Wiring alarm panel to 'alarm input' of CCTV camera

[csx25]

Hello,

First post here. I have a Paradox MG5050 Magellan alarm system which I am very happy with. I also now have a single Hikvision IP Camera (cube), which is a little indoor camera I keep inside, near expensive stuff. My use case is: I'd like it so that the camera is set to record to motion, only when my alarm is armed. This is so that it doesn't unnecessarily record/email/store/alert while I am home, which is annoying and also my wife has issues with. Also, I want to make it easy for my wife by just having to turn one thing on when she leaves the house - the alarm, and not have to also set the camera to record. The back of the camera has an 'alarm input', and I'd like to hook it up to the alarm to do as as I described.

My main question is - is this too ambitious/dangerous to attempt for someone who is keen, but not an alarm tech?

If the answer to above is no (hopefully it is), is this the right approach?
1. I need to connect the alarm to the camera by using a PGM from the alarm panel
2. Inbetween the alarm and camera I need to wire a relay?
3. On the alarm panel, the relay's coil must be wired to PGM and AUX+?
4. NC (or NO depending) and COM must be wired to the camera?

More questions about the above:
- Is a separate relay module really necessary? The alarm panel has four PGM outputs but they don't have NO/NC/COM, they are solid state. All googling so far has in fact led me to yes, I need a separate coil relay, cause it isolates the power between the two circuits?
- the AUX+ on the panel already has about 4-5 things coming off it (sensors, smoke alarm and keypad), can I wrap up another one on there? Alarm manual says it can draw a total of 700mA, simple maths? The power required should just be to power the relay?
- What type/grade cabling do I need?
- Will this relay from Jaycar do the trick? It's 15A but I think it only needs to be 5A, does that matter?

Thanks in advance

[Dfektiv]

If your camera has the availability of motion+alarm as one setting, without needing to be armed.

I'm not familiar with your alarm panel, but i presume the PGM is a programmable relay similar to a trigger in other panels.
If it has a setting for "energise when armed/secure, de-energise when disarmed/accessed" or similar, you will have better results. mid-high end panels have this option.

If you have the above it is do-able.

You will need another relay, triggers supply voltage but are normally limited to low current, around 100mA unless advised otherwise. Try Jaycar CAT.NO: SY4061 as a relay, solder some fly leads on to the pins.

Cameras and DVRs want voltage-free contacts on the alarm inputs, they supply their own 5v.
Cable can be fig8 cable, around the 7/020 size (that cheap speaker cable that is supplied with new car speakers)
Alarm inputs on DVRs and cameras normally want NC to record by default, some are selectable

You seem to have worked everything else out.
Let us know if this help.

[csx25]

Thank you very much for replying!

Actually, I found an expansion panel made especially for my alarm panel. It has four relays. It's expensive ($100) but as I am new, I am thinking on getting it just to be sure. It gives me comfort knowing that it is made for the board.

I do have one more question! The manual for the expansion board says I need to wire up an external power supply between the COM on the panel and the device. This seems weird to me, as the camera will have it's own supply. I have sketched up how I am planning to wire it up in the attached image. Will that work?

Thanks again.
Dave

[downunderdan]

Your panel already has wireless built-in. You could also use the Paradox wireless PGM which might save you some dicking around.

[csx25]

Thanks! I was thinking about wireless. Need to figure out if the HikVision camera supports wirless alarm in. If it doesn't, paradox sells a wireless pgm module. Assume that's what I'll need to get to wire into the camera?

[csx25]

Your panel already has wireless built-in. You could also use the Paradox wireless PGM which might save you some dicking around.

Thanks for the advice. That will save heaps of dicking around! So, to use that module - i wire a power supply to it (the paradox PA12), then wire the module to the camera? Then just program the PGM as usual via the alarm keypad? Good not having to run wires in the ceiling, and gives flexibility if I want to move the camera around the house. One question - wiring the module to the power supply - what type of cable would i use? Just standard Fig 8?

Thanks heaps.

[csx25]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd write to wrap this up - I got it working this weekend. Thanks for the help. Ended up using a relay from Jaycar, CAT.NO: LA5558, which saved my about $100 from the Paradox one. Then just wired as follows:
1. Connected alarm PGM and AUX+to relay coils.
2. Connected relay NO to camera I and relay COM to camera G
3. Programmed the PGM output on the alarm panel

Pretty happy, although the camera doesnt have an option to 'record on motion' from the alarm input. But I will come up with a different solution.

Thanks again.