Can this be done?

[HiddenMountain 0]

After a year or so, I have finally managed to connect my Android to my DVR, via gDMSS. Checking on the house while I'm on the road gives me great peace of mind. (Although my wife is now paranoid and wants a Judy Jetson mask!)

 

The only problem is that unless there are lights on at night, there is no visible image. Fairly obvious, I know, but since we live off grid, leaving lights on isn't an option. I have a couple of timers but my wife doesn't like them when she's at home.

 

My question is this. Is it possible to control electrical equipment, in my case lighting, through my gDMSS and Qvis Apollo DVR?

 

My thought is, and I might be way off here, if I can activate my PTZ from my android, why can't I send a signal to the DVR which would trip a relay, or two or three, that would turn on/off some lights.

 

I have looked around at some other remote control home automation stuff, but I have already spent too much money on this stuff, according to said paranoid wife!

[Owain 0]

Most PTZ protocols have Aux commands, which you can use to control lights with a RS422/485 telemetry receiver and relays.

 

Something like

http://www.bbvcctv.com/products/receivers/rx25x_multiple_protocol_auxiliary_relay_receiver/

 

A more DIY approach

http://www.sigma-shop.com/category/17/rs485-relays.html

[HiddenMountain 0]

Most PTZ protocols have Aux commands, which you can use to control lights with a RS422/485 telemetry receiver and relays.

 

Something like

http://www.bbvcctv.com/products/receivers/rx25x_multiple_protocol_auxiliary_relay_receiver/

 

A more DIY approach

http://www.sigma-shop.com/category/17/rs485-relays.html

 

Thanks so much for that info Owain! That's right along the line of what I was thinking.

 

My next question naturally is, will this use up a channel on my DVR?

[tomcctv 187]

Hi. Yes with your dvr it is easy and not much in the way of cost.

 

Your remote software that you are using for remote (under settings) you will see 3 slide switches. .......they call them alarms....

But these are controls to switch the relays on and off on your dvr........all you need is a relay at dvr end to have control over switching lights on and off

[HiddenMountain 0]

Hi. Yes with your dvr it is easy and not much in the way of cost.

 

Your remote software that you are using for remote (under settings) you will see 3 slide switches. .......they call them alarms....

But these are controls to switch the relays on and off on your dvr........all you need is a relay at dvr end to have control over switching lights on and off

 

Hi Tom, thanks for the reply.

 

As I can be a bit thick, according to the wife and personal experience, I need a bit more info.

 

To wit, which remote software are you referring to? The DVR or the gDMSS?

 

After checking out the links that Owain gave me, I'm getting a bit more confused. I'm rather tired of letting the blue smoke out of my electronics! It can get expensive to experiment with this stuff!

 

I've searched the web for wiring diagrams but that's just a wild goose chase since no-one has the exact same scheme...

 

This does appear to be within reach though.

[cloudy1 0]

of coarse you could use 10w LED flood lights connected to PIRs they sell them in the normal shops these days

 

that will save you on power

[HiddenMountain 0]

of coarse you could use 10w LED flood lights connected to PIRs they sell them in the normal shops these days

 

that will save you on power

 

Thanks cloudy1, I have a few of those around already. What I'm looking for is to control lights around the house to give it the "lived in look".

 

...and to show off a bit...haha...

[Owain 0]

or you could use an ethernet controlled mains switch; it would have different software from your cctv viewer. They're used in server farms to remotely power-cycle servers.

 

http://www.audon.co.uk/lanpower.html

http://www.lindy-usa.com/power/remote-switching.html

[Kawboy12R 0]

Why do you have security cameras set up that can't see at night unless you manually turn on the lights? Even off the grid I'd think that some low-power IR lights would be worth the energy footprint. Not much sense having cams that only catch bad guys during the daytime, right?

[HiddenMountain 0]

or you could use an ethernet controlled mains switch; it would have different software from your cctv viewer. They're used in server farms to remotely power-cycle servers.

 

http://www.audon.co.uk/lanpower.html

http://www.lindy-usa.com/power/remote-switching.html

 

Yeah, I thought about that going that route, but it looks like it's expensive stuff.

