shockwave199

I don't claim to know much- i'm just a diy'r too. But unless you want to upgrade to 16 channels, I'm not sold on the fact that your dvr is the weakest link from those vids. The first vid- your front yard shot; you have what's been touted as a very good camera but it's way too wide to give you anything meaningful at that car all the way out there. And at that camera position, you have a serious glare problem coming from the street light or lamp post. That's fighting your image quality big time right there. I would install two cameras- one tight to the car area out there and one getting that whole side by your cans, but from the opposite direction to avoid that light post. In the driveway shot, it's better and you could have a possible identity shot in a couple frames if needed. Not great, but there's something there. But here again, your IR's or something is very washed out and not providing useful illumination. I have a feeling you may have your brightness/contrast set up poorly for your night pictures. Tweak the picture settings and get a good picture for daytime sure, but make certain you get the best picture you can for nightime too- even more so. Have a friend go out there to be the bad guy and really fine tune your picture settings for night views. Doing a vid with a camera pointed at a monitor screen for demonstration doesn't help that much either. Point being- I'm not sold your dvr is the weakest link in your current setup. Better camera placement/zoom and better picture tweaking per channel in the dvr would certainly improve things, I believe. If it's a 16 channel upgrade- great. Get a good one. I don't mean to say an upgrade isn't worth it. But you'll still face these problems no matter what dvr you have in line- having spent possibly serious bucks. I'd tweak placement and or zoom settings and picture settings for each camera first and see if that doesn't help your dvr help YOU. Good luck. Dan

I did this short vid of my finished install- shot in remote view at night. Not one of these cameras was over 50 bucks- a few under 50 bucks. Considering the amazing quality I've seen here from great cameras, these cheap cameras do fall short, obviously. But for a diy job on a tight budget just to get a system up a running, I think it's quite adequit. Perhaps I'm bias though! Seven cameras are gadspots; bullets and domes, 520's and a 560 tvl, and one q-see 400 tvl cmos that came with my package. I opted rather quickly to change the q-see cams out to gadspots to upgrade my viewing quality. I'm pleased. And I hope maybe this will be of interest to other residential diy'ers out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF6KhI_eGT0 Dan

If it's night vision you're interested in, watch my night vid for my system in my signature link. The model numbers of the cameras are in the vid. These are cameras from gadspot. Put a .com after it and browse around. The cameras are still doing great. Good luck. Dan

I have a q-see system but certainly defer to pro installers that might answer your questions. I can only speak from a DIY perspective. 1- Not sure what I'd use if I were to bury the. Perhaps PVC as a conduit to protect the cable. As far as weather proofing the connections, I used a weather proof electrical tape from home depot. It has held up thus far to some mighty serious weather and temps. Severe cold is next up at bat. I have no doubt it will do fine. 2- You can get the cable at lots of different places. The online q-see store, amazon, even gadspot.com- where I got my cameras for my qsee system. They have pretty darn good cable for great prices- much hardier cable than the qsee cables. You can also get siamese cable- superior cable in which you put the connectors on each end yourself. That leads into your next question which I'll leave to someone more qualified to answer. 4- Don't extend the stock 60'. Get the appropriate length cable you'll need and make one clean run with no extensions. The cable packages that are labled extensions, and come with adapter connections, can also be used right from the dvr to the cameras. If you need 120', don't use two 60's. Buy 120'. Extensions can weaken signal, therefore making the picture worse. One soild line, no extensions is best. 5- For any cable runs longer than the stock 60', you need a separate power adapter. Go to q-see.com and follow the link to the q-see online store. There you can buy the appropriate adapter for the cameras you're using. Many will suggest to use a CCTV power box to supply power to all the cameras separately and in my experience juggling an eight camera system, it's worth it. They are relatively cheap and it avoids power adapters completely. Don't hookup any less than two cameras to the stock 4 way power splitter. Not good for the cameras as those splitters are meant to power multiple cameras at once, not singles. What q-see package did you get? I got the 408 and so far, I like it a ton. Take a look at my vids in my signature and at my youtube channel for more insights. Good luck. Dan

