Latest opinion on security cameras

[guitarandy]

I'm looking into installing security cameras at my 4 and 1 site. I would like to be able to view it remotely via a Droid phone if possible.
What is the latest and greatest out there that is reasonably priced? Any ideas?

 

[JonKush]

I'm looking into installing security cameras at my 4 and 1 site. I would like to be able to view it remotely via a Droid phone if possible.
What is the latest and greatest out there that is reasonably priced? Any ideas?

I have just installed 9 of the 11 cameras for my site. I already had 12 cameras installed in my quick lube. There are many options that you can go with. My lube side is through my computer using DVR cards. The new system for the IBA is a stand alone DVR. I can get in wit my blackberry no problem.

Jon, with your permission, I removed the self promotion part, Pitzer

 

[JonKush]

No problem. I was just trying to help him out. No worries.

 

[Jeff_L]

Talk to Jennifer at carwashcameras.com. She's extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[MEP001]

There are all sorts of systems, both off-the-shelf DVRs and cards you can add to a PC that will do what you want. The easiest way to get it to your phone is to select one that allows you to view from any web browser. It doesn't sound like you need anything especially complicated - unless you're in a high crime area you don't need the "latest and greatest".

 

[mjwalsh]

I'm looking into installing security cameras at my 4 and 1 site. I would like to be able to view it remotely via a Droid phone if possible.
What is the latest and greatest out there that is reasonably priced? Any ideas?

guitarrandy,

If you have or are going to have an always on computer at your car wash, you may want to consider this --- because you can have a remote desktop on your Droid. I just happened to get a Droid X this late summer & I was pleasantly surprised that now I have the three keys & all three of them simultaneously ---- alarm, sound & specific cameras. I had to hunt down Xtralogic remote desktop client for $20 to get the sound which I feel is the most important because you need to respond to an alarm trigger real fast. The cameras are just the follow up to the sound from the alarm. You just associate the specific alarm with the best camera for that specific area at that point! I am careful bragging though because there is always room for improvement!

MJ

 

[Rudy]

I can monitor my GeoVision video system at my wash using a program called "IP Cam Viewer" for Android. I think it was less than $5 and it works great. Although I don't use it, the program allows PTZ and audio as well.

If you want to go the remote desktop way (it's slower than IPCam Viewer), you can use Remote VNC Pro. You simply install a VNC client on your car wash computer, and then log in using your Android phone.

 

[guitarandy]

I can monitor my GeoVision video system at my wash using a program called "IP Cam Viewer" for Android. I think it was less than $5 and it works great. Although I don't use it, the program allows PTZ and audio as well.

If you want to go the remote desktop way (it's slower than IPCam Viewer), you can use Remote VNC Pro. You simply install a VNC client on your car wash computer, and then log in using your Android phone.

Thanks I think that is the way I will go.

 

[JustClean]

I also use a Geovision card and use VNC via my Nokia N900. It's okay. Anyway, when setting up your system make sure you get a dedicated number plate camera. It will pay for itself in no time. Any damage to your site and you'll get the bastards!

 

[bigleo48]

The best way to do this for your phone, is to have your DVR post a low resolution "snapshot" of every camera every 5 to 10 seconds on a webpage. That way you are not streaming live, but can usually get the info your looking for (how busy, needs cleaning, somethings is busted, vac hoses down, etc), in a few seconds. You would then just use your browser to view.

Streaming live takes time to load and much bandwidth to stream. I can do this, but do it very seldomly.

Big

 

[mjwalsh]

I also use a Geovision card and use VNC via my Nokia N900. It's okay. Anyway, when setting up your system make sure you get a dedicated number plate camera. It will pay for itself in no time. Any damage to your site and you'll get the bastards!

JustClean, Mep1, & others,

We have been debating on getting a dedicated number plate camera. When we checked a few years ago they seemed to be out of sight cost wise. It seems like there are more available & at a lot lower price now. What specific license plate camera do you have that seems to work out at a better value up front cost wise. We would hate to have to overpay for one that really was not any better than what has been shown & proven to work out there.

