looking for a camera that meets these specs...

[hrench]

I'm no expert in dash cams, but I'm trying to specify one for an order where a customer will be buying many vehicles. They specify the criteria of the camera fairly carefully. Not sure if this camera actually exists; I think some of the criteria corrects itself.

but if someone can help me, that'll be great. Thanks in advance.

1. external Sirf III GPS input.
2. 120 degrees of view min.
3. records on a 32GB SD or micro SD card, stores 'up to 48 hours'. This one is really tough.
4. 24 vdc
5. real time stamp on video.
6. min resolution 720 x 480
7. clear in day and night, in bad weather.
8. min 2-M-pixel
9. built in shock sensor x/y/z
10. windows media player playback.
11. vibration and sunlight no problem.
12. tamper-proof galvanized wire security seal on the SD card. Does this exist or do I need to design it?

Again, thanks for any help people can supply. If this works out, I'll need to buy 700 of these.

 

[Sunny]

I want a car to do everything for me but there is none that meets all my needs.

Just get one from decent brand and then keep researching or wait forever until one comes up with all the requirements.

 

[niko]

- As I understood, this goes into truck or bus if you require 24V, right ?
- Your min. resolution is quite low requrement. Maybe you want at least 720p not VGA ?
- 48h recording, - its all depends on what resolution you will be recording, but 32Gb will not be enough for sure. For example recording at 1080p you can get around 4.5h on 32Gb memory card.
- What is your budget ?

 

[hrench]

My budget is what it costs. I need to supply the customer with what they've asked for, but I don't want to waste money.

The bit about 2 megapixel and then "up to 48 hours" just seems silly, but yes, my customer's engineers have come up with the requirement so I have to either meet it or tell them why it doesn't make sense.

If I could get a really low resolution camera, would 48 hours fit on a card? In any compressed form? Does such a low-resolution camera exist?

Yes, it's for a truck that will be shipped overseas. Not intending to blab too much about the customer, but I can say that without worrying.

 

[Sunny]

Lukas has dual SD slots claiming 256gb each so total of 512gb if it works as advertised.
For 1080p with around 12mbps VBR, each minute is around 100mb in size so 1GB will be 1o minutes.
If you get one that can handle 256gb, it'll hold roughly 2500 minutes = 41 hours but 250gb cards are still pricey so that adds on the overall cost.
You can have more hours by using 720p resolution but still need big card, 32gb won't do it unless you go with very low VBR and low quality.

 

[hrench]

If there was some camera that had two or three 32 GB cards in it, I think it would fit the 'letter' of the spec. Otherwise, I'm still stuck.

 

[hrench]

They actually do spec 32GB. Also, i see that on number six above, I forgot to add 30fps min.

 

[Sunny]

It depends upon how the files are compressed.
What you need is a very low VBR camera.

For example, check the rear file size on the right.
It's from Rexing MX3: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...r-dvr-blackbox-dashcam-with-gps-review.10559/

It's not 720p, it's 720x480p but for 2 minute video, it is less than 30mb.
That means, 32gb can hold slightly over 32 hours of video.
This camera won't work for that purpose since it's a dual channel but you get the idea.

Screenshot:

 

[hrench]

thank you Sunny, that's helpful information. So I know that at least one of their criteria has to give.

Otherwise, are the other things easy? Sirf III? I dont' see that mentioned alot on cameras. Galvanized wire tamper-proof thingy? Does that exist?

 

[Sunny]

thank you Sunny, that's helpful information. So I know that at least one of their criteria has to give.

Otherwise, are the other things easy? Sirf III? I dont' see that mentioned alot on cameras. Galvanized wire tamper-proof thingy? Does that exist?

Galvanized wire proof thingy?
Not on these generic mass market dashcams.

 

[Mandami]

Galvanized wire tamper-proof thingy?

there were already some similar discussions. One cheap solution is a unit which can be enclosed in a case: for example Panorama x1 (Street Guardian SGZC12RC) or any other remote camera: K1S. You place that unit in a box, and the problem is solved.

 

[jokiin]

I'm no expert in dash cams, but I'm trying to specify one for an order where a customer will be buying many vehicles. They specify the criteria of the camera fairly carefully. Not sure if this camera actually exists; I think some of the criteria corrects itself.

but if someone can help me, that'll be great. Thanks in advance.

1. external Sirf III GPS input.
2. 120 degrees of view min.
3. records on a 32GB SD or micro SD card, stores 'up to 48 hours'. This one is really tough.
4. 24 vdc
5. real time stamp on video.
6. min resolution 720 x 480
7. clear in day and night, in bad weather.
8. min 2-M-pixel
9. built in shock sensor x/y/z
10. windows media player playback.
11. vibration and sunlight no problem.
12. tamper-proof galvanized wire security seal on the SD card. Does this exist or do I need to design it?

