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Home Surveillance System Setup


Chat TranscriptHome surveillance system setup is the topc of discussion for this chat transcript. The questions and answers include general system setup, wiring, TV modulators, hard drive space usage and motion detection recording.





Support Transcript:

Customer: I am evaluating a home video surveillance system.  Do these systems provide for display on all the TV's in the home via an unused cable channel.

CCTV Sales: Hi Customer. You can feed an unused cable channel in your house so that each TV can view your surveillance cameras by using a TV modulator.  Modulators do not come with our systems but you can add a modulator to any system.

Customer: is this an expensive or complicated process

CCTV Sales: actually no.  TV Modulators generally have 2 inputs on them.  One set of RCA inputs that you can use to connect your surveillance DVR to and one coax CATV input to connect your cable television or satellite cable to.  Then there is an output on them that you connect to splitter that runs the television and video signal to all of the TVs in your home.

Customer: so with any of the 4 camera surveillance systems, we can add a modulator and display what the cameras are seeing on any TV in the house?

CCTV Sales: yes

Customer: How challenging are the home surveillance systems to set up.

CCTV Sales: Our systems are designed to be plug and play.  The surveillance DVRs are like setting up a more advanced VCR.  Hooking up the cameras is plug and play.  There are two wires for each camera.  You have 2 choices for your CCTV wiring.  They are using pre-cut plug and play CCTV Cables which can be found here: 100 foot CCTV Cables. Or you can go with spools of RG59, which basically allows you to make runs and cut the wire to custom length.  Here are the are spools of RG59. If you go with RG59 cable, you attach a BNC male connector, seen here:
http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/CCTV-BNC-Twist-p/bncmaletwist.htm
to each end of the video wire in the RG59.  This allows you to connect the camera video output to the DVR video input.  You also will attach a DC power lead to each end of the RG59.  One male, one female as seen here:
http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/Power-Cable-Lead-p/pt-3.htm
http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/CCTV-Accessory-PT4-p/pt-4.htm
One end plugs into the cameras power supply input.  The other end plugs into the camera power supply.
The power supply plugs into a wall electrical outlet.  There is another option for power. Instead of attaching an individual power supply to each camera, you can attach all cameras to a power supply box.
If you go with a power supply box, you do not need the DC power lead on the power side because the positive ad negative power wires from the RG59 cable screw into terminals on the power supply box.
CCTV Sales: Here is a link to some more info on CCTV Cabling.
Customer: How long does it usually take to fill up a 250gig hard drive before you back off to some other media?
CCTV Sales: There are a number of settings and factors that will determine how many hours will fit onto a 250GB hard drive.  They are:
  1. Which surveillance DVR you go with
  2. What type of quality the record is set to
  3. The number of frames per second you choose to record at
  4. How often motion occurs, if you use motion detection recording.
Considering four security cameras recording to our JP surveillance DVR, one week to one month of recording is a general range with the main dependency being how often motion occurs.

Customer: OK, so that is helpful, these would be in a rural setting, not a lot happening for the motion detection.

CCTV Sales: Our standard 250GB standard drive that comes with the DVR will be fine. Are you considering a stand alone DVR or PC based system DVR?

Customer: My thought was standalone and we may want to view remotely from a PC over the Internet.

CCTV Sales: This is my recommendation and our best selling 4 camera home surveillance system: http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/Home-Surveillance-System-p/syspro-4bi047a.htm

Customer: How good are these cameras if mounted in a porch ceiling to see who is at the door?

CCTV Sales: Here is a surveillance video sample. That video is degraded a bit because of the video conversion required to make the Internet file type. The video sample was taken with that exact camera that comes with the system that I recommended. http://videos.cctvcamerapros.com/security-camera-videos/bipro9007-cctv-camera.html

Customer: your right, pictures are very good in the daylight

Customer: Is your technical support to help install as good as your sales support?

CCTV Sales: We have some of the best support in the industry.  I also do technical support for the company and I work with many people one on one by appointment.

Customer: The house is under construction and ready for drywall.  Is this really something I can wire myself?

CCTV Sales: Yes, this is the best time (before drywall). It is much easier now than later.

