CCTV system

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Lindsayt
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CCTV system

Unread post by Lindsayt »

I'm putting together a CCTV system. First time I've done this.

Requirements are:

3 initial external cameras for an Edwardian 3 story detached house with a garage.
High chance this will be expanded to a 4th external camera within the first year. More cameras may follow.
User is partially sighted, has no internet and is not tech savvy.
User would like an alarm when motion is detected - I suspect she'll get tired of false alarms and will want this turned off soon.
User would like texts sent to one of two phones on motion detection when she is away on holiday on motion detection.

My initial thoughts are to get:

3 x Dahua starlight IPC-HDW5231R-Z cameras
3 x Dahua mounting brackets
1 x copy of Blue Iris software
305 metres cat 5 external cable
1 x cat 5 crimping tool
RJ45 plugs, ducting, cable clamps
WD Purple 2 TB Hard Drive
1 x ebayed Cisco or Procurve PoE switch - preferably fanless
1 x biggest sized reasonably priced monitor I can find.

I have an old Dell Optiplex 745 PC that might do for running the Blue Iris. If not I'll buy something like a HP 4590 desktop PC off ebay.

User will require a broadband subscription for text / email alerts / remote monitoring.

Plan is to assemble all the bits. Get them working together then do the cabling install.

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TheMadMick
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by TheMadMick »

There are a couple of suggestions:

a) buy a tester for the Cat 5 cabling. Most faults are with connections. It's not expensive. You could have mine (and the crimping tool) for the postage - provided I can find them. There are instruction videos on YouTube on how to connect the plugs to the cable if you haven't found them already..

b) for a large monitor, try a flat screen TV. You can pick up these at silly prices 2nd hand. 2 options - first get one with a VGA connector. LG used to do the 32" one. Or fit the PC with an HDMI card (if it doesn't already have one). Amazon, among others, do cheap HDMI cables.

Hope this helps.
Blusound Vault 2, P50SA, A80's, BMU, TIS, LS7, MA PL200, Meridian 506 (18 bit).

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Lindsayt
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by Lindsayt »

Yep, all good advice MadMick.

I've bought a £2.74 crimping tool off ebay. Not expecting it to be any sort of quality, but I won't be crimping a lot of leads.

I did intend testing any dodgy leads with a couple of laptops that I already have - one at each end of the cable running continuous pings. RJ45's either work or they don't.
Having watched a couple of youtube videos, terminating the leads looks pretty easy.

Any suggestions on youtube videos for best practise on routing the cables around the house?

The user is about to have a monitor fitted in her home to help her with tasks like sewing. I might be able to use that, if not, as you say it'll be a used ebay job as the only spare monitors I have are old 17".

I'd prefer HDMI to VGA for this application - to allow the option of sound through the monitor if we decide to add any microphones to the system.

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terrybooth
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by terrybooth »

Simple continuity testers for cables are cheap and will tell you what's not connected. Connecting two laptops would you not need crossed-over cables?
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Lindsayt
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by Lindsayt »

Nope, straight though is fine with my laptops - self sensing NIC's. Or, coming to think of it I could always just connect via the switch. And if pressed use the show mac type diagnostics.

If the cable didn't work I'd just snip off the ends and reterminate.

I have a lot of experience of troubleshooting Cat 5 cabling without testers. So I have no concerns on that aspect.

I'm more concerned about doing the cable engineering to a decent standard. IE the drilling and cable routing. It's the sort of thing I've seen other people do in a business environment plenty of times, but never done myself.

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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by TheMadMick »

Lindsay

Routing cable is a bit of an art form. Some tips I've picked up over the years:

1. If you have carpet, tuck the cable under the edge between the skirting and the smooth edge grippers. Works a treat. Otherwise, running the cable along the top of the skirting can be neat and attractive. The right size and colour clips are important here.

2. If you have suspended floors and access under them, it's easy to run cable there but do ensure it's clipped to the undersides of the joists. This is always possible in intermediate floors but needs carpet and floor boards lifted and screwed back. If it is an old house the joists will be quite thick so slot across the tops in the MIDDLE of the floorboards. Nails and screws through cables is not a good idea. If modern, drill through the centre of the joists. It need quite a big hole to get the connectors through so look for an inconspicuous place to drill through and try not to damage the skirting.

3. Coming up and down, route the cables in corners where they are not obvious or run in small square white trunking if not.

4. Coming through a brick wall. First find a convenient corner of 4 bricks and drill through. You'll need a long masonry drill. You can buy circular plastic things to pretty up the hole but I've found mastic just as pretty and cheaper. Stixall clear is really good and comes with a 25 year warranty - see Toolstation. Make sure the cable is looped below where it goes through the wall or damp will inevitably find a way through. The loop lets the water drip off rather than gather around the penetration. If it is very exposed you can buy plastic cable covers although an old fashioned pull handle will do and is easier to find.

4. Get the right size clips for the cable and use them in the brick joints as the mortar is softer than the bricks.

I'm sure there's more but my old brain won't think of them just now.

Hope this helps. Sorry I didn't come back sooner.
Blusound Vault 2, P50SA, A80's, BMU, TIS, LS7, MA PL200, Meridian 506 (18 bit).

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Lindsayt
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by Lindsayt »

Thanks Madmick. Those tips make a lot of sense.

I was thinking it'd make sense to follow the routes of stuff like central heating pipes, because that's where floorboards have been taken up before and there should be a large enough gap to run the Cat 5 cables alongside.

The house was built in 1905.

The user is worried about her new cameras getting vandalised or stolen. Camera positioning will have to be a compromise between making them inaccessible and actually seeing faces instead of the top of heads.

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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by TheMadMick »

I'd be careful beside heating pipes. The cable insulation can be affected over time. However, taking up boards that have been up before makes good sense as, if T&G, the tongue will be long gone. Putting these back with screws and an electric screwdriver reduces the creaks and squeeks from loose boards. Bulk screws aren't a fortune and it's a lot quieter!!

Good luck.
Blusound Vault 2, P50SA, A80's, BMU, TIS, LS7, MA PL200, Meridian 506 (18 bit).

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Lindsayt
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Re: CCTV system

Unread post by Lindsayt »

So far I've bought
$510: 3 x Dahua Starlight cameras
£200 Dell 7040 i5-6500 PC
£28 Cisco 3560 24 port POE switch
£35 200 metre reel Cat5e pure copper outdoor sheathed cable
£8 3 x 1 metre long 8 mm outside diameter aluminum tubing
£9 600 mm long 8 mm diameter masonry drill bit
£5 100 x Cat5 ends with boots
£4 RJ45 crimping tool
£Free evaluation copy of Blue Iris. Expecting to upgrade this to licensed version for £35.
£50 3 x Dahua brackets - waiting for these to arrive from Germany.


Got the system set up in my home for testing and basic configuration now.
Put a very basic config on the switch. Just gave it IP settings for VLAN1 and spanning tree portfast on first 22 ports.
Took a graphics card and the DVD drive out of the PC. Added a 128 GB SSD that I had spare and relegated the 1 TB hard drive that came with it to medium term video storage. Installed Windows 8.1 on it - as that's what was advertised on ebay for this item. Had licensing issues. Ran a UEFI license check utility and found that it's a Windows 10 PC. Good. Better than poxy Windows 8. Shame about the time wasted downloading and installing 2 versions of Windows. PC is now running fine with Windows 10.
Still getting my head round Blue Iris. How to reduce the CPU load. How to set up triggers and recordings etc. Seems like a nice bit software that's crying out for a good user manual.

The depreciation on Cisco switches is laughable. I paid £28 for a switch that would have cost about £3000 new Ref.

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