dtdoak

I'm using a GV-800 card, which has 4 audio ports. Does anyone know if it's possible to reassign any of the audio ports to a camera not that's not on ports 1 thru 4? In other words, I'd like to have audio on camera 5. It appears as if GeoVision only allows audio on cameras 1 thru 4. My system has 5 cameras, but normally only 4 are activated when I'm home. I have a strange set of circumstances, where camera 5 is not normally shown (it's deactivated). When I go away I turn this special indoor hidden camera on. I'd like this camera (#5) to have audio when it's in use. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Thanks, Dan

I'm using a GV-800 card, which has 4 audio ports. Does anyone know if it's possible to reassign any of the audio ports to a camera not that's not on ports 1 thru 4? In other words, I'd like to have audio on camera 5. It appears as if GeoVision only allows audio on cameras 1 thru 4. My system has 5 cameras, but normally only 4 are activated when I'm home. I have a strange set of circumstances, where camera 5 is not normally shown (it's deactivated). When I go away I turn this special indoor hidden camera on. I'd like this camera (#5) to have audio when it's in use. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Thanks, Dan

I have a new camera installed; EverFocus EHD525EX. This is an outdoor true day/night dome camera with a cut filter. I'm having trouble with the cut filter switching at night. If I cover the photo sensor the camera will switch to night mode in 20-30 seconds; you can hear the clicking sound and the picture is B&W. In complete darkness, without the photo sensor covered it often does not switch to night mode. There is no other lights near by which would prevent the camera from switching Can anything be done to force the cut filter to kick in when light is low? Would adjusting the Iris ALC or Iris level help? The camera is set to AGC on. The camera is using 24VAC with 150' run. Just confused as to why it's not always switching between day/night modes. Appreciate the help.[/u]

Sorry for the delayed return response... was away on vacation. I was able to take a voltage reading at the camera, which has a 150ft run and it measures 22.9 VAC. I think this would be within the tolerance for most cameras to function properly, but I'm not totally sure. Also, if I cover the photo sensor with black electrical tape the camera stays in night mode. I did try and put a light colored masking tape over the sensor, hoping that some light would be enough trip cut filter in day/night mode. Unfortunately this didn't solve the problem. The camera still does not switch once there is complete darkness. There is no other light from any source, which could be reflecting within the dome. Not really sure what to try next. On a good note, when in night mode with IR the picture is extremely good. I did send a message to EverFocus about my issue, but they never responded. Concerns me about their customer service. I'll send another note to EverFocus. Thanks for everyone's feedback. Appreciated.

I put a dark blanket around/over the dome, but the mechanical filter still didn't switch to night mode; waited a couple minutes to be sure. I did this at night to be certain no light would enter the lens. I opened a problem ticket with EverFocus. This is the first camera I've used from them... hopefully this is not a common problem with their true day/night cameras. Very disappointed. Thanks for the help.

I have a new camera installed; EverFocus EHD525EX. This is an outdoor true day/night dome camera with a cut filter. I'm having trouble with the cut filter switching at night. If I leave the smoked dome cover off the camera 'usually' switches to night mode just fine. If the cover is on it usually does 'not' switch to night mode in low light. Can anything be done to force the cut filter to kick in when light is low? Would adjusting the Iris ALC or level help? If I cover the photo sensor it switches to night within 30 seconds. Just confused as to why is not always switching. Thanks for the help.

I'm interested in adding a couple more cameras to my existing system. Has anyone used any of the CNB cameras. I'm specially interested in infrared day/night outdoor cameras that can work down to -10F. I'm trying to stay within $300 per camera? Any help or other camera suggestions are appreciated.

Just purchased a video auto iris Computar lens; model TG3Z3510AFCS-IR. This lens is for a GANZ camera (ZC-NH255N). Unfortunately I do not understand how to connect the lens cable to the camera. At the end of the lens cable are 3 wires; red, black, & white, which are bare (no connector). I was expecting a connector at the end of the lens cable, which would plug directly into the camera iris port. I realize the red is positive & black is negative... just not sure how I can connect to the iris port, since the camera has a typical 4-pin iris input connector. Do I need to purchase a connector for the lens cable? I've purchased 3 GANZ cameras with lens already installed on the camera.. these already had the lens cable with a connector. The other lens were DC lens. Not sure why CBC would make a lens without a cable connector. Any help is appreciated. Dan

Thanks for the valuable input. Looks like I did not really understand the difference between the DC & Video IR lenses. Currently the Ganz camera has a 8.5-40mm DC lens. All I wanted to do was change the focal factor. Instead I got caught up with IR factor. Just wanted a good D/N lens with 3.5-10.5mm. Guess I'll have to see if I can exchange it for the DC lens. Do I want model TG3Z3510FCS or TG3Z3510FCS-IR? Is there a real difference with the DC IR model? This forum has been so valuable. There are true experts with lots of experience found. Thanks again.

