x Optical Zoom AHP-3136S PTZ Dome uses a 36x Optical Zoom lens, along with a 12x digital zoom, resulting in 432x zooming capability. Combined with Auto Focus feature, 432x zooming makes object identification easier. Anti-Vandal, IP66 Housing AHP-3136S PTZ Dome features a weather proof, anti-vandal housing. PTZ Dome can operate in various environmental conditions with IP66 rating and an operating temperature range of -49°F to 122°F. Just a spec sheet I found on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted January 26, 2012 These cameras are being blown out on ebay from a liquidator that bought a bunch when GVI went out of business. Unsupported analog cameras are a lot lower risk than unsupported IP cams or recorders, IMO. There's no warranty, but at the prices they're going for, you just buy a few spares. I'm tempted to pick one up, but I'm moving to all IP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cctvmann 0 Posted January 26, 2012 heres a couple of pictures of my home system 10 cameras ( 2 ptz and 8 statics) recording to a dedicated micros ds2A unit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
