Managed to buy a honeywell hrtl-one single channel dvr, nice and cheap - about the same price I would have paid for just the 250 gig drive that was in it, so iI look at it as if I got a hard drive and a bonus dvr...

It will record fine when I switch its input to any single camera, but if I switch the input to either the VCR out on the mux, or even the monitor out on the mux, it falls over. It will display video fine from everything, but just states system error when I tried to record when connected to the mux.

Its 'supposed' to be compatible with most multiplexers, and supposed to be a drop in replacement for vcrs both normal and timelapse.

The mux is the old tecton kramplex, it has settings for many different timelapse vcrs, none of them make a difference to the DVR.

I dont know the pinouts for the tecton, so I dont know if it has a VCR swipe pin to sync with the mux, Im guessing that could be the problem.

Weird how even the monitor out on the mux fails to record though when I hit record all I get is 'system error' - maybe the mux is using blanking data/spare tv lines to encode hidden data, and maybe so is the dvr, and they are conflicting? Who knows....

The same output will record on the liteon dvr and on my pc(but its not decoding on the mux when its played back).

The hrtl-one appears to be a 250gig capable version of the 120g version previously made by silent witness, now owned by honewell. Opening it up reveals its actually a av-tech av 721 inside.

Anyone got any ideas on anything it could be that is causing the mux to be incompatible with the dvr? Maybe its something obvious that I have missed....

Failing that, anyone used other (or even this model) single channel dvrs, and multiplexers together, and if so, which plexers were compatible and which were not?

Or anyone got any clues if the tecton has a vcr swipe pin (ie anyone know the pinouts, or the pinouts for a drax, maybe they are the same...)

You normally have to specify the mux type in the DVR settings ... at least if you want the DVR to control the recording/playback.

been a couple years now but ive used quite a few of the Kalatel DSR-2000 1 channel DVRs with their muxes ... the mux didnt have to specify what was what, only if you wanted the DVR to control the recording which is better .. but had to specify the mux in the recorder.

But you maybe just able to hook it up like a VCR ... other than that, are there any mux settings in the DVR menu?

You said this is an AV Tech model?? If so thats why its so cheap .. those are the ultimate budget DVRs on the planet. But still should work.

the only settings on the dvr are the frame rate (up to 50 ips) and whether it records frame or field, and compression quality, along with the usual date/time settings.

The mux has a setup menu which lets you specify from a list of timelapse recorders, or a custom one, with a number from 1 to 255, nothing works!

It records straight from camera inputs fine, just hates the mux!

Displays the mux fine - so its getting a clear signal into it, but system error everytime I hit record.

It should operate like a vcr, thats what they are advertised as, but further investigation reveals a list on their website of supported muxes, and its a small list - not exactly a list which I would say its fair for them to state its compatible with most muxes.

It does have a switch out pin to "connect to the vcr trigger recording terminal of the multiplexer to synchronise recording signals" but I have no
idea if the tecton has such a pin, and even if it did which pin it would be!

Tecton are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard when it comes to supporting any older models (even ones that cost a fortune in their time) they wont even release simple info like pinouts without asking 50 quid for a manual for a peice of eqiupment that may not be compatible even if I bought the manual...


Guess I will look out for a cheap compatible mux, and sell mine when it arrives, or just get a multi channel dvr when a bargain comes along.

Its definately a basic model (although if I paid honewell prices, it would not have been cheap!), its so basic it beggars belief. No features other than record, play, fast forward, rewind, slow motion and pause. They even didnt bother with soldering on the audio components that the av tech model usually comes with, the board has all the pads for them on board, and a jumper for audio, but they (honeywell) sell them as video only.

Cant even trust honeywell to make their own stuff....

Yeah Honeywell prices are high even compared to GE and Pano, they came out with a "Honeywell Korean List" I think it was last year ... their prices were always high .. some of their better products are decent from what ive heard, but seems you would need to know which one is what before puchasing anything from them ..

Its not just them though selling OEM now ... other big names are doing it as well .. just have to be on the look out. Course AVtech is taiwanese though, not Korean so that has me confused..

Its been sooo long since i used a VCR so cant help there, but yeah if i remember you use the trigger out from the Mux to the DVR ... the mux is the thing that is required to decode the recorded video, so yeah should just work .. but like you said if the DVR doesnt have that then ...

Do you have a Manual you can post for the DVR?

Anyway i attached an example of the Kalatel (GE) DSR-2000 connections ... maybe look for something like that .. basically you use the record-in from the Mux to trigger recording ... Vext in the case of the DSR-2000 is if you wanted the DVR to control the recording ..

See attached images

Maybe you can see if you can get your hands on a second hand DSR-2000 or DSR-1000 even.

Rory

cheers,

Manuals and data sheets are available here

http://www.honeywellvideo.com/products/recorders/em/37823.html

Its a 250gig uk pal model (earlier models were 120gig) the manuals on that page are the same as the manual I have, just ignore where it says 120 gig max.

The dvr has a connection like the one you mention, but the mux has nothing labelled as such, if it has one at all then it is hidden on either the remote keyboard port, the rs232 port or the alarm port....

Finding info on the net about tecton products (other than marketing blurb) is nigh on impossible. Its put me off ever buying another one of their products again...

seems like its a more of a budget unit, something like this GE model ..
http://www.gesecurity.com/portal/site/GESecurity/menuitem.f76d98ccce4cabed5efa421766030730?selectedID=6612&seriesyn=true&seriesID=

have you connected the Mux to the 9pin Com Port Pinout, using the "record start" ..?

No idea what the pinouts are on the mux :(

I have tried so far connecting the vcr switch out from the dvr to each and every pin on the 25 pin alarm connector on the mux, nothing yet.... will try the same with the other ports later, see if any joy.

The switch out on the dvr is working, checked it on a scope, and its outputing a square wave which alters according the selected frame rate. Just need to know where (if anywhere, would not be suprised if the mux does not have the input at all) to plug it into the mux....

Cheers for the help, will keep on trying!

Decided to take the plunge and upgrade to a better mux, I ended up going with a robot mv96p (ok I know its limited to 512x512 display, but it records at full res so I can always grab important frames if need be) as it was going cheap :)

It works a treat with the dvr, right out of the box, I got a pcb with it for the connector on the back, so I can interface the two together, just bidding on some 15 pin d-subs so I can make up the lead... But no hurry, as it works without the vcr pin being connected.

The dvr itself is still going strong, but picture quality wise, the liteon tv drv is far far far better - when I get some time I will see if this mux is compatible with the liteon.

decided to email honeywell yesterday to see if there are any firmware upgrades for the dvr, as the pic quality is not what I would expect for a so called security product, so hopefully the will have a upgrade available to bring it up to a standard so it operates as advertised.

Wonder if they will ever reply.....