Soundy

You can't simply parallel controllers on a serial line. You need this type of device to allow them to get along cleanly: http://www.bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=31&TrailType=Sub&Trail=93

That photo is not from an analog CCTV camera. Look at the dimensions: 1280x720 - that's a megapixel camera (well, technically just under one megapixel, but still...), essentially 720p HDTV resolution. It's also using a larger sensor and a better-quality lens than your cameras (a basic megapixel lens is probably worth more than one of your cameras). These type of cameras don't use your capture card; they plug into the network and your DVR records the data from there. You need either specific software for the camera, or I believe newer versions of the GeoVision software will support some network cameras. Many of these cameras can also record to internal memory (SD card). You could put a longer lens on the camera to get a tighter shot of the bike (probably need something in a 12mm) but you'll still be limited by the capabilities of the camera and the DVR itself. Regardless of the camera or lens, you still won't be able to read most plates from that angle.

Well, let's start with the obvious: these are all cheap junk cameras and the pictures you're getting out of them are pretty much what one would expect from them. As far as capturing plates, you're going to have a very hard time from that angle regardless of what camera you use - you'll be looking at the top edge of the plate. You could do it with a better analog camera, but you'll need something with a lot tighter view around the bike, and you'd have to mount it a lot lower, not just to get the angle on the plates, but to clear all the foliage. Really though, how often does your bike get backed into? Statistically speaking, what are the odds of it getting hit again anytime soon? I'm just saying...

Welcome!

I'm thinking that even if all four coax runs are damaged, the Cat5e must be in at least pretty fair shape for ethernet to function over it, so it should work fine with two pair of baluns. The latency he saw on the network may be the DVR, or it may be the client, or even the PCs themselves that he's using to drive the monitors.

I suppose that would depend on where the damage happened, and who caused it. If someone with a backhoe crushed the conduit and squashed the wires inside of it, then the backhoe operator would be liable... for example.

Not even close: http://avigilon.com/products/cameras-video/#hdproip

Found a couple different hits on possibilities. 1: http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/RS-232.html Use pin 2 (TX+) and 3 (TX-) 2: http://www.w4rp.com/ref/pinouts_for_rj45_jacks.htm Use pin 3 (TX+) and 4 (TX-). 3: http://www.xs4all.nl/~tcsprod/technics/rj45.htm Several slight manufacturer-specific variations shown, but all use pins 3/4 for data TX (same as #2 above). 4: http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/cables/tech_rs232.htm This one shows RJ45 pinouts as "RS232D" standard, using pins 6 (TX+) and 4 (TX-) So there are a few different variations to try... as zmxtech suggests, a multimeter can help you narrow down the testing.

Middle of page 1, Rory:

Can you provide a photo of the monitors with the "double image"? It might help provide a clue as to the problem. Exact makes and models of ALL the equipment involved (DVRs, monitors, adapters/converters, amplifiers, even baluns) could be useful as well.

Yes; in fact, you can run up to four separate video signals over one Cat5e.

Most any PC-based system should be able to do this inherently - your external drive(s) can be USB, Firewire, eSATA, networked through a variety of methods... as long as the PC can see it as a drive letter, most DVR software will be able to use it.

And as Scorpion says, anything mounted to the building would have to be cleared with the management... the only way you could "get around" that is if you arranged with a neighbor on an end unit to put the camera in their unit, attach it somehow non-destructively outside one of their windows (something that clamps to the window frame perhaps), and then either put the DVR in their unit and monitor it remotely, or run the camera into a "video server", essentially turning it into a network camera, allow you to access the camera via the internet (assuming that person has broadband internet). At the distance you have there, you'd need a camera with a pretty long lens to get any kind of detail on your car from a camera mounted on the building, and nothing with built-in IR (at least not anywhere near your budget range) would illuminate that far. I'm guessing the lighting in that lot isn't great, so you'd need something with pretty wicked low-light performance. A building-mounted camera would also need to be at least on the second floor to clear anything else that parks in between (taking Murphy's Law into account, the guy at the next space directly between your car and the building would then get a really tall RV or something), and of course, the higher you go, the less likely you are to get faces clearly. Scorpion has good advice for putting a recorder and cameras IN your car.

