Looking for info on no-name camera...

[Soundy 1]

Alright, let me just get this out of the way right off the top: I don't want anyone trying to sell me anything, I don't need anyone telling me how crappy this camera is, or any recommendations on something different to sell the client on. We've tried to tell him numerous times how... unworthy these things are, but he gets them cheap from China and insists on bringing them in and continually trying to sell them to us. Everyone got that?

 

Now here's the thing: he's brought in this little beastie that looks like any standard 1/3" camera, but with a built-in zoom lens (spec sheet says it's actually only a 1/4" Sony chip). It does powered zoom (22X, 3.9-85.8mm) and autofocus. I've got the power hooked up and the camera running - image quality is mediocre at best (for what purports to be a "Sony Super HAD CCD"). Autofocus operation is... well, practically useless, I have to fine-tune anything it does manage to lock in on.

 

Zoom and focus can both be controlled through buttons on the back of the camera, or through wires in the combined remote/power connection (5-pin mini-din). The connector's pins are labeled +12VDC, GND, ZOOM, COM, and FOCUS.

 

What I'm trying to determine is how to use/connect the external zoom/focus controls via this wire, and hoping someone might have run into one of these things and/or have some documentation for it that's NOT mostly in Chinese. I've tried connecting both ZOOM and FOCUS wires to COM, as well as giving them +12 and GND, with no response at all.

[scorpion 0]

The guy that provided you the camera should be able to provide the controller. The controller should not cost very much. If he can provide it, I would use that.

 

I assume he cannot provide one hence your post here. I have no advice unfortunatly. You can try a voltage say 5 volts. If the voltage goes up it may move the zoom forward (or backward). If the voltage goes down then the zoom may move backward (or forward). Since you have already tried that, then I suggest opening the camera, and tracing the wires, and duplicating from there.

 

 

______________________________________________________

 

Have you tried a zoom controller from one of your 220X zoom cameras?

 

Scorpion

[Soundy 1]

The guy that provided you the camera should be able to provide the controller. The controller should not cost very much. If he can provide it, I would use that.

 

The guy has no idea what he's doing, he just knows that he has some contact in China that gets him these things for cheap, and tells him that they're some kinda hot $#!t.

 

I assume he cannot provide one hence your post here. I have no advice unfortunatly. You can try a voltage say 5 volts. If the voltage goes up it may move the zoom forward (or backward). If the voltage goes down then the zoom may move backward (or forward). Since you have already tried that, then I suggest opening the camera, and tracing the wires, and duplicating from there.

 

Actually, someone on alt.security.alarms came up with the answer for me: connect COM and the desired control wire (ZOOM or FOCUS) to the power and ground - one way around zooms in, the other way zooms out.

[scorpion 0]

I would have said this, but since you had tried it I thought that failed.

 

This is great! Now you can make your own custom controller. I wonder what it would take to convert to Pelco D, or some kind of up the coax controller?

 

???

[Soundy 1]

Too much work to be worthwhile.

 

Frankly, I plan on trying to convince the guy to pass on this idea: he wants to use this camera to replace a decent (1/4" 420TVL name-brand that I can't remember right now) dome watching the paypoint in his store.

 

Despite looking like a typical 1/3" camera, it's actually a 1/4" chip - I suspect, without having opened the thing, it's just a simple board camera - with a power zoom in front of it. He has no need of the zoom for this purpose, and the autofocus doesn't work right (always focuses a bit short and requires manual tweaking). Even the manual focus is barely usable there, as is no way to physically move the lens to fine-tune it; you're limited to the steps available by the powered focus drive. The image quality itself is mediocre at best (due largely, I expect, to the lens being of mediocre quality).

 

Problem is, he thinks that he's got a really great camera here, because it cost him $200+, compared to the $30-$50 for the little cheapie domes he brings in (which he also thinks are really great quality). Considering even a MID-GRADE Panasonic CP-244 runs almost $200 *without* the zoom, autofocus, or lens... I think that says a lot for the actual quality of the thing.

