Numb-nuts

IMHO its transitional technology

I would go through the wall just above the skirting but if you have the time to remove the skirting and replace them after that again would make a neater job. 'My wiring convention' is striped conductors=pos + and solid colours =Neg - ground. If you follow this convention for both DC Power and Video signal you won't get it wrong. Don't buy cheap nasty baluns as some of them are real trash, you'll know by the price. Think about the reduction in wiring and how much tidier it will be, thats a real bonus. Take care when handling the cable, remember the cable has solid conductors so if one fractures that the end of that conductor. With 'passive baluns', you can use a single pair for video upto around 300m without any real degradation of signal.

These might be what you are looking for from Netgear Viewzone

The difficulty with ready made cables are that by using them the holes you need to make to go through a wall, or soffit or a ceiling will all need to be about around 22mm. Some of those ready made cables are strong enough but a lot of them will be destroyed by pulling them through holes or conduit. If you use cat 5 and baluns you only need to make the holes as big as the bare cable 6mm and abot 12mm for a couple of cables. Choose a single pair for the video and split the other pairs into striped and solids and use those for the 12vdc and use screw on power connectors at the ends Female at the power supply end male at the camera end. Its a nice touch hiding the cables behind the rainwater-downpipe, you could just use PVC conduit which is significantly cheaper than corrugated conduit and easier to pass cables through. Go into your junction box at the bottom face rather than the top face as water might get in. You can bend PVC conduit using a kettle of water and either a bending spring inside it or fill the bend with sand before bending. Bending PVC conduit with a bending spring You may want to use you knee rather than strain your thumbs this way but the principle is the same. If you have a hair dryer that would help to soften the conduit before bending but don't let the Mrs catch you One word about your route through the loft, you can do this it's quite valid but better to go through the wall direct into the room if possible at skirting height. Its very untidy coming into the room through the ceiling and making it appear tidy is not going to be too easy. I have a feeling you are going to make a nice tidy job, good luck. You need to use pure copper,solid conductor Cat5e DON'T buy CCS or CCA has to be solid copper and you could do away with the conduit if you use outdoor rated cable Cat5e PE

I have recently noticed a new trend in getting spam emails. The spammers seem to be sending emails pretending to be attaching a bill or recent transaction invoice and Card Debit. Of course you don't recognize the transaction (which you wont have made) the immediate reaction might be what's this lets have a look. BEWARE OF TROJANS and SPYWARE.

That I assume, is precisely the reaction these emails are expected to cause and in a panic most people will want to find out what its all about immediately and let their guard down. The key is to check the URLs and don't open any attachments, simply delete these emails.

Its all in the upload speed and service providers are more concentrated on their download speeds as thats what sells. YEP it PROBABLY is an 'upload speed' issue, but you could also try viewing client software using second stream rather than main stream and change the second stream settings to capped bit rate (CBR) rather than Variable bit rate (VBR). This should help just a little.

There are numerous systems around depending on where you are the trade suppliers will carry a number of proprietor systems. They would be better placed to make recommendations based upon your requirements and budget. Here Ii the uk QVIS and ABix both suply easy to install and configure systems, which are a great place to start IP Wishing you luck

Most DVR or NVR come with some form of CMS or management software client to manage the viewing of the cameras. ts a convenient way to view and manage the images that are being monitored, manufacturers don't expect typical users to become expert in CCTV all they want to do is ude it asn not become CCTV Technicians therefore they include a convenient way to manage the camera output over the network using client software in a manageable interface.

1948, that a while ago, what were the systems available in those days, the oldest ones I am aware of are Grundig with 1inch tube cameras. Who was making CCTV back then, and I imagine they were all mains driven?

Check your private messages

Another member made a very good point earlier on another thread. Basically what he said was that formats like HD SDI and similar were simply ways of re-using existing coax wiring, so why on earth are you 'starting-out' with this platform? I have not been that impressed with any HD-SDI system that I have seen and as a rsult have no offered that as an option. There are plenty of easy to install IP systems with a NVR that has a back end that automatically configures the cameras for you and without loss of network or system performance. Sure HD SDI price has dropped considerably since it was introduced, its on it's way out since it's market was invaded by other similar and frankly far better platforms. A rethink might be your best option.

So what's so bad with doing things in the "NORMAL" way like everyone else and just use client software?

It's easy to lose sight of just how "GLOBAL" a community we actually are.

Running cable is what I consider the hard word element of any installation. The remainder is just great fun.

I would ditto that, you don't need TVI SDI AHD etc just go for a plug n play IP system and learn how to set up networking and port forwarding. Won't take too long to learn...

See, now that people know where you are you are getting replies....

I think it would REALLY be helpful if we knew 'where in the world' you are? Don't want your address, just city and country would at least be helpful.

