Soundy

If the monitors are VGA/DVI only (no composite), your only real option to selectively display different cameras on each one would be a second DVR, and split the cameras to feed them to both, then connect one monitor to each (or ideally, if the DVR has passthrough inputs, chain a second DVR to those, but you haven't specified what model it is, so I can't say if that's possible). There's no EASY/CHEAP way to do it with IP either...

thats you boss man, everyone else has to pay regular price. Im sure your company must mark the product up as well? http://www.123securityproducts.com/500009.html You know, I don't do the accounting, but I'm pretty sure they're just lumped in under "shop supplies" these days... they're a commodity item now, not a specialty item. Even if baluns are marked up to the customer, so is cable... so either way you look at it, Cat5+baluns is now cheaper than coax+power... and using station-Z wire for power along with the coax is WAY cheaper than Siamese cable. At least, in most of the developed world it is... we're well aware that where you are, pricing for everything from potato chips to sunshine has pricing way out of whack with the rest of the globe - you're never shy about reminding us of that fact.

Whether a balun is "active" has nothing to do with powering the camera or housing - it just means the balun uses active (powered) circuitry rather than a simple balancing transformer. Whether you can power the IR via Cat5 depends entirely on how much current it draws, how long the run is, and how many pairs you're using for power. If the illuminator draws 2A and you're only using two pairs to run 500', then no... if you can dedicate three pairs to power a camera and 500mA illuminator over 50', then you're golden.

Look for a camera that has HDMI output - there are several out there, I believe Samsung has a couple models. HDMI video is the exact same signal as DVI, so you can connect to a DVI input with a simple adapter. One catch for you, though: 50' is getting a little long for an HDMI cable, so you may need to use extenders that will run HDMI over two Cat5e cables - these can be had for under $50.

Types of baluns and camera connections aren't relevant to the plan (at least as you've drawn it)... only the signal coming out of the DVR. Yes, but both monitors will get the same display. Other options are to use a spot output (if the DVR has it) to feed the second monitor a different view... or as Paulson suggests, just split the camera's feed out to the TV (although that won't allow you to change which camera you're viewing).

Reasonable plan... just make sure the customer understands that there will be an inherent delay (especially via smartphone) between control movements, camera movements, and the video feed, so it may take them some practice to get used to moving the camera around remotely. Probably be a good idea with this to create a bunch of presets they can call up.

at $50 for a pair of baluns, that increases the cost of the install greatly. True when baluns were $50/pair. We're using GEM mini-baluns now that run about $5/pr. and from my basic bench testing, work just as well as the $30/ea. Muxlab units I tested as well. Here's a good, very basic description of the difference - it's written about audio (balanced audio lines have been common in live and studio applications for decades, especially for low-level signals like microphones), but the same principals apply.

Vigils do it as well.

We're using VCM-24VFs in dim restaurant/lounge situations, substantially dimmer than the local Applebees... they've been quite happy with the results.

Here ya go:

The current involved in these types of signals is so low, wire size is really NOT an issue AT ALL. The losses due to capacitive attenuation are far greater than what you'd see from wire resistance itself. Induced noise becomes more of an issue at greater distances, which is part of what a balanced line helps to combat. I believe that was already covered: "one particular GEM model I just looked up claims 'Max Distance: Color: Cat3 - 1200ft, Cat5 - 2200ft; Monochrome: Cat3 1500ft, Cat5 2500ft'" That's a good question. Some guys still use it because they "don't trust" baluns. Some use it just out of habit. Personally, I almost never use it for new installs. Nothing - the magic is in the balanced line. Baluns work almost as well over any type of UTP, and even over simple un-twisted pairs such as station wire, speaker wire, etc.

Ummm... kind of? If you want to have the feed actually come up on *TV channel*, you'll need a modulator before the splitter. Otherwise, you need a different type of splitter (not a CATV splitter) and run the lines to an A/V input on each TV.

Incorrect. Twisting the wires has no effect on the current capacity - in fact, if anything it would reduce the overall usable length as the ACTUAL length of the copper is longer than the twisted length. The wires are twisted to aid in rejecting EMI. Right. It's rated *nominally* at 100 ohms *at 100MHz*. Impedance will vary depending on the actual frequency(ies). VERY wrong. 100m/330'. is the limitation of the *ethernet* spec over UTP (Cat5/5e/6). Composite video (whether CCTV or otherwise) can be run anywhere from 1000' to 3000' using passive baluns (depending on what manufacturers' claims you believe - one particular GEM model I just looked up claims "Max Distance: Color: Cat3 - 1200ft, Cat5 - 2200ft; Monochrome: Cat3 1500ft, Cat5 2500ft". Using active baluns at one or both ends can extend that to over a mile. (Other types of networking, BTW, do not run into the 300' limit either - we used to run token-ring over Cat3 for over 500'.) It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the wire size, and specifically to do with use of baluns (short for BALanced/UNbalanced) to create a balanced line, which provides greater noise rejection. Also, DC resistance is not the enemy of long-run signals, capacitance is: capacitance in a cable has the same effect as placing a capacitor across the wire, which creates a low-pass filter effect, rounding off the higher frequencies. The higher the capacitance, the lower the cutoff frequency, and the more impedance it introduces at a given frequency. Cat5e is rated at a nominal 52pF/m, while RG-59 is rated at 68pf/m. BTW, Wikipedia notes that "The 'RG' unit indicator is no longer part of the JETDS system (MIL-STD-196E) and cable sold today under the RG-59 label does not necessarily meet military specifications," so the fact that "RG59 was originally a military specification cable" isn't really relevant.

if you have 4 cameras down one cat5 there will be no remaining pairs! cat5 has 4 pairs (8 cores) and each camera takes one pair (2 cores) for video. Yes, but you don't want to run power from the DVR end anyway... he's powering the cameras locally (ie. power for the cameras on one garage, is in that garage).

