Spec me a CCTV System

[Nick1881]

Unfortunately no-one repairs them as far as I’m aware. They check the serial number, bin them and send you a new one. Depending on the value they often don’t even ask for them back. If it was pan or tilt that had failed I’d say look for a slipped belt but if it’s both it probably is the controller, as you’ve already worked out. Have you tried reflashing the firmware? Sometimes a hard reset and a firmware update revives them (although that’s usually on dead Dahuas).

I did update the firmware, haven’t tried any kind of reset, they don’t have a physical reset button anywhere.

Looks like we either use it as a fixed camera or buy a new one. It’s annoying that it hasn’t even lasted 3 years.

 

[PaDE]

All mine are wired and pretty much instant.

There was a deal not so long back, £80 for 2 absolute steal.

Hey both

I am interested in getting the 520 version myself for my front door.

What is the motion sensing like? I’ve used both Ring and Nest in the past, and the delay between receiving a notification that there’s motion is far too long (bare in mind, these were both through wifi, whereas I would connect to the 520 with Ethernet).

Thanks

 

[Scream]

If they are IP rated, why is there a moisture release screw? I’d absolutely love it I’d every time the weather changed the control centre phoned me up and said ‘get the cherry picker out, they’re all misting up so you need to do that thing with the screw’. OK, so NOW I’m being sensationalistbut you get my point. These things should be maintenance free for life. They’re IP rated solid-state electronics.

Anyway, it’s honestly not my intention to have a go at your cameras. If you read my own posts from above, and those of others, you will see that Reolink cameras are highly rated and these are exceptions I’m certain.

I remember I had several jobs to do using Dahua and Hik with over a 150 cams to install and I had to send everyone of them back. At night they fogged up. Complete nightmare. Manufacturing fault at the factory. Cameras were put together in a room with the humidity too high trapping moisture inside the cam. I could easily of fixed them but why should I.

 

[WJA96]

I remember I had several jobs to do using Dahua and Hik with over a 150 cams to install and I had to send everyone of them back. At night they fogged up. Complete nightmare. Manufacturing fault at the factory. Cameras were put together in a room with the humidity too high trapping moisture inside the cam. I could easily of fixed them but why should I.

WTF? The two biggest camera manufacturers in the world both shipped cameras built under incorrect conditions at the same time? Interesting story. We handle about 200 cameras a month and we get one that’s obviously defective out of the box about 3-4 times per year. We mainly do Dahua, but we also have Hikvision (increasingly less), Axis and we’re just starting to look at getting in with Verkada but they’re a tough sell!

 

[robj20]

The cameras I manufacture that sell for much much more than the cameras were discussing in here all have "moisture release screws" so it's definitely not something a cheap camera alone has.
I'm going to try a Reolink 520, via Amazon anything goes wrong I'm covered.

 

[NVP]

I remember I had several jobs to do using Dahua and Hik with over a 150 cams to install and I had to send everyone of them back. At night they fogged up. Complete nightmare. Manufacturing fault at the factory. Cameras were put together in a room with the humidity too high trapping moisture inside the cam. I could easily of fixed them but why should I.

So what you're saying is 100% were faulty, quality is not good #warrantedsarcasm

 

[TNA]

So what you're saying is 100% were faulty, quality is not good #warrantedsarcasm

Lol

 

[WJA96]

So what you're saying is 100% were faulty, quality is not good #warrantedsarcasm[/

The cameras I manufacture that sell for much much more than the cameras were discussing in here all have "moisture release screws" so it's definitely not something a cheap camera alone has.
I'm going to try a Reolink 520, via Amazon anything goes wrong I'm covered.

Who do you manufacture for? Do the cameras have an IP rating? If so, why have a water release screw?

 

[WJA96]

They also have a screw on top you can use to release moisture to dry it, I just prefer, as would most, to have a fresh dry unit instead of drying it out myself seeing as they are brand new..

Where is the water release screw? I got one in for evaluation and mine only has the cover underneath for the SD card slot.

 

[robj20]

We go way beyond simple IP ratings, ours come under RTCA DO160E.
AD Aerospace, specifically our 315 we use the screw for build and maintainence to dry purge the cameras. We heat and vacuume the cameras for 24 hours then fill them with dry nitrogen.

Now I'm not saying Reolink do this but maybe they have some sort of procedure to remove moisture.

 

[NVP]

Where is the water release screw? I got one in for evaluation and mine only has the cover underneath for the SD card slot.

This is the picture they sent to me to identify it.

 

[WJA96]

We go way beyond simple IP ratings, ours come under RTCA DO160E.
AD Aerospace, specifically our 315 we use the screw for build and maintainence to dry purge the cameras. We heat and vacuume the cameras for 24 hours then fill them with dry nitrogen.

Now I'm not saying Reolink do this but maybe they have some sort of procedure to remove moisture.

