CCTV advice what to install etc,

[Archive-8]

I had to buy a couple of new cameras the other day, ordered from a bay seller shipping from china.

Took the old camera down and put the new ones up.

Go inside to see them working.....

And nothing.

The seller tried to tell me it was because I didn't have a compatible dvr. I do have a compatible dvr.

So I had to ask eBay to step in and get my money back.

So now I still need to replace at least 1 of my cctv cameras.

I had thought about poe, trouble is I have 3 analog cams (wired) and a foscam nvr for my IP cams (2 cams Yeovil & 2 cams Sherborne)

And the ipcams are all mjpeg, so they chew up my bandwidth on the adsl.

And a lot of the Chinese sellers are claiming the cameras are h264 when they are mjpeg.

 

[jeallen01]

CJ

I think PoE would OK for what I would need, as running 2x cables to each camera would be a bit of a pain in this house due to where the cameras need to be located, the number and sizes of holes (mainly in the roof overhang sofits), and because I would probably need a separate PSU for each camera. Would be using Cat 5E/Cat 6 cables anyway as the internal network is already 1Gb pretty much everywhere, and the ISP connection is Virgin Fibre to the local distribution box and then coax to the house.

So that leaves the equipment?

 

[Lazarus]

In trying to avoid the lower end of the Chinese Market (To be fair, a lot of stuff from there is actually pretty good, though) I try to buy from UK Sellers ..... BUT, it turns out that the latter are often just Warehousing Agents for exactly the same carp!

 

[Archive-8]

In trying to avoid the lower end of the Chinese Market (To be fair, a lot of stuff from there is actually pretty good, though) I try to buy from UK Sellers ..... BUT, it turns out that the latter are often just Warehousing Agents for exactly the same carp!

The seller I purchased the cams from said he was a U.K. Seller, U.K. Warehouse, but he sipped the cameras from China, and the returns go to a uk address.

On the plus side, I had to put new power cable in, seems the old camera I was replacing was not getting enough voltage, and that was causing the problem.

So now i have 4 psu's running the the ir floods/analog cameras/ipcams

The dvr's have their own psu each.

 

[jeallen01]

Lazarus

And sometimes not even that - just "post boxes" for stuff shipped direct from China. Can often tell that by the long quoted delivery times!

 

[Terryl]

The seller I purchased the cams from said he was a U.K. Seller, U.K. Warehouse, but he sipped the cameras from China, and the returns go to a uk address.

On the plus side, I had to put new power cable in, seems the old camera I was replacing was not getting enough voltage, and that was causing the problem.

So now i have 4 psu's running the the ir floods/analog cameras/ipcams

The dvr's have their own psu each.

This is why I always install 24 volt AC powered cameras on the long runs, you have less voltage drop problems that way, you can also get away with smaller power lines out to the cameras.

The longer the power run on a DC powered camera the bigger gauge the power wires, my formula for a DC powered system is for every 25 feet of run, the next step up in wire gauge is needed, go over a #14 and a AC powered setup would be best.

 

[Archive-8]

This is why I always install 24 volt AC powered cameras on the long runs, you have less voltage drop problems that way, you can also get away with smaller power lines out to the cameras.

The longer the power run on a DC powered camera the bigger gauge the power wires, my formula for a DC powered system is for every 25 feet of run, the next step up in wire gauge is needed, go over a #14 and a AC powered setup would be best.

Well the ipcam in the garden and the 3 ir flood lamps and 1 of the analogue cctv cameras now get the power from a supply in the garage, less then 5m cable.

The other 2 analogue cctv cameras get the power from a supply in the front room.

The dvr's get the power from the wall warts.

My biggest mistake was trying to run it all from 1 supply, now I have corrected that, all seems to be ok.

But I am still learning. (Slowly)

 

[Terryl]

On more then 4 camera setups I use a centrally located power center, this runs all cameras and exterior IR lighting from one big power supply, some power centers even have both DC and AC supply's.

One supply for all will cut down on any possible video problems due to using two separate power supply's on different AC household power phases, you can sometimes get lines or flickering in the video with a phase problem.

On some long runs with DC cameras I build up a little AC to DC converter board, run 24 volts AC out to the camera then use the power interface to run 12 volts DC to the camera, you can do some real long runs this way.

Your problem may have been to small a gauge wire or too small a DC power supply, I don't know what your setup is as far as wiring, but most CCTV systems can get by with only one supply for all.

What gauge power wire did you use?

 

[Archive-8]

It's a video and power in one cable type, they are 20m. I got them from eBay when I put the system in a few years ago. Now all cameras and ir's are powered from 12v 5amp Supply x 3. And the dvr's have their own wall wart.

I only need to upgrade one of my cameras now.

 

[Terryl]

It's not that thin white junk with very small wires is it?