Thanks for the very quick response. Actually I'm changing the lens for this camera from DC to video IR. I chose this lens since it would work better in low-light. Is there a way this lens can be used with the Ganz ZC-NH255N camera. I can't believe CBC sells video IR lenses without a proper connector for their GANZ cameras. I have the Pro-Pak kit for 3 cameras, which are wonderful units. Thanks for the reply.

Another thought... I was also considering a Dome camera made by EverFocus. It's model EHD350/H1, which supposely works in very cold temperatures (-40). This camera is more covert, but I'm not really sure if it stands up to a box camera. It's rated at .5 lux at F1.2. Link: http://www.everfocus.com/product.asp?id=54 Again, I need a D/N camera that is excellent at night (with no outdoor lighting, other than separate IR) and can withstand temperatures down -5F; vari-focus would be nice to. Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated. Thanks again.

Thanks for everyone's response. It's truly appreciated. Currently I have 2 bullet cameras (9100EX Korean Generic) with IR, which supposedly are similar to Speco HT-7815DNV. This is why I was asking about CNB bullets. These work OK, but wish they were better in daylight and night. After hearing the responses I've decided to go with a heated housing (maybe Pelco EH2508) and a color/bw Box camera. I was hoping to keep the total cost of each camera (need 2 cameras) under $400. I still need to do more research on box cameras. I was a thread where Rory liked the GE KTC2000DN. The specs are great, although it seems large. I kinda would like the smallest housing and camera I can get to make it covert as possible. On another note, I have a EX82DXL, which I purchased sometime ago on eBay. The camera was used and I had it serviced by Extreme CCTV. The camera is awesome, especially at night. I have turned the IR down to about 2/3's the normal output and it can easily see 70 feet very effectively. This camera is mounted in a tree, about 30 high. Which I could afford another EX82DXL. Here's 2 more questions: 1) If I use a good box D/N camera with a cut filter, how good will the camera work with a separately mounted IR illuminator? 2) Does in make a difference on what wave length I use (850, 930nm)? Sorry if these questions seem dumb. This is the second phase of a self installation. This forum has been very valuable. Regards to all.

I'm using mothballs. I put mothballs in an old sock and drape it over the mounting. Every so often I see a moth fly by, but they don't stick around. This approach has worked to keep spiders away too... no more spiders making their webs in front of the lens. You'll have to replace the mothballs about once a year.

Right now I'm probably going with the 9100EX, which is similar to the Speco HT-7815DNV. I already have a switching power supply from Samlex, which puts out 13.8VDC 23amps. What's nice about this power supply is it only draws on what the demand is. I use this for ameteur radio equipment. Here's a site with the specs, if anyone is interested. http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamps/3747.html

I'm very new to CCTV and need some advice. I'm in the process of analyzing what I need to build a simple residential surveillance system. I already purchased the GeoVision GV-800, which seems work great. I need advice on purchasing 3 cameras. I already purchased a cheap camera, which I’m returning so I need some help. Here are my requirements for 3 outdoor cameras. 1- Budget per camera $200-350. 2- All cameras need to be small and somewhat inconspicuous, meaning dark shell casing. Like the look of dome armor cameras since they blend-in with the outside of my home and are small. 3- All cameras must be able to function down to 10F. 4- All cameras must be able to show a decent image in total darkness. 5- One camera must be able to see in darkness 50-70 feet. 6- Two cameras must be able to see in darkness 20-30 feet. 7- One camera has a run of about 400-450 feet. Should I use cat5e with baluns or rg6 coax? 8- The other two cameras have a run of about 75-125 feet. Any help is tremendously appreciated.

If anyone is interested, I found a website that calculates the voltage drop. You can check it out at: http://www.securalarm.com/SAS/Calculator.htm I'd like to know the algorithm to do this calculation. Hope this is helpful.

