UMDRanger

I've got a few PTZs in need of repair. I've had good luck with repairing the American Dynamics Speeddome 2000 and RA485 series because I found a tech manual years ago on AD's website that gave me all the pin outs. But AD has since pulled those from the web, even with the customer account pages.

Does anyone have a tech manual with pin outs for American Dynamics Optima LT PTZ, AD minidome PTZ (the old dinosaur), or Honeywell Orbid PTZ?

Yes. IIRC thats what the AUX port is for.

I run a VM32 sending signals from the terminal box straight to local PTZs and a J-BOX, and the other terminal box sends data to a SNet->RS422 converter that sends data to two more J-Boxes for older domes.

http://www.americandynamics.net has all the manuals listed in the "Support" area. There are a lot. But you can find a lot of good data there.

I am going to guess a short in the cable?

Have you tried putting this camera at a different camera's location? Just to try to isolate the problem further? J-Box output, short in the cable, bad CPU board on the camera, etc.

Just make sure to note the address or change it when you move it.

A few things:

1. A good existing customer base. Existing customers will tell their friends about you and the services you can offer. However, this goes far beyond your part. If the service from the parent company sucks, or they send a cranky worker, that customer will note that. Customer Service is paramount.

2. For new customers; you need to tell me WHY I need your service. This is an art. You can not appear "pushy", it has to flow towards me. Hook my interest. How much will it cost, including monthly costs. Is there any usual insurance discounts offered for the service. What benefits will I gain by this; example gas station "if you install X cameras to cover the pumps, if you have a drive-off you'll have video to get the license plate and car description, and video for prosecution. Since you can review the DVR, this means your employees can spend more time taking care of customers at the counter, and less time with binoculars and notepads".

3. You are working in a hard economy, people are down to buying bare minium "needs", and almost zero "wants". Then you are competing with DIYers with access to E-Bay. You must be confident, smooth, knowledgable, but not ****y or pushy, like I said, it's an art.

What is the network configuration?

Do all the cameras have an individual plug-in at the J-Box? Are they "doubled up" at the J-Box? Does this camera "tap" into the connector on another camera, if so, how many others?

I know there is a limit in the tech manual about how many cameras and the distance for the different network configurations.

1. Have you seen your neighbor's camera's output video? Depending on the lense, and the distance, you might only be a distant blur moving accross the screen.

2. Let me get this straight. You have a privacy fence, and he has placed his cameras high enough to see over the fence? Simple. Fuck with his plan! You get some blue tarps and some 2x4s or metal pipe. Rig a cheap "privacy fence extension", and when someone asks, just say you are airing out the tarps to prevent mildew and rotting.

I had a similiar problem. I tried to use my Geovision GV-Net to control a AD SpeedDome IV. Had all the settings right, tried changing them, all to no avail.

Took it to my job where we use AD controllers... works like a charm. Now I just have to get the fan from cycling on and "buuzzrrrrrrrrrr" every few seconds. I think some WD-40 on the fan assembly will do it. Worked to relube my PC fan.

But I am sorry, I have no explaination for the lack of comms. But it may just need an actual AD controller.

The previous installer was probably too cheap to use bnc connections and just spliced together some wires. Was probably held together by black tape. That is why you dont see the BNC.

I was pulling all the old CCTV wires at my store shortly after taking the job and found that the person in my position prior to me had ran 18-2 with RCA connectors for video, but yes, with black tape. Needless to say I was shocked.

Even in lots of public schools. I'm still not sure if the cameras are of any use there.

Sure are of great use. My friend is in the middle of a nasty custody battle for his kid. He now has full custody, but the kid wants to live with mom in a different state. School CCTV was used to track the kid the day the kid "disappeared" and ran away. Police further used it to identify who the kid had talked to while at school that day, and furthermore was able to get uncooperative friends "I didn't see him/her today at all, I have no idea officer" to become honest when shown the video of them talking all day "ok, here is what they said they were going to do, look for them here".

Color / BW?

Uniboard (RS422/SN) or the dual layer board (RS422)?

With ceiling tile mounts or just the camera dome assembly?

Cost per?

I have bought many baluns on ebay. Some work well, some do not. It is hit or miss.

