I have a customer who only wants the video from the DVR to record when a switch is flipped from a toggle switch they have mounted. My question is the DVR is recording the entire time now and they only want it to record when the switch is turned to the on position. Motion is out of the question because sometimes there is no movement when they flip the switch. Any help on this would be great.
I have a hidden camera attached to a toggle switch then run to a DVR is the current setup on it.
Does your DVR or camera have an alarm input terminal? What DVR is it?
I set up exactly this scenario today. We have a simple toggle switch connected to the alarm input on the back of the nvr (Hik). In the recording configurations, the schedule is set to record only on alarm. When the switch is flipped on, the nvr sees this as an alarm and records for the entire time the switch is on whether there is motion or not. Does not record any other time.In this particular setup, we are not using power on the toggle switch. Earlier this week we used 12vdc power with a lighted toggle and rb5 relay that also activates a red indicator light to let everyone in the room know the camera is recording. Both setups are used for recording audio and video during interviews.
This is the XVR I have in an interview room. I have never hooked it up that way before so any diagram or picture on this would be awesome.
Thank you very much for the response.
But I think I am going to get one like this where it has the alarm channels in it. At this point when I receive it could you help with the information in setting it up? Thanks Jason.
Yes, getting one with alarm inputs is the right thing to do. It is very simple. The alarm input is simply a closed or open circuit. There is no voltage needed. You simply connect one wire to Alarm input 1 and the other usually to terminal marked as ground. To quickly try this as a "dry run", if you were to touch the other end of the wires together, completing the circuit, it triggers alarm input 1. To make it complete, you would install a toggle switch on the wall that does the same thing as touching the wires together. In the configuration of the recorder should be a setting for alarm inputs where you will tell it to activate recording on camera 1 when input when is triggered.
I'm not great at explaining. If someone else doesn't chime in with their fancy IPVM animations I will be glad to help all I can.
You should probably go a step further and make it look nice by adding a light to indicate the recording has been activated. Simple also but a few more steps that we can get into when you actually have the new recorder. But basically, you use a relay to send power to a light and no power to the recorder inputs.
The specs show that this model does not have alarm inputs. I think with this setup I think you would have to set the recorder to continuous recording but use a toggle switch on the power cable to the camera and mic to interrupt power thus turning the video and audio off so it won't be recorded. You have a continuous recording but when the switch is flipped off it will be without the video an audio since the power would be off during that time.
Others will probably have great advice.
Can you send me a quick diagram of using the toggle switch on the power cable to the camera and mic to interrupt the power. My mind is all over the place and trying to get it figured out. The continuous recording will be fine for this project but I will have the alarm output on another one that I would like to talk with you about.
Thanks
I don't know much about the XVR system. I see it has IP as an option. Is the camera IP? Does the camera have its own alarm input? Does the software on the recorder allow you to use an alarm input on the camera? Just a few things I would look at.
Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.
