Re: [OT]ish IP based cctv camera recomendations

[Philip Coombes <philip.coombes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<ObInterestDisclaimer>I wrote ZoneMinder so I am a bit
biased</ObInterestDisclaimer>

Have you thought about setting up a simple ZoneMinder
(http://www.zoneminder.com)
installation? All you need is a PC (doesn't
have to be so new), a capture cards and a couple of cameras. I know
people in the same boat who've had diesel stolen and have used ZM for
successful prosecutions. Even if all that happens is you can record
where the perps put their hands etc it can be enough for the Police to
get fingerprints etc.

If you've got an old PC lying around you can use that (instal from the
LiveCD), get a capture card, around £100-200 pountds or less depending
on the type, and one or more analogue cameras plus or minus an IR
illuminator. I would not recommend IP cameras for outdoors as the
housing are very expensive, and the light sensitivity is so poor.
Analogue cameras are much cheaper and simpler. If you get some baluns
you can run both video and power down the same CAT5 cable to make
installation easier. It's entirely possible to get a fairly modest
system fully set up in a day or so.

I would recommend continuous recording rather than motion detection in
your circumstances as it's reasonably easy to determine when something
has happened (ie you have no fuel), notion detection at range in the
dark is a bit more hit and miss.

Phil


Neil Ball wrote:
> I?ve been asked by my father-in-law to recommend a simple CCTV set up
for
> his small haulage yard ? maybe 2 or 3 cameras. He?s had over
£3k?s worth of
> diesel stolen in the last month, upto 1500 litres in one night which
must
> take both time and a trailer mounted tank to carry the fuel. There is
no
> office accommodation on site, just a lock up shed where tools and
equipment
> are stored. For that reason I reckon he would be best with IP based
cameras
> with integrated webservers as these could be hooked up directly to a
> internet router and accessed remotely.
>
>
>
> I have looked at cameras from Axis but before I go any further is
there any
> other camera manufacturers I should consider and is the standard
software
> supplied with Axis likely to be any good?
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>
>
> Also is the low light performance of cameras any good, there is o
lighting
> at all I the yard just now. I?ve already suggested simple security
lighting
> as a first step but maybe IR illumination may be better as it would be
more
> discrete?
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>
>
> Neil B.
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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