Security Camera Systems for Neighborhood Watch

I have had excellent results with MCM Electronics, They have a large selection of products for security systems. From very inexpensive to quite sophisticated. If you are mechanically inclined, you can surely install the system yourself with a little help and advice from this site. We will be happy to answer questions as they arise, and assist you in any way we can.

I would start by browsing around here: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/category/Security%20Products/3829453

See if you can find the material you need, then check specifications to be sure you are not expecting more than the product can deliver. Perhaps make a sketch of the system so you can see on paper what you want, rather than just picture it in your mind. Maybe try 2 or 3 different scenarios using different products.

Here is some interesting information that may be helpful to you:

http://www.aventuratechnologies.com/camera_tutorial/?gclid=CIS6zaWMvZoCFRIcawodTiVVrg

Here's another possibility, depending on your location. I have picked a store at random, you can go to this site and enter your zip code to find the store nearest you.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=5699

If you need additional help, please let me know and I will be glad to answer any questions (If I happen to know the answer). Besides there are lots of wiser persons here than me.

Richard

Good luck. I ran across this. I don't know what it would cost.

www.ivedasolutions.com

Do all of the homeowners - those that are paying dues - agree that this is needed? IMHO (and nothing against you, since you are a volunteer), homeowner associations, at least the ones I have paid dues to, don't do enough to justify their existence.

Mike

Mikerho, Techart, Lyn,

Thanks for your replies. I will check out the links. As far as the contributions of the dues paying members--like most organizations, some contribute, some don't. At the last two meetings a majority of the attendees agreed that we do need a video security system. I'll just keep tracking and find the best system that I can. Any more suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks again,

Don

Google X-10 (I had browser problems while searching for the URL) and look here:-

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/

Go for stuff that is movement activated.....

Make sure your wireless hardware has the bandwidth to handle the backhaul rate (data transfer) of the video system. Two I can recommend is Firetide and Mesh Dynamics, with a nod to the later for its configuration flexibility. Bosch makes an excellent PTZ camera, (501i), good in day/night service. It can be configured for a number of applications. Keep your ambient conditions in mind, if you experience low or high temperatures the enclosure you put your camera in can protect against temperature extremes as well as vandalism. Dotworks has good products. There is also excellent software available in the marketplace today for monitoring your camera feeds and managing your data storage. Check OnSSI products. Their web site has a handy calculation routine that will let you calculate what you need for storage based on your camera resolution, your motion capture percentage, your frame rate etc. Recommend not dropping below 8 frames/sec for any motion recording, that will provide you with the resolution you need to be able to clearly discern "who what when". Some cameras claim to be able to record in no light, but at what frame rate? If your moving target records as blur what good will that be? With regard to license plate monitoring, consider a mega-pixel camera that you can mount wherever you want (as long as it line of sight to the plate). It doesn't need to be mounted low, you can record both the driver and the plate due to the high resolution. On such camera good for day/night service is the GE GEC-MP3-DN. Note that the Bosch is an analog camera, and would need an analog to digital back end device to connect to your wireless network. Besides cruising the internet to review the myriad of information that is available (skip the glossy brochures and go to the application and installation information) on these and similar products you can also talk with manufacturers area reps that aren't involved in direct sales. They are routinely involved with many different installation solutions and strive to recommend hardware/software solutions that best fit the need. Recommend considering a system design that is open and easily expandable. Chances are whatever you do, at some point in the future you may want to expand, that is why digital software solutions are far superior to fixed hardware switch multiplexers. Whatever you decide on, call around, check it out, find out who else has experience with that product as an end user if at all possible and see if there expectations are met. There's about a million ways to skin this cat.

If it were me tasked with this job, I would start by going to other places that have a similar system requirement (other HOA's)etc.. I'm sure those people would give you tips, problems, hints etc and you could get equipment names and possible problems with, and reliability of their brand. Maybe there is no other place like yours in your area but an invaluble place to gather some information if there is.

IP camera systems are complex, but it depends on how you use them. Depending on the amount of cameras, and the level of control you need for them (motion, remote control / movable cameras, etc.) you need a dependent, reliable wireless network. They need data to be moving both ways, so it is difficult. You also need considerable bandwidth, since you need to send the best quality video to the DVR, control messages, etc.

The right camera for the right application. Utilizing the right camera, (not always color by the way) is extremely important, and that means they can be expensive, because they need clarity, weather resistance, and IR capability.

Purchase a DVR that has an internal hard drive and a DVD burner so you have ample backup, and when the police show up you can easily isolate the video and make a copy on the spot, also without sacrificing video quality. I have had these problems before. Also purchase a DVR that allows for expansion !!! In my experience there will always be a time that you add a camera !

Make sure you record at a quality that will help you identify the perpetrators, vehicles, etc. (facial recognition ? License plate recog ?)

The locations of the cameras must be thought out thoroughly, and of course the number of cameras are equally important. I have had many installations that required the addition of cameras following incidents.

In many remote camera applications, you can utilize solar power solutions.

