Residential Townhouse Install

After scouring the forums and internet for the past several weeks, I think I've got everything I need identified, please let me know if I missed anything or something looks wrong!

Front of house:

VCM-24VF to be located under the eave above the garage, to watch the driveway/yard

VCM-24VF to be located at the front door to see ingress/egress

Costar CDC2500HX PTZ to be located on the top right under the eave.. might have it on patrol, or just focus on my trailer(concession stand) parked on the street

Back of the house:

CNB VCM-24VF x1 to be located in roughly the same spot as the garage cam, but to watch the backyard.

That's if for cameras, for now I'm sure I'll add more down the road, but my budget is beyond maxed on this project already.. Cat5 to each camera (1 pair for video, 2 pair for power), one Cat5 (video/ptz controls) and an 18/2 (power) to the PTZ. All wires tucked into siding and routed to the right side of the house (looking at picture), from there they will go towards the back of the house in conduit and enter the basement utility room.

Cat5's will terminate at a 66 block and video will be routed to baluns at the dvr, power will be routed to the power can.

DVR: Qvis Apollo HD 8 Channel Security DVR W/ H.264 Compression & D1 Resolution with a 1TB hard drive

Power Can: 9 CH 24v AC Power Supply - 5 Amp (1.1amp per channel max)

Baluns: undetermined at the moment, can someone recommend? Longest cat5 run is probably 100ft.

No internet connection in the utility room, and I'm too lazy to run a cat5 down there from the main router.. so I've configured a wireless bridge using an old Linksys WRT54g and DD-WRT firmware. I'll see how this works out, should be OK.

Thanks for reading, looking forward to all the tips and suggestions!

Jason

You probably already thought of this but realize the PTZ will need 2-3amps especially if the heater kicks on.

When it comes to programming you could drive the PTZ with motion detection from the fixed cameras or other alarms so I would run an extra CAT5 to the PTZ for this purpose

I wouldn't use cat5 and baluns for just 4 cameras.

You probably already thought of this but realize the PTZ will need 2-3amps especially if the heater kicks on.

 

When it comes to programming you could drive the PTZ with motion detection from the fixed cameras or other alarms so I would run an extra CAT5 to the PTZ for this purpose

Good idea, dedicated power supply for the PTZ then.. Now that I think about it, Sean did mention that I should probably get one for it.

I didn't think about the alarm inputs... I'll run an extra cat5 up there for that purpose.

Jason

I wouldn't use cat5 and baluns for just 4 cameras.

Just 4 to start, I plan on having more in the future, maybe one right at each back door, one in the garage, and one in the dog's room (they have their own room with a doggie door to go in and out, it's like a doggie studio apartment).

Wiring is as done as it can be until more parts arrive!

Wiring comes into the 66 block top left. Cat5's are punched down, all pairs except brown. Blue pairs are segregated and sent south for the DVR. Orange and Green pairs are segregated and sent east for the power supply.

The Linksys in the top right is my wireless bridge since I didn't have an internet connection in the basement utility room. The Verizon equipment is for the FiOs landline phone.

You lucky! You get FIOS internet?!

That aside, sounds like you have it worked out quite well. I have a similar DVR and the brand is great. You will love the DVR, it is awesome for the price! Also, I've always been impressed with Monalisa CNBs. I would definitely use CAT5+Baluns, its easy and you don't have to mess with working coax into tight spots (you cannot bend it too much).

Oh, one thing. That PTZ will be so high up, you cannot expect to always get a good face-shot of people near your trailer. It would be more of a head-top shot. But on the other hand, great spot for looking around everywhere else. The lower soffit cameras near garage and door will get great shots I'm sure.

Oh, and I would run some like 18/2 or similar to help out the PTZ, as it will surely draw a few times the current of even the other CNBs combined.

you don't have to mess with working coax into tight spots (you cannot bend it too much).

I have no issues with that. Fit RG59 (siamese) in a 1/2" crack between 2 beams above a camera today, joining the camera connections. Had to bend it almost completely to fit it snug and works like a champ - in fact we have it run between the cracks of the iron beams where they meet the ceiling, cant even see it. It can be heavy to pull especially when dealing with dozens of wires, but at least its strong cable - cat5 just seems so flimsy. IMO cat5 or better yet UTP multipair is best suited for multiple building apps and long runs.

Oh, and I would run some like 18/2 or similar to help out the PTZ, as it will surely draw a few times the current of even the other CNBs combined.

I forgot to mention, if you look all the way to the left you'll see a 20/2 pair coming in. That will be to power the PTZ enclosure heater. The camera itself pulls 850ma so it should be ok on the 50ft run with 2 pairs of 24awg. The heater will be on a dedicated power supply.

