pyro

Some LPR cameras do not have an IR cut filter. They actually have an IR pass filter. Using an IR illuminator both day and night, the license plate lights up like a neon sign. Visible light is hampered or greatly dampened so sunny glare is illiminated and high-beam head lights at night appear as round circles. Don't use an auto-iris lens. Use an IR Mega-pixel. Regarding the ALPR software, there are excellent OCR type programs available. The main concern should be obtaining a pristine image the software can recognize. Use a high-res overview camera to capture video event details. The LPR cameras should be dedicated to license plates. Mfgs. trying to provide the cure all camera are either strong in the day and marginal at night or the other way around. Look at your tollway cameras. Notice how the illuminators are on 24/7 whether you can see them or not. pyro

CMC Tech is in Houston, Texas.Their DVR's are mostly AV Tech. Owner's name is Thomas Chi but doesn't usually talk to customers, Tech support name is Beyond but his english is not great. Ask for Alias in sales. He is considerate and seems to have his act together. ph: 832.327.8880 Hope this helps.

Consider going with a geovision 2 channel video server. Add an external hardrive for onsite storage. I believe it is 12VDC/3amps. To conserve power go with a star light low-lux box camera (12VDC/150Ma) in an enclosure to avoid IR led's and extend battery life. Add a wireless access point and you can drive nearby and pull video with a laptop. Your runtime with depend on the size of your battery bank and solar array. You can supplement power requirements with wind power. I have had clients request the their system be able to run 2-3 days in case of poor or no sunny days. Most decent solar panels (monocrystaline) will general power on overcast days. Still it is better to err on the conservative. On top off all that they usually want it to be discreet and invisable. Well life is all about trade offs. Hope this helps. Good luck and report back. Kind regards. pyro

welcome to the forum

Regarding your resolution issue, you most likely have 3.6mm 420 line bullet cameras with 23 IRs. Add to that you are losing resolution due to the compression your DVR uses to store data on the hard drive. Once compressed the data does not completely restore during play back, some is lost in the process. The frame rate may also be set too low. For best results choose the least compression and set your DVR to a higher frame rate. You can always upgrade to better cameras later. Make sure to also upgrade to a better power supply. Q-see like to use a 12vdc 1A or 2A power supply with a little 4 camera adapter spider. Avoid the pre-made cables in favor of rg59/18-2 siamese. I'm not bashing Q-see. Its a good starter system for the money and the DIY guy. Their tech support is okay but you may have to wait a few minutes. Enjoy the weekend! pyro

are you close to Old Bridge, NJ (Middlesex County)

Properly done you can obtain a License plate with a quality analog camera. I've put in quite a few costco/q-see systems for friends and clients. Not my first choice, but you can't beat it for the money. pyro

I tend to agree with the OP. I've had clients want the entire system discreet so they can catch who vitimized them. I tell them to have visible cameras that work with the esthetic of the home.That way when you are talking to your neighbors about the break in last night, you will be talking about his home and not yours. Place signage as well. Some say they don't want their home to look like a bank or they don't want to offend guests, but properly done your home won't offend anyone. I just finished a LPR project, message if you need any tips. Regards, pyro

Hello All, I am currently installing a 32 camera/2 dvr system in a large Condo complex. My issue is the dvrs are located in different locations in the complex and one of the locations has no internet access. I know I can't be the first to face this situation. My question is what solution have proven to be successful for you. The distance from the dvr to the main office is approx 250 feet. Any suggestions regarding wireless equipment, part numbers, brands would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, pyro

Keep in mind that should that camera fail it will not be covered under warranty. Once your clip off the connector your supplier may assume you installed it wrong. Why not use the 2.1mm mating connector?

Why not low-lux camers? Remember if the camera cant see, neither can the mutt robbing the place. Plus there is no tell-tale red led hue noticable near the camera. Why not wash the area with a separate IR led iluminator then cover the area with low-lux cams. Many times the ambient street lamps or even a near full moon gives off enough light to get a great pic.. pyro

in FL you should be fine w/o them. The camera itself will give off enough heat to handle the ocassional dip in the 20's Moisture and humidity is your main issue I bet. Best of luck!

I also sing the praises of liquid tight, found in any home depot. Use electrical tape and heatshrink tubing as a back up. I always try to carry the brush on electrical tape, found in any Walmart in the tool section. Good luck pal. I've yet to install on a trawler, but i know that salt spray is some corrosive stuff to metal and cabling. Just my $.02 pyro

I generally paint the enclosure to avoid warranty issues. I like the wall paper idea though. I usually can get my bullet cams in black, bronze, white or off white. Its usually easier to use am enclosure or shroud or completely conceal the cam. Just my $.02 pyro

regarding your cameras, try a vari-focal lens. a camera with a static or preset lens can somtimes give you a take it or leave it picture, although I seen many with great picture quality, also check your resolution settings. Next check your power supply. If you don't have a central power supply, you probably have separate adapter like power supplies plugged into a surge protector. Since you upgraded your cams, you probably dont have enough juice to run the infrared led's and the camera properly, so you may need to get a power supply with a little more ass on it. Feel free to pm me any time pyro