Surveillance systems.

[action fab]

After my last shop fell victim to arson. I need a surveillence system that backs up off site. I have found a lot that are accessible through smart phones, but I am old school and still rock the Razor. What I want is a four camera wireless system that uses a router or other device to relay its video feed to my home computer or some kind of DVR recorder that is off site. I cant have the shop burn down with the evidence inside again.

My needs:
offsite recording
good picture quality
night vision
audio
wirless cameras
two cameras must water proof, for outdoors.

I don't really have a budget set but don't want to spend any more than I have to.

What system would you recomend?

 

[Scramblur]

A few years ago I spent some time with Sony looking at their security IP cameras. I'm sure you could find something cheaper, but their software was very robust. It allowed you to set parameters on motion and only record to the remote server when that movement exceeded your set parameters. They also allowed you to alarm the place with the camera. I'll bet you could pay a nominal fee to a remote monitoring company, buy the internet connection and get nice security.

 

[cowboyjosh]

first off nix the wireless idea, you'll be disappointed in the long run; CCTV wiring which is usually just a coax and a cat5e isn't a big deal to run; backup off site is a bandwidth hog and a PITA to set up, how about a DVR in a fireproof DVR safe? Yet you can still have the ability to view the cameras remotely from your home PC or MAC, IPAD, or...errr.. you mentioned your still a Razr man, but when you get a Iphone or Droid theres a APP for remote camera viewing, its kick ***; I can watch my construction sites (I hide the DVR's up in attics of new homes and connect them to a wireless 3G network) and I can watch my own home when I travel.

Have you also thought about a alarm system with smoke and heats for your shop for added protection and piece of mind?

 

[ddawg16]

I wouldn't give up on wireless assuming you don't need high speed live action feeds.

I think I know exactly what you want to do....

Basically, you want to record everything going on...and to that extent, about 1 frame/sec would be more than enough.....

Additionally, you would like to be able to 'log in' and see what is going on from your home computer at any time...

Am I close? I bet I am.....

There are several systems out there....I would avoid X10...the stuff is 'ok'....but for a few bucks more you can get a lot more....

Costco usally carries a complete system....and if you have a Fries in your area...good stuff there.

I would suggest going to the Trendnet site for some good info...you don't have to use their stuff but they have a lot of info. I have one of their cameras.....one of the features is that you can set it up so that it only transmits information where there is a change in the view....say it's pointed at your shop floor....if nothing moves all night...why save the same thing....pretty straight forward and proven technology....

You can have it connected to a wireless router...or use wired Ethernet to a router....with it connected to the router....there are ways you can connect to it via your web browser and see what is going on....and/or record the data as well....

The same technology is being used for Baby Cams....

 

[IssuedSig]

Ok this won't be cheap but look into Sony IPELA cameras or Panasonic IP cameras. If you need wireless and you are far from your site research Airlink Raven modems. You can set up a computer that has access to the internet to act as a DVR.

 

[Daedalus]

I can program my DVR to upload selected channels/times to an offsite host. You can set up your own domain host of find a 3rd party host. I've done both. The 3rd party host was a business set up specifically for this reason and worked well for about $100/year. My personal domain host was cheaper, but they sent me a nasty email over the amount of data I was transferring and threatened to cancel my account.

 

[mrb]

you dont want to be backing up to your home computer, too unreliable.

have an onsite network DVR, with regular analog video cameras. IP cameras are nice, but much more costly and are more limited in selection of outdoor models, IR, etc.

choose a network DVR that will push the backups to an FTP account over the IP connection.

Spend $5 a month on some webhosting somewhere that gives you a ton of diskspace and use its FTP to receive the backups from the DVR

 

[fattogatto]

Go to Best Buy and talk to someone who knows. They have all you need at reasonable prices.

 

[Phil S.]

lorextechnology.com

 

[Scramblur]

Ok this won't be cheap but look into Sony IPELA cameras or Panasonic IP cameras. If you need wireless and you are far from your site research Airlink Raven modems. You can set up a computer that has access to the internet to act as a DVR.

The Sony Ipela was the system I was referencing earlier. The software is fantastic and wouldn't it cost you much at all to store the data. When there is no movement, there is no video/data being captured.

 

[nathank]

Like others have said, don't go wireless.

Get some mid priced IP cams from newegg.com and then get this

http://www.vitamindinc.com/

 

[Gary S]

you dont want to be backing up to your home computer, too unreliable.

Using a home computer can be very reliable. The computer doesn't need to be in the same location as the cameras so if something happened to the cameras and the building they are in, the computer would still have the video evidence you want.