You can do that too. I remember explaining this in the other thread - you just have to connect the video pair for each camera to a different pair on the between-building run. You can use crimps, terminal block, BIX block... even solder them and wrap them in black tape, if you want, whatever works to make the connection. My main reason for suggesting the unit I did is that it is ALSO the power supply, so you don't have to worry about extending separate wires from the Cat5 to a power can or wall warts - just terminate each cable with an RJ-45, and plug it in. Use the units I suggested. Or a four-channel power supply. Or a separate "wall-wart" power supply for each camera. Again, it's all a matter or personal preference.

Thanks for the update!

Rule #1 of buying something on Craigslist is always to test it BEFORE handing over the cash. Anyway, I don't deal with standalones, so I can't suggest anything off the top of my head... someone else here is sure to have some ideas for you though (SEANHAWG?)

Not all of them do... but it's not unusual either. Why is it worthy of sarcasm, that it's listed on the unit's webpage?

Got the proper baud rate set as well?

hot swap RAID 1 with only 2 drive slots? That's a first. http://www.qnap.com/pro_detail_feature.asp?p_id=182 http://www.qnap.com/pro_detail_feature.asp?p_id=211 http://www.qnap.com/pro_detail_feature.asp?p_id=161 Just for starters...

My advice would be to contact whoever sold it to you, get your money back, and then buy something that DOES have a name brand. Sure it might cost more, but then you won't have this issue. Not to sound snide or anything, but really, with NO usable information on this device, there's little anyone here can do for you. Some photos of the DVR *might* help someone identify it... but from the sound of it, ultimately, you're probably going to have to return it as faulty.

Any type of balun will do - you don't NEED one with power pass-through. You can use regular screw-terminal or toolless baluns and just split out the ends of the Cat5e yourself - wire one pair to the balun, two other pairs to the power connector, and leave one pair as spare (I normally use blue for video, green and orange for power, and brown for a spare - no particular reason). OR you can use the type with an RJ-45 connector on one end, and BNC and power leads on the other end. It really is up to you as a matter of personal preference. A four-channel balun, or four single baluns. Again, personal preference. No special equipment needed here. Two four-channel baluns, one eight-channel balun, or eight single baluns. Again, personal preference. You could use one pair in the camera's Cat5 run (such as the brown spare in my example) to get the control signal to the camera. To get it back to the DVR however, you'll need another pair available between buildings. Personally, I'd just pull two Cat5 between each building, to have the extra capacity. I do recall going over this before... the advice given really wasn't "conflicting", it was just different methods to achieve the same end. Look, this is the easiest way to do it with a minimum of needing to splice wires: Use something like this at each camera: - it uses one pair for video, three for power. Then use something like this centralized in the garage - four baluns *and power* in one unit: Plug each camera run into one of the jacks, 1 thru 4. Then plug your run going back to the DVR into the "4 in 1" jack. Repeat all this for the second garage. At the DVR, take your two runs from the two garages, and plug them into this: Then run 8 short coax cables from that to the DVR. If you want PTZ control, run another wire (be it 18/2, station-Z, Cat5, whatever) direct from the DVR to the camera. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT, so any different advice is not necessarily "conflicting"... it's just different. However, this is a nice, clean, painless way to do it.

AFAIK Larry is the only one who can set that up right now... system shows he was last on Jan. 1, so he probably hasn't received any PMs sent since then. He may be taking a vacation or something and not able to check in. I'm a moderator, but I can't set user levels... sorry. Don't be so anxious, you're really not missing much, and what's there will still be there when it does get sorted out

Hmmm, a couple of thoughts, off the top of my head (since I'm short on time)... Will there be someone operating/monitoring this system regularly? If not, you may want to reconsider a PTZ in the lobby, and perhaps on the roof as well: a PTZ can only record what it's looking at, and even if it's running on a regular tour, you're still going to be missing areas. For the price of a decent PTZ, you can get into megapixel cameras that will record the entire area in far higher detail, allowing you to zoom in on any section after the fact. Also, depending on the type of people you get around there, you might want to consider the VBM models for at least some of the indoor cameras: the DBM is a plastic dome that can easily be opened up with someone's key, a nail file, etc.; the VBM is a cast aluminum vandal-resistant design using "tamperproof" screws. If the camera will be reachable without a tall ladder, might be better to err on the side of prevention...

It's been tried several times over the years - if you search back through the forums, you'll find it rarely produces acceptable results. USB cables are limited to 5m/15ft. without using active extenders of some sort. If you do use USB-over-Cat5 extenders, you'll have to power the remote end, as they don't transmit power over the UTP. I wouldn't use it for anything other than experimentation... certainly wouldn't want any actual security application to rely on a webcam.