Does anybody have experience with the following equipment?

Anybody have experiences, good/bad? with any of the following Supercircuits products:

Outdoor Day/Night Camera: BLK-CZT242VH

8 channel DVR: BLK-DH200800D 8 Camera PS: DC12-8CAMHP

Easy to install, reliable, etc.

Reply to
Robert Macy
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Its consumer level product it works and has a decent picture good for a home or small business but if you need high quality images etc you need to go pro grade.

Reply to
nick markowitz

Most .... alot of Supercircuits and Security Cameras Direct products are low to medium quality level. Some are pretty good but they are the one's that cost the most. The problem is ..... you never know if the one your are buying is a good low priced product or a cheap low priced product. We (in the trade) can buy low priced CCTV equipment from our suppliers also but .... those of us who want to retain customers for the long haul are not willing to take the risk of buying a cheap product that we are warrantying. I don't want to have to go back to a customer in a year to replace a camera or DVR that hasn't lasted. I don't do as much CCTV installation as the people who use the cheap stuff but the products I put in last and last and last. And that's the issue I always raise when someone who has asked me for a quote and see that my pricing is on the high side. I don't install crap. I'd rather not get the job than have to make excuses because what I installed failed or my customer see's his friends system that looks twice as good as what I put in. I've got cameras and DVR's in the field for ten or more years with out a failure ( except for hard drives, which is expected) Maybe some of the cheaper products would last as long, I don't know, but I'm not going to take the chance.

Most of it is easy to install (for me) Some of the DVR setup for remote viewing can be a PITA though. Mainly because the mfg techs don't want to get into helping you make changes to the customers routers/networks etc. They don't want to be involved if a router get's bricked or a breach in security is caused. Can't blame them .... though. I always tell the client that there's a possibility that they may have to call in an IT guy to set up their network for remote viewing.

Reply to
Jim

Jim,

Thank you for your comments. Yes, in security systems, I'm buying the FUNCTION not the COMPONENT. Therefore, it should last years, and years.

We're located 40 miles north of Phoenix. Where are you physically located? Can I buy such a system through your books?

Even with shipping might save substantially and improve your volume. Please let me know.

Reply to
Robert Macy

I'm located in New York .... and ..... no ........ I would not provide an end user with the means to bypass an installing dealer. I've spent 40 years learning and honing my skills and knowledge about my trade. The fact that I provide information here is even somewhat of a breach of (my) ethics.

The fact that an end user has to go through a learning curve to obtain what they feel is sufficent information about a DIY project, gives the smart ones some pause to question if they are up to the skills required for them to complete their project to meet their needs or ....... if they have overlooked some important fact that they failed to discover. However, nowdays, with the advent of the Internet, there are always those in any trade who are willing to give away what they have worked so hard to obtain. ( Where that way of thinking comes from deserves a little polictical rant: I believe this is due to the gradual overthrow of the populace by the "liberal" way of thinking. The Bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth. Now when I read that quote I believe that it wasn't a prophecy but a threat. Look at us! Anything that anyone, even the tinyest faction, wants to do ..... is acceptable, based on the "All men are created equal" saying. What isn't taken into consideration anymore is that from that point of creation onward, some people become unequal and therfore should be disregarded and even in some cases chastized and not embraced. The "liberal" refuse to make the choice between rational, disregarded and chastized. Everything is ok to do. End of rant) ( Sorry bout that!)

Even though I'm located in New York and it would be no skin of my nose if I undercut the possibility of some installer in Phoenix from getting a job, it's just not something that I would do. But, keep trying, More people think that everything is OK to do ...... than don't.

Don't take it personal.

Reply to
Jim

Years ago my father said to me, "Son, I'm going to give you some advice. Never, ever, buy retail." Thus, I always ask.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. "No," *IS* an ok response.

Some background: Back in the days when analog TV was the only method, I designed security systems, which included surveillance systems as back up. We're talking about military/aerospace, foreign government type grade technology that would knock your socks off. For example, if you cut a cable, the system kept working and told you where the cable was cut.

Specific sensors for intrusion detection and perimeter security systems for use around airports, military bases, prisons, etc etc Some of these systems are very visible and so imposing that nearby to the company's test site [where mock up sections of fencing were used for in situ testing in the real world] neighboring industries' personnel would stop by from time to time and ask if they were safe from whatever we were doing there. LOL! Yes, those 'visible' fences looked scarey. Also, designed those 'invisible' fences and boundaries that detected an intruder, but you could not see them, for they were buried, out of sight, some even used 'beam microwave'.. The most imaginative intrusion detection sensor was actually suggested by a technicain working for me. He came up with using fibre optics to detect an intruder, again out of sight from the intruder *and* absolutely undetectable using a cable detector! The fibre optic cable detected an intruder walking over the cable, detected someone hammering through a wall, any attempt to breach the perimeter this cable was protecting and the sensor caught it. Very undetectable, try and find a fibre optic cable buried in a wall.

I used to go to the International trade shows usually held in England, where the East and the West could mingle [during the Cold War days] I could tell you the story of how the section chief of the East German intelligence honed in on us. Such operatives can do many things, but they cannot hide their intelligence.It's as obvious as white socks on a cop.

