Secerator

Thanks for you response tomcctv.

For about how many feet should I be safe using just one pair of cat6 for powering a regular cheap IR camera?

Question 2:

This is the mic I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053V5Z9W

I will run a separate cable for it, mic/power. I was thinking cat6 because that is what I have now.

Mic will not be located near a camera, the cable will run to a different place.

I would not mind to buy some alarm cable if that is cheap. This will save me some cat6, but I will have to run 2 cables of alarm wire.. not sure which will be a cleaner installation.

Can I run 2 cameras with IR on the same cat5 /cat6 cable that is less than 50ft?

I know that it is recommended to use two twisted pairs for power, and one pair for video, remains one pair..

Can I use one twisted pair for power and one for video for one camera and the same for second camera?

The cable will be cat6. Cameras are some q-see 600TVL. 12V.

Question 2: Can I use cat5 with baluns and adapters for a microphone?

Thanks

One downside of baluns is the ground loop problem. This happens on many poorly planned installs that use baluns. The simplest way to avoid that is to use separate power supplies for each camera.

This is not a downside of baluns so much as it is a downside of cheap 12V cameras that have a shared power and video ground. Use dual-voltage or AC-only cameras (in other words, something with an internal regulator that separates the video and power grounds), and you don't have this problem, regardless of whether you use 12VDC or 24VAC.

Once I installed a dedicated PS with had it's own ground, I started having ground loops problem. The problem was only when using the cheap original camera cable which have the shared power and video ground. No ground loop if using cat5 with separate wires for video and power. Solved with the 3 to 2 prong adapter for the PS.

Bought quality cat6 from amazon 1000' for $135.

The white lines was a ground loop problem which I solved by placing a piece of plastic between the camera body mount and the metal part of the house.

The ground loop reappeared when I installed a dedicated power supply which had a 3 prong cord (with ground).

The original "wall charger type" transformers had only 2 prongs.

I solved the ground loop problem by using a 3 to 2 prong adapter for the new power supply.

The fog at night is pretty bad. Rain the same. Will just live with it. Otherwise work good.

One camera started having problems with switching into night mode. In some nights it will switch, other nights will not. Disconnecting and reconnecting the power will fix it.

I contacted the customer support by internet and they responded pretty quick. They sent me a RMA and send me a shipping label.

Will send it to them for repairs or exchange.

This is what I did to quiet it down: I replaced the fan with a slower one from newegg. Also I cut the fan grill out of the DVR case so the air will not be pushed through that grill. Much quieter now!

Attaching some screenshots of 3 cameras in the daytime (rainy day).

Is it possible to disable the LED light inside this sensor so it doesn't glow red at night and still detect motion?

Optex LX-402

Thanks

thanks.

Actually what I have done, however, is disable an important safety feature that protects me from electric shock if a wire inside PS comes loose.

I will just unplug the PS box when I need to work inside it, or remove the 3 to 2 adapter.

Probably at one point I will switch to using cat5/6 cables to each camera anyway.

I recently purchased a dedicated power supply from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OXL8IY/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

VideoSecu 18 Output 12 V DC CCTV Distributed Power Supply Box.

This introduced a ground loop in my system.

I solved it by purchasing a 3 Prong to 2 prong grounding converter and connecting the 3 prong power cable from the power supply to the UPS without the grounding.

Is it OK to use it without ground or I should eliminate the ground somewhere else?

This is my configuration:

a Q-See DVR with 8 cameras. 7 cameras are connected using their default cheap q-see cables (which is ok), one camera is connected over cat6.

The cameras came with two wall adapters (wall charger type) split in 4 each. Those had only two prongs, no ground.

A 42" TV is connected to the DVR over a 25 ft long SVGA cable.

I started seeing white lines across the screen when I started using the new power supply.

No ground loop if using only the camera connected over cat6 to the new power supply. Any of the cameras connected using the original cable will cause a ground loop (not very strong). I think this is doe to the cable using the same ground for power and video signal. (with cat6 I use separate pairs).

I guess that replacing all the cables with cat5 will solve the problem too, but that is too much of a trouble.

The question is: What "side effects" can I get by converting the 3 prong cable of the new power supply to 2 prong. What is the right way to fix my ground loop problem?

The power supply is connected to an APC UPS, the ups is connected to a GFCI outlet. The DVR is connected to the same UPS. The TV is in another room connected to a different power outlet.

Thanks.

Wire Construction: CCA - Copper Clad Aluminum.

Looks like it's not solid cooper... didn't pay attention to that..

Here is info from the listing:

This Compact Pull Box of 1000FT UTP CAT5E Cable is ideal for both network installers

and computer enthusiast alike.

This 1000FT roll of cable is made from four 24 AWG twisted pair conductors

to support 1Gbps transfer rates and has durable PVC jacket.

Features:

Cat5e - 4 Solid UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair.

Meets or exceeds Category 5e specifications.