 

I do have a bit of knowledge about circuits etc, I just wanted to stick with low voltage. Our hydro unit produces 12V and our base electrical system is 12V, (for now), before it's inverted to 120V. I figured that since it's already here and wired in, why not use it.

 

Why do you have security cameras set up that can't see at night unless you manually turn on the lights? Even off the grid I'd think that some low-power IR lights would be worth the energy footprint. Not much sense having cams that only catch bad guys during the daytime, right?

 

Good question!

 

Aside from being cheap, I don't really know! I do have PIR lights around the house and yard, but they are solar powered and completely independent of my system.

 

My ideal set up would have .... All LED lighting, at least 4 channels; spots, floods, background and it would be PIR activated, controllable from my android AND it would have to be controlled via wireless remotes while we're at home... ugh, I just got a headache from pondering how to hook all that up!

[HiddenMountain 0]

drool...

 

http://wiki.switchautomation.com/w/Switch_Automation#The_User_Interface

 

[Kawboy12R 0]

 

Why do you have security cameras set up that can't see at night unless you manually turn on the lights? Even off the grid I'd think that some low-power IR lights would be worth the energy footprint. Not much sense having cams that only catch bad guys during the daytime, right?

 

Good question!

 

Aside from being cheap, I don't really know! I do have PIR lights around the house and yard, but they are solar powered and completely independent of my system.

 

My ideal set up would have .... All LED lighting, at least 4 channels; spots, floods, background and it would be PIR activated, controllable from my android AND it would have to be controlled via wireless remotes while we're at home... ugh, I just got a headache from pondering how to hook all that up!

 

Simple way is to swap the cams you have that don't have IR for ones that do. Or at least swap your front door and back door cams for IR ones. They are the ones most likely to "see" intruders. The builtin IR doesn't use much power but is on all the time. I live on the grid though so you'd be the best one to know your power "budget". PIR sensors turning on 850nm IR floods for cameras that don't have built-in IR is probably going to give the cameras the best view at night for the least amount of power. You can get IR floodlight bulbs to screw into PIR floodlight assemblies to simplify things. Maybe even get a dual-socket PIR-activated floodlight assembly with a small white LED bulb on one side and IR flood on the other. That'll help you walking around, warn intruders a bit, and give quite a bit of light for your cameras because of the extra IR "punch".

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

Hi. Yes with your dvr it is easy and not much in the way of cost.

 

Your remote software that you are using for remote (under settings) you will see 3 slide switches. .......they call them alarms....

But these are controls to switch the relays on and off on your dvr........all you need is a relay at dvr end to have control over switching lights on and off

 

Hi Tom, thanks for the reply.

 

As I can be a bit thick, according to the wife and personal experience, I need a bit more info.

 

To wit, which remote software are you referring to? The DVR or the gDMSS?

 

After checking out the links that Owain gave me, I'm getting a bit more confused. I'm rather tired of letting the blue smoke out of my electronics! It can get expensive to experiment with this stuff!

 

I've searched the web for wiring diagrams but that's just a wild goose chase since no-one has the exact same scheme...

 

This does appear to be within reach though.

it's really not that complicated. the back of your dvr should look similar to this, with plug-in screw terminal blocks:

 

 

the top row include your alarm outputs - three pairs of 'no' (normally open) and 'c'ommon relay outputs. at the most simple, you can just run the power for a light fixture through one of them, the way you would normally wire in a switch (they'll support up to 2a at 30v). if you need to control more current, use the output to trigger a standard 12v relay.

 

once that's wired, you can use the 'slide switches' tom mentions in your dmss software to toggle those outputs on and off.

[HiddenMountain 0]

Hi. Yes with your dvr it is easy and not much in the way of cost.

 

Your remote software that you are using for remote (under settings) you will see 3 slide switches. .......they call them alarms....

But these are controls to switch the relays on and off on your dvr........all you need is a relay at dvr end to have control over switching lights on and off

 

Hi Tom, thanks for the reply.

 

As I can be a bit thick, according to the wife and personal experience, I need a bit more info.

 

To wit, which remote software are you referring to? The DVR or the gDMSS?

 

After checking out the links that Owain gave me, I'm getting a bit more confused. I'm rather tired of letting the blue smoke out of my electronics! It can get expensive to experiment with this stuff!

