Hikvision wiring issue - help!

[macklington 0]

Hi everyone,

I'm helping a family member out replacing a bunch of analog cctv cameras across 2 x HIKVISION DVRs totalling 16 cameras distributed across 2 floors of a building. Thus far, wiring every single camera upstairs has been faultless, the system comes back up with the new cameras ready to go, no worries at all.

The cameras located downstairs are a different story, the 3 cameras I wired downstairs tonight would not work when rewired with the new cameras and DC power connectors. I have tested all 3 cameras on connections upstairs, so the cameras definitely work. I believe it's some sort of an interference issue, but as someone with an IP-based background working with wireless networks, PCs etc, this is definitely not my area of expertise. The only physical difference I can determine between the wiring of the old and new cameras are these magnet things that are wound on and heatshrunk onto the cctv camera's BNC and 12v DC connectors. Images below (apologies for bad angle):

The new camera wiring is on the left, with BNC, 12v and a switch for cycling through transmission formats, and the very old camera on the right with power and BNC.

So, this is where I'm at. I'm obviously missing something. Could any of you kind people please point me in the right direction? Is there some sort of inline connector I can get for the DC power and BNC connectors to solve this issue? I've searched around and I thought a BNC ground loop isolator such as the one linked below might help?

Thank you in advance, I'm scratching my head here in frustration, and every minute they're not up and running the business' security is a worry for me.

Cheers,

macklington

[Sir Lenscelot 3]

Hi Macklington

A ground loop isolator can be very useful in reducing ground loop interference. To get no picture at all is unusual but not unheard of. Your photo suggests some other things i would check. It seems to me you have bought HD camera's which can be connected over coax but also with the ability to select transmission format. So i am assuming that your are attempting to use one of the HD formats, such as AHD or TVI. Can you please confirm?

So obvious questions first

Is the recorder compatible with AHD/TVI (i,e a hybrid recorder) or is it just an old school analogue CVBS format?

What cabling type you using?

If using cat5 and baluns, have you got the Polarity correct on the installed cable?

Have you tested you get an image out of the camera while its in its installed location?, with a test monitor or even just hooking the recorder up near the camera itself and running a short lead you know works?

Are your ends crimped on correctly?

Is there a short between the core and the screen? can be tested with a multimeter.

Model numbers of Hik recorder and camera's would be useful?

Thanks

Sir Lenscelot

 

 

[macklington 0]

Thank you very much for the reply Sir Lenscelot, I'll do my best with the knowledge I have to answer your Q's:

The Hikvision DVR is compatible, running TVI (I'm 99% sure), identical cameras have been wired and connected to the same DVR upstairs without this same issue.

Wiring is 2 x 10-channel wall-mounted 12v DC injectors behind the server rack running power to all analog cameras, with coaxial wiring terminated with BNC connectors for the video signal. There is no Cat-5 wiring in this installation (which I think is around 12 years old). Ageing but still functional analog cameras were connected to these cables prior to the installation of the new cameras, so I can assume that the coax and BNC connectors are setup correctly, and that 12v power is at least running to the end of the cable, which I have terminated with brand new 12v male DC connectors as below:

 

I have attempted to get an image out of the camera in its installed location, but the new cameras do not appear to get power. With the cameras upstairs, as soon as the 12v power supply is turned on behind the rack, you can hear a faint but audible click in the internals of a camera when it powers up. I do not hear that noise with the cameras downstairs when they are powered up. I didn't have a multimeter with me onsite as I'm usually called in for more PC-related issues which don't require that level of testing.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position to relocate the DVRs out of their rack and down to the location for testing.

I hope this info assists in narrowing down the problem, I can attend onsite in about 18 hours for another look to provide specs on the DVR and cameras, but my limited experience tells me this is more likely power-related than anything else.

Thanks again for your reply,

macklington

[Sir Lenscelot 3]

Hi Macklington

Sounds like you may be on the right track with the power issue. In this instance i would firstly check that you are receiving 12v at the camera's location using a multi-meter. However it is possible depending on length of cable and condition there may be some volt drop, so i would secondly test while the camera is connected to the power source. . You can do this by putting your meter across the two screw heads. (Your new camera might draw more power than your old one). Also double check polarity of your power connection.

