Category Archives: CCTV

CCTV installation,before Xmas,lets wait and see

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CCTV for Xmas?


How things turn around. For the last 18 months the CCTV security industry has been eerily quiet. The reasons are obvious. The recession has driven many areas of business to cut back and one of the casualties of this has been the security budget. A make do situation arose where by end users were happy to cancel service agreements and ignore faults that would have normally been rectified as matter of urgency. However the last 2-3 months has seen people seriously considering their security needs again.

CCTV installations start to grow.

CCTV installations have picked up slowly as the economy starts to grow again and there is now signs that with the many bankruptcies that occurred to security installers means there may be a shortage of good installing companies left out there to meet demand.

Can we get installations on the wall before Xmas?

Now it is always the same, Xmas seems to bring mass panic and everyone wants their intruder alarms and CCTV working, upgraded or installed for the holiday period. There are rumours that the “big boys” are already telling their clients that they can’t meet the deadline and intruder alarm and CCTV camera manufacturers are suddenly quoting 2 week lead times for delivery where we have all been used to next day for last couple of years.

Buy cheap buy twice!

So the moral of this story seems to be if you have a fault , fix it sooner rather than later. If you need an installation don’t expect miracles from installing companies who have had to cut staff and prices just to stay in business. And finally those who stuck by their favoured , reliable installing companies instead of shopping around for cheap inadequate replacements, will find that they will have their CCTV and security systems working for Xmas while others are left woefully exposed to crime. It will be very interesting to see how this one pans out.

iPhone, iPad and CCTV

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We blogged some time back now about iPhone/iPad requests for CCTV accessibility…………….

Just recently, a new app ‘app’eared (like what I did there!) in the Apple App Store that gives access to the 360 Vision OpenVision range of DVRs and NVRs



Called iDVR-Vue, it draws on the fluidity of the iPhone/iPad interface to offer a really intuitive way to view cameras on your installed H or T DVR, or even your Hybrid/NVR system.

Connection setup is as easy as selecting the model, entering the static IP address (this is normally provided by your ADSL or ISP provider), and putting in the Username and Password and clicking connect

First connection presents a Quad display………..if you have more than 4 cameras, a simple swipe across the screen moves the display onto cameras 5-8, a swipe again onto 9-12 and finally 13-16…………. and if any of the cameras are PTZ domes such as the Predator or Black Hawk range, then tapping on that quad image brings the camera to full screen where the fun really begins!

Anyone that has used the iPhone/iPad will know that the screen is great for touch control……….. a swipe in any direction sends the camera moving in the same direction…..the further you move across the screen, the quicker the dome will move………….Zoom is very much like viewing pictures, pinch to zoom in and out and the dome camera will respond by zooming in and out!

We’d like to see preset and tour initiation and also maybe some playback/search controls, but we are told that will be in the next release in the App Store

The real beauty to this? IT’S FREE !

We like free, it shows a manufacturers commitment to offer additional services to what is often considered a grudge purchase

And let’s face it, who these days does not have an iPhone or iPad!!!

Also available for the Blackberry range

VCL Orbiter gold. DIY repair.

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The VCL orbiter gold PTZ cameras can be seen across all areas of the UK. One of the most popular dome cameras of their time they sold thousands of units. Now however they are no longer manufactured and maintaining them has become difficult , if not impossible. There are some fixes however that can be made by the end user and this may solve or prolong the life of your dome camera. Below we list the most common faults and how to fix them without the need to call out an engineer.

1) Camera out of focus: this is caused by the lens motor sticking. You can rectify this by powering down the camera. Go to the power supply probably situated at the bottom of the pole or in the building just behind the dome. There will be a fused spur powering this, remove the fuse, leave for a minute or two then power up again. This will enable the camera to restart and should cause the camera to refocus. This fix is never permanent but you should get a good two weeks out of it before having to repeat the power up/down process. The Sony camera blocks are no longer made so a permanent fix will need a new dome inner.

2) Camera picture flicking and losing tour.: this will be caused by the slip rings, these slip rings allow the dome to spin but still provide power to the camera and motors. The solution is quite simple, you need to reprogram the tour so that it does not pass over the worn area of the slip ring. This is done by moving the offending preset to a new position. Sometimes a marginal change will allow the dome to carry on working for many further months. Once however the slip ring is so worn this process fails to work a new inner will be required.

3)  No camera picture at all: two things to check here. Do you have power at the dome? You need to check mains is present at the fused spur and if it is check the fuse in the PSU. Often moisture inside the VCL dome housing can blow the fuse .You may be advised to see how the water has ingressed into the housing to prevent a repeat, sometimes you will find it has been hit or damaged or the acrylic has not been replaced properly at some point. The second reason could again be the slip rings, if there is no picture you will need to remove the fuse in the spur adjacent to the PSU and initiate a re boot. This should restore the image .Then you need to find the weak spot in the slip ring and carry out the process outlined in point 2 to avoid this worn part of the slip ring, you may get a few more months out of your VCL dome camera.

4) Intermittent control over the dome camera:This is the camera losing its connection with the Maxcom gold matrix. This could be a poor connection on the back of the  Maxcom matrix or a damaged cable. Remake the connections or rejoin the cable. This if it is the case then you will be provided with a permanent fix.

5)  Picture is white: The auto iris lens has been put onto manual and opened fully letting too much light into the lens. Adjust the lens manually with auto focus button on the control and the picture will return . Lock the keypad so the buttons cannot be accidentally touched again.

6)  Picture is Black: Same as above but the iris has been closed right down letting no light into the camera.

Of course there are many other faults that can manefest themselves and we are happy to advise if you wish to contact us. There are also ways of replacing the inner for a fraction of the cost of a new external dome camera. So always investigate this option before spending thousands on a new system, including having to replace the  keyboard controls and the Honeywell  Maxcom gold matrix.

Xtralis, Adpro V3100H CCTV monitoring solution

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Xtralis V3100H.

Formerly Adpro, Xtralis have produced a new hybrid DVR that also excels when it comes to remote monitoring,
The V3100 is a hybrid unit that can handle both analogue and IP cameras. The Ip camera range they will integrate with is limited but Panasonic are keen to join forces with Xtralis and this will open up the market place considerably for them.

Save money.


With companies looking to save cost wherever possible the remote monitoring solution is meaning that expensive security guards can be replaced and alarms monitored and actioned by a central station. The V3100 comes in modular form so you are able to buy the solution that suits the site and this is easily expandable should requirements change.

Remote monitoring.


Remote monitoring is the way forward and with the V3100H providing excellent picture quality,  it is the central stations who have provided very positive feedback on the product.
If you are considering a remote monitoring solution that also requires a DVR that can supply excellent picture quality and search facilities then contact us for more information regarding this product.

CCTV POE enabled IR illuminators

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ANVS is a U.S. based manufacturer of professional infrared illuminators for security applications, distributed under the AXTON brand name. Axton have now released a PoE enabled, wide-angle, long-range professional infrared illuminators for CCTV and security applications.

The new PoE enabled infrared illuminators simplify system design and speed up installation by using a single PoE enabled cable to power up both the IP camera and  the IR illuminator. Each unit is designed with an IP input and two outputs for power and data. Connecting the power injected Ethernet cable into IR illuminator, and then connecting the two output cables to the IP camera power and data inputs and you have a fully operation camera and illuminator powered over the Ethernet (POE).

Standard features include an integrated photo-cell,the units are IP66 rated for external applications and ease of installation is the key to this product.

Please contact us for more information on the unit and where you can buy.