Again, thanks for any help people can supply. If this works out, I'll need to buy 700 of these.

the engineers don't seem to have done much in the way of research, a lot of the spec is questionable

1. 10 year old tech, far better options available
2. no problem, check they're referring to horizontal or diagonal res though, specs offered are always given in diagonal resolution
3. no usable quality footage is ever going to get 48 hours onto 32gb, 5o year old bigfoot sightings would be clearer than this
4. no problem
5. no problem
6. they should actually check the video result at this resolution before declaring it acceptable, generally not great
7. this contradicts their minimum requested resolution again
8. 2mp is full hd, if they go for a lower res due to file storage reasons a lower res sensor will give superior results
9. no problem
10. no problem
11. if you're talking about environmental impact no problem, if you mean recording results this will depend on hardware choice, recording with direct sunlight etc, the low end spec would be a problem
12. doesn't exist but could be done

a lot of what they're asking for is a huge contradiction, they'd either need to look at some compromises or be prepared to spend a bucket load of cash to get it done, 700 pieces is enough to get product tailored to requirement, it's not enough to build something from scratch without it being ridiculous in price though

 

[DT MI]

...
3. no usable quality footage is ever going to get 48 hours onto 32gb, 5o year old bigfoot sightings would be clearer than this
...

You might have some wiggle room on this requirement. Do what happens when I complain to my cable company about the upload/download speeds compared to what they claim and advertise. "Gee Mr. X we're sorry that you're only getting 6 mbps but we do clearly state our speeds are 'up to' 50 gazillion so it's performing within spec."

 

[jokiin]

personally I prefer to work in real world specs and just give true figures, if it doesn't meet the target then it was never going to be accepted anyway

 

[hrench]

thanks everyone for confirming that I'm still in the real world.

I've prepared a very non-insulting statement saying pretty much the stuff you've told me here and submitted it to their engineers . I'm hoping they'll pick a more modern camera and be happy enough to not get 48 hours. Also, I don't see any real reason that a bigger card couldn't be supplied by me, except that they want to be able to use it with existing trucks, which I guess use 32GB and very low resolution so they'd have to keep the new and old cards separate.

I also gave the customer the opportunity to just tell me what camera they have in mind--which would be much easier than trying to guess from some specs that don't make sense.

If any of you want to go out on a limb and recommend a specific camera, I'm listening to that too. Apparently long hours may be the most important criteria here--enough to get through a couple of shifts and still not loop-over a damage incident.

As for Jokiin saying there are better tech than Sirf III, please tell me or give me a link?

Thanks again all of you.
hrench

 

[jokiin]

Also, I don't see any real reason that a bigger card couldn't be supplied by me, except that they want to be able to use it with existing trucks, which I guess use 32GB and very low resolution so they'd have to keep the new and old cards separate.

most cameras are limited to a maximum of 32GB, there are a couple that can work with much bigger memory but they don't really fit the rest of the requirements anyway, the lots of cameras that fulfill some of those requirements, none that meet all though

Sirf III was the benchmark about 10 years ago, the tech is way beyond that now, what is the best option depends on a number of factors so there's no single right answer, suffice to say their research is a long way out of date

anything can be done, whether it can be done within the budget and time frame you need though is not easy to say, not on the limited information provided anyway

 

[keybaud]

The tamper-proof galvanized wire security seal on the SD card is also confusing. Tamper-proof is the wrong name, as they do not stop tampering, they identify when it has occurred and are known as tamper-evidence seals. The wire ones are generally used on external items, where a sticky security label won't work. As there isn't a 'weatherproof' requirement, I assume that the item is a dash cam and not an external CCTV. Tamper evident sticky seals that crumble when removed are common place and have unique serial numbers so you can't just swap them and one of these could be used to cover the SDRAM slot. The 'Windows Media Playback' is also a stupid requirement, as this depends on the codecs on the Windows PC, not the media player.

This looks like a list of requirements from someone who 'thinks' they know what they are talking about, but actually doesn't. I'd get them to clarify the requirement, i.e. Why they need the camera, how it needs to operate, what quality video, etc, then identify a specification.

 

[jokiin]

This looks like a list of requirements from someone who 'thinks' they know what they are talking about, but actually doesn't.

my thoughts also

I'd get them to clarify the requirement, i.e. Why they need the camera, how it needs to operate, what quality video, etc, then identify a specification.

this would be a start

 

[Deleted member 46308]

5o year old bigfoot sightings would be clearer than this

 

[SawMaster]

Sounds typical of the Engineers I deal with; they want to sound like they're knowledgeable then they task you with the impossible and demand answers from you when they are wrong. I'd pass along what has been discussed here, find out what the most important things they want are (since you can't have them all) and then-

I'd find something that meets the updated requirements and offer to inform them of what it is after they pay me a nice fat consulting fee for me having to do their research. Otherwise they can pick one on their own which you will install and secure for them, and they will assume the risks of it not being adequate themselves.

Stated like that you will get your consulting fee every time