Customer: How long are the camera cables and do the cameras require power at the camera end, or back at the DVR end?

CCTV Sales: You can cut the RG59 to any length up to about 700 feet.  The RG59 cable runs both the video and the power supply back to the DVR, so power in not required at the camera location.

Customer: so the only "clean" way to wire this now is to use the RG59 wire with no ends and dress the ends later.  Power can either be via 4 individual power adaptors or the power supply box for the cameras.

CCTV Sales: That is what I would do at this stage and yes, in regards to the power supply.

Customer: so the turn key systems really don't make sense for what I need to do?

CCTV Sales: You can upgrade to RG59 cable and a power supply box on all of the 4 camera security camera systems that we sell or I can make a custom kit for you. It is 6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other.

Customer: Maybe that would be helpful, I think getting 4 spools of dressed cables is not helpful for me if I want to pull these cables through the walls while exposed.

CCTV Sales: I would use RG59 and make custom runs if I were building a house

Customer: I agree

CCTV Sales: I would also probably mount a power supply box in the area where my DVR was going.

Customer: does the power box then need a run to the electric panel, or simply plug into a wall outlet.

CCTV Sales: The power supply box plugs into wall outlet.  It is not hot wired so no electrician is needed.

Customer: so thats easy.

CCTV Sales: yes.

Customer: so can you build a kit with rough wiring and ends to be applied, 4 external infrared cameras, DVR, power box and a modulator?

CCTV Sales: How many feet of cable? They come in spools of 500 ft?

Customer: I need to get the wiring going now, but can wait on the actual electronics.  What does the modulator connect with to get the signal to the TVs?

CCTV Sales: Have you ever hooked up a game system with TV coax cable and run the "modulator" between the TV signal and the game system? It is similar in setup to that.  I will try to find some setup information to send you on the TV modulator. You will need to attach it to the main cable line before it is split up if you want it to go to all TVs.

Customer: so where do we go from here, I think 500 feet of cable will be enough for the 4 cameras.

CCTV Sales: OK.  Do you want me to work up the quote right now?

Customer: That might be helpful, what is the lead time for this stuff.

CCTV Sales: All equipment is in stock and can be shipped tomorrow if you like.

CCTV Sales: Do you want a monitor included?

CCTV Sales: You can get a monitor locally for cheaper than we provide.  The system that I recommended can use any standard computer monitor.

Customer: Would we need one if we could see off all the TV's?

CCTV Sales: no. but may be handy for initial setup.

Customer: OK, then let me use one of my old PC monitors.

CCTV Sales: ok

CCTV Sales: The system total with the RG59 and power supply box upgrade is $1,609.98. That is this home surveillance system with the upgraded RG59 and power supply box all connectors included. We can ship free using UPS ground for your order because it is over $200.

Customer: Do these ever go on sale, or can I use the 10% web coupon?

CCTV Sales: Yes, that offer is still valid so you can use that coupon.

Customer: and you believe that this DVR will drive the signal to/through a TV modulator to an open TV channel through out the house?

CCTV Sales: Yes

Customer: so its $1449 for everything I need excluding the modulator

CCTV Sales: correct

CCTV Sales: you can order online and add the coupon for that price

Customer: I think I will do this, do you want me to do it online, or via the phone with you?

CCTV Sales: we do not work on commissions so online is fine.  If you run into trouble or have questions while doing it, just let me know.

CCTV Sales: On the system page, make sure to select power supply box and the upgraded 500ft spool of RG59 on check out.  Also, there will be a coupon field. enter "10off" without the quotes to get the discount.

CCTV Sales: Here are some instructions that you should bookmark: Surveillance DVR Setup.

Customer: Hey CCTV Sales are the connector ends for the spool of wire part of the RG59 upgrade?

CCTV Sales: Yes. They are included.

Customer: Great, thanks a million,  I am going to order now and see if I might be able to get the wiring going this weekend.

CCTV Sales: Thank You Customer.  If you need anything else. Just let me know.

Customer: Thanks, have a great evening.  I really do appreciate all your help.  It is nice to "talk" to people who know their stuff.

CCTV Sales: Thanks for the kind words.  Have a great evening.