D_Nyholm

Ok, I have been having a problem with people hitting me. I have been hit 3 times so far when I wasn’t there, 2 of them being hit and runs and the other with someone owning up to it. The car is only 6 months old so I have some ideas that sound great in my head but I don’t know how they will come through in real life. I was hoping I could get some input from the people here.

So far, my idea is to mount some sort of camera’s with motion detectors that would record to a VCR in the car. I was thinking of putting some of the small cameras either in the side view mirrors (would need very small cameras, one facing forward and one back in each mirror), in the front and back windows (wouldn’t provide enough coverage for door dings), or in the front and back license plates (same as in the mirror). Then I would need a simple motion detector that would turn on the VCR and cameras when something is detected within 3-5 ft of the car (I never park close to anyone so they wouldn’t be tuning on and off if I parked in a parking lot). I would like the sensors to leave the camera on for 10 – 30 seconds or so after the movement stops. I wouldn’t worry about running out of tape since I would be able to rewind it every week when I wash and clean the car and that would be my inspection for the week as well (considering I look the whole car over every day before I get into it).

Now, my main question is, is this feasible? Are there pieces small enough to accomplish this task without being obtrusive? Am I just thinking of something that would be way too expensive?

How would this hold up if someone actually did hit me and I went to the Police with it? Would I have to put a disclaimer on my car saying it is under constant video survaillance?

What other ideas do you guys have on this matter? I would like something like Batman has where a full body of armor comes up around my baby, but for some reason, I don’t think that is available.

toykilla

iTrader: (1)

man that is shitty
its one thing when someone dings a '82 chevy van...you would think they would pay a little more attention when parking by a '03 sports car.

not sure about the surveillance thing, but it seems like more work than it is worth

you might want to question your parking habbits. i try to park where i dont think anyone else will be next to me OR i park next to really expensive cars **hoping** that they will be more careful than the avg Joe driving a saturn (dent-proof doors )

also where is this happening, mall? nightclubs? bars? work?

all this may effect what happens to your car

icepop456

Having a motion dector work for only 3 to 5 feet and be very small may prove too difficult. You may be able to rig something up from the Viper's radar sensor where it does not trigger the alarm but sents a signal to a circuit which has a built in timer (say a 555 timer circuit) which in turn controls a power relay to the VCR. This doesn't seem too too difficult, but without electrical knowledge, you probably could not get it working right.

You would have to keep in mind that most cameras do not work at a useful clarity during the middle of the night. If a car hits you at night, the cameras would have to adjust for the headlights inorder to see the license plate. Not sure where you are from but many states do not have plates on the front of the car. The low resolution of small camera's probably would not let you catch the plate number of someone driving off.

Assuming all the elctrical stuff was figured out, I believe the video would be legal. Filming public areas (parking lots and pretty much anything outside) is legal. You are not allowed to film into people's windows or private areas. You probably do not need to put up any signs because you're not monitor an area. Since the cameras would off most of the time, having a sign would give people a false sense of security (in case something happens to them). In the event someone gets mugged, there is a slight chance they will want your video tape and not having it can be problematic. I'm not a lawyer (electical engineer), but this is what I was told when at one job when I proposed using fake cameras to keep people from stealing stuff.

What I have done, is use a webcam attached to my computer monitor my car at all times. I tried some motion detection software, but i found time-lapsed was the best. I rant it at like 3 or 4 frames a second. This allowed the camera to have decent quality at night if there was at least some light around (I always left my outside light on). Naturally my roomate's car was broken into the week I had the camera off because the software kept crashing in the middle of the night.

Tim

mdacko

iTrader: (3)

spysupply007.com has some cool stuff, small cameras for cars, motion sensors, etc

alphared

The easiest way is to get a laptop and a webcam. have it running and set the webcam to motion detect (logicam has that function) It can record or take a snapshot if someone or something goes in view of the lens.
You can set the sensitivity of the motion detection and what kind of frame rate or picture quality you want. So if someone hits, key, spit or anything to your car you got proof. I'm currently trying that setup with my car pc (still installing )

Only problem is if its pitch black you won't get an image, but thats true for alot of digital cameras. You could hook up IR lights, that might enable visible pic at night.