I’m quite certain that Reolink don’t do that. I’m equally certain that none of the manufacturers we use (including the eye-watering lay expensive Verkada cameras) do that. Good to know though. So I would imagine you can handle multiple atmospheres of pressure? I’ve got a customer who want to put cameras inside a retort (2 atmospheres over atmospheric at 121C) - would you make something that would handle that?

 

[WJA96]

This is the picture they sent to me to identify it.

Interesting. Mine doesn’t have that. I got mine direct from Secomp in Holland (they don’t seem to have a UK office). I’m guessing yours came from a UK warehouse somewhere?

 

[robj20]

I’m quite certain that Reolink don’t do that. I’m equally certain that none of the manufacturers we use (including the eye-watering lay expensive Verkada cameras) do that. Good to know though. So I would imagine you can handle multiple atmospheres of pressure? I’ve got a customer who want to put cameras inside a retort (2 atmospheres over atmospheric at 121C) - would you make something that would handle that?

Nothing we do would handle 121C. The specs we work to are more about negative temperature, ie 50,000ft which is why we have heaters on the lenses. The pressure would be no problem though, we pull a negative 2 bar vacuum for 24 hours, the thing is made of sapphire glass about 10mm thick, titanium and has double seals throughout.

 

[NVP]

Nothing we do would handle 121C. The specs we work to are more about negative temperature, ie 50,000ft which is why we have heaters on the lenses. The pressure would be no problem though, we pull a negative 2 bar vacuum for 24 hours, the thing is made of sapphire glass about 10mm thick, titanium and has double seals throughout.

God damn, I want one!

Interesting. Mine doesn’t have that. I got mine direct from Secomp in Holland (they don’t seem to have a UK office). I’m guessing yours came from a UK warehouse somewhere?

I've not opened mine to see if that screw is there. Yeh it said it came from a UK warehouse.

 

[WJA96]

Nothing we do would handle 121C. The specs we work to are more about negative temperature, ie 50,000ft which is why we have heaters on the lenses. The pressure would be no problem though, we pull a negative 2 bar vacuum for 24 hours, the thing is made of sapphire glass about 10mm thick, titanium and has double seals throughout.

That’s a pity! Making images inside retorts seems VERY niche. The company that makes the retorts (Lagard) has suggested we put a stabbing into the retort and mount the camera externally using a fibre optic lens but that requires a new pressure test certificate and the cost is such that my client would be better off selling the retort and buying a new one from Lagard. Thanks for responding and I’ll keep looking.

 

[robj20]

That’s a pity! Making images inside retorts seems VERY niche. The company that makes the retorts (Lagard) has suggested we put a stabbing into the retort and mount the camera externally using a fibre optic lens but that requires a new pressure test certificate and the cost is such that my client would be better off selling the retort and buying a new one from Lagard. Thanks for responding and I’ll keep looking.

Bare in mind our cameras sell for around £8k+ so unless there going on a plane or helicopter their probably out of budget, and that's just our commercial stuff never mind military, plus video standards can be different we have some strange configurations such as HD at 100ohm balanced via quadrax, which if you know the cable is horrendous. Most are either 75ohm balanced or unbalanced though, but we pretty much do anything, plus different Peak to Peak offsets.

Anyway im keen to try reolink just seems good value.

 

[WJA96]

Bare in mind our cameras sell for around £8k+ so unless there going on a plane or helicopter their probably out of budget, and that's just our commercial stuff never mind military, plus video standards can be different we have some strange configurations such as HD at 100ohm balanced via quadrax, which if you know the cable is horrendous. Most are either 75ohm balanced or unbalanced though, but we pretty much do anything, plus different Peak to Peak offsets.

Anyway im keen to try reolink just seems good value.

£15K Max would be the budget. Modification and recertification of the retort would be upwards of five times that so it’s not an easy decision. Hikvision do have a high temperature camera for about £3500 and I don’t think the pressure would actually have any real impact on it given that it’s all solid state except of course it would have to withstand slow pressurisation followed by extremely rapid depressurisation and I’m not sure how the ‘sealed’ parts of the camera would cope with that and it seems a touch pricey to experiment with one.

As for the value proposition on Reolink. I’ve got one here and it’s lightweight construction with reasonable daylight image quality for a £35+VAT camera. I’ve not had it unpacked long enough to test it in the dark yet, but the online reviews suggest it’s fine. Do I think it’s good value against the equivalent 5MP Dahua or Hikvision, both of which would be fully made of metal and probably £65-£75+VAT? I’m not sure. One benefit of the plastic mounting hardware is it won’t weld itself onto the screws like the Hikvision and Dahua cameras do if you use the supplied screws.

 

[NeilMick]

Parents have an aggressive neighbour, need to pick up a wireless system I can buy today before I can get a proper wired system installed.

What's the best one for around £200?

 

[Minstadave]

Parents have an aggressive neighbour, need to pick up a wireless system I can buy today before I can get a proper wired system installed.

What's the best one for around £200?

Eufy system works well for me. Reolink seems a good option too.