Sure don't look like mine. But mine is also 4 years old. And might I add, with no problems

Hidden or concealed cameras are good in retail. I think the only time I'd use it residental would be in my own home, to see how a babysitter actually handles my kids, and only in the the living room/play area.

For retail the best locations are those locations where criminals will feel naturally at ease to steal. Most of the time they won't open the package under a camera (but yes, the do it a hell of a lot), instead they will go to a small isle, where they feel no one can watch them, and they don't see a dome. Above this isle place a hidden chip camera. This works not only on the sales floor, but in the stock room as well. Always place a chip camera on your candy backstock. It's like fishing for internal theft with great bait. Both my internals this year have had pop and candy in the list of things they've taken. Both have been caught by my observations of them taking candy/pop by these hidden cameras.

Think like a criminal, and you'll know where a hidden verses a visable camera will work best. Again, it also depends on your intent. Is it just a deterant, or is it to catch them. Use visable cameras to "direct" and "channel" the criminals to "safe" areas with the coverts.

Great!

OMFG Big Brother is going to know you wrote that letter to your mother by comparing the yellow dots!

I'll vouch for Palmvid. Thats there I got my GV-800-4 several years ago. Works like a charm, always has.

Anyone who keeps a firearm for personal protection should be well versed in the use of the weapon and the legal ramifications that can follow with a innocent bystander wounded or killed in the discharge of the firearm be it in self defense or not.... constant practice and being aware of the limitations of the chosen weapon is the key to a good defensive stance in such circumstances.

Well said

Some decent face shots. Looks like they didn't put much effort into concealing their identity.

I hope the clerk scored some hits. Amazing how fast the low life scum scram when a firearm is aimed back at them.

I HATE criminals, with extreme prejudice

I would advise against that solution. To begin with, the angle of views are too wide for anything at a distance that the events are likely to occur at.

A key thing to remember is "what you see is what you get". There isn't any CSI zoom in and clean up the image. If you go with an ultra wide angle to get the whole front yard on one camera... have fun trying to identify what is happening, and because the action is occuring in such a small portion of the view, the motion-recorder may not activate due to not enough pixels changing.

Scorpion has written several well thought out threads on this subject. Do a quick forum search. If no answers by tomarrow, I'll throw some more ideas out to ya. (just cause I am off to work now).

Need to know:

Recorder: Old VCRs, PC, stand alone DVR, etc. are all options for you.

Cameras: How far out is your target range, how wide. Things like that are the critical information in determining how many, and where to place your assets where they can do the most for you.

Take a monitor to a few of the cameras that are acting up, and check the images there.

Post a screen shot on a photo hosting site, and put the link here.

Are the crappy images on the cat5e or rg-59 or both types?

Used cameras off Ebay - I've had good luck. Plus, if you go cheap, you can always upgrade if they don't work to your expectations. I've had 2 bad cameras out of 15 I've bought on ebay. Not too bad for discount bargans on used equipment.

DVRs - I wouldn't buy a DVR card off ebay. Too many "clones" and fakes. Plus, upgrading to a better DVR is more expensive than upgrading cameras. Since the DVR is the "heart" and "brain" of the system, it should be the best product you have. I spent about $450 3 years ago for my DVR card from an online website for a name brand DVR card. Expensive on a college budget, but well worth it. I've since replaced and upgraded all the original cameras. But the DVR card... solid. Oh, and with name brand cards from dealers you have better customer service (returns, tech support, etc). Try that on ebay.

A large multidoor system is a whole different breed, and not to be left to the "DIY". There are many codes, and regulations once you get to large multidoor systems.

 

On large multi door systems it would knock your socks off if you saw how many wires you would have to home run back to a panel!! YIKES!

Pending the system you go with, there aren't any extra wires that need to be home runned. I know with Millenium Group systems you can daisey chain the power and data.

But I agree, multidoor systems are a whole nother breed, and are definately not for DIY without prior experience.

Usually done by turning a small screw near the face of the camera / chip area.

 

Typically doesn't exist on OEM Bullet and Fixed Dome cameras though.

True.

And, some of the cameras that do have backfocus screws also have a tamper screw you need to loosen to allow the backfocus screw to move... least I found them on old, old Panasonic (I think) box cameras.

Usually done by turning a small screw near the face of the camera / chip area.

How about adjusting the backfocus? As opposed to just the lense focus.