Even designed those personnel identifiers that use biometric parameters. Had a General from south american country legitimately ask what if someone cuts off the hand of the person and tries to use that to gain access? Serendipitously, the technique for measuring the biometric parameters was not optical, rather more IR and so was sensitive to some unknown characteristics in flesh including the moisture content of the person. For this customer our bane was his saving grace, because almost immediately upon being severed the flesh changes enough that the technique used to measure the parameters shifted so that the person's hand no longer 'looked' like the person's hand - to this sensor. Thus, no access. Gruesome details of those in the serious security industry.

If during your installations your customer wants something a little different [like 'invisible' detection boundaries], ask away.

Reply to
Robert Macy

I am born of the vacuum tube era.

Many of the technolgies you speak of are still available today and ( though I don't follow that part of the industry) I can imagine there's much more sophisticated stuff available now too. I used to de- bug telephones back in the 70's and it was pretty sophisticated back then when there were only copper lines. Now, it's got to be pretty damn complicated what with all the various kinds of telular communications that are available. I don't do any commercial anymore and in the last ten to fifteen years have gravitated towards medium to the semi high end residential realm by diversifing. I do some alarm systems but also do small business and residential network wiring and basic set up. ( the relatively simple stuff) CCTV, Home theater, small, medium and maybe a little bit large. Nothing elaborate but with some minor theme's. Whole house audio systems. Automated lighting and setting up remote controls for just about anything that a homeowner or small business owner can think up. Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets. The bulk of my knowledge in in the installation of fine residential alarm systems but I just LOVE home theater installs. I've always said that I'm one of the few lucky people who can make a living with my hobby.

I don't know if what you do now is related to the subject of this group or not, but some of us have been here for about 15 years or so. If you're in a related vocation and feel as if you can add to the information pool .... stick around .... we could use some new blood. Much of the once abundant blood in this group has been shed, through the years.

Reply to
Jim

Thank you for the invitation.

My background is design, towards theoretical. etc.

I'm always in awe of the ones who have EXPERIENCE. I keep reminding myself, and instilling in team members that Science DESCRIBES what we observe, it does NOT DEFINE what we observe.

I arrived slightly 'after' the tube era, but I have designed vacuum tube amplifiers. Mine were of necessity since only tubes could handle the high voltage. I designed extremely linear High Voltage ramp drivers operating in the audio range for positioning ion beams for implanting wafers. Very intelligently the original Electronic Engineer had selected using a cheap $3-$5 tube which was used in TV's as a high voltage regulator. For field service, the tube was readily available anywhere across the US [alternative design required difficult to obtain $100 microwave tube]

In setting up your home theatres, do you take advantage of the PC's sound card to perform resonant and spectral flatness checks?

You probably already know this, but you can use those sound cards as very cheap, yet very effective, spectrum analyzers with tracking generators option. That $100 card is better for this task than the $10,000 SA's I've used.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Regards,

Reply to
Robert Macy

Mine is practical and hands on. I've always thought I would have made a good engineer, as I have this automatic basic understanding of how most things work and I've always had "good hands" . But .... some people just don't get all the talents necessary towards their preferred endeavors. Me? really bad at math. Just couldn't remember the formulas. So I stuck to the technical end, and following the good advice of a mentor, I got into the business end of electronics and used my innate knowledge of how things work to out-shine most of the other people in sales and marketing. Ultimately finding that I had a talent that had been hidden from me ..... the gut's and ability to utilize all the things I learned in big business ..... to run my own business. Took off the three piece suit and have been crawling in attics and crawl spaces ever since. I just have to know how everying works and can be made to work better or how to fix it.

Good observation!

Now THAT's a person after my own heart!

Actually, when it gets to the point ( beyond an SPL meter) that I'm dealing with a client that has that much knowledge to be able to tell the difference or who wants that level of expertise, I call in a sound engineer. ( only twice, so far) For the most part, the people I deal with wouldn't even know what equalizaion is. Most A/V receivers come with room equalizaion software and capability built in and that, along with some personal tweeking, is the best that I can personally .... give them. Anything beyond that, I call in the 'real" experts. By the way, when I say "semi high end home theaters, I talking on the high side ..... in the $10 to $20,000.00 dollar range. Nothing more elaborate than that .... so far. Most are done in peoples family rooms, a new room add-on or in a dedicated basement room. Only light themes .... sconces, maybe a popcorn machine, home theater seating, cove molding indirect lighting and controlled lighting. Universal remote controls. Maybe a small stage for the screen and speakers ..... things of that sort. Nothing like you see in some of the magazines. A lot of it is just "guys" who want a "man cave" where he can really turn the volume up on that new Blu Ray acton movie and where he might occasionally let the rest of the family in for a movie now and then ...... if there isn't a game on.

Yep ..... same here.

Reply to
Jim

Sedona?

I am in Yuma myself. Don't usually go outside the Yuma Valley, but I do have a client in Sentinel and another in Wenden. They said they couldn't even get anybody else to take care of them.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

New River, north of Anthem.

Over the crest and pitch black at night!

Reply to
Robert Macy

.

I'm in metro New York. Why ..... I'll bet that during those pitch black nights you even get to see those tiny little twinkling lights up in the sky that I used to see when I was a kid. Ummmmm ..... what did we used to call them? ....... ummmm don't tell me now, I'll think of it in a minute .... ummm Well anyway ..... we only get to see the big one at night now. You know ..... the big round brown one that comes out every month.

Reply to
Jim

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