 

I've searched the web for wiring diagrams but that's just a wild goose chase since no-one has the exact same scheme...

 

This does appear to be within reach though.

it's really not that complicated. the back of your dvr should look similar to this, with plug-in screw terminal blocks:

 

 

the top row include your alarm outputs - three pairs of 'no' (normally open) and 'c'ommon relay outputs. at the most simple, you can just run the power for a light fixture through one of them, the way you would normally wire in a switch (they'll support up to 2a at 30v). if you need to control more current, use the output to trigger a standard 12v relay.

 

once that's wired, you can use the 'slide switches' tom mentions in your dmss software to toggle those outputs on and off.

 

Ok, first of all, I don't remember you sneaking into the man room and taking a picture of the back of my DVR...

 

Second, Groucho is looking rather scruffy, when was the last time you gave him a bath?

 

Third, I found this nifty program that tricks PC's into thinking they're androids...

 

 

It's beta, and a bit buggy, but it's a start.

 

Now, in this pic, you can see that I was browsing the help section because i haven't got a clue...

 

When I look for the slide switches, I can't find any. Now, it is a know fact that I sometimes can't see the obvious. I admit it. I must be missing something here.

 

Also, when I poked around the pinouts on the back of the DVR, there wasn't any power that I could find... I think I may be losing it.

 

(I've been doing paperwork all weekend so I'm a tad frazzled, and this has been a nice distraction when wifer wasn't looking... )

 

 

 

I can feel a solution rising to the surface, or it's gas....

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

Now, in this pic, you can see that I was browsing the help section because i haven't got a clue...

 

When I look for the slide switches, I can't find any. Now, it is a know fact that I sometimes can't see the obvious. I admit it. I must be missing something here.

i'll leave that to tom as i don't currently have idmss installed on my phone...

 

Also, when I poked around the pinouts on the back of the DVR, there wasn't any power that I could find... I think I may be losing it.

the dvr doesn't supply power - you have to provide your own power to the lights. all the dvr does is act as a switch.

 

this is your basic 12v light fixture:

+------+                              +-------+
|      +------------------------------+       |
| BATT |                              | LIGHT |
|      +------------------------------+       |
+------+                              +-------+

 

now if you add a switch, you'd wire it in where the X is:

+------+                              +-------+
|      +---------X--------------------+       |
| BATT |                              | LIGHT |
|      +------------------------------+       |
+------+                              +-------+

 

except in this case, instead of two terminals on a switch, we're using the "c" and "no" terminals on the dvr. that's all those do - they're a normally-open switch under relay control. so when you trigger that alarm output, whether on-screen or through programming or through remote software, you set the dvr to close those contacts, and bingo, your light goes on.

[HiddenMountain 0]

the dvr doesn't supply power - you have to provide your own power to the lights. all the dvr does is act as a switch.

 

this is your basic 12v light fixture:

+------+                              +-------+
|      +------------------------------+       |
| BATT |                              | LIGHT |
|      +------------------------------+       |
+------+                              +-------+

 

now if you add a switch, you'd wire it in where the X is:

+------+                              +-------+
|      +---------X--------------------+       |
| BATT |                              | LIGHT |
|      +------------------------------+       |
+------+                              +-------+

 

except in this case, instead of two terminals on a switch, we're using the "c" and "no" terminals on the dvr. that's all those do - they're a normally-open switch under relay control. so when you trigger that alarm output, whether on-screen or through programming or through remote software, you set the dvr to close those contacts, and bingo, your light goes on.

 

Yeah, It's been a long day... Thanks for the simple explanation man.

 

I'll be on the road for the next week at least, so it'll be a while before I can get back to playing with it. I will be checking this thread though, so if anyone else has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

Thanks for your help everyone!

Edited November 19, 2012 by Guest

[Owain 0]

(they'll support up to 2a at 30v).

 

That may vary widely depending on DVR. Always best to use relays with decent isolation.

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

(they'll support up to 2a at 30v).

 

That may vary widely depending on DVR. Always best to use relays with decent isolation.

i was looking at the specs for his specific dvr.

[HiddenMountain 0]

Well, after a month on the road I came home and just did it. I got the DVR to control an LED test light. I even used the phone to turn it on and off! So there is hope here.