Does anyone know if I run 12VDC to a camera 500 feet away using 18/2 if the voltage drop would be too great for the camera to work effectively, especially when IR LED's are on. I'm concerned that 12 volts might end up being something like 9 volts at the camera with a run of this length. I'm sure there is some algorithm which calculates voltage drop based on length and wire used. If it works out that 18/2 can go the distance, I'll go with rg59 siamese 18/2 and use 1/2" sprinkler tubing for the conduit, since I have to bury about 250 feet or so. I found a place where I can buy 500 feet of tubing for around $50, which is still cheaper than buying direct burial cable. Thanks for the help.

I really like the HT-7815DNV, except for the price. $500 is too steep for 3 cameras. Can anyone recommend a camera with good specs that is from a reputable company? I'm still gravitating to the 9100EX, which is in my price range of $200-350. When it comes right down to it, Would it be a good idea to have a separate/dedicated IR light; say one with 30 poweful LED's. Any other ideas appreciated. Thinking of coax RG59, I liked the idea of using the sprinkler system tubing approach for outdoor work. Would anyone have an idea what a good price for 500 feet of CCTV RG59? I’ve been so worried about the camera that I have not really looked into coax. It's good to hear RG59 will work at 500 feet; originally I was thinking RG6 or cat5e. Thanks for again for everyone's valuable input.

Thanks for the input... very, very helpful. I'm still concerned about running audio 400 feet or so. Will the siamese coax handle that distance for audio? I do have AC power very close (50 feet) from each of the cameras I'll installed, so I'll probably use 12VDC. I have also been having a problem finding true cctv coax (copper core, with 95% copper braid). Also, I was thinking about a camera from, dare I say it, www.cctvimports.com The camera I was interesting in is model 9100EX, which can be found at their website. It's also being sold by www.advanced-cctv.com Would you recommend an alternative camera solution other than the 9100EX in the same price range if you think not to go with this camera? I have spoken with someone from www.advanced-cctv.com and they are backing their products and seem very easy to work with. Still not sure what to do. Thanks for everyone's help. This is a great forum! Glad I found it.

Another concern I have is running coax or cat5e underground. I realize both are available in direct burial cable. The cost is a lot higher. Not sure which is better to run underground 400 feet. Has any one run cable underground to a camera? Also, is there a way to calculate the maximum distance audio can be run from camera using various awg 2 wire cable? Not sure if audio could go this distance (400 feet) without a lot of loss. Any feedback appreciated?

Thanks for the good information. I was just looking at some of the Mace cameras. I realize they are a cheaper brand, but for my purposes they just might do the job. The CAM53CIR size is small 3x2.1 inches, which is nice. I was also considering the CAM74CIR or CAM66CIR, which appear to have a lot of IR LED's and audio too. Can you make any manual adjustments to the Mace cameras? Was just wondering, since the camera I'm returning is not working in daylight and another person on this message board talked about adjusting the luminance. One of my other concerns is temperature. It looks like Mace cameras do not have heaters in them and this might be a problem below 10F. Sometime the temp does fall to zero, but not very often. Even 10F is rare. Here's a link to two other cameras I'm considering; both have a heater installed in the casing, but I'm not sure since they're not a brand name. It's so confusing with all these different imports, wish it was an easy decision. [link removed by mod] One of the good things I have going for me is that I have AC at the end of my driveway, so I do not have to worry about supplying 12vdc for a long run. I wasn't sure if coax rg59/rg6 would be a problem with a run of 400 feet or so, that's why I was thinking about cat5e with baluns. I'm still not sure about using baluns. I understand NVT are real good, but expensive. Anyhow, thanks for your input. Looks like we're both trying to accomplish the same thing without spending too much. I'll respond with whatever decision I make, hopefully shortly.

I'm very new to CCTV. I have GV-800 card and I'm using an AD-A200IR day/night dome armor camera with RG-59 cable. The cable is only 20' long so I can test the camera. Unfortunately the camera is only showing a picture when the IR LED's are on. When I move the camera to brighter light/daylight the LED's kick-off and the picture is lost. The picture in GeoVision has white across the top 1/4 of the screen with black from the bottom up. Would anyone have any idea why the camera is not working in daylight? I have tested 2 cameras and the results are identical. I'm not sure if it's a cable, camera or software problem. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the quick reply. I took a look at the camera and I do not see and screw or anything that would allow for a luminance adjustment. Any other thought. I realize these cameras are lower end, but I just wanted sometine simple for around my house. Would recommend any other lower end camera with IR capability? Thanks again for the reply.