bryan1656

Any feedback on the Speco TN series? http://www.specotech.com/cart/products/productDetails.asp?prodID=836 I tried a search, but everything I found was on their IP series. I need a decent, yet very economical, "workhorse" for convenience stores, etc. Any feedback, thoughts, or points in the right direction would be very appreciated.

Here's one: 0.0003lux, 600LOR, b/w, 3.7mm pinhole lens, BNC out, 12VDC, 100mA [ Ooops. I forgot about the "no linking rule". I'll resend it to you via PM. ]

The various board cams using the Sony ExView and SuperHAD CCDs are good kit. They go all the way down to about .0003 lux as of this posting. This should be enough for almost any ambient light. Otherwise, an IR LED lightsource may be a good idea to light up your target area, if visible light is not possible. For residential interior installs in a security application, I also like the ones that are made to look like alarm PIRs, or smoke detectors. They don't always have the same CCD and/or low-light quality... however, a thief or attacker will not be operating in total darkness. These units are easy to install and service. Many also integrate with alarm systems, motion detection, etc. Many use built-in flash memory instead of requiring a home run to a seperate recorder. HTH

tmartin, I've been exactly in your position many, many times before. Cooperman is spot on in raising "best evidence" issues. You'll need to seize the original tape as evidence. (Best Evidence Rule) If you need any forensic video, the tech will also want the original. However, for playback immediately after a crime in order to try to identify the perp... it is a whole other matter. And then, you've got to find a way to get a workable copy to the prosecutors. Then THEY have to figure out how to get something to work for the defense. And if the Def doesn't want to plea, theyve got to figure out how to show it to twelve people and two alternates who couldn't get out of jury duty. You might want to touch base with the DA's Office to see what guidance they can give you. All in all you've been steered in the right direction here. A Good time lapse VCR and a decent mux shold get you good to go at least 75% of the time. I'd also recommend a good video printer so you can print captures out to get to the media. You might also keep an eye out for some other stuff to help you take digital stills to transmit by email, etc. to other agencies, the press. Try hitting up the local Wally World. Get someone in loss prevention or their ITF. They are often very good about donating investigative equipment like that. Alot of other retailers are good with this, too since thier LP folks like to stay on the nice-nice with the po-po. Hit up Target or any other big retailers in your area. You might could hit up any local CCTV guys. If you're working homicides on a burglary budget, you might be able to work something out where an area CCTV tech will be willing to be "on call" for you and let you use their gear. If you want some referrals on LE specific video training, or if there is anything else I can do to help -- hit me on me email, private message, or hit my website for my phone number. HTH

Cooperman and SecurityMonster are spot on. If your objective is to prevent theft of pilferable items, then identifying some, or even all, of your current thieves is only a short term solution. If the current thieves are employees and are fired after being identified, then what about the next batch of workers who are their replacements? Are you going to keep hiring, training, and then firing people? At what point will the process of identifying thieves and replacing them become more costly than your inventory losses? While a hidden camera may help you identify and terminate employees for cause, you need to address the long term loss prevention issues. As alluded to above, you may want to look at some access control measures, some tighter inventory control, employment background checks, employee training and awareness training, etc.. - an overall solution to the problem. CCTV would be a good part of the solution, but it needs to work within a comprehensive loss prevention strategy. Hope this helps.

As already noted, for most small businesses, cost is a HUGE factor. I prefer stand alones for most applications that I deal with. Other things I look for: Ability to burn a CD/DVD. If something happens, the video needs to be able to easily handed over to investigators, attorneys, insurance adjusters, etc. The system should include player software on the disk so that it can be played on any computer. 30fps, or equivalent I want the option of being able to record at "full speed" on all cameras Then I start looking at things like memory, encoding, software features, etc. For most small enterprise customers, I'm trying to sell them a DVR to avoid the problems inherent with VCRs.. namely poor tape management. Considering that VCRs have a max recording resolution of, what, around 240HLOR, the image quality on most DVRs is an improvement. That's important when a forensic video tech is trying to pull a tag number in a kidnapping and murder case.

eBay?

accord2002, I can't help you on any ideas for that lens. Sorry. But I just have to say "HOLY CRAP!!! B&H is doing CCTV now!?!?!"

If we restrict discussion only to OBL, then I believe most of the blame can be put at Clinton's feet, if we are going to reduce blame to only one person. OBL declared his Jihad against the US around 1998 and that same year bombed US embassies in Africa. Clinton, in the midst of serious draw downs and reductions in the US military and intelligence commnity, vowed to bring the matter to justice. He then limited US intelligence and military efforts by requiring that OBL be taken alive. He strictly disallowed lethal force and further severly restricted assets available that would be neccessary to capture him. I think grave mistakes were made by numerous administrations over the years, in not properly apreciating the threat.. or hopefully waiting for things to boil over on someone else's watch, or sometimes limiting response due to political expediency. Even Reagan, back during his tenure, in reponse to the bombings in Lebanon, pulled the troops out instead of taking a hard line. His priorities were, posibly correctly, placed elsewhere in the Soviet Union. I recall that it was widely predicted after the fall of the U.S.S.R. that fundamentalist Islamic terrorism would be the next great threat to the U.S. - and those predictions proved to be true. But who knows? I recall people predicting that we'd get invaded by China, too. and that hasn't happened. At any rate.. I think the problem of Islamic terrorism goes too far back, and is too large of a problem to be laid at the feet of any one single political leader, regardles of their political party or other shortcomings.

and that was only back to 1972...

9/11 was in the works way before that. It is much to big a problem to lay at the feet of any one particular President. December 1972, terrorist hijack a plane in Rome demanding the release of other Arab terrorists. February 1979, Afgahni terrorists kidnap the US. Ambassador to Afgahnistan and demand the release of religous leaders. Novemeber 1979, radical Islamists take seige of the US Ambassy in Tehran and hold US citizens hostage. April 1983, Islamic terrorist bombing of US embassy in Beirut. October 1983, Islamic terrorist bombing of Marine Barracks in Lebanon. March 1984, Islamic terrorists kidnapp and murder US Embassy official. June 1985, Islamic terrorist hijacking of TWA flight. October 1985, Islamic terrorists hijack the ship Achille Lauro. November 1985, Islamic terrorists hijack Egyptian airliner with numerous US citizens on board. December 1985, Islamic Terrorists attack El Al and TWA ticket counters in Rome and Vienna airports. March 1986, Islamic terrorist bombing of TWA flight 840. April 1986, Islamic terrorist bombing of disco in Berlin populated by US service members. February 1988, US service member kidnapped and murdered by Islamic terrorists. April 1988, Islamic terrorists bomb a club bomb a USO club in Naples. Really... I could go on and on... but I think I've made my point.

Neatness counts. Ditto hermin on the EMT!!

I have extensive experience working child sex cases. There is something very wrong with a mother that is willing to subject their child to abuse for no other reason than to gather "100%" evidence. 1) She needs to report this to police and child protective services so they can begin an investigation. 2) the child needs to be interviewed by a special child forensic interviewer as part of the LE and CPS investigation 3) she needs to talk to her attorney about getting a temporary modification to her custody and visitiation order Let the cops and child services do thier job on collecting evidence. Getting a 7 year old wired up is about the worst idea I've ever heard.

WOW! CONGRATULATIONS!!! It is great to see a small shop growing and doing well. I know gov't jobs can be a huge PITA to get, but when you get a GOOD one, they can really kick things up a notch. I'm glad to hear about your success!!! [/b]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, dusan. My deepest condolences out to you and your family.