Cameras and security systems

[mjwalsh]

I have Lts at one of my washes in the bays its great, but out on corners and behind and fromt of wash not so great.

We have gone away from Blue Iris Software which had & still has some great IP (regardless of megapixels) features ... but seemed to have more drawbacks than LTS's approach. Time will tell ... I do notice that LTS has some very high end options much more than just the Hikvision. They do not have a dealer-installer in our specific geographic location so I was promised direct tech support ... which I have only used a very light pre-sales way at this time ... like I say time will tell. I very well might buy many more pieces of surveillance equipment from them ... since my 16 camera trusty GE Kalatel may have an "end of usable life" situation ... not to mention the DMRe's 760ish resolution limitation & coax only situation. Its over 6 months of storage could possibly come in handy at some point in time too. Sharing video from it with the local PD is more difficult than some other approaches because of the GE proprietary software.

For a panning 2 way audio cameras ... we have been making worthwhile use out of the Wyze with its both cloud & SD card. Plus the Wyze integrates its smart sensors & plugs well ... without breaking the bank.

I am switching partially towards LTS because of a fellow CLA laundry forum operator's explanation of his satisfaction with that specific company!

 

[Sequoia]

There is a great amount of configuration options in many IP cameras now. WDR settings (wide dynamic range) are very important for capturing plates at night. Many cameras allow you to choose auto-switch from day to night, which changes from a color to B&W image in low light. But other options are to force "always day" to keep color renditions even at night. Only through much experimentation can you get the best utility of each camera. I believe this also explains why some people commented that their "Brand X" gave good performance while others gave the same brand a thumbs-down.

I tried the Costco systems such as Swann, but have migrated away from them. They are in many ways proprietary, and limit the choices of cameras and configuration options. What some commented here as an "excellent picture," in my opinion, was sub-par. Your mileage may vary.

 

[mjwalsh]

Anybody try some multi-lens IP cameras? For some of us it might be a good fit especially if the price-value is competitive enough. I just got an email on this one:

LTS CMIP7553W4-SZ8 4x 5MP Outdoor Multi-sensor IP Security Camera - LTCMIP7553W4-SZ8

LTS CMIP7553W4-SZ8 4x 5MP Outdoor Multi-sensor IP Security Camera - LTCMIP7553W4-SZ8

www.a1securitycameras.com

 

[Sequoia]

Axis makes a 180 cam with four 2mp lenses for 8 mp total.

Unlike some other panoramic cameras, theirs has software to stitch the images together so it acts like a single camera. Requiring only 1 camera license. But it is about $1,000. There are many others from 180 degree to 360 degree as well.

 

[Natchez2012]

Hi, I've been looking at backstreet surveillance my biggest concern is distance. I've determined I need a dedicated camera for the license plate capturing but we are talking 120 feet from the closest point on the building to one of my exits. How far was the capture you provided.

Thanks

 

[Sequoia]

Most vendors recommend an 8-32mm lens for license plate capture. So you can focus more tightly on the license plate compared to a typical 2.8mm lens.

 

[Damoni88]

Call Backstreet ask for Steve or George. They can get you set up with exactly what you need. Very great support.

 

[Natchez2012]

Thanks, I talked to Steve yesterday and got a quote.

 

[MEP001]

I don't know the lens type it had, but I used a Sony camera with a manually adjustable zoom lens and only needed it zoomed in about 75% from 100' away to get plates. It was just a standard camera in a weatherproof housing.

 

[toddmullens]

How are you viewing the video? There are two streams - Main Stream, and Sub Stream. The main one is full resolution, the sub stream is lower resolution to stream faster. If you’re looking at the cameras from a phone app you will see the lower resolution stream (unless you specifically switch to Main Stream). If you are looking from a monitor plugged directly into the NVR it will be full resolution.

Also check your recording resolution settings. My Lorex systems are crystal clear. You must have some settings wrong because I can catch license plates with no problems at all.

