XMatrix

Hi people, I'm sure most of you have experiences where you would like your car to be monitored when your car is scratched; got broken into or gotten into an accident. I was thinking of getting a video surveillance on my 8 to catch the culprits.

I went and gotten a quotation for the system. Basically, it will record the video from all 4 sides of your car AND boardcast it to you live on the internet. However, you would need an extra battery on top of your existing one.

Estimated cost : $1,500 - $2,000. Costs of installations and equipments is inside. I am looking for more people so that I can bring the costs down.

Anybody?

gfoo

a bit overkill right?

XMatrix

Overkill? On the price? I dont think so. Especially fixing an 8 after it is scratched; got broken into; gotten into an accident.

They arent cheap.

Rumboo

I'm interested, but still looking out for other alternatives which might not require an extra battery.

The extra battery is what kind, lead acid? Got website of the company or not?

gfoo

not the price, but a system that requires a 2nd battery

XMatrix

I be going down for a demo next week. If you interested, you can join me and my friends.

XMatrix

Well, a 2nd battery is essential because of the juice required to run the recorder and the cameras while the 8 is not moving - about 22 hours of engine off.

sqflyer

XMatrix, I'm not trying to run down your thread but I have often thought about such surveillance systems and realise it is rather useless. You can't really catch a careful culprit in the act if you film from INSIDE the car. E.g. If they just casually walk beside your car and stick their key out giving you a nice long scratch. The view of the camera from INSIDE the car will never be able to catch the physical act. Next, even if you are fortunate enough to catch the culprit, there is a chance you may not even recognise the person if it was a random act of vandalism or it's some random person you offended on the road. You can of course file a police report, but I doubt the police will run through their database to do a photo fit. I think this system will require some kind of wireless internet broadband connection to be able to broadcast the videos on the internet so I don't think this feature can work everywhere. Anyway, I doubt you will sit in front of your computer to watch your car all the time. Lastly, weight of a 2nd lead acid battery is no joke and 22 hours is not a long time. Just 1 day not driving and it's flat. Just my 2 rupee.. hope nobody is offended.

lawreo

it seems pretty hard core to me. not that its not workable , just abit over, i think.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Camera, trained on the most vulnerable side in the parking spot.

Control box records for ten seconds whenever it 'sees' motion in the image.

Records 1400 video clips on a 1-meg SD card.

Camera can be a cheapie - $50, SD cards are cheap, and the control/sensor/recorder box is only $84 US!

Just needs a power plug in and a little concealment, the ultimate car nanny cam for about $150 total.

S

Rumboo

I'm more concerned about the people i know... like my upstairs NSF neighbour whom I confronted to keep his volume down cos every weekend 3-4am he still banging on the floor and playing tickle games with his GF, etcetc. I know what he is saying even with my windows closed, he's that loud. And quite GL (KL).

Like StealthTL sed, I'm more interested in the units which record only when it senses motion, ie when the scenery changes. This kind doesn't require so much juice cos it records onto an onboard solid state memory source. Of course, it has its own disadvantages too.

Actually, I'm prepared to get a single line scratch or door dings lah, only scared the 'tua kee' type like kena splash paint remover, like one of the bros here experienced last year.

sqflyer

Seriously, what good is a cam if it doesn't have the resolution or low lux capability to capture a good image in low lighting conditions. Most portable security PVRs have motion sensing recording feature, but it does not consume less power because the unit still has to be powered to be able to sense and record. Most are also solid state memory card type. Those hard disk based recorders are not suitable for automotive applications. Basically, what I'm saying is a security surveillance system for the car is not really effective because what the camera can capture from inside the car is pretty limited. A camera system in the car is better suited to accident evidence purposes.

coupe07

u guys can listen to sqflyer. Because he has "BEEN THERE DONE THAT".

in-car camera.... if i not wrong, in the rx8 community, he is one of the first to have it. Its not totally useless but he noes wat are the cons in having the camera, as explained above.

he is the best person to advise you too in terms of any other incidents, becos he has had them before too....