Conductor: 24AWG - 0.5mm in diameter.

Wire Construction: CCA - Copper Clad Aluminum.

Gigabit Network Ready.

Voice and Data communications.

Certified Transfer Rate: 10/100/1000 mbps (1000Base-T Gigabit).

Auction Included:

1 x CAT5E Cable.

Length: 1000 feet / 305m.

Pull Box.

Lifetime Warranty.

I hope it will work good. Tested the whole roll with a UTP tester and everything seems fine for the entire 1000ft.. not sure if I will run into problems with it not being entirely made of cooper (just cooper coated). Probably the longest cable that I will need will be around 120ft... I said in a previously post that ebay is good as long as you know what you're buying. I must admit that this time I didn't know exactly what I'm buying. Just went with sellers feedback on a few thousands of the same product sold..

Like someone else said: everyday learning something new.

Edit: Will return it and buy some cat6 (good one).

1. Full-motion CCTV video at distances up to 330m when used with any passive transceiver

2. Up to 330m (1089feet)with any active UTP video receiver

3. Tool-less,installs in seconds,no need to strip the wires

4. NTSC,PAL,and SECAM video formats

5. No power required

6. 60 dB crosstalk and noise immunity

7. Compact size and easy installation

 

 

 

 

we have these in stock very good baluns. very good at protecting the outter cover of the cat5 better than just the pair.

 

 

but just looking at your advert listings. its just a company that sells and know nothing PART 4 4. NTSC,PAL,and SECAM video formats

 

nothing to do with using baluns

I found that on ebay from Hong Kong or China, can't remember exactly. I ordered a pair for $6 just to see what they are about. I know that it will take about 2 weeks to get them.

I don't really understand why you guys think that it makes sense to not show the prices to the public on this forum.

I would say this: if someone would hire you to do a cctv install, then they are not the type of person to search forums for information, the ones that read this forum are either installers or DIY'rs like me who would not hire a pro to do the install.

You can find low prices with a simple google search. And this forum is much more valuable with price info than without.

Just get past this "hide price info". it won't help your business, free talk about prices may actually help it. It may damage it if you actually sell these to other forum members.

I'm an IT guy, so this diy cctv stuff for my personal use is not that hard to understand. I was just surprised to see how many of you "the cctv pros" think that not talking about the prices will detter "your customers" from finding the prices on the internet. You may still get better discounts if buying in bulk, but amazon, ebay, 123.. anyone can buy..

Excuse my English and let's go back to baluns .

I'm wondering the same. I have seen two version of the cheaper ones.

One says clearly that it doesn't have the video balun function. (the black one).

Have you used any of these? Planning to run 1-2 cameras less than 150' with these, will they work good or should I buy the $19 ones?.

Also found these:

1. Full-motion CCTV video at distances up to 330m when used with any passive transceiver

2. Up to 330m (1089feet)with any active UTP video receiver

3. Tool-less,installs in seconds,no need to strip the wires

4. NTSC,PAL,and SECAM video formats

5. No power required

6. 60 dB crosstalk and noise immunity

7. Compact size and easy installation

Just bought 1000 ft cat 5e cable for $44 on ebay (free shipping). It arrived today. Feels solid and good quality. After researching the seller I found that he sold thousands of rolls.

That is what they sell. cat 5/6, siamese, hdmi, just big rolls of cables, different types. All good reviews. People buying several rolls, I'm sure those buyers are service providers in the industry not regular DIY like me. I know some of you would say: don't buy crapbay stuff, ebay is still an option if you know what you're buying.

So I guess you could consider that price in your comparison: $40 or $44 / 1000' of cat5e. (they have $44 and $40 rolls of 1000' cat5e. I bought the $44 version because they said it had a better box...). Free shipping and I emailed them several times with questions and they responded in less than 20 min each time.

Now looking for baluns. I've run a cheap 150' videosecu cable from amazon to one camera and video sucks compared to the other cameras (about same quality cable, but shorter, 60'). Hope that the cat5e will improve it.

Bought cat5e because will also need to run some networking cable to my samsung TVs for internet and NAS access. Also to connect a PIR to my DVR. This roll will be enough for all my cable needs. It would be great if I could do SVGA to cat5 to SVGA of some sort. Right now I use a 25' VGA (svga) cable (same cheap amazon) from the DVR to one TV with great results. Would be nice to be able to connect my living room TV to the DVR... Running SVGA means bigger holes in the walls.

Still not sure what type of baluns to order. I ordered one pair of the cheap ones (grey ones not the black piramidal ones). probably will buy a pair of the better ones and compare them. (less than 150' runs)

Waiting on my power supply now (same, cheap amazon, but with good reviews) VideoSecu 18 Output 12 V $55.

Also bought an Optex 402 PIR from ebay for $31, used a little indoor, but perfect, I hope so (it was just shipped today).

The rain and fog with sensitivity set at 3 (from 1 to 6) will still trigger the motion recording. Especially at night when the IR reflects into the rain drops.

