Where To Start

[OnOff]

OK, bear with me! New to CCTV, my only experience having been with those SCART based plug into the TV single camera things. We've actually  a couple on two separate TV's. It's a case of if we hear a noise change channel. Also limited to where we have the two cameras.

Been putting it off but as the neighbourhood seems to be suffering a bit more from unwelcome attention I'm looking at something more modern/ permanent.

One issue is distance. We have a large, vulnerable (I think) frontage. From the front of the house to the road is approx. 30m. Width wise the front garden is again approx 30m. House is pretty much central to the plot with a larger detached garage over to one side and nearer the front boundary.

Doing a new water main trench from the road to house "right up the middle" seems the ideal time to lay in ducting and nearer of CCTV "cabling" to try and future proof things.

But what to plan for?

Digital or analogue cameras?

"1000tvl" or "1080P"?

Co-ax or Cat-5/6 cable?

And then make of "box". Seems I can get a no name 16-channel unit DVR for £200 or a lot less or maybe double that for a say Samsung. Or is going for an all singing, all dancing cheapie one the way to go as they're so cheap and just swap it out after a couple of years?

It do I look at something pc based or a hybrid?

Right at the beginning with this and just looking for some pointers. Wanting to avoid wireless and the Swann, Yale type kit.

Ideally I'm thinking: 

- Recording to HDD - expandable

- Possible HDMI output to the TV in the event of an alarm

- Connected to the router for remote viewing

- Having a tablet by the bed on "standby" for middle of the night alerts/viewing.

- As for siting the "unit" it'll either under the main TV in the lounge or in the (yet to be moved / built) new meter cupboard.

I do have a security company contact I could tap up but don't wsnt to be beholden to them. Saying that it might be worth investigating whether he can assist with any discounts or even some of the ex commercial kit he takes out.

Any starting tips appreciated!

 

[Andy™]

go for digital. you can use cat 5 for all the data, and if you have a few at a remote point you can fit a switch there. POE is an option but probably better to keep cat 5 just for data and run a 230v nearby for a PSU.

for my CCTV i use a stand alone hybrid recorder (some older cameras are analogue) and a dedicated PC for the 3/5mp cameras running blue iris. the PC based one also has an excellent app too so you can get live view and previous from your phone anywhere

 

[OnOff]

Cheers. Because of the potential number of cameras, distances involved I think PoE to the majority of the cameras sounds the way to go. Running 230V locally to each (is that what you meant?) would be a right pain. Is a single CAT-5 to each camera OK? How are the cores split between power and data, sure I've read maybe about running TWO CAT-5s to each camera? Cheers.

 

[kerching]

Bearing in mind that I know nothing...wife constantly reminds me!

do NOT EVER NOT EVER NOT NO HOW buy CCA cable......it is total ****e, end of!

make sure it is Copper...and get outdoor or duct rated if you can.

CPC had some very good outdoor grade Cat5e recently, it has a double sheath. I bought 10 boxes of it. If you were nearer you could have had a box

itmis that cheap you may as well,throw a couple of spares in the duct. Pain in the Essex if you have to draw another and the rope has got tangled or worse still 'lost'

just CPCing

 

[OnOff]

Pain in the Essex

:slap

I can see that entering the Oxford English Dictionary shortly!

Cheers ref the offer and cable tips. Yep, spares will go in as a matter of course.

 

[Andy™]

when i put mine in i simply ran a cat5 to each location back to patch panel and a 230v to each point. but since they were all in the same unit it wasnt a problem doing it that way. if you have long distances you may have a volt drop problem with POE. never used it, but iirc it uses the usual 2 pairs for data, 1 pair for + and one for -

 

[OnOff]

Seems a 100m or so for PoE without extenders.....

 

[kerching]

PoE just LOVES CCA cable...really lurves it.

nice bundle of CCAs.  All with a nice tight arrangement of cables ties.....it does tend to get a tad on the warm/melts/Barrymmored side of things! :slap

 

[OnOff]

Seems everyone hates cca:

http://www.lynxdatacabling.co.uk/entity-287-Beware+of+CCA+and+CCC+cables.aspx

 

[Sidewinder]

Don't forget CCS, it's just as bad!

 

[kerching]

Don't forget CCS, it's just as bad!

I got spanked over some of that festering faeces by, on of my wholesalers...now an ex wholesaler.

went in for some BT CW1308 as they were nearer than going back home for it, where I have 100s of metres of the stuff

could not work out why it was so hard to clip...like a Fricking spring...then I saw some metal,swarf sticking to it. It tested ok, but I am glad it was only a short run.   AND They charged me copper price for it!!,

 

[Andy™]

Don't forget CCS, it's just as bad!

copper clad string? at least the string method worked for voice calls!

 

[kerching]

copper clad string? at least the string method worked for voice calls!

Ah yes 'tinsel' absolute dream to try and solder said nobody ever

and now there is CCC....believe it or not Copper coated Copper!

an inferior copper centre with a better quality copper coating ...whatever next?

 

[Sharpend]

and now there is CCC....believe it or not Copper coated Copper!

an inferior copper centre with a better quality copper coating ...whatever next?

Look this over coating has been done with chocolate for years it was only a matter of time before copper caught up!  .......... :coat  

 

[kerching]

Look this over coating has been done with chocolate for years it was only a matter of time before copper caught up!  .......... :coat  

Chocolate coated copper, brilliant. Chew the off cuts, eat the choc, weigh in the scrap!

gives another meaning to Choc Block and Choc Box

 

[Sharpend]

:slap  

 

[Andy™]

where's the chocolate? im hungry now

 

[Sharpend]

Chocolate coated copper, brilliant. Chew the off cuts, eat the choc, weigh in the scrap!

gives another meaning to Choc Block and Choc Box

You're not the electrician I thought you were, you're an electrician and a half! 

 

[OnOff]

Been reading plenty ref CCTV. What's the "norm" here? Run a multi CCTV duct 30m from the house trenched down to the front fence, middle 'ish of the frontage and up a concrete fence post. Then what to the cameras? Exrerior CAT-5 clipped direct to the wooden fence? The cameras will be sited along the fence and around the gate area. A tad worried about the mutant black squirrels around here having a go!

 

[Sharpend]

I think I'd be thinking of up the concrete post with a piece of conduit, then a piece of copex to the camera? 

As for the cable wouldn't that depend on what camera you were putting in? Don't some use POE these days?