Help me catch TRASH DUMPERS

[Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P]

Hi y'all..

I need some help.

I about half a mile down the road people dump trash sometimes. It's annoying and I have to clean it up. I barely clean up after myself.. So

What I want to do is put up a few cameras. I searched a bit online, and it seems that I am looking for a network camera.

I will setup a dedicated computer, and rather than use a SD card, I would like to continuously record over the HD, as well as be able to access it via my phone.

I don't know if there is any 'budget' camera that is going to focus at a distance like this, can you please help with a recommendation.

I am thinking 2 cameras each direction left and right, one set to zoom at a distance, and the other maybe 25-40 feet and catch close ups of the cars driving by.

If I can at least tell, this is a 'early 2000's silver Toyota camry' and then at a distance see that car poping the trunk and dumping a load, one camera each function, that is good enough for me.

I can use a cord, that's not a problem. They will be mounted on columns 15 ft up with a clear view down the road maybe 1/2 mile in distance.

I was looking at this one, but. The reviews are fake, and it's amazon, and they usually hock junk.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RFRJR85/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

Though I did also see it on ebay, so I was wondering if this is some generic chi label job, if so is it decent?

If I have to, I can get some eyeglasses for adding distance to zoom, unless there is something that just 'sees' that far all the time without zoom, idk.

My camera experience is limited to junky smart a phones, so please help.

I think that these are my requirements.

Records continuously to pc.

Free or cheap software.

Reliability.

Zoom for at least one.

Maybe night vision.

Inexpensive.

Cords okay.

Catch and torture trash dumpers.

Thanks

 

[mat200]

Hi y'all..

I need some help.

I about half a mile down the road people dump trash sometimes...
..

Records continuously to pc.

Free or cheap software.

Reliability.

Zoom for at least one.

Maybe night vision.

Inexpensive.

Cords okay.

Catch and torture trash dumpers.

Thanks

Welcome @Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P

What is considered "inexpensive"?

Depending on how you define that, you may or may not be able to meet all of your requirements.

Do take a look here at members reviews on Dahua OEM 2MP PTZ cameras. There should be a model <$400 iirc that can get enough pixels out at that distance to potentially help you.

Remember to check out the cliff notes.

Note on the deal you've pointed to:

The camera in the Amazon page does not match the reviews ( top is the camera in the ad, below is the camera in the reviews - clearly something deceptive is going on. This looks like a scammer - notice the size of the camera is super small for what is typical of an outdoor rated PTZ, only
Item Dimensions 6 x 4 x 4 in ) = avoid this seller and other random Chinese vendors, you can not trust many of them regardless if they sell on Amazon, Ebay, Ali,...

 

[bp2008]

Just a warning, that < $400 Dahua 2 MP PTZ is notorious for having stability problems, and I'm not sure they've been resolved yet in newly manufactured units.

A PTZ with at least 20x zoom would be ideal though, for such a long distance. Unfortunately the good ones cost quite a bit more than non-ptz cams.

 

[Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P]

Thanks for the link..

Been reading, It's alot to look at but good stuff.

I just can't spend anything like 400 dollars on a camera, I have alot to do and expenses. Super budget option.

To help clarify, I only have less than a handful off cars driving past my house most days.

I can literally count on a hand, like 4, not much traffic.

So, one cheap camera that can pose a overall vehicle type identification at 30 mph, from the roadside, lic plate not required, I can find most people finding bolo car again in the neighborhood.

So lets say today, camera one by the road sees,

2002 silver Toyota camyry
1998 black chevrolet s10
2012 green Nissan leaf
1998 white chevrolet 1500

These are all real suspects BTW.

So, one can sees a green Nissan pass by, and down the road cam 2 picks up blurry vid of brake lights, stop movement..

Good Enough > it's the Nissan.

I don't need to see what the guy looks like, just what vehicle he drives.

I won't have to be speculating on who did I see driving by this day, when a heap of trash

 

[Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P]

well, got cut off mid sentence on reply, but that pretty covers it, don't remember whatever I was going to say.

 

[mat200]

Thanks for the link..
..
I just can't spend anything like 400 dollars on a camera, I have alot to do and expenses. Super budget option.

