Please recommend a proximity sensor, some lighting and video

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BobL43

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I read something somewhere saying it could use either PATA or SATA, but the tray that came with this one is PATA on the inside at the back of the drive and then has a different connector of whatever kind at the business end of the tray. I have a stack of used 7200rpm PATAs, so I grabbed a WD-80GB for now...but I might later pull that drive back out and use one of the smaller ones I know I will never use anywhere else after finding out how much of the drive actually gets used for a few hours of recording.

The video-out on the back of this recorder is the same as a camera connecter, so now I need some kind of converter to get the output into a regular monitor. Also, I called AT&T and asked about an ADSL/POTS splitter for my NIC where the phone line comes to the house, and the enthusiastic young man on the phone says he is sending one without charge. I find it difficult to believe AT&T sends out the stuff their tecnicians install inside the NIC, but we will see what arrives in a couple of days!
Lee, 50 GB is kind of small, but if only one camera is feeding it, and you have the DVR set for recording by motion detection, it should be enough. My 8 Channel Swann DVR came with a 500GB drive originally, if I remember correctly.
 

Leejosepho

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I found this in the documentation for the Swann RedAlert system:
A 2GB SD card will record over 3,500 ten second videos, or more than 60,000 still images.
35,000 seconds (3,500 x 10) = 9.72 hours, so the math suggests a drive as small as 10GB could handle four cameras overnight where an 80GB drive should be able to store almost four days of continuous video from the same cameras. I have yet to get into the DVR4-Net's resolution options that would likely affect that, of course, but yes, I do plan to use a motion sensor so the system will only record when necessary.

The off the China Boat cmos camera pickups are a lot alike with different lenses for the Field of view that you want.

It takes a bunch of IR leds to really work, and the cameras with just a few leds are a joke over 5-10 feet or so.
I gave one of the Swann cameras a try early this morning and it did fairly well. It has only 12 IR LEDs, but but it looks like it will do just fine in my carport. However, I now have to wait for some BNC-to-RCA adapters to arrive before I can connect anything to the DVR4-Net recorder.
 
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BobL43

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I found this in the documentation for the Swann RedAlert system:

35,000 seconds (3,500 x 10) = 9.72 hours, so the math suggests a drive as small as 10GB could handle four cameras overnight where an 80GB drive should be able to store almost four days of continuous video from the same cameras. I have yet to get into the DVR4-Net's resolution options that would likely affect that, of course, but yes, I do plan to use a motion sensor so the system will only record when necessary.


I gave one of the Swann cameras a try early this morning and it did fairly well. It has only 12 IR LEDs, but but it looks like it will do just fine in my carport. However, I now have to wait for some BNC-to-RCA adapters to arrive before I can connect anything to the DVR4-Net recorder.
I guess I am spoiled with the 1 and 2 TB hard drives I have in my DVR's at various locations set for continuous recording with alarm markers that show markers when something moves in a selected areas of the screen. I guess that's why my hard drives have worn out, but they did last for quite a time before they did.

Attached is a snapshot of a night shot using a Lorex 24LED camera on one of my installs at about 2AM, and the gate in the distance is about 30 feet away from the camera. White vinyl fencing and siding helps, but the grass is green and any person in that area would be seen and "identifiable".
If you are using video recording triggered only by motion, your hard drive should be fine. I have 8 Swann cameras in use for the past 5 years with no problems with them until one seems to have failed the other day. I have had 2 Lorex cameras fail within 5 months of purchase (on warranty).
 

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DonL

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I read something somewhere saying it could use either PATA or SATA, but the tray that came with this one is PATA on the inside at the back of the drive and then has a different connector of whatever kind at the business end of the tray. I have a stack of used 7200rpm PATAs, so I grabbed a WD-80GB for now...but I might later pull that drive back out and use one of the smaller ones I know I will never use anywhere else after finding out how much of the drive actually gets used for a few hours of recording.

The video-out on the back of this recorder is the same as a camera connecter, so now I need some kind of converter to get the output into a regular monitor. Also, I called AT&T and asked about an ADSL/POTS splitter for my NIC where the phone line comes to the house, and the enthusiastic young man on the phone says he is sending one without charge. I find it difficult to believe AT&T sends out the stuff their tecnicians install inside the NIC, but we will see what arrives in a couple of days!


The WD800 Caviar HD is junk. I hope that is not what you have to use. If so put it on a UPS, or they can crash on power loss.

The Swann should have a option to set resolution, and make file storage minimal.

For a NTSC signal 640 X 480 is fine, because NTSC is less than that.

You can still buy RF modulators for use with your TV, But most monitors should accept a NTSC input. A BNC to RCA or S-Video should work. S-Video adapter connects chroma and luminance together.


I like your basement Bob. That is very cool to have indoors.
 
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BobL43

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The WD800 Caviar HD is junk. I hope that is not what you have to use. If so put it on a UPS, or they can crash on power loss.

The Swann should have a option to set resolution, and make file storage minimal.

For a NTSC signal 640 X 480 is fine, because NTSC is less than that.

You can still buy RF modulators for use with your TV, But most monitors should accept a NTSC input. A BNC to RCA or S-Video should work. S-Video adapter connects chroma and luminance together.


I like your basement Bob. That is very cool to have indoors.

Yes it is very cool right now outside too. you are too funny Don, but very cool.:) That view and its label is of the basement window of a friends house.
 

DonL

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The IR works good on some of the cameras, but the power requirements kill the use of a long wire run. And you need a good power supply.

