Surveillance Camera Question

[washme1]

The camera I am using to monitor my exit drive is capturing no more than 1/3 of the license tags leaving my property at night. This camera is designed for nightime use. If the vehicle stops in the ideal spot, has a clean, illuminated plate, I have a chance of getting a clear image. If someone is using a camera with better performance, I would consider buying it and moving my current exit cam to the entrance side (the entrance camera shows nothing in darkness). Please let me know who sells a good day/night camera and how much I should expect to pay.

 

[MEP001]

I mounted a good Sony camera right above a light fixture that casts plenty of light toward the entrance, so the reflectiveness of the plate helps make them very readable. I only have problems catching tags if the car drives in way too fast because it blurs.

I've looked into "megapixel IP cameras" and found a few that would be ideal, but it takes special hardware to record from them.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Installing a strategically placed speed bump is a great aid in getting tag #s. You can get a yellow plastic bolt-down one from Graingers.

 

[MEP001]

Here's a huge range:

http://www.ipcamerasupply.com/category/ip-network-cameras/megapixel-ip-cameras

I had run across another I wanted to link, but I can't seem to find it - way more overkill than what galen posted. It cost $5,000, had built-in optical character recognition software and had the ability to operate a gate based on tag numbers or call the police if a number flagged as "bad" was detected, as well as something like 16 GB recording with media cards, all within the camera itself.

 

[washme1]

Installing a strategically placed speed bump is a great aid in getting tag #s. You can get a yellow plastic bolt-down one from Graingers.

I looked at the speed bump from Grainger. I'd be concerned that the snow plow would tear it up.

 

[MEP001]

Yeah, it probably wouldn't work very well when it's covered with snow either.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

In approximately 15 years I have had one plow guy break about 3' off of one of them. It hasn't been a huge issue for me.

It has worked perfect for the reason I installed it. Besides, if it is covered with snow there's a pretty good chance the cars aren't going to be traveling very fast anyway.

 

[galen]

Sure, I'll check several distributors to see which is the cheapest. In todays climate I may be able to twist their arm a bit.

 

[JustClean]

I went to a few suppliers and told them to sell and install me a number plate camera that captures 100% of the number plates day and night.
The whole show took much longer than what they thought it would and I got a really good deal as they had to replace the cameras and infrared lights 3 times before we got a good result.