Installation of a wired home security camera system


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Old 09-04-18, 07:57 PM
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Installation of a wired home security camera system

Im not sure if there are any other threads on this but I didnt see anything.

Im looking to install a wired home security camera system. I think the most difficult part of this project for me will be the snaking the wires from the cameras to the dvr. I will most likely have to drill through outdoor walls and even roof soffits.

Does anyone have any good tips on installing a wired home camera system? Better yet, does anyone have experience with installations? I want to avoid a pro since it sounds like the avg. rate is about $200/camera and Im installing 3 to 4 cameras.

This is the type of camera system I plan on installing, Ive been looking at Lorex, Amcrest and Swan.


Lorex DV7041 4 Channel 1080P HD MDX 1TB DVR Security System w/ 4 1080P LBV2531W Bullet


Thanks
 
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Old 09-04-18, 08:23 PM
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Hmmmmm...... I've done installs in W. Orange.

It's a fairly easy job if you install the cameras under the soffit. It's a two person job. One drills the hole in from outside and then sends in a fish tape (snake). I use a 30' yellow fiberglass snake as it's easy to navigate thru the hole to my partner. You don't want to have to crawl across the attic to get to the soffit. Once the cables are into the attic you need to find a route to your NVR/DVR location. I'm guessing you're in an older house. Look for the vent stack going down. It will go all the way to the basement.

You can also bring the wires thru a small hole in a closet on the second floor and keep the NVR/DVR up there and run a network cable to it.
 
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Old 09-06-18, 03:52 PM
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It's expensive because it is difficult, sometimes grueling work.

Some of it is developing an eye for how a wall or ceiling or soffit may be structured, and anticipating the best route to get a cable from point A to point B.

Fiberglas fish tapes and the stiffer glow rods, and the long flexible drill bits are highly useful for this.
 
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Old 09-10-18, 07:14 PM
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Thanks Pete and Ron

Easy? Maybe for you Pete...lol. Ok I have a dumb question. Once I drill through the soffit I have to be able to drill again into the attic through the face of the house. I know there is space in the soffit and for me to get to the attic I need to be able to get my drill (and maybe my arm) in the soffit to drill up into the attic. Needless to say, I need to see where I am drilling the hole. If I cut a nice size hole in the soffit its no problem but then I have to fix the hole. Whats the trick to this?

Thanks for the responses.

Rob
 
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Old 09-10-18, 07:48 PM
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In the following diagram...... the red line represents the soffit. The pink line is the drill. Usually there are vents in the soffit allowing air into the attic for cooling. If you go into your attic with no lights on...... you may be able to look out and see the soffit vents.

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There is a chance when you drill that you hit a rafter. That would be tough to drill. I use a 1/8" x 12" drill bit to make sure my way is clear.
 
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Old 09-11-18, 08:35 PM
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I'll be tackling this soon as well, I opted for the 4 MP Reolink PoE system as getting power to the install spots would be a lot of work. Doing some Ethernet runs throughout a house before, I can say long sleeves + pants are great, especially when dealing with insulation.

Ah, and remember drywall ceiling isn't meant to support your body weight...ask me how I confirmed this
 
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Old 09-13-18, 12:37 PM
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I set up the DVR system near my computer monitor and use a VGA switch to show between Windows or security cameras.

For wiring:
1. from the outside of the house, drill the soffit as described in previous posts.

2. from the attic, drill down through the ceiling into an internal wall. (it should be two vertical 2x4s). Since you mentioned four cameras*, I suggest using a 1" drill bit to allow enough room for BNC connector and for three cables at the same time.

3. from low down on the internal wall, directly below the 1" hole, cut out small piece of drywall**. Perhaps cut just enough for a 2 gang receptacle. The hole should be big enough to allow you to fish out the cables. In addition, I used "CARLON 2-Gang Orange Plastic Interior Old Work Standard Rectangular Wall Electrical Box" so that the finish looks well, so maybe get that and draw around it before cutting the drywall.

fyi. The cables only go one way... I learned the hard way. The BNC connectors are the same, but there is also a power wire that has male connectors on one end and female on the other. Dry fit everything to make sure it all works before running the cables through the ceiling / walls.

* you mentioned four cameras, but I found it is not enough. Perhaps it was my choice of cameras, but the width of the view for each camera was not enough. For example, I need two cameras just for the driveway / lawn area in front of the house.

** I had the luxury of having a closet behind the wall where I wanted to place the DVR. The closet side of the wall still has a fairly large hole that I use to facilitate getting the cable down the wall and through to the DVR.
 
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Old 09-13-18, 12:46 PM
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I didn't look at the exact system being used here but running Siamese...... power and video cable with a BNC connector is a nuisance as well as risky for the BNC end. All my camera installs are network now but in the past I would pull the bulk A/V cable and terminate at the end.
 
 

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