At 1 it will not trigger the motion sensor sometimes even if the car is moving in the driveway.

Now I'm looking into installing 1-2 motions sensors. From this forum looks like I should go with Crow or Optex PIRs.

Could someone recommend the best reputable/cheapper 3-4 places to shop for CCTV and security products?

If no links allowed, please post the name and I will find them on google.

Thanks.

wow.. i thought these sensors will be no more than $20-$30. They are more like $78-$100. Found the Optex 402 on Amazon for $78.

How do you connect an Optex 402 PIR? Just 2 wires from the DVR sensor connectors which will provide power and signal transmission to and from PIR or it needs 2 wires for power and two for signal?

I did not blocked the vents, just put some filter on them, I'm sure the air flow is good. Will clean them. I want to keep it like that for a month and see if it catches any dust.

I know there are some posts about cameras and I read a lot, but it takes a lot of time to find a good recommendation.

Which cameras would you recommend for an all around outdoor camera? I know every spot with it's specific camera. Bot something that will work in most of the cases?

I heard about CNB monalisas..

Will do some research, but I don't have the money to replace all the cameras, I still have 8 free channels, lots of room for adding cameras....

Hi,

I've been reading on this forum a lot in the past week and decided to make my first post about my experience.

I'm new to CCTV and decided to install a surveillance system at my house just to be safe and watch for the house while we're away.

While shopping at Costco I have seen a Lorex system installed and decided I want one (I'm kinda geek, I like computers and I do webdesign for living, also photography).

After reading reviews I went with Q-See QT526-5 16 channel DVR with 8 QM6006B cameras which are 600 TVL. (I think the DVR is made by TVT)

It says that it does D1 at 30fps on all channels, and looks like it really does what it says. (I only have 8 cameras right now), will add later.

Looks like they don't sell it anymore (but you can find reviews on costco website by searching google), it was on sale for $600 after $300off. Costco mentioned on the website that it comes with 500GB HDD because of the flooding in Taiwan (they usually have 1TB HDD) also they say in description that you can heve 2 HDDs at 2TB each maximum (a SATA cable was included to add another HDD).

I opened the DVR and actually you can add 2 more HDDs to a total of 3. I have some HDDs and will try to add later. Still testing the system.

Also Costco had same DVR with 16 cameras for an additional $200 (also on sale).

I set it up and everything works, not the best looking software, or very practical, but it works. I have nothing to compare too, but I'm sure the software could be better.

One of the camera had an adjustment screw threads broken. Also I have seen some people mentioning the same thing on a similar q-see system from Costco.

Video quality is OK, same thing, nothing to compare too.

Video/power cables look cheap, but they work.

It has 2 power supply with 2 splitters for 4 cameras each. Do you think that a short in one camera cable could damage all 4 cameras ont he same power supply? Or even the DVR? I will invest in a power box with fuses at a later time.

The only thing that bothers me the most is the FAN noise. I have it hidden very well in a wall along with a APC 550VA UPS which connects to a GFCI outlet. I tested it for about 20 minutes on the UPS and it was still working with 8 cameras. I plugged it back in to avoid a forced shut down.

The fan noise is not the bearing, is the airflow. Small thick fan. I covered all the air vents (for intake) on the DVR with some filter pads with duct tape to avoid dust going inside. Will change those once in a while. I did this because of the location of the DVR, may get dusty.

What I'm thinking to do is to cut the top metal cover of the DVR and add a big 120mm fan for quitter operation. Don't want to void the warranty, but I will do it sooner or later. The DVR should be hidden, and it is, but the noise uncovers it. You can hear it when walking 7-10ft from that wall.

Using the iphone for live view while on the ladder for proper camera angle adjustment was very helpful.

Iphone app is $2, ipad is $10 (SuperCam pro) I did not buy the ipad version yet. The free app is crap. The paid one will allow to view recorded files and DVR setup as from a local computer.

I think that camera/lens angle is around 50-55 degrees. Will need at least 2 more cameras with a wider view.

Looking to buy something for wide view outdoor (front door), but I will have to research this forum for recommendations..

Some cameras developed some kind of stains on the inside part of the glass where the IR leds are. (like smoking stains probably from led heat??) All leds work good.

On the first night of installation two of the cameras was showing white lines running on the screen vertically. Those cameras are on the same side of the hosue where the power enters the house also those two are connected on a metal fascia of the house. Probably ground loop, but next day the lines disappeared, also for the next night, will update if will see them again.

It was foggy last two nights. Video showed like it was snowing. White dots which triggered the motion recording. Set the sensitivity to 1 and it stopped recording, but that also stopped recording for one of the camera even on driving the car in the area of motion. So I set it to 3 for now, will see tonight if the fog will trigger the recording.

I don't know if I could change the lenses on these cameras, would be nice to have a wider angle on 2 of them.

That's all for now.

Excuse my English.