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CCTV SYSTEMS

TROUBLESHOOTING CCTV SYSTEMS

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CCTV SYSTEMS

There are a number of issues that may arise after the installation of a CCTV system.

We will take a look at some of the most common problems that can occur and the procedure to troubleshoot them and correct them.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Picture not Displayed on the Monitor:

The most common cause of this problem is the presence of open or shorts in the wiring cable.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Start by disconnecting the cable at both ends; and test the cable with a digital multi meter or coax tester.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Another possibility is power supply loss, the 18/2 cable supplying the power should be tested for opens and shorts.

The terminals should be checked to ensure they are fully crimped on the wire.

The power supply fuse should be checked and can also be tested for an open.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

If all of the channels are blank, no video present on any channel then the video link from the DVR to the monitor should be tested.

The monitor may need to be adjusted, the contrast or brightness settings may be to high or to low.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Presence of “Ghost Effect” in the Monitor

Reflections of the improperly terminated video signals are seen as ghost images.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

These are secondary images which cause distorted viewing.

The signal has to be either redirected onto another video product or terminated to solve the issue

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Darker Foreground in Bright Background

This is caused when a bright spot in the image makes the iris close or the imager to reduce picture gain.

Hence the unlit region appears darker than the rest.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Adjust the backlight compensation or repositioning the camera seems to be an effective alternative to avoid lighting problems of this sort.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Smearing of Bright Spots on the Monitor

The light reflected from the scene being viewed is captured by the camera.

When the light source is bright, a bright white spot with a vertical line passing through it may be seen on the monitor, It is more common during nights.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Altering the position of the camera so as to avoid bright light in the scene can help to eliminate the bright spot.

Installing the auto iris feature will also help to reduce the bright spots and lines.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Snowy Picture or Scrolling of Snowy Bars on the Screen

When RFI or EMI signals are picked up by coax cables, it results in snowy bars.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Inexpensive cables most often cause this kind of problems especially in long cable runs.

The cables must be re-routed away from sources of EMI.

Another possibility is that the coax has a kink in it somewhere along the route.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Cable quality always plays an important role in the overall performance of any low voltage system and this holds true for CCTV as well.

As mentioned before the coax cable used for CCTV should have a copper braid and not an aluminum braid.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Poor picture quality or no video image can also be a sign of a voltage drop problem.

Voltage drop problems occur over long cable runs and can be solved by installing an amplifier on both ends of the coax link.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Outdoor cameras are subject to all sorts of weather and if a BNC connection gets wet it will cause attenuation problems.

If the connection is getting wet then you will have to waterproof the connection which can be done with a silicon caulk.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

After the system has been installed and operating for awhile the monitor may go completely black.

Menu functions may not be accessible anymore as a result, this is an indication that the hard drive has crashed and needs to be replaced with a new SATA hare drive.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

Over time outdoor camera enclosures will become dusty and dirty providing a poor image and the lenses will need to be cleaned.

Remember that the sun shield plays an important role in reducing sun glare and they can be adjusted forward more to further reduce glare.

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CCTV SYSTEMS

It should be noted here that you start with the most basic of troubleshooting steps.

Is the power to the monitor on, is the power on to the power supply box, is the power on to the power strip etc.

Sometimes the simple stuff eludes us.