Check out gadspot.com as well for comparison shopping. They stocked all their 700tvls and you could very well save some coinage. Those pics look great Adam. Dan

A separate one for each camera, or a four way splitter kind of thing? Make sure all the power adapters are working properly if you're using separate ones for each camera- and make sure they are the correct ones for the camera. And if it's a splitter- do not hook up only one camera to them. Hook up all cameras first, then power it up. Those splitters are made specifically for multiple cameras. When I first used one, in my directions it warned of this very thing. It could damage the camera perminently. If none of that is the problem- your camera are probably shot. Process of elimination. Run through it. Dan

Ever try one of those bug/rodent deterents that you plug into your wall inside, which work under the same principle? I'll save you the trouble- they don't work. Neither will it work on a camera. Save your money- it's just a gimmick. Problem with spiders isn't that they park themselves right in front of the lense, it's that they shoot the freakin webs across the field of view 6 inches in front of the camera. I rarely see the spider, but I see the floating webs every night. Here's the best investment I bought besides the cameras themselves. An 8' telescoping extension pole- And a microfiber dust head attachment- The pole is 8'. The dust head straightened out is a foot. I'm 6' and with my arm extended, that's 8' of just me. All together that's 17' of extending power. From the ground, I can dust all of my cameras including my highest ones. And the funny thing is that spiders seem to be smart. If you keep wiping away the webs, they get annoyed and move on, as though they get it- this spot costs me too much work making webs. And they just move on. And then it gets cold enough and the SOB's up and die. THAT will be a welcome change! Dan

It's an interesting thing, and something people new to this who are thinking about a cctv setup should consider. I'm new to the whole thing- if you consider the total time invested. It's about four months. I took almost a month to shop, read, study, and formulate a plan- and with that I made mistakes. The past three months have been installing, tweaking, replacing poor cameras, tweaking, and just plain survielling my exterior eight channel system each night- the bulk of my need. It's a chunk of money, first off. Hobby or not- be prepaired to spend at least 1,200 bucks for an eight channel system- and that's budget gear. And a TON of sweat-equity. Wires don't run themselves and cameras don't hang themselves. WORK, man. I started out feeling I had a serious need to even get invloved in all this. Working overnight and leaving my home and family on their own, coupled with my ability to actually watch my camera system all night, was enough for me to conclude it's time- buy, install, watch. Long about the first time you get a camera setup and watch it, you become hooked. It takes on the form of a hobby. You see other peoples gear- you get motivated to upgrade. You get four cameras installed and you love the array of footage you now have- you want another four. It's fun! It's at times funny to watch too. It's genuinely fun to be into this. And rewarding too. Ater all, when you setup a whole system yourself and sit back and watch your work, it's rewarding think- 'I' did that. All good- fun. And then one night there's an incident- like what happened to me just this morning at 4am, after three months of watching nothing more than insects and cats. There I sat, checking into my cameras remotely from work, when all of a sudden someone just marches right across my front yard- right across camera eight on my system. And my heart drops to my balls. It turns out that it amounted to nothing- just someone apparently taking a shortcut across my lawn. But at 4am, there's very little good that goes on, so who knows. Playback showed nothing more. My eyes and my cameras are now WIDE open. It's actually the second time I've caught something amiss, only the first time my original camera provided such poor night image I couldn't be sure. In an instant- hobby became critical. Images became super important. The plan of action beyond just spotting something becomes paramount. So from one newbie to droves of others flocking here- have fun with it. It is fun and rewarding. Nothing wrong with it being a fun hobby. But make no mistake- surviellance will eventually be critical. Put a camera up and you're libel to see something not good along the way. For that, be prepaired. Know how you'll handle that. Have a plan of action. And here's a big one- when you're putting a system together- make sure your cameras are actually useful past a cool little picture on the screen. Because as sure as anything, you're gonna be glad you have quality good enough to where you can actually desipher the trouble before you, instead of leaving you in a panic and guessing what the hell is going on. May all our views be boring as all hell. Dan

