Installing your own CCTV might seem like a daunting task at first glance but it is actually very simple to get CCTV up and running. If you are looking for cheap CCTV you should have a look at this guide for installing a home surveillance system using cheap but effective CCTV cameras
First off lets have a look at the components you will need for your installation. The entire kit will cost around R2500 or $200 excluding the PC since we will assume you have one lying around. The guide tends to skip the common sense detail but the main details are covered and hopefully the information will help you get your own CCTV camera system installed and running at home or even a small office.
| Item | Description | ~Cost |
| IR Camera | You will need suitable cameras for your needs. In this case we used 4 Weatherproof PAL cameras for our installation | R250 ($30) each |
| Video Balun | CAT5 is far easier and cheaper to run than coax and fairly easy to crimp | R50 ($8) each |
| RCA Jacks | You will need BNC to RCA converters for the camera sides of the installation | R10 ($1.5) each |
| PSU | 12v adapters for each camera is fine or you can use a “proper’ CCTV power supply like we did in this case. | Varies |
| DVR Card | A suitable DVR card is a must, we went for a low cost 120fps Linux compatible card from wapa.cc | Varies |
| Computer | You will need a PC to plug everything into, since we were using a software encoding card we decided a celeron 430 CPU would be powerful enough for 4 cameras while consuming very little power (35watt) | Free if you have one lying around or about R2500 ($200) |
| Electrical Boxes & Brackets | You have two options to house the connectors near the camera either a camera housing or plain old electrical boxes. We went for the boxes to save some money and used standard CCTV mounting brackets. | R40 ($7) each |
| CAT5 Cable | Shielded is best since you are carrying power over the cable as well and interference is the last thing you want | Varies per metre |
| Tools | You will need a couple of tools for the job such as a screwdriver , multimeter and RJ45 crimping tool and a RJ45 Tester. | R500 if you don’t have anything |
With all your components in hand the actual installation is pretty straight forward. You will need to consider what it is you want to see with the cameras, in the case of a house focusing on entry points is the best thing to do so we decided to cover the entrance gate and 2 house doors as well as a glass sliding door leading onto a patio.
Once you have picked you installation spots you will need to get cabling to each point. Measure out your CAT5 and plan your routes carefully to a central point where you plan to house the DVR computer. Run your CAT5 cable leaving about 1 metre slack on either side. For most people this is probably the worst part of the installation since you may need to climb around in your roof/attic. Once you have your cables run crimp the RJ45 jacks on and remember to test each cable. There are two ways to crimp RJ45 for Video Signal, one is a eligible for normal Ethernet and can be tested with a smart tester however if you are crimping for low interference you should use one of the cheaper testers that simply match up 1-8 and confirm signal.
Fantastic once you have your cables in and tested the fun part begins. I like to see my progress as I move along so at this point I would suggest installing the DVR card in the computer and setting up the software. For those with a bit more geek in them Zoneminder is highly recommended.
Depending on your power supply the next part is getting power across the CAT5 cabling. If you are using regular 12v adapters simply plug them into the balun. If you are using a CCTV PSU you will need to first connect up DC Plugs, I will assume you have some clue about positive and negative and skip the detailed lesson here. If not you should probably not be working with electricity anyway 😛 At this point you can plug in all the baluns and RJ45 jacks at the DVR side, do not plug in any cameras etc yet.
Fantastic, you are almost ready to connect the camera side baluns, you will need a BNC to RCA converter there in most cases since the cameras as mostly RCA while baluns tend to be BNC. Any local Audio Visual store stocks there and they are pretty cheap. The end result will look something like this.
If you have a multimeter you should test the voltage now before plugging in the camera. If you do not have one you can gamble at your own risk. The voltage should be ~12V if not you should check your PSU/Cabling work.
Time to mount the cameras, install your brackets & electrical box or camera housing, in our cause we used the rafters under the roof overhang for the installation but your location may vary.
Hook up your Camera (Yellow for the video feed and red for power, white is audio if you are using it). If everything went well you will be able to see the image in your DVR software now. Fine tune your alignment tighten everything up and clean up after yourself.
There you have it your very own DIY CCTV installation is complete and ready to go.