If so then I would seriously use the siamese coax with a good sized power cable in it.

You can get it pre-made up or in bulk.

http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/RG59-Siamese-CCTV-Cable-s/259.htm

Solves a lot of problems.

 

[jeallen01]

I think I'm beginning to change my mind about PoE!
I have an AC power point in the attic, and that could power the cameras if I run some power cables to points near where the cameras would be located - but I would still prefer to use Ethernet cables from a new switch to them, rather than using WiFi. and so I will be looking for suitable cameras to use.

 

[Archive-8]

It's not that thin white junk with very small wires is it?

If so then I would seriously use the siamese coax with a good sized power cable in it.

You can get it pre-made up or in bulk.

http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/RG59-Siamese-CCTV-Cable-s/259.htm

Solves a lot of problems.

This is the 20 m run



But no longer power it via that cable. Just the video only.

I use this



But the cable run for the power is only 5m or less.

 

[Archive-8]

I think I'm beginning to change my mind about PoE!
I have an AC power point in the attic, and that could power the cameras if I run some power cables to points near where the cameras would be located - but I would still prefer to use Ethernet cables from a new switch to them, rather than using WiFi. and so I will be looking for suitable cameras to use.

What type of cams do you intend to use?

All my analogue cams, and IP cams are viewable via the net, via an app on my phone.

 

[Terryl]

What type of cams do you intend to use?

All my analogue cams, and IP cams are viewable via the net, via an app on my phone.

If you can view them via the internet then so can someone else.

Burglars in the big city's in my neck of the woods are getting smarter, they look at those before they go in, this to avoid the cameras, we have seen whole house security systems shut down just because someone though it would be nice to see whats going on with the Iphone while on vacation.

Remember if it's on the web it can be hacked.

(Yes kids I found my typo's, it's the day before the weekend so the drinking starts early)

 

[Archive-8]

If you can view them via the internet then so can someone else.

Burglars in the big city's in my neck of the woods are getting smarter, they are look at the hose before they go in, this to avoid the cameras, we have seen whole house security systems shut down just because someone though it would be nice to see whats going on with the Iphone while on vacation.

Remember if it's on the web it can be hacked.

That's a very good point. I have changed the usernames and passwords. As I did have my old dvr hacked.

But the number of people that don't bother to change them is ridiculous.

It's the same with the modem/router most people just leave that on the default settings.

 

[Archive4]

If you can view them via the internet then so can someone else.

Burglars in the big city's in my neck of the woods are getting smarter, they are look at the hose before they go in, this to avoid the cameras, we have seen whole house security systems shut down just because someone though it would be nice to see whats going on with the Iphone while on vacation.

Remember if it's on the web it can be hacked.

Do most thieves in the US check their trousers first?

 

[Terryl]

Only the amateurs, and the ones with the really baggy pants that drop down around their ankles when running from the cops.

 

[jeallen01]

Terryl

W.r.t. web access for "unauthorized" people, that is the main reason I don't want to use WiFi-connected cameras. Cabled connections are hopefully a little more secure, but I could probably be OK with that, particularly if I could set up encrypted connections (ANOTHER thing I know absolutely SFA about at the moment) so that I could, if necessary, remotely access when "elsewhere".

We have had a few attempted break-ins around here in the, sometimes recent, past, but OTOH, we do have quite a few neighbors (automated US spelling correction, unfortunately - the forum "staff" need to look at that because it's essentially a UK forum!) who try to keep an eye on adjacent properties, and that's fairly reassuring.

 

[Archive-8]

Terryl

W.r.t. web access for "unauthorized" people, that is the main reason I don't want to use WiFi-connected cameras. Cabled connections are hopefully a little more secure, but I could probably be OK with that, particularly if I could set up encrypted connections (ANOTHER thing I know absolutely SFA about at the moment) so that I could, if necessary, remotely access when "elsewhere".

We have had a few attempted break-ins around here in the, sometimes recent, past, but OTOH, we do have quite a few neighbors (automated US spelling correction, unfortunately - the forum "staff" need to look at that because it's essentially a UK forum!) who try to keep an eye on adjacent properties, and that's fairly reassuring.

You had better read this and register with them.

CCTV

Cable method and don't connect your dvr to the network and it will be very secure.

If you do put it online then secure it!

 

[Terryl]

That's a very good point. I have changed the usernames and passwords. As I did have my old dvr hacked.

But the number of people that don't bother to change them is ridiculous.

It's the same with the modem/router most people just leave that on the default settings.

I change them once a month.

On some I use what is called an "Above Black" password, that is one that would take about 2 billion years to hack.

For those that need to, here is a site that will tell you how secure your password is. (if your worried about the site then I would not give out the exact one, but one that has a few changes)

https://howsecureismypassword.net/