Another Check is if your PSU is fused then check the small glass fuses in the PSU. These can blow easily if when swapping camera you accidentally shorted the terminals. They can also blow if your camera draws more current than your previous camera as typically they can be installed with only 500mA fuses.

As a last resort rig up a temporary 12v supply downstairs to power the camera locally which should eliminate any power issues/cabling issues.

Other issue it could be is that your existing cabling is not suitable for TVI. Now i know that the CCTV supplies sell AHD and Turbo HD like its the best thing since sliced bread and that it will work on existing cabling but that isn't always the case. Poor cabling or unsuitable coax can cause problems, especially over greater distance. And the nature of digital surveillance is that it either works or it doesn't. So try as a test setting the camera to CVBS which should mimic your old camera setup. Analogue signal is more resilient in this way because their isn't just on and off but grades in between, interference will be visible on the display. It isn't either on or off.

 

Hope this helps

Sir Lenscelot

 

 

[macklington 0]

Hi Sir Lenscelot,

I've managed to get the DVR and camera information:

DVR 1: LTD8516K-ST
DVR 2: DS-7732NI-SP

Old camera - Samsung SID-450P - 12v 2.5w
New camera - DS-2CE56D0T-IRPF - 12v 4w MAX

I have only green lights across the board on the 12v PSU, it isn't reporting any shorts or blown fuses.

I have a friend bringing in a temporary power supply to test with during the week, I will report back with results. Sorry I can't go into any more detail in this post, I'm in a rush!

Cheers,

macklington

[Sir Lenscelot 3]

Looking at that, one recorder is a Hikvision NVR accepting IP camera's only. I assume you have no issue with that as we are discussing coaxial connected camera's.

The Other is not a Hik recorder but an LTS recorder Hybrid, Taking Analogue, TVI, AHD and IP. This is the system you are having the issue with?

Can you confirm?

[macklington 0]

That's correct yes. It has 14 other hikvision cameras similar to the new model, and has previously run on all Samsung cameras, and they've been gradually phased out as their image quality has diminished. 

[Sir Lenscelot 3]

Hi Macklington

Just help me understand the numbers, so you said you have 3 camera's not working, but you also say this recorder has 14 other cameras on it. Its a 16ch recorder, can you please clarify? Does it include any ip camera's. Whats the breakdown of the camera's attached? when you say similar model, does this mean to say the ones that do work are different in some way?

[macklington 0]

Total of 16 analog cameras on the system.

It has no IP cameras, they are connected to the other DVR.

At least 3 or 4 of the other cameras I have replaced are identical to the cameras I am asking about in this thread. Forgive me, I understand your need to have a full accounting of the system, but I feel like we're getting a bit away from the original problem here of the cameras not appearing to get power.

[tomcctv 190]

Hi just for a test ... what happends if you connect a old camera back on existing cable. 

What is the distance from power to camera and size of supply volts and amps what size cable for power 

 

looking at your pictures this could be an existing problem before you started the upgrade with someone adding magnets 

ground loop will not help if your using the hd side of camera tvi cvi 

 

[Sir Lenscelot 3]

I was just trying to balance the numbers because this recorder will take a maximum of 16 cameras including ip/tvi/analogue but not over 16 so I was verifying that you didn’t have any ip cameras using available slots. And by testing them at the recorder you were inadvertently disconnecting cameras to test these thus freeing up available slots so that they worked.

But as you don’t have ip cameras attached then I say again, hookup a local supply and this will eliminate both the cable and your main supply from the equation. 

[macklington 0]

Hi tomcctv, I've managed to successfully reconnect the old cameras on 2 of the 3 points being replaced and they power back up and work, the third one did not come back up. I was concerned I may have tripped something, or blown a fuse in the process of the changeover, but this is a shot of the current state of the DC power supplies, and they're green across the board:

I will report back with results after the replacement PSU goes in tomorrow night. Thanks again to Sir Lenscelot and thanks tom for your input.

Cheers,

macklington

[tomcctv 190]

Hi thanks for the picture 

0.5 self reset channels giving you a total of around 5amp 

 

just not not enough to run your cameras and it’s showing up on these camera because the run is a little longer  and also your new cameras use a little more power than your old one which is why they still work