Try connecting your cable to a computer with a serial port (or using a serial/USB adapter), fire up HyperTerminal or other terminal app, and see if you can see the incoming data. You'll probably have to tell the terminal to "connect". If the wiring is right, you should at least see gibberish, even if the comm parameters are wrong. I would assume the POS is using straight RS-232C? Does the DVR use a standard DB9M serial port? You should be connected to pins 2 and 5 on that...

RG59 SHOULD be okay for that distance, but here's something you can try: since you have the Cat5 in place, try disconnecting it from the network and use the baluns on it to connect the video (in other words, the baluns via Cat5 take the place of the coax run).

Yes. It may be iffy at that distance with cheap baluns; you want to make sure to use quality brands. Depending on whether it picks up noise along the way, you may find you need an active unit at one end, but in theory, passive should be fine. You won't lose quality, but you will see substantial voltage drop over that distance, even using all three pairs... at 500mA draw, you'd get about 3V loss, so for a 12V camera, you'd need about 15V at the source. No. PoE - Power over Ethernet - is for powering network cameras. Standard ethernet, though, has a maximum length of 100m. If possible, use cameras that can run on 24VAC - you'll have less problem from losses. Better yet, use cameras that support dual-voltage (12VDC/24VAC) and then use a 24VAC power supply. There's a handy calculator here for determining voltage loss over Cat5. Remember when filling in the boxes, standard Cat5e wires are 24AWG, and you want to use all three pairs for power.

Give the customer the next best DVR that will work with a Mac browser, and let the salesdroid eat the cost out of his own commission.

What type of coax cable are you using? RG-58, RG-59, RG-6?

Interesting. This, to me, suggests some sort of issue or incompatibility with the BNC/VGA adapters. Are these active (powered) units? Baluns do nothing to boost signal; they're intended for running video signals over twisted-pair wire. Is this 1.5K unit another amplifier, or a BNC/VGA adapter? If the problem is a signal incompatibility, simply boosting the signal won't help. Hmmm.... there may be a clue here. Where are you located? VCDs are uncommon in North America - are you somewhere with a PAL video system? Are the DVRs perhaps using NTSC output and the BNC/VGA converters are PAL, or vice-versa? That could certainly explain the double image (although that's not the usual symptom, but I have seen the mix create some odd results) No, but possibly on the BNC/VGA adapter...

With you, nothing surprises me. Really, Rory, you asked a question, I asked for a simple clarification, and you took the opportunity to be a jerk. This is how you expect to get assistance?

I'm quite familiar with both, thanks. I also see the breakout cables regularly called "dongles", which is why I asked. They also go by "octopus cables" in addition to "breakouts", "pigtails" and "dongles", and I'm sure several other names.. What you call "dongles" I also commonly see called "USB license keys", and I've known them to go by various other names as well. A little more specificity and a little less condescension will get you a long way.

By "dongle" are you talking about the breakout cable that connects to the card, or a license/activation dongle?

If the system uses XP Pro, you can adjust NTFS permissions on those files/folders to prevent deletion. On the folder you want to protect: Right-click, select Properties Go to Security tab Under the "Group or User name" box, select Everyone (if there is no Everyone entry, click Add, then type "Everyone" in the "Enter the object name" box, then click OK. Click the Advanced button (bottom-right) In the Permissions box, select Everyone, then click the Edit button Click the checkbox for "Delete" under the "Deny" column and click OK. Click the checkbox for "Replace permission entries on all child objects..." Click OK to complete. "Deny" settings override "Allow", so this will now deny *ALL USERS* (including administrators) ability to delete those objects. Note that administrators can go back in and change the permissions later to remove the Deny setting; you can lock it down even further by playing around with the advanced permissions, but this will prevent any sort of accidental deletion, even in safe mode, even from a boot CD (since the permissions are set in the NTFS file system). Again, this will work with XP Pro, but not Home, and it will only work if the drive is formatted NTFS. I don't know which versions of Vista or W7 this applies to.

this will be your problem. max run for cctv 100m. you will need to add a booster to get to 200m you would not see a problem when using a dvd player as he has said as a dvd player has a much stronger signal. you will not get a cctv output to run 200m without a amplifier. Have another coffee, tom, I don't think you're quite awake yet He also said in the original post that he's tried an amplifier. He also said the LCD is about 150m from the DVR, and that there are six runs already in place... I get the impression that this was a separate 200m length he used just as a test, probably dragging across the floor.