Camera Motion Detection Alarm

[mjwalsh]

There tends to be a dizzying array of options when it comes to our security camera systems. I believe most of them include the ability to detect motion which both effects the recording rate & potentially be used as an alarm condition when we are closed.

Does anyone have experience with using the motion within the camera specified field of view for closing a contact for triggering an alarm for ourselves, cell phone or for an alarm company's monitoring?

Are there any camera-alarm experts on our forum?

 

[pitzerwm]

I have a DVR that you can set it up to alarm when there is motion in front of a camera. I believe that there is also a totally contained camera/DVR that only records when there is motion. The only place that you could actually use the alarm is if it were in the EQ.

 

[MEP001]

Almost any DVR or PC-based system can record based on motion and can close alarm contacts. Usually recording at higher framerate or quality is user-selectable. You'll typically have a grid you can select from that gives an area of detection (for example I have a camera on the power box behind the wash and have all the cells in that grid tied to motion detect). I've even purchased a card for a PC that only cost $10 just to play around with what can be done with a PC-based system, and it does everything our $3,000 Samsung DVR can do (except the motion-sensitive record rate is locked at 25 FPS).

I was supposed to be sitting in court today waiting to testify against someone who grabbed a customer's purse out of her car. After my video was entered into evidence he plead guilty to aggravated robbery and instead is today being sentenced to 15 years in prison. It's amazing what an Office Max CD with some Sharpie writing on it can be worth.

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW the Q See System has a motion record feature which we use so you don't eat up any hard drive space when nothing is happening and it also has alrm out terminals. (I do not use the alrm terminals so have no info on how it works. )

 

[MEP001]

Nearly all of them can be set up so they don't record at all until there's motion detected. I prefer to do continuous recording but with a reduced framerate and quality to extend the amount of video the unit can hold but still have a continuous image when needed. With the "cheapo" card I used I was able to store six months of video from a single camera on a 30GB hard drive using this setting.

 

[JustClean]

Nearly all of them can be set up so they don't record at all until there's motion detected. I prefer to do continuous recording but with a reduced framerate and quality to extend the amount of video the unit can hold but still have a continuous image when needed. With the "cheapo" card I used I was able to store six months of video from a single camera on a 30GB hard drive using this setting.

In the beginning I used motion detection but soon changed over to continuous recording especially since the price for storage is dirt cheap. It's just easier to follow and when nothing moves you can SEE that nothing moves I can get only 3 weeks out with high quality but this is fine for me. If I haven't detected a break-in after 3 weeks it's probably not worth it anyway.

 

[mjwalsh]

Remote Desktop on cell good enough?

FWIW the Q See System has a motion record feature which we use so you don't eat up any hard drive space when nothing is happening and it also has alrm out terminals. (I do not use the alrm terminals so have no info on how it works. )

I have two recently refurbished 16 camera GE Kalatel DVMRe Triplex units with 16 alarm contacts per unit on the back plus the motion detect that sends out a movement violation to its software. If it is actually possible nowadays for a cell phone to do a good job of a type of remote desktop, it seems like it should be possible to get both the alarm & the video of the specific area where the alarm was triggered simultaneously ----all within one program. Their software has an SDK --- so I am hoping that it is possible to get everything to mesh perfectly. I have been using one of the units for over 7 years & it is nice to be able to go directly to an Ethernet switch & send to whatever computer the modified Kalatel program of which they have 2 --- I am using their older WaveReader.

So DVR w/alarm info => Ethernet => DVR Computer Prog running=> Remote Desktop on Cell with same functionality as on the Computer=>JUSTICE PREVAILS! Oops----I forgot the drum roll!

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW the Q see system is internet and smart phone ready. Problem is that some of my locations do not have internet so I never set it up. Cannot advise how well it works.

 

[washnvac]

I agree with MEP. I changed from motion to continuous. I could not stand when I was reviewing, and those gray screens were there on some cameras. Just Clean siad it--if nothing moves, I want to see it! I think I am getting 24 days of storage on 16 cameras at 6 frames a second per camera. (Vertex dvr from Rugged CCTV)

On another note, does anyone know what happened to Adtek Security in Jacksonville, FL? I used to get a lot of stuff from them. Then one day I called and the phone was disconnected. I sent them a letter down to Tony, but never got a response, and never got the letter returned.

 

[bigleo48]

MJ,

As you can see there are many users that are doing this, so the answer is yes.

I use Geovision system and it has a separate card with relay inputs and outputs. So you can set up a camera, mask a location in the field of view to either react or ignore the area along with the sensitivity level. You can set the system to record so many frames or seconds before the detected movement and so many frames or seconds after. It can also email, sms the fact that it did detect the movement along with activating a set of contacts (open or close) that could be tied to the alarm company panel, or whatever.

Hope this helps...Big

 

[MEP001]

In addition to a DVR and its motion sensing ability being used to trigger an alarm, most can also be set up with an input from an alarm to activate higher framerate/quality recording. Some can begin uploading stills to an email address or web page for viewing during an alarm event.

