Any suggestions for License Plate Cameras?

[alanb 0]

I am familiar with the extreme CCTV solutions for license plate capture. Pricing is a little high for a customer we are working with. Any suggestions for other cameras that provide decent performance for a gas station application?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Alan

[rory 0]

Once they have lighting, check out the Panasonic Day Night wide Dynamic Camera, with a 5-50mm Lens. They have this in 1/3" or 1/2". Also Extreme CCTV has similar box cameras for the same cost approx in the box style.

 

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=88337&catGroupId=14458&modelNo=WV-CP484&surfModel=WV-CP484

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68240&catGroupId=14458&modelNo=WV-CL924A&surfModel=WV-CL924A

http://www.extremecctv.com/products/index.cfm?img=108

[baywatch 1]

In petrol service stations we have used a single ptz to cover all the lanes (depends on positioning).

We install a linlin day/night speed dome in a suitable position (usually on the front of the shop) and set a tour of the pumps with the lens suitably zoomed in on the plates.

If the complete tour takes from 30 sec upwards then anyone putting any amount of petrol in will be recorded in case of drive offs.

This is an economical solution if the main problem is drive offs.

[rory 0]

What happens when you have 6 lanes and alot of traffic? That 1 PTZ cant cover every lane. Then you have some guy jump out with an uzi and shoot the gas attendant, while the car he is in, is in line behind the car which that PTZ captures, they reverse out and are never caught on camera.

 

Gas Stations make enough money to pay for the right product, if they are going to be cheap, then they deserve to loose money, or go into another business

 

Economical would be to put up a few cheap OEM bullet cameras on each lane but Best would be to use a proper camera one time ..

 

a PTZ camera is useless without at least one fixed camera on the same view.

 

I have 2 friends with gas Stations, and although drive offs are a big issue, actual stealing (shoplifting) is a bigger problem here. Knivings, Shootings, and kidnappings, are also big here, right at the gas station, more important than drive offs.

 

Though at both gas stations, I know 1 PTZ cant do the job for drive offs, we have at least 1 normal camera per dual lane, and it works, though a Wide Dynamic would be alot better.

[baywatch 1]

We only use the ptz to capture number plates for drive offs.

We have a conventional cctv system as well for the other eventualities.

We find it works.

[frosted 0]

seems like a good idea to me. you would only need one wide angle camera to cover the "area" and would ID the cars. and then the ptz will capture the specific numberplates with car info in high res and in excellent quality.

 

obvasly the shop would need its own system, but from the sounds of it this is done.

 

very good idea i had not thought of grin!

[rory 0]

I dont see it happening with a gas station with, say 6 lanes. It may catch 15% of the car plates if you are lucky, not too mention you need a very good PTZ, eg WD, to block out the glare from the car headlights at night.

 

It is cheaper to just add 3 or even 6 fixed box cameras.

[baywatch 1]

We use Linlin 26xzoom Day/Night cameras to cover 4 pumps wide on a motorway services.

The area is very brightly lit 24/7 and we have never had a headlight problem as people normally turn their lights out when they get petrol.

 

Again we only use this to capture number plates at the pump for drive offs.

[SteveSurf 0]

Once they have lighting, check out the Panasonic Day Night wide Dynamic Camera, with a 5-50mm Lens. They have this in 1/3" or 1/2". Also Extreme CCTV has similar box cameras for the same cost approx in the box style.

 

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=88337&catGroupId=14458&modelNo=WV-CP484&surfModel=WV-CP484

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68240&catGroupId=14458&modelNo=WV-CL924A&surfModel=WV-CL924A

http://www.extremecctv.com/products/index.cfm?img=108

 

I definitely agree with the Panasonic WV-CL924 and Extreme CCTV Reg recommendations.

 

The Panasonic Model WV-CL924 not only has a Color to B/W switchover circuit, but includes smear reduction technology that will reduce the vertical streaks caused by vehicle headlights and license plate lights. The WV-CL924 is well matched to Extreme's IR illuminator Model Super LED, producing IR in the 850 nm range.

[alanb 0]

Thanks for all your responses.

 

Alan

[EZJ 0]

The biggest challenge we have run into is,

 

how to run the wiring?

 

How are you guys doing it?

[rory 0]

Conduit and RG59 Siamese ... what issues are you having?

[EZJ 0]

Just the fact that we have never done it.

 

How do you get the wiring from the pumps to inside the building?

 

Here it is concrete all the way to the building. And I am a newbie.

[scottj 0]

Most mount the cameras on the building looking out at the pump islands, I think you were thinking to mount the cams at the pump islands? No need, just use good cameras with the right lenses and you will be all set to go.

 

Scottj

[rory 0]

What scott said. Also can mount them on a 4-5' pole near the building, they come with different lenses, so pick the correct one for the distance, eg. 16mm, 25mm, etc. Also, you dont want to mount them too high.

[EZJ 0]

Yes, but will the backs of the cars always face the direction of the Gas Station?

 

I would ideally like to have 2 cameras on each side of the vehicle.

 

(Because I am assuming that different cars have the pumps on diffrent sides of the vehicle depending on the manufacturer)

 

If being lower to the ground and near the vehicles would cause more dust and grime, then I would make sure that the gas station made it a requirement for their help to go out and clean the cameras whenever necessary.

 

What type of distance could solar powered wireless cameras cover?

 

Is this an option or is it a bad one?

[RVRBOY420007 0]

The only good solar will cost more then the whole job. Wireless will get interference that can distort the images. If they set the island up right then there is already conduit going out to it for the lighting which should run inside to a power panel as well as data lines for the pumps. You shoul have enough room in the conduit to run some cat 5 that you can use for your video and power.

[mark jones 0]

i dont have a problem with using a ptz to cover several pumps as long as it is controlled by something,just having a ptz doing a scan of the forcourt is useless!! as rory has said the best way is to put seperate cameras down each isle or if you use a ptz then it could be have certain presets configured for each pump so when the client picks the leaver up to fill their car up it would then zoom in and get a number plate shot,and then return back to a home position to maybe do a general scan of the forcourt!!

[Airick 0]

Yes, but will the backs of the cars always face the direction of the Gas Station?

 

Do you live in a state where front license plates are not required?

[EZJ 0]

Right on the head!

 

Your state requires both, or am I being heckled?

[WirelessEye 0]

Not having front license plates is a problem whether your state requires them or not. I know a ton of people that only run rear plates and get away with it.

 

You could possibly use one of the CoVi Technologies HD cams and zoom in on the video from further away due to their higher resolution. You could even use the higher end IQEye cams that can zoom in after the fact as well.

 

Solar powering would cost more than the camera, but you should be OK with one of the afforementioned cams. Wireless would also work like a charm, and would be super easy considering the real lack of distance involved. It would also probably be cheaper than trenching in cable if the installations are away from structures.

[rory 0]

$500 fine here for no front licence plate, so i was told .. ive been waiting 2 months now for a replacement for my "spare" car, just finally getting it this week.

[WirelessEye 0]

Yeah they'll get you for it, I know people that have gotten tickets, although if you're not in a big city you can drive forever without getting cited. I haven't run a front plate since I was 16.

[kandcorp 0]

Front plates are horrible. Thank god GA doesnt require them. Ruins the whole front of the car.

[EZJ 0]

Ideally, I would like to be able to suggest a wireless solution.

 

How many cameras would be needed for 4 lanes?

 

Where would you position them?

 

What would the wireless range be?

 

Which has the most goodies?

 

I'll be going be going business to business tommorow if you can help me get this solved.