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>>DIGITAL
SURVEILLANCE UNTS
Setting
up a stand-alone video recording unit for use in the wilderness
can be difficult at best. We ran into mulitple problems that needed
to be solved. What camera could we use that would be weather-resistant
and able to film at night? How could we record for a long enough
time period to leave a bait station untouched? How would we sufficiently
power an array of technology in order to maximize our record time?
THE
CAMERAS
The cameras were first on the agenda. While Sony handycams offer
nightshot (IR) capabilities, we knew that the standby mode powers
the camera off within minutes. They are not at all weather resistant
and, in record mode, the tapes only last an hour. So we turned to
Ocean
Systems, Inc., an outfitter of marine products in
Everett, Washington. There, we found what we were looking for -
the DeckScan 20/20.
The DeckScan
20/20 is a robust harsh environment color day/night video camera.
The camera provides a vivid color image in lighted areas. When no
light is available the DeckScan switches to an I/R camera that can
see up to 60 feet in complete darkness.
Each of the
six cameras came with 100 feet of cable, enabling us to set them
up far away from the recording unit. Ocean
Systems, Inc.
customized
the units with a manual IR on/off switch for more flexibility.
The picture,
both day and night, was surprisingly clear, with 480 lines TV resolution.
Powered by a 12V adapter, it was easy to connect the camera directly
to our power source (a deep-cycle marine battery) with a simple
female cigarette-lighter adapter. Even with the IR LED's on, the
power draw on the battery was minimal - 600 milliamps.
THE
RECORDING UNITS
VCRs simply
weren't an option for this endeavor. Not only is the recording quality
poor, but having to trek to multiple camera locations to change
tapes every 8 hours was out of the question. I knew that digital
video recorders were the way to go, but most units I found were
thousands of dollars EACH.
I examined the
option of using first generation TIVOs for the project. While this
most likely would have worked (unlike second-gen TIVOs, the old
ones don't have to be activated in order to record a local signal),
they were difficult to find in working condition - even on Ebay
- and were rather expensive.
After much searching,
I contacted Strategic
Vista and found what I was looking for. The Lorex DXR 1180-A.
It's a single-channel digital video recorder with audio and an 80GB
harddrive.
With these units
on normal quality record mode, we got approximately 15 hours of
record time. Since the deep-cyle marine battery lasted about that
long as well, we could set the unit to record in the evening and
leave it alone all night long and well into the morning.
POWERING
THE UNITS
For each unit,
the camera and DVR power was supplied by a 12V deep-cycle marine
battery. A 400-watt PowerBright voltage inverter from VoltageConverters.com
enabled us to plug the DVR in and draw current from the marine
battery. (These are incredibly handy to have in your vehicle...
just plug it into your vehicle's cigarette lighter adapter and charge
your Sony Handycam or other electronic equipment, just like you
do at home, while you're on the go!)
THERMAL
IMAGING CAMERA
While
true nightvision technology (i.e. starlight scope) is handy to have
in the field, a creature's natural camoflauge tends to work almost
as well as it does in daylight. That's why we opted to track down
a thermal imaging camera instead. You can't hide a heat signature!
We received
an Argus 3 thermal imaging unit on loan from E2V
Technologies. I'd used a thermal imager before and
had been disappointed with the battery life. Not with this one!
It came with 3 batteries, each of which lasted nearly 2 hours.
This camera
is most often used in firefighting applications. The case was robust,
the images clear, especially in grayscale, though the unit offers
multiple color settings as well. With a small LNB to RCA adapter,
we were able to input the video signal to a Sony Handycam, recording
everything the camera saw.
The price of
this unit is THOUSANDS less than most - in the $10k-$14k range,
rather than $30k. It's on my Christmas wish list, though I imagine
I'll have to keep wishing for a while. <grin> According to
the manufacturer, it's not readily available to the general public,
but if you're interested in acquiring one and have the good fortune
to be able to afford it, email
me and I'll get you to the right people. :)
How would you spend your FREE $500 on eBay? Click Here to find out how.
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