Soundy

Thanks! The option for IP-over-power (or even video-over-power) had crossed my mind as well at one point, and then slipped it again as the boss started getting into the whole wireless thing. I'll be sure to mention that as well.

Well, I was hoping if it came to that, those things could be tucked in the ceiling somehow. I did point out too, that no matter what, we still need to get power to the cameras, too. Gotta convince the boss, not me I told him several times it would be almost impossible to come up with anything without at least a vague idea of the house. I guess at this point what I'm looking for is just more ideas of manufacturers, product lines, etc. that might be suitable, as a starting point. That was my initial suggestion... I did reference some of what you were doing in your thread. I'll mention that. I think they just want to record them all, no guards watching live or anything. .There's that too... I did point out that if ceiling access was a problem, there's also the option of putting cameras on or near walls where wiring could be pulled through into utility spaces or whatever - ie. adjust camera placement to match what will work for wiring. I'm no pro, just throwing out some solutions.

Using the lens calculator here: http://www.isorainbow.com/lens_calc.htm Assuming a 1/3" sensor, 7' away, to cover a 5' wide area, you'd need a 6.8mm lens. Since you probably want to cover the registers as well, add another 2-3 ft. to that, that would be 4.3mm. Really, not enough to get a lot of detail unless you get into a >5MP camera. You're probably going to need two cameras...

I did mention that, but let's assume for the sake of discussion that staying away isn't an option...

^What he said The 223m would do the job with the appropriate lens... what lens is appropriate would depend on how high the ceiling is (ie. how far the camera is from the registers).

No idea. I'm just guessing that it's old, though... hoping it's newer, which would allow us to run wires more places. That's the thing, the boss is pushing me to find out about an all-wireless solution and I'm trying to say it's pointless until we know more specifics about the site... *sigh*

I've picked up a few things from this thread as well... which lead me to a thread of my own that I'm off to start now, for a job that's just dropped in my lap...

Bet you thought you were just gonna pop in here and get a quick and easy "Provider A or Provider B" answer and be merrily on your way, didn't you? Now aren't you sorry you asked?? Glad you've found this all useful... and even more glad you're actually taking the time to learn about what you're dealing with. I think I speak for most here when I say, we like well-informed customers (not to be confused with "smart" customers - see the thread elsewhere - who arm themselves with just enough disjointed information to be dangerous and then dive into the deep end). I'm sure the Exacq dealer is glad you found him now, so you're coming to him with reasonable expectations!

Do you want to do this with one camera, or are you willing to use two (one per register)? How large is the area you need to cover (ie. the area the bills will be within)? If you must have one camera for both registers, how far apart arethe registers? What lenses have you tried already, on what cameras?

Having a b!tch of a time finding anything that fits ALL these needs: C/CS mount 1/2" sensor Megapixel Manual iris IR-corrected (day/night) WIDER than 4mm (2.8mm would be ideal). The last one is the trickiest - there seems to be very little for 1/2" MP lenses that will get me wider than 4mm. I've checked Tamron, Fujinon, and Arecont (these are for Arecont D/N box cams) without anything that matches 100%

"Turret IR"? You mean the style with the IR in the bubble shield instead of situated around the lens? We call those "Darth Vader" domes. They look beyond cheesy. The only time I've installed them is when someone else supplied them for a contract job. I'd never spec one no matter how good they are, because they LOOK like the ultimate in cheap $#!t.

Looks like a lame attempt to show off failed signature for yet another of suky's websites...

What DVR is this? Your options will vary depending on the outputs it has available. Most common setup for this would probably be a composite monitor (like a TV) feeding off the DVR's "Spot Monitor" output via RG59.

You need to twist the zoom level counter-clockwise to loosen it, then you can move it to adjust the zoom. Same with the focus lever. However, by default, these cameras should be set to 2.8mm and pre-focused.

From what specs I could find on that unit (http://www.worldeyecam.com/pdf/dv3.pdf) it appears that although it DISPLAYS at D1, it only records at CIF... so there's half your problem right there (as in, half the resolution). Not being able to see anything at night is the fault of the cameras, not the DVR. That's one option, although you'll want to make sure to go for good day/night cameras if you want the low-light response to be any good. Much as I hate Arecont cameras in general, I've used a couple of their day/night models and found they work quite well at night. It would be better than your current DVR, simply by virtue of supporting D1 encoding. It won't necessarily give any better results than a proper D1 DVR.

Not familiar with any of your specific gear, but in general... If you camera supports Pelco D or P protocols (most do, in addition to their own), you can use PTZ Controller as a generic control software (www.serialporttool.com). You would need a DB9-Female plug to connect to your computer's serial port; assuming the camera's connected is RS-485, you would then connect pin 3 (TX+) to the RX- pin on the camera, and pin 5 on the serial port (GND) to RX+ on the camera. Any sort of wire is good for the connection - UTP (Cat5e, Cat3), station wire, bell wire, speaker wire... Make sure you serial communication parameters all match (baud rate, data bits, parity and stop bit) between the software and the camera, make sure the camera ID matches, and you should be good to go. A lot of DVR software supports PTZ control internally as well, using the same sort of connection.

Like Rory said... the 484 is pretty much the cream of the WRD crop, but they're not the greatest for low-light.

Haven't used the VBM model, but we have installed lots of the VCM versions... I would assume the side knockout is the same as on the VCM's backbox, in which case it's a standard thread for 1/2" fittings (EMT, LiquidTite, etc.). These cameras have no problem looking straight back down a wall... the only reason I might use a bracket is for looks, or to SLIGHTLY help prevent rain from collecting on the dome. Still, even on a wall mount, the rain beads off the domes fairly well, and a quick application of Rain-X or similar product will help that along, too.

I've used the Veracity HighWires extensively, and quite frankly, they work GREAT. Since they can be powered with 12VDC or 24VAC, it's a snap to just split the existing power feed at the camera; then all you need to do is make sure the camera itself supports the existing power. No configuration needed, just slap one on each end of the coax, plug'em into the switch and camera, and you're good to go.

Does it have to work? Best, Christopher Oh snap!

What are you going to view this on? TV? What happens if the doorbell rings and the TV is off - will the visitor have to wait for you to turn the TV on? Have you considered a purpose-built video enterphone system? The door unit has doorbell, audio and camera built into one panel; the other end has the ringer, audio, and a screen that turns on automatically when the doorbell is rung. Not generally as expensive as you'd think, either. Here's just one example (not an endorsement of this product, just the first thing that came up on a Google search): http://www.entryvue.com/residential.html

Why doesn't he just check fleaBay or Craigsh*t for a cheap used 8mm camcorder?

The only time I've ever actually seen cameras die from overvoltage (when you connect what's SUPPOSED to be the right voltage), is with some cheap board cameras that are rated for 12VDC, when using a non-regulated supply that actually puts out 16-17VDC. In reality though, most cheap cameras are just fine with the extra (as most ship with equally cheap non-regulated PSUs). Dual-voltage cameras should not have a problem with 28VAC anyway, as "dual-voltage" generally implies they have an internal rectifier and regulator that will limit the voltage to what the camera guts can handle.

"Soon enough" means sooner than anyone else

I've seen articles where guys do this to DSLR cameras. There's one guy on rec.photo.digital who's converted two of his old DSLRs to shoot IR, and there was a fair discussion there a while back about UV conversion as well. Meantime, this site might be helpful: http://www.naturfotograf.com/UV_IR_rev00.html