 

Now, just because we see a little success, we have to push the limits. Just before my trip, I ordered a 12V, 4 channel remote control, the type street racers are using to impress each others girlfriends with by remotely turning their LED light displays on and off.... I am so glad to be past that stage!

 

So, what do I want to attempt?

 

Only to control 4 circuits with 4 different switching controls.

 

A. The DVR, via the phone, the mouse, and WebService.

 

B. The remote control. Great for around the house I reckon.

 

C. Regular household wall switches, using 12V instead of 120.

 

D. Motion detection. To turn on the lights and to active an alarm. On one circuit only though.

 

I think it can be done. My hydro electric guru friend says it can. I just need to wrap my head around it and do it, neatly...

[Kawboy12R 0]

Good luck. Keep us posted. With pictures.

[Ryangonzales 0]

Well, after a month on the road I came home and just did it. I got the DVR to control an LED test light. I even used the phone to turn it on and off! So there is hope here.

 

Now, just because we see a little success, we have to push the limits. Just before my trip, I ordered a 12V, 4 channel remote control, the type street racers are using to impress each others girlfriends with by remotely turning their LED light displays on and off.... I am so glad to be past that stage!

 

So, what do I want to attempt?

 

Only to control 4 circuits with 4 different switching controls.

 

A. The DVR, via the phone, the mouse, and WebService.

 

B. The remote control. Great for around the house I reckon.

 

C. Regular household wall switches, using 12V instead of 120.

 

D. Motion detection. To turn on the lights and to active an alarm. On one circuit only though.

 

I think it can be done. My hydro electric guru friend says it can. I just need to wrap my head around it and do it, neatly...

When you get it done please mention how you achieved final results?

[HiddenMountain 0]

Ok, after a lot of head scratching and hair pulling, we have achieved our objective. It has been quite a learning experience.

 

I can now control 3 separate 12V circuits via: My DVR, which includes WebService and my android phone via gDMSS; my 12V remote control and various push button switches throughout the house.

 

It all came down to some automotive alarm latching MOSFET relay controllers. Once I had these guys, it was relatively easy.

 

This is my power distribution panel. It was a fire alarm panel that I gutted and re-purposed for this job.

 

Starting from the top right; an automotive fuse block, used to protect all of my household 12V circuits as well as my switching circuit.

 

There are a couple of busses; the smaller top one is for the various household circuits, the lower one is for my switching circuits.

 

Below them, on the right, are the three MOSFET controllers. They are Dynamic Electronic Industries model 611T. They are unique in that the polarities can be reversed on all points as well as be used as timers for up to 100 seconds. So, you can use a positive or negative switching control, which came in really handy for...

 

The remote control unit. It has only positive output so I had to set the MOSFET controllers to positive as well in order to keep it all in sync.

 

The three brown and three pink fuses are from the MOSFET units.

 

At the bottom left are two 12V Bosch relays. I'm going to add another one for the last remaining circuit soon.

 

So there it is, and the cool part is IT WORKS! haha... and who said it can't be done? I can now control three 12V circuits from anywhere in the world via my phone. How cool is that? If I want to get really fancy, I can use a 611T to control a 120V AC circuit.

 

The only thing missing is a clapper...lol

[ak357 0]

Ok, after a lot of head scratching and hair pulling, we have achieved our objective. It has been quite a learning experience.

 

I can now control 3 separate 12V circuits via: My DVR, which includes WebService and my android phone via gDMSS; my 12V remote control and various push button switches throughout the house.

 

have a look at WEMO switches

[HiddenMountain 0]

Ok, after a lot of head scratching and hair pulling, we have achieved our objective. It has been quite a learning experience.

 

I can now control 3 separate 12V circuits via: My DVR, which includes WebService and my android phone via gDMSS; my 12V remote control and various push button switches throughout the house.

 

have a look at WEMO switches

 

Thanks for the thought ak357. I looked into all kinds of different devices that are coming onto the market, and there are some pretty cool things out there. But I wanted to build my own set up, just for fun and to educate myself.

[ak357 0]

 

Thanks for the thought ak357. I looked into all kinds of different devices that are coming onto the market, and there are some pretty cool things out there. But I wanted to build my own set up, just for fun and to educate myself.

I respect this !

by the way where did u buy your MOSFET Sw ?