Covert Cameras

[kmurrey 0]

I have a budgeted minded client - ok cheap - that wants to have a couple of covert cameras.

 

What is working well for you guys? I have seen the smoke detectors and exit signs - but I want to make sure they work well.

 

I also am trying just to put domes in as I think the cameras themselves offer a good deterrant.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Also - where are you purchasing these covert units?

[cachecreekcctv 0]

Saw a ton of different ones at ISC West, especially from Supercircuits.com's booth there. Check them out.

[kmurrey 0]

Thanks for the info... but I am really looking for some info from someone that has bought the covert stuff and from where.

[WirelessEye 0]

I've bought from supercircuits. They have good service and OK pricing, by far the biggest covert selection of anyone I've seen.

 

When doing a covert job, you must first look at the surroundings it will be installed in. Take lots of pictures then look through the covert cameras and see which ones will work best on a case by case basis. Covert cams are expensive, at least for decent ones. The worst thing you can do is buy something that sticks out like a sore thumb. The exit sign stuff is ok, but generally I only use them for new construction, if you add them years after the building is up, employees know something is up.

 

I would just get the mini-pinhole type and drill a pin hold in something, but that's just me.

[CollinR 0]

I would just get the mini-pinhole type and drill a pin hold in something, but that's just me.

 

Agreed. You can even use BW bullets with a light filter in front. Most of the covert cams on the market suck bigtime.

[kmurrey 0]

I appreciate your comments.

 

I may just have them use standard domes or bullets. I think it will be a better deterant.

 

She also caught the guy and fired him. He was an employee for 4 years and has been stealing from her.

[CollinR 0]

I often do both and I had assumed you were. Put the domes in the obvious places and the covert where people would go to hide from the domes. Out think them by forcing them into an area you have a good FOV on.

[kmurrey 0]

My concern if these covert cameras suck - then why use them.

 

I mean are they good enough to actually get footage that could be use to prosecute someone?

[scorpion 0]

I use covert cameras quite abit. I have never had the client take a employee/customer to court so I cannot give advise in the legal matters.

No matter how good the video is, it is how good the defense attorney is. I always keep this in my mind as I set up systems, it is the booming voice of a defense attorney, with his fist banging on the jury rail, BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN!

 

Most of my coverts land in this kind of category:

 

My husband just had a heart attack and he cannot run his company and his doctor wants him to stay at home and rest, but things have been happening at work.....

 

My elderly father who is bed ridden has a nursing company that cares for him on a daily basis while I am at work, and I am so scared that they do not feed him, or give him his medicine. I found bruise on him the other day, and I think they dropped him on the floor. Please help me.

 

We busted 10 employees from one company! The state has moved in on this company. I wish I could tell you all what we caught! Everything. From "bored" male nurses who decide to "entertain themselves by hand" so to speak, to pure negligence. Poor lady!

 

Please help me I have a real problem! My office manager who I have trusted for 15 years has shut down my complete business, and she is stilling my business! I cannot use my phones, she has changed the 4 digit password, and has the phone being forwarded to a tracphone, and she is getting all of my sales calls. I cannot get my phone back because Bell South (now ATT) will not unlock them because I do not have the 4 digit password!!! I have to go down to the offices and show my business license, my drivers license, and I have to prove that I own the business!

Somehow this lady is still getting back inside of my business! Help me!

 

In the process of setting up cameras for remote view I found that she has the server set up to forward the url. You go to his website and then you end up at her website! He did not know this and I had to be the bearer of bad news.

 

FOR CAMERAS:

 

I mostly use the covert PIR ( or motion detector). I have 3 types to pick from cheap, middle, and expensive. The cheap one is a B/W, and the middle is a color, and the expensive is a low light model. The low light model works great in the enty office/lobby at night and the only light source is the EXIT sign that is lighted!!!! The video is great (considering)!

 

I do not use the smoke detector too much because you only get the top of the heads of people, and the side view I only use in a "hallway" or such. The smoke detectors are great for looking straight down in to cash drawer!

 

I also have a speaker w/ a camera. I use this in the drive thru at fast food restaurants to watch the cash drawer (new construction). I use a pager w/ a transmitter. Depending on the environment for the covert install, but sometimes I get lucky. I can pull a bunch of books "forward" or closer to the edge of the shelf, and I can toss the page on top of the books and let it get lost in the "clutter", and let the transmitter "fall" behind the books to hide.

 

In the night club/bar scene I find that most of the places paint the ceilings black. With the false ceiling I can use the 1X1 inch mini camera. They are so small and in a dark club you cannot see these cameras!

 

I like to scrape off dust from conduit or top of cabinets and sprinkle the "debris" on to my covert PIRs to give them an aged look. I will take my hand and smudge them till I get the right look.

 

In some cases I have scuffed cameras, painted them with a primer, painted them with one color, and then painted them with a crackle coat, and then painted them white or another color and let the crackle paint layer crackle the top layer. It will look just like an old painted furniture or whatever from an antique, or thrift store. I use this on my bird houses, fake pump houses, dog houses and whatever for bullet cams when they need to be covert for outside use.

[scorpion 0]

PM me and I will let you know what dealer here in Florida I use for my coverts.

[blowrabbit 0]

I have put in many covert cameras and I still think the best is the covert pin lense camera installed in a typical 2'x4' suspended ceiling panel. It is not an easy job to do right as i find it takes a couple of hours to set it up and using a minicam with a pinhole lense I find it gets too hot so I install a little cpu fan powered off the dc 12 vlt power to the cam. I glue some 1/4 inch plywood to the back of the ceiling panel so i can screw a mount for the cam and the fan. I preplan where it should be in the ceiling tile and build it off site and install after hours. If you like i could repost a post the picture from the cam once I recall how to post them on this site?

[rory 0]

Best bet is to buy some mini board cameras and build your own.

Otherwise ive used the GE kalatel line which look great cosmetically (real burg hardware) but cost alot, and also Provideo. To do again I would build my own to get a better image and a better overall device.