When it comes to sysytem resources, I prefer standalone. If you're using a computer based system, make it a computer that does nothing else- not your every day surfing computer. Also, whichever dvr you choose, make plenty sure it's compatable with your chosen platform- be it pc or mac. And make sure it supports the browser you use in your world- it will matter when viewing remotely. For instance- IE9 is touchy for remote viewing with some dvrs unless they've had a firmware update to support it. IE8 seems to be universally supported. And if you're a mac user, be certain it supports that. Dan

Have you tried turning everything off and back on again? Turn off everything, unplug cameras and replug in everything. See if that helps. Sometimes a power cycle clears odd things. How are you powering the cameras? Aside from this issue, avoid running wires and doing perminent installs of cameras until you confrim each one works- and they all work when hooked up together. Hook up all your cameras at the table on the cables you'll be using, when the cables are still wrapped up. Power it all up and confirm everything works. This avoids a LOT of extra work. Confirm the whole system works- THEN start installing. Good luck. Dan

I get very good results from 60 dollar cameras, so for 130 bucks I would expect something very good. Have you tried good IR light with it? Maybe that would work better with that camera instead of depending on ambient exterior lighting, or almost no light at all. Perhaps the camera would behave properly with IR. Dan

Maybe you just got a bad one. Ever consider exchanging it to see if another one will work properly?

But then you're monitoring boring emails instead of all your nice camera pictures. Emails are after the fact. My dvr does support that but it's the last thing I wanted and don't plan on setting it up. More emails of false triggers I don't need. All my cams out outdoors, btw. I would only set emails if I was away on vaca or something for days. Vacation? What's that! Haven't had one in a decade! Hmm, maybe that's part of the problem! Dan

1- readying a gun could lean towards paranoid! LOL! 2-I LOVE that UPS gets the package here, even late! 3- You get a bit rocked when you DO run into potential or obvious crime caught on your residential cameras. It makes you wary. Paranoid? Ok- that too. Glad things have been just peachy for you. Dan

As I mentioned- large hard drive is good. Keep in mind most dvr's allow for bigger hard drive upgrades too- even if they come with only 500gb stock. But the bigger the better, or at least one that will allow for a 2tb upgrade, even though it only comes with a 500gb stock. Dan

Not worth getting hung up on 30fps. If you're getting a decent dvr, 30fps will be an option anway. It's up to you whether you'll use it or not, or opt for less fps. As for hard drive- take stock of what your recording needs are. I have a 500gb in my dvr. But my needs for recording are this- - Motion recording only between 12am and 5am [prime time crime hours] - HD1 @ 20fps, bit rate highest over 8 cameras - 30 seconds recording after the motion [keeps recording down to a minimum] - I'm available to turn off recording to any camera or all, if needed [spiders/rain] - Motion detection area very well tailored for each camera All that equates to a seriously LONG amount of available recording time to my 500gb. I've been recording for just over three weeks and haven't really made a dent. I average around 80 or so motion recordings per night, each averaging around 4mb per file size for that five hour block I have set. If the motion lasts longer, the file size gets bigger accordingly. So for my needs, a 500gb hd is plenty sufficient. At this rate, I figure I'll be good for months and months before filling up- maybe even over a half year. If you record 24/7 or even motion day and night, you'll need to consider that and get a big hard drive. Generally, get a big one anyway. It certainly can't hurt. But depending, a 500gb can be just fine. My setup is in my sig link, as well as some other vids on my setup in there. Have a look. Good luck. My headache and anxiety over choosing, buying, and installing my system is only now subsiding! Dan

I guess people are as dumb as all hell and someone could have thought it was a good place to ditch it- but I'd be inclined to bring that into local PD in case they have anything on the books that could be related to.

