Only three wires??

[snadz]

Can someone explain or confirm a quick question for me please? I am running a couple of old DV cam's I've inherited from a client upgrading to IP. I have them running into an Axis Video Server, which turns them into IP streams so technically they are IP camera's right!?! I've had to cut a few of the ends off and noticed that there are only three wires... red, black, and yellow. Does the one black line attach to both the red power and yellow video cable when terminating?

 

[TonyR]

I would prefer more info in order to better answer.

Inspect those "cut" wires carefully to see if any are coaxial, meaning there's an outer conductor and an inner conductor...that will allow for a more accurate answer.

The yellow is most likely the composite video cam's output which runs to the video server's video input (BNC jack).

The DC power for most cams is supplied by a single, 2 conductor coax cable with a 2 circuit power jack; in most, the outer conductor and barrel is DC- and the center conductor and the pin inside the barrel is DC+. Most cameras with that 2 circuit barrel jack, both analog and IP, can operate on 12VDC and just a few are 5VDC.

In DC voltages in most electronics, red is usually positive (+) and black is negative (-). However in many A/V uses red is usually audio, right channel. To add to the mix, the barrel jack for DC power can be red also; some are black!

So the answer to the coax cable question will help determine what's what.

 

[snadz]

Thanks for taking some time friend. I understand that there should be a coaxial cable for the video, that's why I'm so puzzled. Admittedly my vision isn't what it used to be. I'll inspect the yellow cable with assistance from my trusty magnifying glass, maybe should have done that to start with. (Moments later...)
I can not see anything hiding in there, its hella small so I took a picture, what do you think? I included the model info.

 

[bigredfish]

Looks to be this:
Circa 2007
http://www.gargoylesecurity.com/DownloadableFILES/KT&C.pdf
http://www.gargoylesecurity.com/DownloadableFILES/KT&C.pdf
KT&C KPC-N600NHDC10 550TVL Super Night Vision Outdoor IR Bullet Camera, 2.8-12mm Varifocal Auto Iris Lens, DC12V, Sunshield, Mechanical D/N, IP67, Ivory Body

 

[snadz]

Yes that's the unit... and the wire is cut right after it leaves the camera, before it breaks off into the Coaxial and AC lines are added. There is the rub, because there is only three cables .. pictured above in the strand. So i'm thinking its using the same "negative" or "ground" or what ever you call it for the Video as the AC? Can anyone confirm?

 

[mat200]

Yes that's the unit... and the wire is cut right after it leaves the camera, before it breaks off into the Coaxial and AC lines are added. There is the rub, because there is only three cables .. pictured above in the strand. So i'm thinking its using the same "negative" or "ground" or what ever you call it for the Video as the AC? Can anyone confirm?

Hi @snadz

Effective Pixels (High-Res.) 768(H) x 494(V) NTSC || 752(H) x 582(V) PAL
coax / bnc

At this point w/cameras over 10 years old - regardless of the tech ( coax or IP ) you'll want to start to look at how much your time is worth, how much disposable income you have, and is spending time on these clearly out dated cameras worth it.

 

[Whoaru99]

...So i'm thinking its using the same "negative" or "ground" or what ever you call it for the Video as the AC? Can anyone confirm?

I can't confirm but, given what there is for wires/connections, I can't think of any other way it could be.

 

[TonyR]

I'd go with +12VDC to red of cam, DC- to black of cam, tie same black also to shield (outer part of RCA or BNC jack) of video input of Axis, yellow to video input (center part of RCA or BNC jack) of Axis.

 

[snadz]

TonyR I agree, best chance I figured. I realize that this gear is beyond legacy but to answer Mat2009, my time is worth about jack sh** apparently. And as for disposable income, that would be none. So please forgive my poverty and afford a fellow electronics buff, all be it a broke ass one, a little leway mate! Honestly even if I had to limp by with 640x480 streaming to a CRT 19" Television... in monochrome... !!! I'll still be better off than without. (I am soldering the connection and will let anyone who was curious know if it works with the black cable jumpered between the coaxial and power cables. I am confident it will, and not to concerned if it fry's something. One nice benifit of working with junk gear!
I have humble needs and on a seperate subject but same old gear kinda question. Can anyone tell me what this dial does? I am having a problem where the image works during the early evening and throughout the night but as soon as the sun comes up its like it's forgotton how to switch into day light mode. I wonder if this little blue dial has anything to do with it.

 

[TonyR]

It's a variable resistor that may be for adjusting the threshold for switching by the light-sensitive component (photoelectric cell, photodiode, phototransistor) that controls when the IR LEDs switch ON/OFF due to ambient light. Note or mark it's current setting before turning it so you can set it back.

 

[mat200]

.. I realize that this gear is beyond legacy but to answer Mat2009, my time is worth about jack sh** apparently. And as for disposable income, that would be none. So please forgive my poverty and afford a fellow electronics buff, all be it a broke ass one, a little leway mate! ..

Hi @snadz

Of course It is perfectly fine that you want to get this to work. You should be able to learn a lot in the process of getting those to work.

We do get a number of people who come here looking and expecting to get older cameras / kits to work, many of those coming here for that do not understand how much has changed in the security camera space and think they can get the same quality of results as they see on CIS / crime drama TV shows with the significantly older equipment they've inherited or bought cheaply off ebay.

 

[snadz]

It's a variable resistor that may be for adjusting the threshold for switching by the light-sensitive component (photoelectric cell, photodiode, phototransistor) that controls when the IR LEDs switch ON/OFF due to ambient light. Note or mark it's current setting before turning it so you can set it back.

Would this switch effectively disable the IR completely in a certain position?

I just found the cliff notes... WOW... you guys are awesome I must say. I wish I had found you a year or two ago before I struggled through my first install by myself. It's like every question someone purchasing and installing a setup could want to know in the order that they would be thinking about them. Bang up job folks! And you just give it away freely. And I had almost lost hope in humanity. Cheers!

 

[TonyR]

Would this switch effectively disable the IR completely in a certain position?

It's very possible if rotated to extreme position CW or CCW!

 

[Whoaru99]

Or, the pot maybe could be for adjustment of IR/LED drive current? Hard to say for sure without a schematic unless one knows the inner workings of that unit/series.

That comes out of one of my other hobbies...stereos. Many, especially the older ones, have bias adjustments for output stage idle current. Sometimes people let the magic smoke out of an otherwise working unit with incorrect setting or slip of the screwdriver.

 

[snadz]

Well, I ran a jumper cable from the 12v power source black cable, outside jacket of the coaxial bnc end running into the camera...presto power and video signal. I have yet to try the dial on the camera, I disconnected it all together in favor of another unit, which didn't have a variable lens and proved useless for my application. So it might get another chance to extend its' life again. Thanks a lot for taking the time to chat about it.
Maybe someone will get into my next question about my Axis A8004-VE Door Cam and how to get blue iris to see it, i'll start a new thread for that. Peace.

 

[TonyR]

Well, I ran a jumper cable from the 12v power source black cable, outside jacket of the coaxial bnc end running into the camera...presto power and video signal.

Great!

Maybe someone will get into my next question about my Axis A8004-VE Door Cam and how to get blue iris to see it, i'll start a new thread for that. Peace.

Specs here says it's ONVIF compliant.
Pages 16 and 17 of the manual here lists RTSP video stream URL's.
Either way you should be able to config BI to work with it.