CCTV help

typeractive

Hello all,

When rewiring my house I threw in a load of cat 6 (and some cat 5) cable for computer points etc. At the same time I decided to make provision for CCTV just for the heck of it really (and based upon a previous experience).

Now I am getting closer to the point of second fixing and I need to know more about which cameras or dvr's to buy. My requirements:

Cat 6/5 capable from a balun to power up.
Small cameras (ideally little dome ones) to not look too obtrusive.
Motion detection.
Able to record at night time.
Quite close proximity range - perhaps 5metres?
Iphone access.

Where they are situated there will be lights with PIR motion detection, so they should create a bit of light if there is a disturbance, making any recording a bit clearer.

So can anyone advise which cameras I should buy, that fit the bill? Also perhaps what device I need to record / capture, setup on my network.

Does anyone have any experience with this?
Cheers!
:j

kev_min

I would have a look here http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/ they have a vast range of cameras and DVRs, and there are sure to be things that meet your requirements.

I guess from your post that you intend to use balun & cat 5, if thats the case then any external cameras should idealy be in a decent weatherproof enclosure, these are quite expensive new but good preloved ones come up on that major online shopping site regularly.

neilwoods

How many cameras are required, what distance is required for night vision. What distance do the Cat 5 cable extend to, as the longer they are the less current you can send, so that will determine the camera as well.

Most external domes are not that small.

Do you have a budget in mind.

eyeinthesky

I suggest you look at cctvforums.com there are clever people from all over the world on there, and I am sure they would love to help.

typeractive

neilwoods wrote: »

How many cameras are required, what distance is required for night vision. What distance do the Cat 5 cable extend to, as the longer they are the less current you can send, so that will determine the camera as well.

Most external domes are not that small.

Do you have a budget in mind.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. I will need 3. 2 will be outside, 1 indoors (garage). The 2 outside cables must run approx 6m, perhaps less. The one to the garage more likely to be 11m.

As for budget, I really have no idea. I know that doesn't help at all. Would £200 for cameras sound too small?

Night vision I probably require 5m, though within this proximity there will be a yard light, which is activated will obviously lighten up the area.

Someone has suggested IP cameras. I didn't know there was a difference in type.

You would think this would be simple! Whilst I can find a lot of places selling cameras I can't find a really good, simple guide to help identify what I need.

Any help is welcomed!
:beer:

neilwoods

From what you say, it would be best to buy a ready made kit.

Can buy a 2 camera set up with a 500gb 4 channel DVR, for about £200. With it being a 4 channel you can add an extra 2 cameras.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/500gb-network-security-system-with-smartphone-viewing-and-2-x-480tvl-cameras-590010

Or 4 camera set up with 1TB 8 channel DVR for about £300, which allows you add 4 other cameras.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/1tb-8ch-network-security-system-with-smartphone-viewing-and-4-x-480tvl-cameras-589999?utm_source=Maplin&utm_medium=TopProducts&utm_content=589999&utm_campaign=Frontpage

Both kits will record continually or motion detection or record at set times. The cameras on those kits will do 20m night vision, all have 3.6 mm lens which means they are classed as wide angle

Most DVR these days will be smart phone friendly, so you can hook upto broadband and view over the phone, which is great for this country, but need to be careful if abroad as the roaming charges there are seriously high.

At the distance you say of 6m, that will be no problem for the Balun, it's only when you go to 100m or more you need worry.

typeractive

neilwoods wrote: »

From what you say, it would be best to buy a ready made kit.

Can buy a 2 camera set up with a 500gb 4 channel DVR, for about £200. With it being a 4 channel you can add an extra 2 cameras.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/500gb-network-security-system-with-smartphone-viewing-and-2-x-480tvl-cameras-590010

Or 4 camera set up with 1TB 8 channel DVR for about £300, which allows you add 4 other cameras.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/1tb-8ch-network-security-system-with-smartphone-viewing-and-4-x-480tvl-cameras-589999?utm_source=Maplin&utm_medium=TopProducts&utm_content=589999&utm_campaign=Frontpage

Both kits will record continually or motion detection or record at set times. The cameras on those kits will do 20m night vision, all have 3.6 mm lens which means they are classed as wide angle

Most DVR these days will be smart phone friendly, so you can hook upto broadband and view over the phone, which is great for this country, but need to be careful if abroad as the roaming charges there are seriously high.