XMatrix

Hi bro sqflyer, thankx for your feedback. I did my research and here's what I found out and where I will be placing my cameras. All 6 cameras (1 Front, 1 Back, 2 Right, 2 Left) will be a miniature spy camera about the size of a 20-cent coin. The reason why I am not using a night camera is because, the carparks I am parking (e.g. my house, my work place and shopping centres) are well lit. And matter of fact, I will not park at a low lit area for common sense reasons that anything bad (e.g. car break-in) that can happen, happens in dark areas.

Next miniature spy camera are known for their ability to capture reasonable quality video or pic depending on the resolution settings. The one I tested showed pic good enough for a photo fit. Plus the power usage is pretty low; in fact they are exactly the same types used by the private eyes for spying work up to 3 days!

Thirdly, what I heard (not very sure) is that I can get some forms of details from the ROV website of the owner which of course I have to pay a fee for the details. Will confirm on this once again. So let's say I capture someone who causes a dent in my car, all I need is his car plate number to send a letter saying that I have caught him in action of say scratching my car and seek compensation. It will be a far fetch thing with so many "ifs" but honestly, some form of evidence is better than none. Who knows I may see that car on the road again and confront the owner with the video I have?

Forthly, there is a new product in the US that was launched recently and brought in by this dealer who says that video captured from the cameras can be send through this machine and boardcast through the internet to the manufacturer's server. So all I need is an internet connection and I can view my car as if it is a nanny camera. The only difference between that and the nanny camera is of course power consumption - those who have babies at home can use the nanny camera plugged into the wall plug but the US product is able to just run on the battery from kilometres away and still boardcast video through the internet.

Lastly, the weight of the battery is always a concern but I know of someone who manages to have 2 batteries in his car from the mp3.com forum using something regulator relay. Got to check out with him.

So what do you folks think? Rather always forking out money to fix damages caused by these bastards who dont know how to open their doors properly, it is time to catch them and make them pay. I certainly have enough of suffering and cursing in silence.

gfoo

1. There is no way you can get access to personal details easily. Even if you could, for your claim to be kosher you would have to capture - his face clearly; car make and color clearly; numberplate with car color background clearly. All three must be there before a complaint can be considered; and even then it is circumstantial evidence and is barely admissible

2. The only wireless technology that transmits video kilometres away is Wimax (only avail in bt timah), or 3G/HSDPA. That means you will need to have unlimited data access plan, plus free time to check in every once in a while on your baby.

3. Battery will add substantial weight, and cause your car to be slower by a second or two. Not to mention you'll have to put it in your boot, which runs the risk of a fire hazard.

Say someone carelessly dings your car by accident - so much hassle to go after that person for a $30 PDR job? If someone is out to get you, no amount of cameras will stop a determined person, and even if you do catch him in the act, the vid must show him in the process of doing it, face body motion and all. Even then, they guy can puah bodoh say he park next to you, moving some stuff as repainting house, accidentally drop paint remover on your car - then civil case, not criminal, which will cost you tons to prosecute.

You want camera, just get a simple and effective one that sells for $200-300 in sim lim tower - SD-card based and 3 cameras. dun need to overkill

sqflyer

Yep, think gfoo just about sums it up. I spent about $300+ recently at Lye Design to repair all my dings and dents accumulated over 2+ years. A lot of very very small ones that I have never noticed before were revealed by the master eye of Mr. Golden Hammer himself. Sadly the majority of the bigger dents were self inflicted ;-P My point? Dings and dents are part and parcel of car ownership. Are you really going to go after every fella that dings ur car? Even assuming you can even catch him on video and prove it in court, are you really going to file a civil lawsuit for a $30 pdr job?

Anyway, like what gfoo say, "dun need to overkill". Camera surveillance INSIDE a car for the purpose of vandalism prevention is quite a mute point. However, a camera to record video for use as evidence in an accident is almost a necessity these days IMHO.

XMatrix, let me state again that I am not trying to talk you out of it. It's your money and you can spend it on whatever you choose. I believe it's still better to have a camera system than not, just that it may not really serve the purpose of surveillance and recording an act of vandalism that well or at least well enough to be able to take action against the offender.