Currently we are doing a project with a company called sky packets (sky-packets.com) and they are providing an incredible dedicated wireless mesh network that we will utilize for the remote DVR to access the internet so they can monitor from other locations etc. If there is an issue with bandwidth, they increase the number of gateways to increase the amount of bandwidth. Most IP cameras will not work well with those distances too so the mesh network they provide is exactly what we need. They can also set it up so that wireless cameras and wired cameras all access the DVR, as it may be the case you will have both. A main issue in this last installation by the way was having multiple IP addresses, as opposed to one IP address for the DVR itself.

So the bottom line is it is important to have the proper wireless network and camera system. If you contact sky-packets, ask for Henry, he has been a blessing to deal with.

http://www.pelco.com/products/default.aspx?id=658

http://www.camware.com.my/

pelco website have a lot of informations about CCTV, my experience with Camware is very good, look for carmen if you contact them, they can ship your order very fast and the support is very good too.Hopes this will help.

Don,

Couple things to keep in mind, just in case they might affect your ultimate choice. I'm not a camera pro so take these with an extra-large grain of salt:

1-Wireless camera systems beam their signal to an 'audience'. In other words, not only your receiver but anybody with a similar receiver set to the same frequency and in the same general area will be able to see what your system is seeing. There are probably systems that have built-in encryption (to keep non-residents with less than good intent from monitoring the comings and goings of the residents) but I would imagine the cost would be somewhat higher.

2-Your hard drive storage capacity (in terms of how long a period of time can be archived) will be affected by resolution, number of frames/second, among other things. One thing that can be done on some systems is to program the system so that it will only begin capturing frames when it sees motion. This shouldn't be a problem, just be aware that if you use motion-only capturing, it is necessary to program the camera just right so that it will 'know' what kind of motion it needs to be watching for. Otherwise it might be able to 'see' an automobile moving, but completely miss 'seeing' a person walking by because the system wasn't programmed to recognize a human-sized object in motion.

3-The more feeds you have going into your system, the less storage you will have, which makes sense because the systems are actually doing repetitive screen captures. Whatever system you pick will probably have multiple-input capability, probably from 4 up to 16 cameras. Be sure that the unused inputs are programmed to not record, which will reduce the demand on your storage somewhat.

4-Since you indicated that the cameras will be operated in low-light conditions, you may need to use infrared-equipped cameras. Whatever you go with, when it's time to pick the power supply, be sure to get one that can handle the extra current requirement to power the IR LEDs or other night-vision circuitry. With only a couple of cameras this shouldn't be an issue but check just in case.

5-Nowadays, being mechanically inclined should be sufficient for installation of a system since many are turnkey operations. It's actually more difficult (for me, anyway) to sift through the terminology for the information that's actually useful versus the less than useful stuff.

Good luck!

Logan

logan,

I did not know about the "audience" thing. Good point. I'm with you on the sifting through the terminology stuff also. That's what's killing me! Thanks.

Don

Some DVRs offer capture and record from before the event until after, non-motion periods are not kept on the drive. If solar is not possible (certainly not as reliable for security events) you will face separate meters and bills for each camera, probably. The earlier suggestion to look at other installs is a good point. Security for your wireless network and possibly encryption are needed so an outsider can not see the residents come and go.

Begin with specifications:

Camera: Because there are no lights, you want IR or night vision. This will provide a monochrome image. You do not need or want a color image as they will not provide night vision.

Illumination: If it is really pitch black out there, you will need IR illuminators to work with your cameras. 850nm to 94nm is the spectral range that you will want to operate in. Although the illuminators could be left on day & night, many have electronic eyes which detect day/night to turn off/on the illuminators.

Wireless range: How far away will the receiver be from the cameras. If the cameras are mounted down low, as the license plate camera might be, if the antenna is attached directly to the camera, its range will be limited. The higher the antenna, the better the range (line of sight).

EXTREMECCTV cameras and illuminators which I have installed dozens work well and are reliable. Since Bosch has now acquired them I am not sure if the product has changed.

Snave,

Thanks. It's not pitch black but very low light. I can't read a newspaper there. One point that I've had difficulty getting across to vendors, and to the local company that came out and provided a quote, is that the traffic will interfere with the signal if the signal is coming directly from the cameras. I'm not sure what to call the system/devices but I will need low-mounted cameras that are wired to a 12' high antennae. The antennae would then have to send the signal to the recorder/receiver, about 250' away, in a resident's house. Is it advisable to have 2 cameras (coming and going) about 5'-6' high and a 3rd, low level for the license plate? Should they all be the same type cameras? I hope that clears things up.

Thanks,

Don

Hello Don -

Well, over three years have passed since this thread was created. I am now in a similar situation as you were at this time - seeking info about a neighborhood surveillance system. We have a water feature subject to more frequent vandalism and perhaps a web based monitoring system is the best way to go. Can you advise what your costs ended up at? There were several recommended sites/contacts in the thread. Any that you would endorse?

Hope you had great results and are still in a position to offer any guidance.

Make sure your camera can record TIME and DATE with pictures (video) it takes. This can much decrease the time hunting, to find the crook, who burglarized the house at 0-dark-30 in the morning.

Bill

Some of the best security camera systems and easiest to install. Go to

http://sentinelcctvstore.lorextechnology.com/default.aspx