ELK M1 and DVR Cameras

[LindaWCCA]

Newbie here with questions since this forum has been so helpful!  I have a 16 channel stand along DVR camera system (not IP's) of which 3 of those cameras are interior.  For privacy issues I only want to have the 3 interior cameras ON when alarm is ON.  I have exhausted the possibiities of my DVR settings so I am left with turn on/off power to the 3 individual interior cameras (only way I can see to keep the intire rest of camera system recording and marking outside events). The 3 cameras are 12V requiring less than 1 amp each. 
 
What is the best way to set up Elk M1 to power on the 3 cameras?  I can write the rule for such but not sure how to actually set up the hardware.  I suspect I would need to get a sperate power sourse for the 3 cameras since currently they are all on a single power box can.  Can I just wire them individual to a Form "C" Dry contact closure NC and apply rule?  Or would I need to go another route more along the lines of "lighting control" with a compatible modual that would turn on/off the seperate power box for those 3 cameras?
 
Any easy ideas are greatly appreciated.
 
Linda
 
 
 
 

 

[jpmargis]

Can I just wire them individual to a Form "C" Dry contact closure NC and apply rule?

 
Right on!  No need for another power supply.

 

[LindaWCCA]

Well JP I thought this might have fixed my problem but...I did wire directly to output 3  Form "C" dry contact the positive wire to N/C and the ground to COM and wrote the rules.  I ran "test" on the rules and they seemed to work, when alarm wass set I could hear the click of the relay and the red light came on and when I disarmed I heard the click and the red light went off but the camera never came on - there seemed to be no power to it.  Did I miss something?  Do I need to program the relay in the RP2 software other than the rule?

 

[jpmargis]

I did wire directly to output 3  Form "C" dry contact the positive wire to N/C and the ground to COM and wrote the rules.

 
Sounds like you are expecting to get power from the relay?  You actually need to use power from the existing camera power box.  Just cut one of the power wires between the camera and the power box.  The positive one would be best, but either will work.  Connect one cut end to Output 3 COM and the other cut end to Output 3 NC.  Your rules will then open the NC contacts and turn the camera off.  Repeat for the other cameras also using the positive wire.

 

[Del91574]

Not sure if your DVR also has scheduling or panic inputs....those can be used to enable or disable cameras, usually the panic recording feature is most often used in conjunction with settings internal to the DVR, assuming the DVR has dry contact inputs for such, to boost the quality or FPS or even basically enable the camera.
 
Downside of killing power to the camera is dependent on DVR settings (motion based, etc.) the video loss typically will eat HDD space.