We are also debating on getting a few IP cameras rather than running our backup 16 camera GE Kalatel system. To jump to a full 32 cameras seems overkill but 16 is a little weak. I do have an old 6 camera sequencer from our original 1982 system on the less important cameras but I would rather avoid that beause of the delay factor it causes.

As to what Big Leo says ---- on my brand new cell 3G Droid X remote desktop Xtralogic App with Verizon Plan ---- there is unlimited bandwidth. The updates are not 30 fps like on the local network but appears to be about 1 frame per second. I am not sure what a 4G cell network would do ---- anybody have 4G???

For updating to the car wash's website on a passworded page or to make the page public so potential customers can see the current traffic at the car wash on an IP camera --- I think that Big Leo's solution is the best for that specific purpose though. My Kalatel does not generate jpegs so I think I would have to use the right kind of IP camera for the "snapshot" option.

MJ

 

[JustClean]

JustClean, Mep1, & others,

We have been debating on getting a dedicated number plate camera. When we checked a few years ago they seemed to be out of sight cost wise. It seems like there are more available & at a lot lower price now. What specific license plate camera do you have that seems to work out at a better value up front cost wise. We would hate to have to overpay for one that really was not any better than what has been shown & proven to work out there.

MJ

I bought the camera locally and got it installed by the guy. I did that on purpose. I installed all other cameras myself. It is a combination of a standard high resolution camera with a separate IR beamer. I told the guy I am only going to pay for it if it gets 95% of the number plates day and night. You bet he made sure it was working. It is switched to black and white. I still don't get 100% but it was much cheaper this way. I understand to get a higher sucess rate you need 2 cameras but that's okay.

 

[MEP001]

You don't need a specific plate camera. You just need a good, high-res camera with a zoom lens mounted in a smart place. I put the front tag camera right over a metal halide wall-pack and pointed it at the entrance 100 feet away. It's high enough that headlights don't shine into it, and the light below it reflects off the tag and makes it easily visible. The biggest "enemy" to this camera is the car's speed. If the entrance were longer and straight it would work better; as it is I get about 3/4 of plates with no problem.

I've looked at the megapixel IP cameras, especially the type that switch to black-and-white at very low light levels. It wouldn't work with the current DVR, but I would build a PC-based one just for plates.

 

[JustClean]

The biggest "enemy" to this camera is the car's speed.

That's true. When I built my wash I wanted to make it as easy as possible for the customer to get in (in other words: no speed bumps). Now I am really considering getting one exactly where the camera is located to slow the traffic down. This would get me 100% of the number plates.

 

[Louise]

Get a good tag cam. It is the only way you can get people to pay for the damage they do to your wash. My camera is not expensive - it is just well placed and I get about 90% of the tags I need.

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW I Have 4 systems like this but a different model.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...1589847&ec=BC-EC877-CatHome&pos=11&lang=en-US

Note that the supplied cameras do not provide sound. Had to buy that seperately. (It can support up to 4 with sound)

Dropped in a second hard drive of 500gb. With 16 cameras set to motion record it holds about 10 days of video.

Also dropped in a DVD burner.

It gets plates going thru the tunnel. Not set up for general plate capture.

I do not use the internet viewing feature but it says this does provide it.

I am sure the gurus can advise on any negative specs with this system.

 

[bigleo48]

Dropped in a second hard drive of 500gb. With 16 cameras set to motion record it holds about 10 days of video.

Hmmm...might want to change your compression settings. With my 16 cam DVR and 500Gig HD, I get 4 months of video storage...and my record settings are very sensitive.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Got a response from Q See. This model soes not accomodate an internal DVD Burner.

Big leo. Change compression settings??? Any idea how.

 

[MEP001]

Big leo. Change compression settings??? Any idea how.

By changing the record quality and/or the record framerate.

 

[bigleo48]

By changing the record quality and/or the record framerate.

More specifically, I use H.264 compression.