Old BW cameras using CAT-?, Adapt to connect to Geovison?

[Jasper 0]

I am wondering if I could adapt a phone cord style cord leading to a couple of old analog black and white cameras to work with a Geovison Card? I forget how many wires the cables have, but it’s enough for video and audio for each camera. Is there adapters available for sale or would I have to make them up myself?

 

If it doesn’t take too much money to make the adapters I would like to do it temporally so not to tip off the bartenders that a new security system has been put in place. They know it is tape now, but they also know it’s not on most of the time.

 

Then I can put the newer cameras in a short time later after we catch a few people doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing?

[rory 0]

Is it one of the all in one systems with a monitor, where all the cables connect to the monitor ..? Telco type cable?

 

If so yes, will need some splicing though as they generally get power from the monitor, and are normally 15Volts.

[Jasper 0]

Yes, it is an old Focus Observation System with the Telco type wire. I did not know that the monitor was supplying the cameras 15 volts. I gather I would have to use the monitor to power the cameras, splice the wires for the video and audio. I could use some old RCA cables with BNC adapters connected to the splice for video and plain RCA for the audio?

 

Rinky Dink, but it might work for the short while I want to do this. After I get all my stuff together I will do the job properly with the new cameras, cable, etc. I just want to slip the Geovison system in there and try to use the existing cameras for that initial element of surprise.

[rory 0]

Ha ha ha .. i did the same thing a few years back, the same Focus system ...

 

What I did was buy Power Supplies from the local rat shack, 15Volts (came in an multi setting of 12, 15 and 18, switchable.

 

They didnt have the monitor in my case.

 

Anyway, the wire, its been a while, but each camera has ground, positive, video, and audio.

 

Audio, video, and Power share the same ground.

 

Yellow = video

Green = Audio

Red = Positive

Black = Negative

 

The colors may be different, its been a few years not sure i can remember exactly.

 

Anyway, this should help yah play with it some ... either leave them powered from the monitor, or take it off one time.

 

Rory

[Jasper 0]

Thanks.

 

I would have tried using a 12volt power supply and would have been wondering what I did wrong.

 

I should notice some improvement of video quality over using the VCR. Maybe they might want to keep the existing cameras. Only reason I say that is because I'm a lot bigger than I used to be and I'm not looking foward to crawling through that attic to run the cable.

 

That's for those small, young, light weight types, of which I am no longer a member.

[rory 0]

here too, attics are a thing of the past foe me ... old and ting now yah see

 

anwyay, just take it off that monitor all together, but the power supply. I think it was only 1 power supply I had to buy, as it covered the total amps for all cameras, I think (but you will have to check or I can do another search) the cameras only used like 200ma max 300ma and the PS was 1.5A. It was one big ugly splice though, so I would suggest some terminal strips from Rat Shack and an enclosure, to make it neater. Terminal a ground for all of them, seperate everything else.

 

Anyway like I said, was quite a few years ago, i think it may even be before this forum, so I wouldnt bother searching just yet, ill take a look see myself and let you know ... if you give me the colors of each wire then Ill remember, most likely they are like I said though, as thats the norm.

 

Rory

[Jasper 0]

The more I think about it, that cable has to be standard telco wire, hopeuflly with the same colors. Your colors are right for standard telco.

 

The jacks are RJ-11 so they can only hold 4 wires.

 

I have never bought a power supply from Rat-Shack. Too bad they were not 12volts, I have all kinds of those power supplies. They are only using 2 cameras so the power supply would probably only need to be 1amp.

 

I searched the internet for that foucs system and couldn't find any specs on anything. Just that some people are still selling the same model.

[rory 0]

well it was something like this, not sure if it was rat shack but was probably just the local electronic store, but rat shack sells them too I think..

 

http://www.smarthome.com/29061.html

 

just a basic 15volt power supply ..

 

Geeed Luck

[Jasper 0]

Tanks, my fellow insomniac