[jisaac 0]

I could respond in a number of ways. But I will only make one statement:

 

[Soundy 1]

I could respond in a number of ways. But I will only make one statement:

 

 

That's the same thing I do every time this guy calls up spouting about the new "great" cameras he's got in, wanting to "help" us by importing them so we can re-sell them.

[jisaac 0]

who is this guy? And why is he trying to push these cameras like a crack dealer pushes crack?

Sounds kind of like this guy i had recently that said he wanted to start bird dogging (referring business for $) for us. As we have several people who do consistently give us qualified leads and we give them a % of the job. So he gives me a name and contact info for a person that works for a mobile home dealer/reseller. Said they were a hot contact and to talk to them asap. So i contacted this company and spoke with them about getting some exterior protection on their property and building. Turns out they were not interested.

So a couple of days later I speak with this man who referred that lead to us and he asked me if they were going to do business with us. So i tell him they dont really have the want or immediate need. Anyways this idiot was trying to get us to install surveillance systems in this mobile home companys trailers! Seriously. Said he thought people buying new trailors would be a good market!!!!!

I immediatly hung up with this idiot and have yet to answer his phone calls again!

[scorpion 0]

That would be a great idea!!!!!

 

This would save you from having to open the front door to find out if the tornado has blown by yet!!

 

I believe there is a market!

[jisaac 0]

or better yet all meth cooks can tell if the swat team is about to kick in their front door. This way they can have grandma go ahead and dump the evidence down the bathtub's drain since she is already taking a bath while simultaneously making the drug.

 

arkansas is full of meth labs! we have more labs per capita than any state. Hell we lead the nation in total bust period for a long time. And we only have 3 million total in the entire state!

 

4 years ago I lived about 8 miles south of where I live now. Within 4 months the house across the street from me got busted twice for manufacturing. And then a house (totally un related) 6 houses down got busted for manufacturing. So we moved to a different neighborhood. we were there for 2 months before someone on my block got busted! And I dont live in the ghetto. Apparently that’s the style around here

[scorpion 0]

I have a question about meth labs!

 

I believe that meth labs are supposed to be highly flamable!

 

Is it safe to take a chain saw, and cut into a roof possibly hitting shingle staples, or nails, causing a spark?

 

http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/VIDEO/70824055

 

Brave souls is all I have to say!

[rory 0]

he's obviously cheap or broke, as he is bringing his own stuff in and he is not in the biz (?). Is it worth your time even talking to him? Time is money, I wont get out of bed (well off my PC chair) for less than $75.

[scorpion 0]

Women must always be asking for $25 in change!

 

You lucky devil!

[Soundy 1]

he's obviously cheap or broke, as he is bringing his own stuff in and he is not in the biz (?). Is it worth your time even talking to him? Time is money, I wont get out of bed (well off my PC chair) for less than $75.

 

Hawking cheap Chinese equipment aside, he's been a pretty good client - pays his bills on time, doesn't try to chew down our prices, etc. We've had a LOT worse time dealing with some way bigger companies (don't get my boss started on the major contractor that took four months to pay us for a large job, telling him that since he was a "small company" he didn't understand how these things worked...).

Edited August 27, 2007 by Guest

[rory 0]

Women must always be asking for $25 in change!

 

You lucky devil!

 

nah the nice thing though is alot of people just let me keep the $25 ..

[jisaac 0]

there was an incedint here recently where some guys entered a car lot that we have an intrustion detection system on the perimeter and remote video event based monitoring. So these guys parked their car on the edge of the property and walked on. so we voiced back to them "attention this is security. All actions are being recorded. Police are on the way". so they jump back into their car and could not get the car to start again! Well so the police show up and search the vehicle and guess whats in it??!!?!? a mobile meth lab!

What a bunch of retards.

 

when your dumb your dumb

[scorpion 0]

I have never heard of a car that ran on meth!

 

Interesting!