Thread: Mini camera suggestions?

What did you do to get the tires slashed? Chances are you ****ed off someone bad enough.

Hmm I have some used cctv security systems for sale with 4x cameras and time lapse vcrs, but that's pretty overkill Do you want this to attach to your carpc or something, or do you just want to keep people out of your driveway? If it's the driveway thing, just get a big light or a motion-activated light..

I have been seriously looking at the apple iSignt camera for external mounting to 'film' things.. It's powered over firewire, small, and I could easily make a lexan shield to protect it from rocks/etc. The question nobody seems able to answer is -- does it work on a PC, and if so, does it work well enough decent video?

Originally Posted by Seraph

What did you do to get the tires slashed? Chances are you ****ed off someone bad enough.

You would think that, but there is nothing that i can think of. I have no enemies. I was eating at a nice restaraunt with my girlfriend, came out and had to slashed tires. It wasnt even in the same state that i live. I drive a 2004 acura tsx, so 1 tire cost me $230!!! $500 because some a$$hole wanted to ***** with my car.

My guess is it was some random kids screwing around. I want to be able to somehow record or capture something like this happening in the future. Even if i install a camera with my pc, how will it work with the car off?

Probably someone ****ed him off and that person drive a similear TSX. The only suggesstion I can make is to install a video recorder in the trunk and record everything. Be glad you only have to replace 2 tires. If that was the case on my SVX, I'd have to replace all 4 tires or I'd kill the AWD system.

Originally Posted by Seraph

If that was the case on my SVX, I'd have to replace all 4 tires or I'd kill the AWD system.

Why in the world would that kill your AWD system?

Originally Posted by gork

Hmm I have some used cctv security systems for sale with 4x cameras and time lapse vcrs, but that's pretty overkill Do you want this to attach to your carpc or something, or do you just want to keep people out of your driveway? If it's the driveway thing, just get a big light or a motion-activated light..

I have been seriously looking at the apple iSignt camera for external mounting to 'film' things.. It's powered over firewire, small, and I could easily make a lexan shield to protect it from rocks/etc. The question nobody seems able to answer is -- does it work on a PC, and if so, does it work well enough decent video?

how exactly do those time lapse vcrs work? what are some specs on them? do they just reocord for like 30sec if the beam is tripped?
i really want to do this "overkill" in my car cuz i have a convertible with soon-to-be 5000+ worth of system alone and screens and computers dont come with detachable faces

thanks in advance

Originally Posted by Linus

Why in the world would that kill your AWD system?

Subaru AWD system have 2 differentials, one at front and one at back. if you put different size tyres (yes it matters since the older tyres are more worn out and a little thinner than the rest that it will screw up the diff/tranny combo. So on the SVX, if you have a blown tyre that you have to replace, you have to replace all 4. It's one of the cars that requires some $$$ to maintain.

Hmm I meant that stuff as a joke, but the time lapse vcr records like 5fps for 24 hrs per "regular" 6hr tape.

It runs on A/C. It wouldn't go in your car. Seriously, though, it's no good to try video survellance in your car. Think about it for about half a second. If your carPC stuff gets stolen, the security video is gone. This is a dead-end idea. There is some justification if you can train a camera on your car from inside your house/apartment, but little for storing the survellance in the car.

Originally Posted by gork

Hmm I meant that stuff as a joke, but the time lapse vcr records like 5fps for 24 hrs per "regular" 6hr tape.

It runs on A/C. It wouldn't go in your car. Seriously, though, it's no good to try video survellance in your car. Think about it for about half a second. If your carPC stuff gets stolen, the security video is gone. This is a dead-end idea. There is some justification if you can train a camera on your car from inside your house/apartment, but little for storing the survellance in the car.

not so fast Gork...now there are millions of electronic stuff out there, that can aid or help in the making of video security for a car. I am working on motorized mini camera pods, there are only 2 functions on the camera board, left and right. with the camera sitting dead center, it can pivot 45 degrees left or right. Now it is triggered by motion sensors, one inside the left dash and one inside the right dash. The only problem I am having with the hole setup is to get the camera board to bring the PC out of sleep, and record. Macro can help the automatic starting of the app...but getting it to come alive is a problem. But you can set up a macro to kill program after 10min, long enough right? and return to sleep, or standby. As to the camera pods, I am building an inline timer device, pic controller, that will only let the camera run for 10 min after initial power on. then it get cut off again, the timer will reset its state after 30sec, and rearming itself for tripping and recording functions. I am going to go to rentacoder and pay someone 50 bucks to write the software for me. Its easy to get someone to help with the coding. Also if your setup is like mine, and all up front ready to be ripped out, you can run cat5 cable and run an external storage in the trunk, or network storage, either way, but you will have the mpeg of what happened up until your comp is ripped out. So. Also look around for the smoke machine idea...its good. Or the securi tint stuff.

later.
~Sounder~