That's really weird- UPS did the same thing to me last week- like 9pm at night we get a delivery. Great service but man- that's late and unexpected. The purse- that's freaky. Could have been drugs or worse- ditching someones ID. No ID in that thing? Just skank?

Bump- please continue. Love these tests.

I could not see the crime take place at all in those vids. Are you on someones ****e-list? Shame this happened. People suck.

And if the connections are outside the wall, even in a box, I would still use weather rated electrical tape on the connections. Worth it. And at some point, like now, you put the camera out and let it do the job it's meant to do. The night picture will be much better for sure. But I'm curious- what camera do you have that's rated weather proof? Most I see are weather resistant. Dan

I don't think it costs any more than a typcial fixture. The ones I linked to are 23 bucks. Any lower than that and you might as well stand there with the bulb in your mouth and do an uncle fester. In the world of motion fixtures, that's um....cheap as ****e. But as I've just learned having looked at this stuff again- dual brite is old news as far as fetching a price. Now the feature that will put you up around 30-40 bucks is creeper zone technology. Not only do you get dual brite, but you'll get sensing directly under the fixture- the creeper zone. So you can have the photocell covering wide out front, but still have coverage right under the fixture as well. That's a pretty cool thing that I would appreciate actually, especially with my two fixtures way up on my peaks. I want to cover the yard, but I also want to cover right along the house too. I've tried, and I can definitely creep tight to the house and not set off my existing fixtures. So the creeper zone- yeah, that should do it! LOL! Dan

I have a QS408 from q-see. The software actually isn't all that bad, but it's not without faults either. Dan

Heck, I'd be trying it if I owned one! Speaking of audio, I hooked up a mic to my dvr last week to monitor the inside of my house overnight, remotely. Of course I got the ok from my wife to do so and I assured her I wasn't snooping- but one night I did hear a strange dudes voice and some moaning....nevermind Anyway, my honey has a really bad back, among other ailments. She's been in a panic situation before and I've had to rush home. This tiny mic, man this thing is freakin amazing! I hear practically the whole damn house from an isolated room upstairs. Not specific conversations downstairs though. The closer you get to that room, the more it picks up. But I can clearly hear the phone when I call, and stuff- even the outdoors like I'm THERE with the window open. I'm now kind of like life-alert remotely. I have the audio open all night and if the wife has a serious panic for anything, all she has to do is holler and I hear it and I can make a call- in case she can't get to a phone or she's out of it on meds. And I'll hear my alarm system go off too- very nice. From a security standpoint and in certain situations where medically it can come in handy, a mic inside the house to monitor remotely is killer great. I really feel connected now with audio too. My dvr has EIGHT mic hookups. Nah! Dan

Finally found them. Search for 'dual bright' security lights and you'll get them. http://www.amazon.com/Heath-Zenith-SL-5312-WH-Motion-Security/dp/B001DU21L2 Btw- the two people that reviewed this light there a couple years ago are goofs. This light will work with FLOODS that are energy efficient. Typical bulbs are 90 watts brightness, using 70 watts actual to accomplish that. And they respond to dim/full bright, which is needed for this fixture. It's been years since I bought one but I'll be getting two of these shortly. They are much better than lights off/on only. Essential Info Add security to an area with the Heath/Zenith SL-5718-WH DualBrite Motion Sensor Security Light. When motion is sensed, the Light Control will turn on the fixture for the amount of time you set (1, 5, or 10 minutes) then automatically turn the light off. The built in photocell keeps the light off during the day when it is not needed then allows the motion sensor to take over at night. Manual mode allows the Light Control to be turned on and off with a light switch if desired. The patented DualBrite Timer will cause the light to come on at half brightness for a selected amount of time (Off, 3 hours, 5 hours, or until dawn) after dusk. Selecting Off disables this feature. If motion is sensed while in DualBrite mode, the light will turn on to full bright for the set on-time, then return to dim mode. Dan