My system uses one of my computers. It has been 100% reliable for 3.5 years now. The software in the computer uses motion sensing so it records the video only when there is motion in the field of view of the camera. This way I can keep 6 months of video from 4 cameras on my computer to look back on. The computer and cameras are on UPS power so they work even with the AC power off.
Using a computer makes it really easy to access it through the internet from any other internet connected computer anywhere in the world.

 

[Mattlt]

first off nix the wireless idea, you'll be disappointed in the long run; CCTV wiring which is usually just a coax and a cat5e isn't a big deal to run; backup off site is a bandwidth hog and a PITA to set up, how about a DVR in a fireproof DVR safe? Yet you can still have the ability to view the cameras remotely from your home PC or MAC, IPAD, or...errr.. you mentioned your still a Razr man, but when you get a Iphone or Droid theres a APP for remote camera viewing, its kick ***; I can watch my construction sites (I hide the DVR's up in attics of new homes and connect them to a wireless 3G network) and I can watch my own home when I travel.

Have you also thought about a alarm system with smoke and heats for your shop for added protection and piece of mind?

Mount this box about 8-12" above the floor. That would keep it out of the fire's path for quite some time. Unless the fire starts right next to this box it wouldn't be damaged too badly. Fire burns up, then out, then finally down.

Mounting it above the floor keeps it out of standing water when/if the local FD starts drowning the place.

Maybe even a double layer of 5/8" sheetrock built into a box would do the trick?

 

[gatchel]

You may want to consider Videofied:

http://www.videofied.com/

It's an all wireless video alarm system that is monitored by a central station. Monthly fee, yep. BUT, it's the only way to be sure that you get what you are looking for.

As soon as I cut your internet connection your remote storage becomes null and void.

Also, in some states, recording audio is very very illegal...unless you are a police station or a correctional institution.

If you are considering IP cameras, I am knowledgeable of axis and panasonic IP cameras. They can be set up to ftp files to a remote server location based on conditional alarms also.

For the best night shot's I recommend panasonic cameras, either the WJ-NW484s if you can still get them or the WJ-NW502s. Very pricey though.

 

[66HertzClone]

After my last shop fell victim to arson. I need a surveillance system that backs up off site. I have found a lot that are accessible through smart phones, but I am old school and still rock the Razor. What I want is a four camera wireless system that uses a router or other device to relay its video feed to my home computer or some kind of DVR recorder that is off site. I cant have the shop burn down with the evidence inside again.

My needs:
offsite recording
good picture quality
night vision
audio
wirless cameras
two cameras must water proof, for outdoors.

I don't really have a budget set but don't want to spend any more than I have to.

What system would you recomend?

You too, one of my shops was hit twice by a juvenile budding arsonist. He was hitting all kinds of businesses close to me. An oral surgeon next door had his office badly damaged, a landscaper/nursery had a home on site in which his 80 year old mother lived. It was burned to the ground, she escaped without injury. He hit my shop twice, the first time he busts out a bay door window and tossed in a Molotov cocktail, not much damage other than garage cans and the mess from the fire company extinguishing it. The second time he added a 20 pound propane cylinder into the mix, fortunately, this was the new style and since it was on its side, no gas escaped nor did it explode. A bigger mess this time, but again no real damage. The prosecutor's office set some officers on the roof at night of a multi story office building, they caught him using night vision goggles. I make large and regular donations to the local fire company.

We also added a 16 camera surveillance system at that location, the DVR is there, the alarm system does have heat sensors and was triggered both times we were hit. I can view the action there live or from the DVR at a remote location. It has been very handy, this winter with the heavy snows I was able to see the conditions on site and adjust the opening times accordingly.

 

[nehog]

I have seven cameras (some wired, some wireless, prefer wired as they do work better. All feed into a Pelco multiplexer, and then to a Pelco 7-day VCR. VCR recycles the tapes weekly and a tape lasts about two months before the VCR tells me to replace it.

The entire system will support nine cameras, and I'm going to add a few more this summer.

 

[mcdtommy23]

Go to Best Buy and talk to someone who knows. They have all you need at reasonable prices.

best buy/ someone who knows

 

[cowboyjosh]

best buy/ someone who knows

Yeah I know right ; I don't think a place like Best Buy is the best solution, most of their solutions are out of the box solutions aimed to the masses like if you just wanted a single camera to monitor something simple, but your looking at a more professional grade system, so Best Buy would be useless to you. Look at some of the systems available on many websites like Home Security Store; the hardest part of the job is to poke holes in your firewall like port 80 to allow your router to allow the video feed, etc. I might suggest using TZO if you don't have a static IP address if you get a DVR that you want to view over the net.