priamida 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Hello, I'm new to the forum, as you may have guessed from the subject. I am considering installing a simple system with outdoor cameras to survey the yard area around my house and trigger an alarm if an intruder gets in the yard. Here is some background. The house has two floors. The lower one is very secure with bars in the windows and an armored door. The upper floor has very nice views and has very large windows and a terrace around it. There is a stairway from the backyard to the terrace in the upper floor. So the upper floor is relatively easy to break into. I don't care about the house being burglarized, that's what home insurance is for. I just want my family to be safe. So my main goal is to provide time for my family to run to safety in the lower floor before the intruder is able to break into the upper floor. So I've thought about having 6 IR cameras watching the yard around the house and have the alarm triggered by the DVR motion detector. First of all, is my idea feasible/practical? Or will I be getting too many false alarms? The requirements on the system are not too stringent so I've thought about a standard kit like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/8CH-H-264-DVR-1TB-6-Outdoor-Camera-CCTV-Security-System_W0QQitemZ180465415651QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Security_Equipment?hash=item2a0493b5e3 What kind of alarm should I look for that will be compatible with the output alarm of this unit? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted February 24, 2010 Hello, I'm new to the forum, as you may have guessed from the subject. I am considering installing a simple system with outdoor cameras to survey the yard area around my house and trigger an alarm if an intruder gets in the yard. Here is some background. The house has two floors. The lower one is very secure with bars in the windows and an armored door. The upper floor has very nice views and has very large windows and a terrace around it. There is a stairway from the backyard to the terrace in the upper floor. So the upper floor is relatively easy to break into. I don't care about the house being burglarized, that's what home insurance is for. I just want my family to be safe. So my main goal is to provide time for my family to run to safety in the lower floor before the intruder is able to break into the upper floor. So I've thought about having 6 IR cameras watching the yard around the house and have the alarm triggered by the DVR motion detector. First of all, is my idea feasible/practical? Or will I be getting too many false alarms? The requirements on the system are not too stringent so I've thought about a standard kit like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/8CH-H-264-DVR-1TB-6-Outdoor-Camera-CCTV-Security-System_W0QQitemZ180465415651QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Security_Equipment?hash=item2a0493b5e3 What kind of alarm should I look for that will be compatible with the output alarm of this unit? Thanks its a bad system from ebay. look at something else. take a look at avtech or avermedia it will save you money and problems. plus you get support. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
priamida 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Ok, I will But what about my other questions. Is motion detection adequate for my purposes? Can I connect an alarm? I've been searching for alarm rs485 in ebay with no results By the way, I am in Spain so support is probably out of the question. I think I'm pretty much on my own here unless I shell out the money to pay for a security company which around here is rather expensive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bpzle 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Don't buy an all in one package. There is no perfect "one size fits all" camera. Also if one item sucks, you can easily return it. Second, I highly discourage video based motion alarms for outdoor enviornments. You'll get so many false alarms you'll turn it off. Sudden light changes (car headlights), dogs and cats, tree branches swaying in the wind... too many variables. If you want true motion detection, use something that is designed for it. An outdoor PIR Also, keep in mind that cheap cheap cameras use IRs as a work around to see in low light. A good camera won't need IRs to see in low light, only no light. Real white light is always better than IR. IR light tends to wash out the picture and screw up tones. First choice in zero light apps is to add white light, like motion detector flood lights. Second choice would be to use cameras that are capable of sensing IR light but do not have IRs built in. Use an external IR illuminator. Last choice is to use a camera with on board IRs. There's a lot of drawbacks to built in IRs and a lot of pros prefer not to use them. Only for certain applications... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cglaeser 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Is motion detection adequate for my purposes? Video motion detection? No. Add outdoor PIR motion detectors to trigger the cameras and alarm. Both Optex and Crow Daredevil are excellent choices. Best, Christopher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bpzle 0 Posted February 24, 2010 I am in Spain so support is probably out of the question. Not at all!! Who told you that? This is ONLY the case if you buy from Ebay. If you buy products from reputable companies, they will stand behind what they sell. Avermedia has excellent worldwide support. I've never used AvTechs support, although I've installed a couple of they're units. AvTech is on the extreme low end of the CCTV budget world. Guys, correct me if I'm wrong but AvTech depends on their suppliers for tech support/ warranty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted February 24, 2010 Ok, I will But what about my other questions. Is motion detection adequate for my purposes? Can I connect an alarm? I've been searching for alarm rs485 in ebay with no results By the way, I am in Spain so support is probably out of the question. I think I'm pretty much on my own here unless I shell out the money to pay for a security company which around here is rather expensive spain is not out of the question. how far are you from alicante or malaga are you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
priamida 0 Posted February 24, 2010 spain is not out of the question. how far are you from alicante or malaga are you Veeeeery far. About 1,300 miles. I'm in the Canary Islands, which is very nice for some things but has some drawbacks too Ok, so it seems that I shouldn't base my alarm on video motion detection then. Fine, I'll still want to have cameras and a DVR for video surveillance and I'll add to the system some actual motion or perimeter sensors. Those should be fairly inexpensive. Can I connect them to the DVR? Is that what the RS485 interface is for? And then connect the DVR output alarm channel to the alarm? Or do I connect the motion/perimeter sensors to the alarm? I guess my confusion is that I don't understand how these devices interface with each other. Thanks for the responses Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cglaeser 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Can I connect them to the DVR? Is that what the RS485 interface is for? Yes, a good DVR will have trigger inputs for PIRs and other triggering devices. No, the RS485 is typically for PTZ control. Best, Christopher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bpzle 0 Posted February 24, 2010 Yes, a good DVR will have trigger inputs for PIRs and other triggering devices. No, the RS485 is typically for PTZ control. Exactly. Alarm inputs are just dry contacts that you can set for normally open or normally closed. Meaning, if a device is set to normally closed it will alarm if the circuit is opened. Pretty simple. Most DVRs will also have alarm outputs as well. These can be set for normally open or normally closed as well. They can be used to control external devices like sirens or lights. So, you could have external PIRs setup to when they sense motion they will send a signal back to the DVR which begins recording, flashes a light, sounds a siren, and even email and text messages you. Pretty cool. Lots of possibilities... Some DVRs can also have advanced scheduling options so the alarms will only trigger for certain times of the day or night. One install I even wired panic push buttons to the DVR and to an existing alarm panel. Neat way to avoid reoccuring and expensive alarm company monitoring fees... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
priamida 0 Posted February 25, 2010 Gotcha Ok, so I have recommendations for the DVR (Avermedia and AvTech) and motion sensors (Crow Daredevil). How about alarms, any brands to look for or stay away from? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted February 25, 2010 Gotcha Ok, so I have recommendations for the DVR (Avermedia and AvTech) and motion sensors (Crow Daredevil). How about alarms, any brands to look for or stay away from? priamida. here is an email contact to avermedia spain good start for getting pricing. Sat.es@avermedia.com the alarms are built into the unit. you programe what you want them to do. ie send email/call mobile/switch on sirens or lights (though relay) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
