Hey guys, got a minute?

[laura 0]

I've been scouring this site for the last few weekends and finally decided to register because I need help.

 

I am fed up with the rotten kids/vandals in my neighborhood and have decided to fight back. I want to put together a cctv system primarily to deter as well as record any activity around my house.

 

As long as I pick the equipment, my son will do all the hard work to install this system. Thats where I need some assistance. I have been trying to weed through all the options and opinions I have discovered on this site. Let me jump to the point.

 

I want a 4 camera system with recording capabilities (VCR or DVR) that is viewed on an LCD screen that will be mounted on the wall in my bedroom. I know LCD is not the best for viewing cctv, but I cant stand the bulky "CRT's". After reading many posts, I know that I do not need remote viewing capabilities. I'm not sure of the pro's and con's of single channel versus multi-channel recording or if I need a quad or a mux. I will be satisfied with B/W cameras and would like night viewing. These images look pretty good to me:

 

http://www.carlmfischer.com/cctv/

 

They are bullet cameras....

 

I don't need to see license plates or braces on the teeth, but it would be nice to recognize a person within 20 feet of the camera.

 

I know the more I spend, the better the quality/reliability.

 

Can you guys recommend a set-up from good to better to best?

 

Until then, I will keep reading and learning...

 

Thanks!

 

Laura

[rory 0]

Hi, if you dont need Remote Video .. something basic like this might work:

http://www.aver.com/dvr/eb1504mpeg4.html

 

Budget DVR like the AvTech .. only it has a VGA out for that LCD ..

 

Then maybe look at the Nuvico Bullets for cameras .. or even KT&C .. those are what can be found most everywhere on the web ..

 

If you want more features then you would need a slighty more expensive DVR .. nuvico actually has a stand alone called hte J Series .. i havent used it yet but looks decent ... otherwise there are ofcourse many others, but if you want to stay within a budget then PC Based would be the next step .. quality from a PC system on the LCD would typically be better than from an Embedded non PC DVR ...

 

For Day Night cameras, just remember that if it doesnt say it has a Mechanical IR Cut Filter, then it is not a Day Night, but a Color/ IR Camera .. and daytime images the color can be washed out. But the Day Nights cost more .. so depends on your needs and budget. If its just a color camera (No IR) then it automatically has an IR Cut Filter built in, so no need to worry about them, and if it is only a BW camera, then there is no need to check also. B/W only camera will always be more sensetive than a Day Night camera in B/W Mode, and both of them will always be more sensitive than a Color/IR ..

 

Rory

 

PS. Welcome to the forum ..

[laura 0]

The Aver product that you linked to sounds like it would do it. It seems quite cheap for a DVR, and I understand that the Hard Drive needs to be added.

 

In terms of a PC based system, I really just want something that I can plug in with minimal programming.....which is why I am looking at the stan-alone units.

 

WIth the unit you describe I would only need the cameras and an LCD display.....seems simple from here....

 

I just need to pick some decent cameras.....which are fine as B/W

 

Thanks Rory!

[rory 0]

Hi .. yeap.. now I havent actually used that, but specs are decent for the price.

 

Ok so you need the DVR, Monitor, whether it be an LCD or CRT .. you could also just plug it into your TV A/V input ..

 

Also needed are Cameras, BNC Connectors, Power Connectors (or you could splice the cable but if dont know how to properly then these connectors are better), Distributed Power Supply (4-ch for this DVR or can use 4 single transformers), and Cable ... cable for budget BW bullets dont need to be anymore than the all in one Video/Power cables .. they look like RCA cables .. thin ..or you can buy some premade RG59 Coax Siamese .. in case you ever upgrade to high res cameras.

 

An online retailer would have all of that.

 

Rory