To help clarify, I only have less than a handful off cars driving past my house most days.

I can literally count on a hand, like 4, not much traffic.

So, one cheap camera that can pose a overall vehicle type identification at 30 mph, from the roadside, lic plate not required, I can find most people finding bolo car again in the neighborhood.
..

HI @Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P

So here's the issue:
1 mile = 5280 feet
1/2 mile = 2640 feet <- the stated distance for your setup

To get enough effective pixels out to that distance you will need a good camera with a good zoom.

That costs a bit more than $60..

 

[TonyR]

Have you considered a good, name brand trail camera?

Get permission from the property owner where you could strategically place it and get a series of images showing at least license plate, other images would be gravy like driver getting out, opening trunk, dumping crap, etc....at the very least the rear license plate.

When you see more crap go swap out or download the images from it's SD card.

Just a thought.

BTW, I'm with you....I hate litterers and trash dumpers. Way too much of it going on here in the rural south.

 

[Kevin_Essiambre]

HI @Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P

So here's the issue:
1 mile = 5280 feet
1/2 mile = 2640 feet <- the stated distance for your setup

To get enough effective pixels out to that distance you will need a good camera with a good zoom.

That costs a bit more than $60..

At that distance he would need a camera with a ridiculously high zoom. now, I know that hikvision makes a PTZ camera with a 6mm to 330mm motorized zoom lens and a 50x optical zoom with 2MP resolution... but this camera is upwards of $6 000... I would suggest as someone else has mentioned, a good trail camera.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Zane]

Place a trail/wildlife camera across from the dumpster, it's the most (only) reasonable option you have. You won't need a dedicated PC setup or to pay for video software. All of them have motion detection, IR lights, battery powered, and are reliable.

 

[Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P]

Thanks for the great responses. And Hi.. So..

Actually I did think about a trail camera, that was my first thought, but it's a lengthy empty road, and they'll just dump anywhere, so no really predictable spot like a dead end.

But it is a straight line view from here all the way, so that's what got me to thinking about a network camera.

From what y'all are telling me, there's no off the shelf unit that will zoom like this, so here is another idea..

Maybe I place 4 small cameras looking down that road, each with a fixed glass lens for distance. Maybe hack 2 pairs of cheap binoculars for 4 lenses.

And set each camera up with a focus interspersed by 4 down the road. Is there any reason for this that wouldn't work?

I am guessing 3 cameras would be out of focus at any point, but 1 should provide at least a blurry video of someone getting out and making a mess.

I have this issue, where I try and reinvent wheels, so I am just throwing out an idea, and would like to hear it out.

So maybe one close by the road to see the car up close, and 4 - variably focused cameras down range.

I would like to do this on the cheap cheap, that's generally a problem with my budget. I don't usually do Chinese junk, but I need to do it cheap, or it's not going to get done. I have many big expenses and projects in the works at this time, but if I can squeeze in a dumper cam, that would be a huge help.

Any like, 40-75 dollar camera that would do this? I see many for sale on AZ EB .. Yes I know, but some have decent reviews. Just not that one I linked to, that's just kind of an example of my price range and what I'd like to do, obviously not a fake one though.

I don't really need to see the lic plate, if I can tell it is a blue Honda, ect.. I can follow him when I see and smash up with a Louisville slugger and dump his trash back all over his lawn ..

Thanks

 

[Kevin_Essiambre]

Could you not just paint a piece of plywood to say

DUMP GARBAGE HERE

and then put the trail cam up near the sign?

It seems you're trying to cover too large of area on the cheap... at least in my opinion.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[mat200]

T..
I would like to do this on the cheap cheap, that's generally a problem with my budget. .. but I need to do it cheap, or it's not going to get done. I have many big expenses and projects in the works at this time, but if I can squeeze in a dumper cam, that would be a huge help.

Any like, 40-75 dollar camera that would do this? I see many for sale on AZ EB .. ..

HI @Cam-rah-pic 4m3 :P

I do not see any good options at that price point ( $40-70 ) and at that distance for a "normal" camera , aka non-trail cam.