I build regulated battery backup systems (13.8V) for Security systems. No need for a 120V UPS.

My backup systems work good for routers also.


I like my stuff to work, even if the wires have been cut.


Have Fun.
 

BobL43

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The IR works good on some of the cameras, but the power requirements kill the use of a long wire run. And you need a good power supply.

I build regulated battery backup systems (13.8V) for Security systems. No need for a 120V UPS.

My backup systems work good for routers also.


I like my stuff to work, even if the wires have been cut.


Have Fun.
are you a spammer now Don?
 

Leejosepho

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I have been playing around a bit with the Swann DVR, and I am wondering whether either of you might know why the DVR seems to have difficulty maintaining a good picture. Here is what happens:

The cameras I have came with a small monitor (everything is Swann), and they work just fine when connected to that monitor. They also work fine with the DVR at least part of the time, but sometimes the images get washed out. Doing a complete reset of the DVR will sometimes make everything fine again, but not always. The issue has something to do with the DVR getting confused when the cameras self-adjust to ambient light and/or motion. So, is it possible that I need a different (older) kind of camera for the older Swann DVR? As an aside, I did manage to find an FTP link for downloading the software that lets me access the DVR over my local network.
 

DonL

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You need a (1 only) 75 ohm termination.

If not the Video is not 1 V p-p.

Check the AGC level.


Sounds like you are having fun.
 

BobL43

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I have been playing around a bit with the Swann DVR, and I am wondering whether either of you might know why the DVR seems to have difficulty maintaining a good picture. Here is what happens:

The cameras I have came with a small monitor (everything is Swann), and they work just fine when connected to that monitor. They also work fine with the DVR at least part of the time, but sometimes the images get washed out. Doing a complete reset of the DVR will sometimes make everything fine again, but not always. The issue has something to do with the DVR getting confused when the cameras self-adjust to ambient light and/or motion. So, is it possible that I need a different (older) kind of camera for the older Swann DVR? As an aside, I did manage to find an FTP link for downloading the software that lets me access the DVR over my local network.
We get what we pay for (sometimes, if we are lucky). I've been using consumer grade cameras and DVR's for a few years, and kind of accepted the results. The place where I work just had some professional equipment intalled; very high quality. The difference between the images on this equipment looks like watching a Superbowl game on a High Def TV vs my mickey mouse cartoon images. Absolutely unbelievable.

I don't remember if you said your system is with wireless or wired cameras, which could make a big difference in the signal recieved at the DVR, and what about ambient light? Do the images look washed out when the sun or other light is shining on the camera(s)? Not all cameras are able to compensate sufficiently (auto iris)
 

DonL

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A lot of the cheap low light cameras do not have optical filters so that the IR is detected better in low light.

Sunlight will wash them out, because the IR content in sunlight is high.

A good camera will have a daylight sensor and switch in to B&W at night, and use IR only.

AGC is about all you can do in the software, tweaking Contrast helps also.


Buy a $20 camera and you get a $20 camera.
 

BobL43

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A lot of the cheap low light cameras do not have optical filters so that the IR is detected better in low light.

Sunlight will wash them out, because the IR content in sunlight is high.

A good camera will have a daylight sensor and switch in to B&W at night, and use IR only.

AGC is about all you can do in the software, tweaking Contrast helps also.


Buy a $20 camera and you get a $20 camera.
Thaswaddathuddasaid. (Brooklynese)
 
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Leejosepho

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A good camera will have a daylight sensor and switch in to B&W at night, and use IR only.
These cameras definitely have that and do that, and everything is fine while they are connected directly to the small monitor. But then when I connect them to the DVR, is seems the DVR is doing some kind of additional switching of its own that is washing things out.

You need a (1 only) 75 ohm termination.
What is that and where do I put it?

My overall suspicion is that I bought a worn-out DVR (bad video), and the goal here is to try to isolate the actual problem.

Edit: I just found and ordered a 75-ohm terminator for the DVR's second video output (BNC).
 
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DonL

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The terminator is built into the monitor. It is just a 75 ohm resistor normally.

Just use a T and see how it looks with the Monitor and the DVR connected at the same time.

You can use a ohm meter to measure if the DVR has a terminator built in.


Are you using BNC or RCA Phono connectors ?
 

BobL43

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These cameras definitely have that and do that, and everything is fine while they are connected directly to the small monitor. But then when I connect them to the DVR, is seems the DVR is doing some kind of additional switching of its own that is washing things out.


What is that and where do I put it?

My overall suspicion is that I bought a worn-out DVR (bad video), and the goal here is to try to isolate the actual problem.
In that case, plug the camera's cable into a different monitor that accepts video input (usually a yellow "RCA" jack) and a BNC to RCA adapter if needed. Lots of TV's these days have them, and then you need to select "Video: as the input on the TV.

lots of bad images look fine on a tiny monitor, but terrible on a regular screen.
 

Leejosepho

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Just use a T and see how it looks with the Monitor and the DVR connected at the same time.

...


Are you using BNC or RCA Phono connectors ?
The cameras and monitor have RCA connections, and the DVR has BNC. So, I have added an RCA/BNC adapter at each connection on the back of the DVR. Also, and as mentioned in my above edit you might have missed, I have ordered a 75-ohm terminator for the DVR's second video-out connection.

...plug the camera's cable into a different monitor that accepts video input...

lots of bad images look fine on a tiny monitor, but terrible on a regular screen.
I have yet to try a TV, but yes, I do understand about resolution and such.
 
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