This is a multi-question post so I'll start with the 8-channel capture cards that I am looking at. From my research it sounds like the Kodicom 8800R knock-off cards are a good way to go. I've found what I think are 2 different versions of the same thing and I'd like to know if anyone has experience with either one or if there's a better 8-channel card that I should consider.
http://www.dinodirect.com/8-Channel-200 ... y-CAD.html
http://www.dinodirect.com/High-Quality- ... y-CAD.html
The 2nd card looks to have a different controller on it and additional pin-outs for what I would assume to be PTZ control, but I'm not sure of that. Is one card a better choice than the other? I've heard that I should be putting heatsinks on the BT878 chips. Are small RAM heatsinks sufficient?
My next set of question has to do with camera selection. I'm in Canada and it's not unusual for temperatures to reach lows of nearly -40 degrees in the coldest days of winter. I'm thinking about ordering outdoor cameras with 1/3" Sony CCD sensors each with 30+ IR LEDs such as these cameras:
http://www.dinodirect.com/1-3-SONY-CCD- ... y-CAD.html
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2
I've read some good things about the Sony 1/3" CCD sensors. Does anyone have experience using them in very cold conditions? Will it make a difference for me to get the 540 TVL version vs the 420 TVL one if I'm using the Kodicom 8800 style capture card? I'm assuming that I should probably use NTSC cameras since I'm in North America. Would anyone consider using PAL cameras just for the extra resolution even if it's not the standard for the region?
My 3rd question is about the lenses / focal distance. I've been looking at 3.6mm lenses for the wide-angle applications and the 6mm lenses for the narrower views. None of my cameras will be set up to observe things at distances greater than about 15 meters. Do these lenses sound right for my applications?
My last question is about one particular supplier / drop shipper Dino Direct http://www.dinodirect.com. Does anyone have experience ordering from them? I've used DealExtreme.com in the past and had positive results dealing with them. The shipping took a while, but the items were as expected and arrived in good condition. Dino Direct looks to be doing the same thing by shipping direct out of Hong Kong but they seem to have a better CCTV equipment selection.
Thanks.
Looking for opinions on build / setup
Really cold weather is going to be hard on any electronics. most capacitors and other electronic components are good to atleast -30 Celsius I would bet anything in an outdoor camera is going to be good to -55. as long as you keep the cameras on and aren't turning them off and back on in the really cold weather I think you'll be ok as long as you keep them on all the time. powering them up when they are already cold can be tough on them but I doubt you'll have any problems.
as for your first question your information is far more than I know.
as for your first question your information is far more than I know.