Btw, all cameras that I'm referring to are small miniature cameras, even low lux ones. Hope no one is thinking that I'm talking about Mediacorp size video cameras. Regarding your forth point, I am not aware of such a high-tech US product. But I know a thing or two about the internet. However fantastic this US broadcasting gadget is, it still needs to get internet access to send it to the manufacterer's server (in US??) for you to be able to see the images on your web browser. gfoo has nicely pointed out the means of internet access in point 2 of his post, but seriously, how feasible and cost effective would it be to be able to broadcast it on the internet?

Oh.. gfoo, can recommend where to get SD-card based recorder + 3 camers for $200-300?? I oso want leh.. friend friend.. intro me lah. Hee hee..

gfoo

lol....sqflyer, got one guy called mutant selling it at the mazdaclubsg.org forums, slightly above $300 for the basic version. else 3rd flr sim lim tower (buy the individual parts and assemble yourself). I think it's about $280 excl SD card and install of course (install i would go to the audio shop next to cazcomp at simon road - cheap and good)

XMatrix

Bro sgflyer and gfoo, thankx for your feedback and experiences. Getting the system is an idea I have always been toying with, I might not get it if it doesnt work well enough. Even though the amount is small for repairs, a major accident could well set you back for arguments and lawsuits. Also just for the kick of it, I might be looking at a GPS tracking system with a SMS alert thingin.

As for the internet access, I was looking at the M1 3G. Uplink speed is only 256kps but it will be interesting to go to SL to see the demo when he assures me it works.

This idea is still on the drawing board and besides, this vendor seems so confident that his system will work. I thought it be interesting to go down to see how it does.

airspeed

If you are sure all the dings and scratches are caused by the same person, why not go on a stakeout with a good camera and catch him red handed? Or else hire a PI like what the resident in the housing estate near Simei did and caught the person. Shd be cheaper and easier than installing those gadgets.

sqflyer

Btw, just sharing info... but M1's 3G HSDPA "unlimited" has a limit of 5GB per month and after that it's $4/GB upto 10GB. Video broadcasting 24/7 I'm sure will exceed 10GB per month. For 384Mbps, you'll be looking at $22+4x5=$44/month and hopefully the uploading bandwidth it is fast enough for your use.

morganoh

Just one thing to note.

Even if u can recognize the person who scratch your car.
And even if u report to the police.
Its going to be useless. cos the police is not going to take any actions.

Cos its consider as a Civil Law Suit. U have to sue the person yourself (not the police)
So prepare to spend even more money to sue the guy.

Rumboo

The difference is not so much civil vs criminal, as seizable vs non-seizable.

Non-seizable, you have to sue him at the magistrate's before the police take action, otherwise their hands are bound. Once that happens, he can be prosecuted. Then, the vandal also has to come out with his own money to defend himself. Better than taking absolutely no action right? Not taking action has absolutely no deterrent value, even less than just confronting the vandal face to face, cos ppl do worse stuff when they think they have anonimity to hide behind.

A lot of time, the policeman whom you report to will not tell you what action you have to take on your part, they simply tell you what would give them the least amount of work to do. <--- wild speculation, hehe

But the logic remains.. If there's nothing you can do against someone who scratches your car, then there's nothing they can do to you if you scratch theirs in return right?

Rumboo

and if he's really really out to get you, at least you have something for your PI to go on right?

I think some bros here are a little too pessimistic with regards to what recourse we have. After all, you can attach a direct, clear-cut monetary cost to you as a result of the vandal's actions, and that is prosecutable by law. Don't let the fact that the case isn't criminal deter you from seeking redress. We seem to have a mindset that if the case is not something the police will take the initiative to handle, means there's nothing they can do to the culprit once the right procedures have been followed.

But, again I say... a couple of scratches or dings, Suah lah! Dun wash car for 1 month then cannot see liao..

myriadshalaks

iTrader: (1)

i wouldn't mind having one of these just so i could look at my 8 while i'm at work. :heartyeyes:

gfoo

Rumboo got point - sometimes its not about how much money you get out of prosecuting someone, its also about the fun and entertainment level derived. muakakakaka