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I'm looking for help regarding how to wire the alarm output relay. I've spent a a few hours trolling Google results to no avail, and the owner manual is of no use. This DVR has 4 alarm output channels, apparently each output channel has a Normal-Close and Normal-Open pin. (sorry for the fuzzy image... I zoomed in to the pic from Gadspot's website and just cut out the alarm in/out area.) I've used a multimeter to test NO+GND and NC+GND with the alarm disabled and enabled -- no voltage is being output by the NC/NO pins, thus an external power source is needed for my project (the 12v provided from the DVR is too much, and won't even be needed for my final solution). At this point I'm simply trying to get an LED to light when the alarm is triggered. This should be a simple circuit. I use a 9v battery and resister for the LED, but I don't know how to tie the + and - leads from the battery to the DVR alarm-out relay, ground, and LED, in such a way that the LED would only light when the alarm is triggered. My ultimate goal is to have the DVR alarm-out signal a micro-controller (Arduino or Raspberry Pi) and the micro-controller will do some task. edit: I found a better version of the owner's manual: http://www.gadspot.com/download/gs2211vum.pdf Still not much information regarding alarm-out setup.

Good point about cams 7 and 8. The Gadspot cameras are 650TVL 1/3" WDS 9~22mm Varifocal Lens The Sony cams are 2.8-12mm

Looking at purchasing the following for a home setup... DVR - Gadspot GS2211V Cameras - (3x) Gadspot GS4011CF (5x) Sony Enhanced Effio-E Sony EXVIEW II 72IR LED Bullet 2.8-12mm I need to buy cable, baluns, a power block, and a hard drive for the dvr. Trying to keep it around $1000 but may be more like $1300 after its all said and done. I'm wondering if the Sony cameras will be overkill... maybe I could save a few bucks and go with the Gadspots all around the perimeter. My thought was to first start with the Gadspot cams and eventually work in the Sony's, moving the Gadspots indoor. The way I've got it mapped out, I'll need a 16 channel DVR because 8 cams are needed to cover every angle around the yard. I might just start small and order the DVR, 2 Gadspot cams and 1 Sony to get a better idea of my needs. Heres a crude layout of my house, garage, and yard. Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

Lovely day here in the tri-state area, beginning with a thunderstorm early this morning that turned into some light snow between 6-8am! I found the forum last night after spending a few days trying to wrap my head around all the CCTV options for DVRs and cameras. I'm hoping you'll all be a big help as I try to piece together a setup for my house. I work as a computer programmer and have experience with networking and other tech hobbies. And RC cars. Love RC cars. I bought 4 Cisco WVC80N cams ~2 years ago to connect wireless to my linux box running ZoneMinder. I'm now looking to upgrade to a more serious home surveillance system, as the cisco cams don't provide the detail or features (mainly low light visibility) that I now require. Other consequences in my family's current situation require me to move quickly to get this new setup running. I'll make a thread in the 'System Design' section later tonight once I finish my 'floor plan' image and put my thoughts in a comprehensive format. Cheers!