D_Nyholm

Well, looking at these posts, it seems like I might be able to do it. I understand how to use a viper sensor (they have microwave sensors, right?) to trigger a relay to turn the VCR recorder on. I just cant figure out how to make the VCR stay in "record" mode since they all have momentary switches. I could pull the thing apart and just wire the record button to stay on. But each time Iwanted to pull the tape out, I would have to unwire it since the heads would be engaged.

The WebCam seems good , but finding a place for a laptop doesn't seem too easy or cost effective. The cameras I have seen for webcams are usually pretty big as well.

I am still not sure where I would want to mount the cameras either. Any ideas on that? I haven't gotten the chance to look at the spy site yet to see what they have. I wouldn't mind getting a 110v camera and then just having a power inverter in the car (would be convenient if I ever needed 110v power at all), but finding one small enough and waterproof might prove to be a hassle.

I don't really worry about night shots since the car is at my house at night up a long driveway so nothing happens there (crosses fingers).

Keep the ideas coming.....

ZEEDOUT

I have a after market car alarm that pages me when my alarm goes off.This also tells me what zone or location of the impact or intrusion.The alarm seems to work well so far,maybe this will be easier for you . I know Im not inspector gadget! Just an idea,maybe it will work fine for you also. Im sure its cheaper too!

alphared

boy not sure what shop you been too. webcams are pretty small WITHOUT the casing. A typical Logitech cam is roughly 1.25" sq and 1/2" thick. Draws only 5V ~ 100mA and cost under 40. you can get a old laptop for about 1000 or less.

if you use a 110V inverter, vcr and cam, your battery would be gone in the morning. Plus I think the cost of the spy cam, vcr, motion detector, supplies are gonna cost the same if not more than the webcam, laptop setup. (or build your own pc, should cost about 500)

For a laptop or pc you have more options. Depending on power suppy, you can get a low 60W to power the pc. and have it on standby till the camera triggers it.

But not know what level of install you're comfortable, but the easiest is a laptop and webcam. just hide the laptop under the trunk and have the web cam on the strut bar facing forward.

D_Nyholm

Well, the reason I say the Web cams are too big is because I want to mount them IN the sideview mirrors. I don't think that I would be able to mount 2 cameras in there and still have room for the motors and controls. If I had a 350z, the strut bar wouldn't really work because my main concern is the doors and corners of the bumpers. Basically the side of the car, not the front and the back. That seems to be the main area of that damage occurs. Other than the mirrors, I can't figure out a place that will get me coverage of the sides and still have the cameras enclosed and moderately protected.

alphared

If you want to mount it in the side mirrors, heres a suggestion. Get custom 2 way mirrors and put the camera behind it. Get the cam fix in position and use a silicon based sealer to cover the whole thing. Run the wire parallel with the power cable for the mirrors.

OR

Get a wideangle lens and mount the cam on the roof, on top of the door frame and have it point down. You can run the cables inside the door trim and it'll be protected cause its on the inside.

kelvin1704

That is exactly what i want to do. But more towards the need cause I got my car scratch just 1 day after I got the car. People here do so when they are .... sigh...

Well, I plan to use a laptop but I am wondering how long my car battery would last if i goes through the 110v inverter?

CactusBob

Maybe you could use something like this (I know nothing about it other than what is printed on the web page): http://www.spytechs.com/spy_cameras/car_camera.htm

SteveZzz

I think you're going to have a problem getting full coverage of your car without several camera's. Sounds like a fun project, but probably not very practical.

ZZZealous007

Ive been thinking about this type of security for a while. I suggest using Supervision Cam as a motion detector. not only can u set the the frame rate but u can add on in which it will call your phone if motion is detected OR it can trigger a script on a website. the possibilities are endless...

AlPha REd:
is there a way to use IR" night vision" with a webcam? what about wide angle etc.. etc.
I dont want to buy a digital cam since im tryin to keep this solution cost effective. BTW I am currently experimenting with the Logitech web cam.

StandAloneZ

iTrader: (1)

what kind of power supply are you plannin to use. I was thinkin about doin the same thing with a webcam and a pc but wont that drain the battery?