Camera Systems in Utah
(801)428 1384 Peak Alarm - Multiplexers, Switchers, Quads & VCRs (all of these are going obsolete) Bosch Camera Systems in Utah refers to Peak Alarm. Not too long ago we sold VCRs and Multiplexers and you had the choice of simplex multiplexer and duplex multiplexers and the VCRs were time lapse and were quite different than the normal VCR so the cost was more. We would recommend that you stay away from these types of older systems. Use a DVR or NVR or even the cloud
VCR (This is included just as an FYI – It is getting harder and harder to even by VCRs now.) Most companies are realizing that a 24 hour Real Time VCR is not meeting their needs. The technology is incredible with new digital recorders etc... The best value used to be, to purchase a VCR that can record over the weekend. Price the 96 hour or 168 hour recorders. Do not purchase the most expensive tapes since they tend to retain the first image recorded. This causes ghosting and shadows. The less expensive tapes work better. Your liability will determine how long you save the tapes. Some banks only have their VCR activate when there is a duress button pushed. This can save quite a bit on VCR tapes and the need for finding what you are looking for on the tape although many times the valuable information that you need is missing since you did not record any images leading up to the event. There are many options available for these situations. We suggest that you record at the lowest possible setting to get the best picture possible. Changing the tapes every 8 hours is great if you have the manpower and the inclination to do so. If not, then changing them once a day will still give you a good picture. Having the capability to record over the weekend is nice if the situation arises where you need this feature. If the VCR records 370 lines resolution then it will not matter that your camera resolution is 470 because the resolution will still be 370. The same holds true for the monitor. It will not be advantageous to purchase a 1000 line resolution monitor if the cameras are of a lower resolution.
Digital Recorders DVRs or DVMS or NVRs (Digital Video Management System) Digital Video Recorders can record just analog cameras or some of them record IP and analog. The price will vary depending on the warranty and the features. It is risky going with a no name brand since many times they go out of business within a year or two. There are many companies that put video capture cards in a PC and sell them as DVRs. The Higher end DVRs such as Bosch, Pelco and Toshiba are not only high quality but the companies stand behind their products. Very recently you could get a 80GB DVR and now it is getting harder and harder to find DVRs with such small drives. Bosch has a wide range of DVRs they have an embedded type DVR that is made to replace the VCR and it also plugs into your LAN/WAN and can be viewed over the network. The storage ranges from 80GB up to 3 TB+ depending on the unit and your needs. Bosch has PC based DVRs as well. The line of DVRs used for military interrogation was the DVR4C allowing 30 IPS or frames per second with full audio on 4 channels. Bosch offers al low cost DVR, a midrange DVR and a High Range DVR. This is similar with other brands. Now you can purchase a 2TB drive for a very reasonable price
Monitoring Equipment
Some customers wonder why they need to purchase an expensive monitor when they could run out to an outlet store and buy a 20" TV for less. CCTV monitors are made especially for monitoring the same picture for long periods of time. Using a regular television set would burn the image into the screen much sooner than a CCTV monitor. CCTV monitors also can be mounted with brackets so you can hang them from the ceiling or a wall, most television sets are made to sit on a flat surface such as a table or entertainment center. It will not be advantageous to you to purchase a 1000 line resolution monitor if the VCR records 370 lines resolution. This being the case it will not matter what your monitor resolution or camera resolution is.
Most companies are going with the flat LCD screens now. Understand that if your going to run a large 42 inch monitor off your DVR and split the screen that if the DVR does not have a Highend Graphics card the picture will not appear as clear as it would on a 21 inch monitor. We have PC stations with Highend graphics cards that cost about $2400 - $4,440 each and this allows the end user to have a better picture and more flexibility.
Matrix equipment Bosch, Pelco and other Highend systems offer Matrix equipment for multiplexing cameras into several monitors. This allows a guard or other individual to pull up different camera views on different monitors. This equipment still has it’s use although the new DVRs are quite flexible with these type of functions. Designing a guard station for a large facility will require different equipment than monitoring a 16 camera system for a store.
Cable (Coax)
RG59 with 18 gauge -2 conductor bonded wire is the coax that AS&F recommends. This will allow you to power your cameras without having to use a transformer at the location, thereby eliminating the need to tie into the 120V at the camera site. AS&F uses UL listed 8-16 camera power supplies for this purpose. RG6 is used mostly for cable TV and is made especially for that application. RG6 aluminum can be used for CCTV on very small runs. If you have a camera over 100 feet from the head end equipment, RG59 with 18-2 bonded should be used. There is an expensive RG6 (95%Cu) especially made for cameras, this type is used for cameras that are over 1000' from the head end. In the event that you have some long distances to run wire to, your security contractor should include sufficient amps and or converters to complete the project. There are other options such as microwave transmitters and receivers that can monitor and control pan tilt zoom cameras from over 2 miles away without using any coax. AS&F could of course analyze your particular project and determine whether it is more cost effective to trench and lay down wire & coax or use microwave. (If you needed cameras long distances from your security office) Cameras can also be monitored by connecting them to the phone lines. You could dial up a camera at work while you were at home and check on your job site or workers. If you have a project that does not have utilities AS&F can install a cellular system that is powered by a solar array and a backup battery system. If plenum wire or coax is required we urge you to inform the contractor of this fact and realize that the cost is quite a bit more expensive than the normal RG59. We welcome corrections and ideas for updating this information.
RG59 with 18g2c (95% copper) CRIMP ON CONNECTORS NOT TWIST ON. This is the wire/cable that is recommended using crimp on BNC connectors not the twist on connectors since the twist on tend to come loose and fall off. For analog cameras you can use RG6 95% copper but this is more expensive and is normally used on very long runs such as an 800 foot run. Some companies will use the RG6 aluminum cable which is used for cable TV and if the runs are under 100 feet sometimes it will work but many times you will have picture problems. Bosch Camera Systems in Utah refers to Peak Alarm.