Comments on: The Ideal SecuriTEST — A Security Multi-Tool http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:34:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Eyeball Kid http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-231210 Eyeball Kid Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:21:33 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-231210 the feature this thing is missing is the ability to measure the level of the video signal (in IRE's the standard for video signals) - for that you typically need a Video Voltmeter like the Camera Master from FM Systems or the VM-417 from Difinitron. For a cheap test monitor to be used while perched on top of a ladder - just go buy the cheapest portable DVD player you can find with a Video input and make up a patch cable (BNC to 1/8"). The bonus is you'll have something to watch movies on while driving to the jobsite (just kidding) although this might be a more attractive item for thieves than something they wouldn't know what to do with. the feature this thing is missing is the ability to measure the level of the video signal (in IRE’s the standard for video signals) - for that you typically need a Video Voltmeter like the Camera Master from FM Systems or the VM-417 from Difinitron.

For a cheap test monitor to be used while perched on top of a ladder - just go buy the cheapest portable DVD player you can find with a Video input and make up a patch cable (BNC to 1/8″). The bonus is you’ll have something to watch movies on while driving to the jobsite (just kidding) although this might be a more attractive item for thieves than something they wouldn’t know what to do with.

]]> By: Clinton http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118381 Clinton Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:05:43 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118381 I believe the unit we have here in Tampa is not from Ideal though it looks very similiar. I believe it was purchased from one of our camera suppliers. I want to say Pelco, but it could have been Bosch, American Dynamics, or one of the special-order suppliers. It's probably the same thing as this rebadged but I can't be certain right now. The screen is VERY crisp for a screen that size but regardless of resolution it's very hard to tell of something is really in focus because the screen is so small (and I have excellent vision). Most installers here have Totevisions which are small lcd screens (about 4-5") with a battery pack that takes 8 AAs. They're decent and pretty good for getting the image roughed in but you really aren't sharp enough or bright enough to guarantee that you've adjusted the camera to the best picture that it's capable of. It's convenient to have someone at the head-in to radio in the last minute adjustments but not strictly necessary. A few installers have taken it upon themself to rig better screens so they never have to make the trip back to the head-end when working alone. Usually it's a desktop style LCD screen that has a BNC input and they rig together a tether to some lead-acid batteries (spares from alarm panels) that put out the right voltage for the screen. The advantages are a screen large enough and bright enough to really see exactly what it will look like at the head-end with the obvious disadvantage of juggling a 15" LCD screen up a ladder to the camera. I haven't built one for myself yet but I have a few ideas. I'd like to use an 8-9" screen and piece together a battery belt out of NiCad/NiMh cells (Lion would be great but prohibitively expensive for the limited use it would see). I believe the unit we have here in Tampa is not from Ideal though it looks very similiar. I believe it was purchased from one of our camera suppliers. I want to say Pelco, but it could have been Bosch, American Dynamics, or one of the special-order suppliers. It’s probably the same thing as this rebadged but I can’t be certain right now. The screen is VERY crisp for a screen that size but regardless of resolution it’s very hard to tell of something is really in focus because the screen is so small (and I have excellent vision). Most installers here have Totevisions which are small lcd screens (about 4-5″) with a battery pack that takes 8 AAs. They’re decent and pretty good for getting the image roughed in but you really aren’t sharp enough or bright enough to guarantee that you’ve adjusted the camera to the best picture that it’s capable of. It’s convenient to have someone at the head-in to radio in the last minute adjustments but not strictly necessary. A few installers have taken it upon themself to rig better screens so they never have to make the trip back to the head-end when working alone. Usually it’s a desktop style LCD screen that has a BNC input and they rig together a tether to some lead-acid batteries (spares from alarm panels) that put out the right voltage for the screen. The advantages are a screen large enough and bright enough to really see exactly what it will look like at the head-end with the obvious disadvantage of juggling a 15″ LCD screen up a ladder to the camera. I haven’t built one for myself yet but I have a few ideas. I’d like to use an 8-9″ screen and piece together a battery belt out of NiCad/NiMh cells (Lion would be great but prohibitively expensive for the limited use it would see).

]]> By: Nate Bezanson http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118200 Nate Bezanson Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:57:26 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118200 I wondered about the screen resolution, thanks for confirming that! It'd be cool if they provided a "zoom in" function like my digital camera does when it's in manual focus mode, to make it easy to see if the center of the image is focused. Clinton, aside from a higher-res screen, are there any features you feel are missing? Or is it just overkill for most jobs? Also, what sort of monitor do you use for focusing? Marshall has some battery-powered LCDs that boast high pixel counts, but I don't know how popular they are in the market. I wondered about the screen resolution, thanks for confirming that! It’d be cool if they provided a “zoom in” function like my digital camera does when it’s in manual focus mode, to make it easy to see if the center of the image is focused.

Clinton, aside from a higher-res screen, are there any features you feel are missing? Or is it just overkill for most jobs? Also, what sort of monitor do you use for focusing? Marshall has some battery-powered LCDs that boast high pixel counts, but I don’t know how popular they are in the market.

]]> By: Clinton http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118049 Clinton Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:00:21 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-118049 We have one similiar to this somewhere in the office. It's nice and a great tool but really unless all you do is install or service PTZ cameras there's no reason to have more than one in the office. For the general work of aiming and focusing cameras the screen is far to small. 99+% of the time you wouldn't need a tool like this but if you've got a misbehaving PTZ something like this might save you from a very expense trial-and-error repair. We have one similiar to this somewhere in the office. It’s nice and a great tool but really unless all you do is install or service PTZ cameras there’s no reason to have more than one in the office. For the general work of aiming and focusing cameras the screen is far to small. 99+% of the time you wouldn’t need a tool like this but if you’ve got a misbehaving PTZ something like this might save you from a very expense trial-and-error repair.

]]> By: crashin http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-117926 crashin Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:51:03 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-117926 That would be real nice for some of the security installations I do, but I don't do enough to justify a $600 tool. That would be real nice for some of the security installations I do, but I don’t do enough to justify a $600 tool.

]]> By: PutnamEco http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-117704 PutnamEco Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:57:57 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/13/the-ideal-securitest-a-security-multi-tool/#comment-117704 Datacomtools is a cool site. I want the FrameScope 350 Network Performance Analyzer though. http://www.datacomtools.com/catalog/framescope350.htm Datacomtools is a cool site. I want the FrameScope 350 Network Performance Analyzer though.
http://www.datacomtools.com/catalog/framescope350.htm

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