At the distance you say of 6m, that will be no problem for the Balun, it's only when you go to 100m or more you need worry.

Hi again,

Thanks for the further info!! Can you speak for the quality of these kits? I don't mind paying the extra £100 for the 4 cameras and extra storage. I'd be ok with it recording on motion detection or recording for a week (if possible) and then wiping and starting over again.

Do you know if these kits will power from the cat 5 or 6 cable and include the necessarry baluns? That's the only cable I have running to each location for power, I don't have any other power cables to plug into.

typeractive

neilwoods wrote: »

May as well say i do work at Maplin and have sold a lot of CCTV system's. There are plenty of on-line site's which may offer better deals or prices. That's the reason i posted those links as i knew instantly about them.

Well that's ok - I appreciate the honesty

The swann DVR are pretty good, cameras are 1/4 CCD, you can get better, but obviously the price does tend to up. They are 480 TVL, refers to resolution which are good, again you can get higher. If you had 4 cameras on 1TB at 50fps on continuous record, be looking at 100 days recording. And if you use continuous , when it gets to maximum capacity it loops back to beginning and records over itself.

That sounds good.

They won't come with any balun's, you would have to buy them seperate, just make sure you get the right ones, most won't carry power just the picture.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/xvision-cat5-video-power-and-audiobaluns-rj45-socket-type-535955

Ok - I'll have a look at them.

What type of monitor or TV would you use, as you may need to get an adaptor as well to connect to DVR box, as they use BNC connector or they do have VGA connection, so if u have a spare monitor then that will plug straight in. But if using TV, then a BNC to phono connector would be needed.

Well this is a good point...I was going to run the cables back to my 'server cupboard', where all my network points will run to. Guess I hadn't quite thought where I wanted the picture to be broadcast! (typical of me!). Hmmm - well I would perhaps want access on a pc or mac. I *could* throw an old monitor into my server cupboard, but not sure that's what I want. I thought if I could run it over the lan somehow I could just view it on a computer.

To be honest I just want them to prevent an intruder, and as I work a lot, I don't want dummies. I'd like them to actually capture anything. I'd only look back if I became suspicious (e.g. neighbour told me, or there was somethign reported in the neighbourhood), or heavens forbid I was unlucky enough from an intruder.

I guess that's why I'd like them to work / be viewable and perhaps notifiable on my iphone. Hopefully I'd just have to keep checking every now and then - a bit like checking smoke alarms if ya get me.

:j

neilwoods

Will the pc or mac be near the server cupboard, as that will be where DVR would need to go to, seeing as that is where all the cables will terminate.

Maybe 2 port VGA switch. Dont have to have a monitor connected at all times, but will be required for the placement of the cameras and to watch back anything.

You can view it real time via your phone and does have email notification (when used with motion detection)

typeractive

neilwoods wrote: »

Will the pc or mac be near the server cupboard, as that will be where DVR would need to go to, seeing as that is where all the cables will terminate.

Hmmm - probably not, was just going to have a switch, and a nas box and any other components needed. Having said that, I could probably get my mits on an old pc of some sort.

Maybe 2 port VGA switch.

Right - so does that come straight out of the DVR?

Dont have to have a monitor connected at all times, but will be required for the placement of the cameras and to watch back anything.

Check.

You can view it real time via your phone and does have email notification (when used with motion detection)

Well if that's the case, then I would imagine I can view them on an online browser. If my phone can connect then surely I can get to the footage online? If so, then that would be fine and dandy.

The email notification etc would be good.

Would there be a benefit from IP cameras? possibly exclude the need for the DVR? And do all I'm suggesting? :-/

neilwoods

Doesnt need a PC to run, the DVR is a self contained unit, all the software for recording and detection is built into it. Just requires a monitor to place and watch back what has been recorded.

Yes you can watch it over the net with an online browser, plus watch back anything that has been recorded.

You can buy IP pan and tilt camera for about £100, quality is not brilliant, but will do everything the DVR box can do via the PC. But for the same quality camera with IP, which will do the same as DVR via PC. would be looking at around £150 per camera.