There goes the neighborhood...

[neiltimms]

Not an expert at this so I'll quote from a camera manufacturer that offers this feature

Martin, surely that would only matter if the IR emitters were on all the time. If they are off during the day then there is no IR to be filtered.
Again, i'm no expert either!

Ian, she actually didn't seem to mind at all (of course i noticed a few online purchases at Ann Taylor the next day )

[drozwood90]

Martin, surely that would only matter if the IR emitters were on all the time. If they are off during the day then there is no IR to be filtered.
Again, i'm no expert either!

Ian, she actually didn't seem to mind at all (of course i noticed a few online purchases at Ann Taylor the next day )

The SUN makes quite a bit of IR. The cutoff filters (mechanical ones) are a lens that is inside the camera, which allows more sensative CCDs to not get sun blindness during the day. Then at night, allows the CCD to see closer to the IR waveband (not thermal) by mechanically going in and out.

--Dan

[completelyhis]

My wife was comparing woot.com and walmart the other day. I told her that i only actually make a purchase 1/15th of the times I go to woot (daily), and have an average woot expendature of less than $2/day. Then I began to compare that to her walmart stats. She playfully grumbled something about stats and rolled over, feigning to be asleep. :-)

[neiltimms]

The SUN makes quite a bit of IR. The cutoff filters (mechanical ones) are a lens that is inside the camera, which allows more sensative CCDs to not get sun blindness during the day. Then at night, allows the CCD to see closer to the IR waveband (not thermal) by mechanically going in and out.

--Dan

Ah!

yes, that makes sense now. Well the ones i have ordered have some protection in the adjustable sun shade (the same as my existing cameras) but i see what Martin means now.

[AutomatedOutlet]

Dan, thanks for providing a better explaination!

[jackpod]

(better to ask forgiveness than permisison)

Ian

Boy in my house it works the other way, if I ask and explain the "why's" I only get a grumble about the cost, if I buy it and she finds out, i get the treatment

[mikee]

I have been running a low cost 4 camera dvr system on my HS server for about 2 years and it works great the software is Cam Permanent from http://www.crazypixels.com/ The cameras I use are the trendnet TV-IP400W which are a wireless PTZ camera that cost well under $200. (I got 4 from dell for $600 on one of their sales) these can also be used with the HS webcam plug in and have a built in webserver with dyndns so they can be accessed from anywhere.

[completelyhis]

Neil,
Did it show up yet? I got my Costco online account created, and I'm itchin' to use it!

[neiltimms]

Neil,
Did it show up yet? I got my Costco online account created, and I'm itchin' to use it!

It arrived yesterday but i was working till late so didn't get a chance to play with it too much. I did get 2 cameras hooked up to it but didn't have time to set them up really. I will play more tonight and tomorrow and let you know.

[Wadenut]

It arrived yesterday but i was working till late so didn't get a chance to play with it too much. I did get 2 cameras hooked up to it but didn't have time to set them up really. I will play more tonight and tomorrow and let you know.

We're all waiting to hear the results with bated breath, which reminds me, I've got to go brush my teeth.

Seriously. A friend of mine has been asking me about installing such a system for him to surveil his new garage. He's a building contractor and has a lot of expensive equipment to go into it. I told him about this ($1099 in Canada... no rebate unfortunately) and he just about "sinned in his pants". Now I'm thinking I may buy this thing too. I don't really need nine cameras, but these seem to retail for about $200 a piece, so I'd have spares if nothing else. I downloaded the manual from the Q-See site. Seems very impressive.
My biggest concern is how it might play with Homeseer. Perhaps a job for the plugin gurus. I never thought I'd bother with face recognition, but now...

As for powering the remote cameras. The included cables are 60 feet and include conductors for power from the DVR. I see no reason a person couldn't simply run coax to the cameras further away and supply power locally using a wall wart. In my friends case, I'd put the DVR inside his house, run several coax cables to the garage underground then power the cameras from there. It'd be about a 100ft run to some of them. Alternatively, Lorex, the camera manufacturer, sells 65 ft and 250 ft cables for their cameras.

[djanse]

Get Off My Lawn

I have been waiting for 45 years to say this.... and I just might do it.

I want to sit out in my broken down lawn chair, my bermuda shorts, my greasy wife beater tee-shirt and my black socks and sandels....

and then at the first site of some one walking across my yard or letting there dog take a dump with out cleaning it up

I will yell..

GET THE HELL OF MY LAWN.....

[Old-Man]

I ordered one of those Q-See systems. I got the one with 9 cameras to it. I'm only going to use 6 of them. I have not put it in yet. I'm hoping to do that in the next week or so.

The reason for me getting it is, the same issues as many, "KIDS". The GD kids around here run wild. I live in a area where the house run $500,00 to $800,000 and you would think that would make a nicer neighborhood to live in. The kids on are block are of all ages. Most that are running around are 6 to 10 years old. They have no respect for anything. I had a car that I used to get me from work and back. The car was parked out on the street most of the time. The kids have put so many dent in it play ball out on the street. What gets me fired up the most about this. We have a park 3 doors down from us.

A few months around I went out and spent $60,000 on a new truck. The first day home the little MF set the alarm off on it. I went out and yelled at them. A few hours later they came to the from door asked us to get a ball they were playing with out of the back of the truck. This time I called over and told the Dad keep the kids away from my truck. OH, BTW the truck is in my driveway. So after that I decided to get a camera system to catch them in the act. When they dent one of my cars or truck I will have it on tape. Then I will go get some repair estimates on fixing it and take out over to the parents. I can here it now, how do you know my little johnny did it. I will hand then a tape showing them little Johnny did it.

I will also use the cameras to catch the dog that is crapping on my lawn all the time.

OK, put me in that class of the old farts.

OM

[completelyhis]

welcome to the club!

Let me know how the system works, i plan on buying one soon if the shared fps works ok and the q-see system works ok w/ HS.

I'm going to get w/Tinker and see if we can start an actual club, similar to the HA pioneer's club.

Taking suggestions for the "icon" (like the HA Pioneers have the wagon, we'd have....the guy in the lawn chair, yelling?)


I live in a culd de sac, and have taught my kids (hey, there's a thought!) that other people's driveways and lawns are not a playground.

I also hope to use the cameras to log the numerous cars that drive and and/or stop at my neighbor's house (depending on some unknown signal), each car being there for aprox 3-5 minutes. hmmm, wonder what they're doing?

[Old-Man]

My deal was, if it doesn't work well Costo is real good at taking stuff back. I will just send it back.

[neiltimms]

ok, it is in!

I only have 4 cameras connected currently but will add another 3 by next weekend.

Overall - I like it.

Actually i love the DVR and cameras, i hate the software. When viewing the cameras remotely the picture is quite bad, but what is actually recorded is pretty clear, unfortunately in order to get the pictures off in the good state you have to attach a laptop to the DVR.

Playback and search are quite good (i is connected to my living room TV via rca.)

It's just the remote viewing that sucks, but i can live with that knowing that if something does happen i know i can get good clear pictures.

I took some snapshots from a playback and you can find them here

Note that because it is set to record on motion only the cameras that were recording at that particular moment show.

(When viewing on the TV in real time all cameras show)

let me know if you have any questions

Neil

p.s. 60ft cable sounds like a lot, but it is too short for 2 of the runs i am planning. Having order some 100ft cables