 

[waright]

on the wyze camera system we have taken their door contact switch apart and soldered a couple wires to it. then we hook them to relays which will notify us of some equipment malfunctions. a couple of examples: our goldline autocahiers have an out of service relay built in them. we hook our modified wyze contact to that relay and wyze alerts us when it goes out of service. 2. our washworld high velocity locations we hook the modified wyze contact to the "wait" light on the outside of the wash. then we set the wyze system to alert us if that wait light stays on for more than 10 minutes. when washworld goes out of service, it usually turns on the wait light. also these contacts from wyze are wireless.

we've only been doing this for couple months now, but seems to work ok, except for the alarm contacts have a battery in them and im not sure how long they last.

my next work in progress is trying to tie into an older Hamilton 4/5 autocashier. they dont have any out of service realys in them. The only thought I had was to tie into the validator inhibit signal. If I knew which wire in the validator harness tells the validator to inhibit and if I knew the voltage of that signal, then I could hook a relay in that would trigger our modified wyze contact. maybe randy could help me answer this question.

for only a few hundred dollars invested, we monitor 4 carwashes with wyze on our cellphones. so overall it is a great value.

 

[toddmullens]

If you use that inhibit signal, I bet you get bombarded with alerts not related to out of service issues.

 

[waright]

with the wyze, you can set delays that wont send you an alarm until a set time criteria is met. so if I can tie into the inhibit on the validator and have it alert me if the signal is on for more than 15 minutes straight, maybe hoping it would not have too many false alerts.

 

[Wet Spot]

(Pro90D-4K) 4K Turret Vandal Dome, Consumers #1 Choice

Item: PRO90D_4KConsumers #1 Choice- 4k Resolution (8 Megapixel)- Live 30fps Frames Per Second- Built-in Microphone- 3.6mm Wide Angle Lens- 90ft Color Night Vision- On-board SD Card Slot- PoE (Power over Ethernet)- Cat5 or Cat6 Cable- Wall or Ceiling Mounted- Indoor/Outdoor Vandal Dome- Weather...

www.backstreet-surveillance.com

I finally have internet service on my property and plan on purchasing a system. I really like the clarity of your cameras and that was the camera I was looking at. What NVR are you using. Do these cameras have a two way mic. A little pricy compared to Amcrest or Dahua I was looking at. Looking at 11 cameras. Thx

 

[Damoni88]

I finally have internet service on my property and plan on purchasing a system. I really like the clarity of your cameras and that was the camera I was looking at. What NVR are you using. Do these cameras have a two way mic. A little pricy compared to Amcrest or Dahua I was looking at. Looking at 11 cameras. Thx

It is but remember you get what you pay for. I have the provue nvr. Depending on the camera you order they do have a two way mic. I can tell you this about my cameras anytime someone has done something criminal or mischievous I have gotten every single plate. The cops love it cause they know if I call them they will have perfect footage.

 

[Natchez2012]

I bought a system from backstreet after months of research and procrastination. Damoni88 is right they have great cameras/systems. Call them and discuss your needs in detail and they will provide you with the specs and a quote.

Steve, at backstreet, suggested that I use the 3K cameras and with them I have been able to capture license plates. I am still playing around learning the system and only expect better performance as I fine tune the cameras.

As for customer support, my one experience, thus far, was positive. A great option I am using today is an appointment. Having an appointment with a 1/2 hour window where a tech calls you is a good way to utilize my time and get the help I need.

 

[KleanRide]

A great option I am using today is an appointment. Having an appointment with a 1/2 hour window where a tech calls you is a good way to utilize my time and get the help I need.

Agreed, I have a Backstreet system and it's tough to get someone on the phone by calling in on their 800 number.

 

[Wet Spot]

I like the pro90D-4K camera, looks like great quality. Where do you guys place cameras in bays. I’m adding new double meter boxes with bill/coin/credit card in bays. With taking cash in the future in the bays I want that area covered good, but at the same time I would like to have a view of the bay. I was thinking diagonal from meter boxes which would cover entire bay and boxes. I’m also going to have cameras in front and back of building covering anyone walking up to bays. Just looking for advise. Thx

 

[mjwalsh]

One option is to have a small circular clear portion on the front of the coin box with a tiny miniature camera mounted inside as part of your arsenal of in bay cameras.

 

[Earl Weiss]

. I was thinking diagonal from meter boxes which would cover entire bay and boxes.

I have one in Each bay high up in corner diagonal from Meter Box.