 

[mjwalsh]

Eternet Cell Phone Emphasis --- when seconds count!

FWIW the Q see system is internet and smart phone ready. Problem is that some of my locations do not have internet so I never set it up. Cannot advise how well it works.

It would be nice if this exchange would shift to the cell phone=>video quality & split second speed & thoroughness issue. I am convinced that enough of you have tinkered with the motion detect & alarm inputs in & out of the DVR program & even let the program do the texting or emailing &/or seeing a few recent pics from an independent website as the go between. I do not have any experience with the smart phones at all but it would be a nice option if the smart phone could have the Ethernet DVR program running continuously on a dedicated cell phone application from time to time without it causing the cell phone bill to get too high. Cost is a factor obviously. A second choice would be to run remote desktop of the complete DVR program from an always on computer on the smart phone. Third choice seems to be without make ya--all mad at me what you honorable forum members have been decribing & what I began the post with to be fair.

For example in 2007 I went on 3 significant trips out of state which meant I was over a thousand miles away from the business. I had several false alarms. Each time I was in a position to hear the recording from my autodialer. I called back to my help & eventually found out there was just an illusion of trouble not actual trouble. It would be ideal to be able to give the person on call for the lotsa open hours business to not be guessing to the urgency of the situation ---- & without the ability to peruse through the different cameras on the extra edge cell phone--- it seems like it would not be as good. I like to get excited but be spot on accurate with my excitement. Something like G Washington seeing the "whites of their eyes" if you will.

 

[MEP001]

That's where it would come in handy to use a system that can upload stills to email (or as a text to your phone) when an alarm condition occurs. I don't think a full-time display to your phone is feasible since it would rapidly drain the battery. Instant notification of a problem and quick access to the live feed should be sufficient.

If you're at home or a remote office a lot, a dedicated computer to keep the video open might fit the bill for the majority of your needs.

 

[pitzerwm]

Big Leo is doing something like that

 

[JustClean]

There tends to be a dizzying array of options when it comes to our security camera systems. I believe most of them include the ability to detect motion which both effects the recording rate & potentially be used as an alarm condition when we are closed.

Does anyone have experience with using the motion within the camera specified field of view for closing a contact for triggering an alarm for ourselves, cell phone or for an alarm company's monitoring?

Are there any camera-alarm experts on our forum?

Going back to your question. What do you want to achive? I have a dedicated alarm system hooked up to a monitoring company that calls me if there is a break-in or whatever. I also have a Geovision surveillance system with which I can do all sort of things, like using it as an alarm system as well, HOWEVER, it is too much of an hassle to do this because the cameras should not be moved. Any movement by birds or cleaning, etc. you might need to reconfigure your settings and I couldn't be bothered. Also computer "never" break down, do they Do I trust this surveillance system as an alarm system? Not really. I use it as a car counter and that's okay but also not 100% excact. I believe a dedicated alarm system is the way to go and when the company calls I could use a smart phone to log-into my computer to see what is happening. If I am on holidays I give my phone to my local guy who has to do it and if there is something major he just calls me on the other phone. If there is something wrong with the automatic the machine will send an SMS to the carwash phone and whoever is on needs to fix it. Hope that helps.

 

[bigleo48]

Big Leo is doing something like that

Exactly...except that the system is always uploading pictures 24/7 every few seconds. I tweaked the resolution of the jpgs so they are not that big and chew up my available bandwidth.

It literally takes a couple of seconds to bring up all my cameras on my blackberry or my wife's iphone. Safari on the iPhone will actually auto update every 5 seconds, but the Blackberry browsers I have tested don't, so a manual reload is required.

Big

 

[bigleo48]

Going back to your question. What do you want to achive? I have a dedicated alarm system hooked up to a monitoring company that calls me if there is a break-in or whatever. I also have a Geovision surveillance system with which I can do all sort of things, like using it as an alarm system as well, HOWEVER, it is too much of an hassle to do this because the cameras should not be moved. Any movement by birds or cleaning, etc. you might need to reconfigure your settings and I couldn't be bothered. Also computer "never" break down, do they Do I trust this surveillance system as an alarm system? Not really. I use it as a car counter and that's okay but also not 100% excact. I believe a dedicated alarm system is the way to go and when the company calls I could use a smart phone to log-into my computer to see what is happening. If I am on holidays I give my phone to my local guy who has to do it and if there is something major he just calls me on the other phone. If there is something wrong with the automatic the machine will send an SMS to the carwash phone and whoever is on needs to fix it. Hope that helps.

I think what we are considering equipment rooms. For example, there should not be any movement in my equipment room overnight unless there is a major leak or I get broken into. If that happens, you can get it to sms your phone.

I have done this and it isn't a hassle at all. Once configured and tested, it works fine. However, I still have a wireless alarm system that is monitored by a local alarm company.

Big