Well apart from that, which is quite an extreme example of what can happen. I think that unless we could examine every component its a no brainer, impossible to say. What are we production engineers/scientists? In thise sort of extremes, a body cmera with a heting element would be the obvious choice and frankly were I to install one in those sort of extremes, I'd install a second extra heating element and increase the power supply's available current. Again at thise sort of extremes you'd expect to pay two or three times the price for an extreme weather housing. What I say is try what you have and worry about it when and if it happens. In the world we live in there are more important things to concern ourselves with like the homeless, and in such temperatures, the old and infirm. Lets put our priorities in perspective........

The best way to get on with it is to stick your toes in the water and just get on with it. Okay yes you may have to spend twice but often thats the way to aquire a great system if you start out with no idea, and in the meantime, you will gain some valuable experience. At this time what you want isn't anything magnificent, try to better the cameras perhaps. Once you have had a system for a while you will start to know more about what you want to improve upon and before you know it you'll understand a lot more than you realized.

Yeah the center of the plugs is 12V +ve (RED) and the the outer part of the plug is 12V -ve.(Black) The meter should read 12V +or minus 5% then you'll know the volts are okay. That's not the only thing that can be wrong with a power supply so borrow one if you can.

In your position, your best advice would be to find a local installer and have them advise you. If you do this and pay for their service they are unlikely to lead you astray, most installers will want to wow you as this is how they get referrals by friends seeing their work and saying "can I have his number?" If this is too expensive for you, then I am afraid there is no shortcut other that learning a load of stuff you are unlikely to need later. The forum is full of idiots that thought they were very clever and bought crap and now they are stuck without support and unable to resolve issues with their CCTV, lost their passwords, can't set the recording can't set up the internet viewing despite being told its as simple as scanning a QR code etc. These are all claims made by Maplin and other unscrupulous dealers trying to unload their cheap rubbish on smart @rse shoppers. You can get a good deal but don't risk buying something that you will be disappointed with because it was cheap. YOU GET what you pay for, unfortunately you pay peanuts all you get is a lot of monkeying around and head scratching. Check out Yell.com for a local CCTV installer go for someone with good reviews, the bad eggs usually don't stay on yell for long since they don't get good reviews and it works against them. "How do I set this up then, the man said it was easy?"

The bad news id that it may be your HDD is full and not recording as it should overwrite itself by default, but the change of light colour often indicates a fault. If this is the case it may well be that it was not recording the the time of your event. I have seen several storage option DVRs that had the Overwrite option set to STOP by default! Wonderful! I am called out regularly in such circumstances and find that a perfectly good system is not doing it's job because it hasn't been set up correctly by those that think CCTV is simply plug and go. Its not, never was and never will be (not in the foreseeable future anyway) The reason you haven't got a cursor could be your mouse is either broken or not correctly plugged in. If that doesn't prove to be the case, then restart the dVR with the USB mouse properly plugged in. When you right click on what 'you call' realtime display, a menu option will or should show. If it doesn't then something is indeed wrong. I would telephone Maplin Customer service and they have all the drivers and other stuff yo will need if there is a firmware update they will often guide you through it. These are best NOT done over t internet since any loss of connection could prove disastrous but the can connect to your computer via Teamviewer and control it as though they were in your home so it works well that way If that's what it needs I would not recommend you do it yourself as a mistake will be unrecoverable and effect destroy your DVR. If it is just down to settings, then they will be able to help you. The footage may well be there but be prepared to be disappointed just in case.

NO offense taken whatsoever. Yes this is one reason I NEVER PRICE Individual items on quotes, because clients would often start saying "oh I'll have that, not that, why is that so much when it's half that on ebay" and frankly I haven't got the time or patience to screw about with DAMNED WINDOW SHOPPERS and whenever a client has supplied their own materials or equipment 99% of the time the goods are of inferior quality and end up costing me extra time. There's only one thing that spoils the CCTV business, and that's the clients. (without them we'd all have a marvelous time but of course someone has to pay for our time, so we must tolerate the client. ( I should add that I am incredibly lucky because I have some really nice clients many of whom are now my personal friends) finally, getting back on thread Yes I also believe it is theft. Just shows how sneaky and devious some people can be. I am sorry for the installer because competitor or not, I don't like to see anyone become a victim of crime which is one reason why I wanted to be in this business.

No it wasn't me, but I have had my drill stolen in the same way a long time ago. I try to make sure I never leave anything, I still do, but nothing like the value of a 500m roll of cable. It would never leave my van if it were mine I'd cut it to length and over and under it How I know about this is a long story and quite strange but its of no significance to the point under discussion. If it were me I think I would buy and pay for it asking the seller to send a receipt with their name and address. If I were wrong about the identity I would have bought a cheap roll of cable , if I were right, I'd then go directly to the police client of not "and I wouldn't honor the warranty on their system either" After police had either cautioned or prosecuted the client I'd then sue them for my money back.