You get FIOS internet?!

Couldn't live without it!

Order came in today! Slapped a 500gb Barracuda in my DVR and we're in business. Mounted a test camera in the utility room just to play with and mounted the one for the driveway just now. Here are some snaps:

Both are CNB VCM-24VF's

Working on front door cam, backyard cam, and PTZ tomorrow

Sample video:

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Second cam up, front porch daytime shot of it and the driveway cam:

you don't have to mess with working coax into tight spots (you cannot bend it too much).

I have no issues with that. Fit RG59 (siamese) in a 1/2" crack between 2 beams above a camera today, joining the camera connections. Had to bend it almost completely to fit it snug and works like a champ - in fact we have it run between the cracks of the iron beams where they meet the ceiling, cant even see it. It can be heavy to pull especially when dealing with dozens of wires, but at least its strong cable - cat5 just seems so flimsy. IMO cat5 or better yet UTP multipair is best suited for multiple building apps and long runs.

Plus, you can't use twist-on BNCs with UTP, so that's a non-starter right there.

Backyard camera up:

And just a few pics of the cameras and locations:

Driveway Cam CNB VCM-24VF

Front Porch Cam CNB VCM-24VF:

Backyard Cam CNB VCM-24VF (and a new motion activated flood light above it):

Pretty clean job on the siding there, nicely done!

Plus, you can't use twist-on BNCs with UTP, so that's a non-starter right there.

Actually you could use BNCs with UTP if you need to >> from balun BNC end, RG59 out to cameras with .. BNC connectors on the end. You could use twist on, crimp on, compression .. whatever tickles your fancy.

Nice job, looks clean. Thanks for posting pics, always nice when someone does that. That model CNB is a good cam, especially for the price.

Perhaps you've already though of this (hereditary free advice section):

Might want to move the driveway cam a bit so that you can get someone looking in the passenger side window (the pic that has your truck sitting to the side more)

Also, we recently converted our lights outside the garage to standard CFL from candelabra. Were able to get the parts to attach and readjust the height of the bulb from the local lighting store, it seems like your light is sitting kind of high in the fixture (they call them nipples of all things). Get more light out that way, with ours anyway. With the larger CFL you can run one of the CNB's in color even at night.

Pretty clean job on the siding there, nicely done!

Thanks

Nice job, looks clean. Thanks for posting pics, always nice when someone does that. That model CNB is a good cam, especially for the price.

 

Perhaps you've already though of this (hereditary free advice section):

 

Might want to move the driveway cam a bit so that you can get someone looking in the passenger side window (the pic that has your truck sitting to the side more)

 

Also, we recently converted our lights outside the garage to standard CFL from candelabra. Were able to get the parts to attach and readjust the height of the bulb from the local lighting store, it seems like your light is sitting kind of high in the fixture (they call them nipples of all things). Get more light out that way, with ours anyway. With the larger CFL you can run one of the CNB's in color even at night.

Once I get my PTZ up on the other side of the yard, I'm going to adjust the driveway cam a hair to the right. As for the light, I think you're referring to the one under the garage cam. I've already purchased one to replace it that matched the motion light to the right of the front door. I've never liked how the bulb sat in the current one.

Here's a couple night shots with motion lighting for illumination.. the front porch and back porch cam actually get enough light when the motion lights are activated that they switch back to color.. I wonder if I should just leave them in color mode all night??

Someone asked me a question via PM that I thought was relevant to be shared with all so putting it here as well as in the reply:

At what height did you install the camera by the front and back door ?

How did you hide the wiring?

The front door camera is right at 6 feet. Rear door camera about 9 feet.

The cat5 is simply tucking into the adjacent vinyl siding and is routed to the basement at a central point.

I too have tucked cat5 into vinyl siding, it works great and you would never know its there! Also, I love that front-door shot, you will get awesome face shots there!

Great Job!

nicely done, thanks for the pics.

Last camera (for now) is up!

Costar CDC2500H

This camera has a nice sharp picture when the dome is off! There were a few scratches (that I probably could have lived with) so I decided to go at it with a rain-x plastic headlight repair kit and now the scratches are mostly gone, but the image is "hazy". Anyone have a Costar CDC2560 dome laying around that's in good shape? I'll pay top dollar!

Thanks again guys for all the help! Extra big thanks to Sean from Nelly's for all the assistance and guidance.

Jason

All of my cameras, recording in harmory... Only illumination is from one street light about 100 feet away, and motion activated lighting on the front and rear of house.