CCTV Marine Camera System

[Newbroom]

I am just in the development stage of designing an affordable marine CCTV system for medium size craft i.e 35ft upwards.
Basically its a one or two station system with up to four cameras. One dedicated rear view camera which has reversed image to give true representation plus talk through from the rear camera with IR for night capibility.
The other cameras are all normal image and can be used for engine room monitoring, deckside docking cameras, etc.
A wireless control pad can be used to select any camera or they can be left on automatic timed switching to each camera.
For those with electronic controls the reversing camera can be automated to switch on automatically and stay on when either astern is selected.

Anybody got any views as to its usefulness or anything else I should build in to the system.

I intend it to be a simple to install and plug and play system

Dave

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[kindredspirit]

The bottom line with with anything new and useful is it's cost and whether the marketplace will view the price favourably.

Can you build in a PIR and tape system for security when the boat is left unattended?

P.S. Is a 28' boat too small for the system?





<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.begleys.com/weather.htm>Useful links for Irish waters.</A>

 

[Newbroom]

No a 28ft is not to small I hope to be able to supply both 5.6" and 7" screens. The price is of course important and that will probably be the decider for its success regardless of functionality.

Dave

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[jfm]

Sounds good. Some thoughts:

1. I wouldn't bother with the night vision bit- is it a gimmick, maybe I'm wrong here?

2. I'm sceptical about wireless, would prefer wired even if have to dismantle the boat to fit. I could cope with wireless transmission of the image, but would be very cheap and nasty if the cameras are battery powered. They need to be wired off the ship's 24v or 12v to be decent

3. Make sure it will run off 24v not just 12v

4. The aesthetics of the dashboard TV must be spot on. Must be flush mountable not just trunnion. And if it looks all cheap horried Brand X yuk plastic it will fail. It needs to look pukka high qwality

Imho do not build it down to a price. build it up to a quality. Get all the above right and I'll buy one please.

Also can you knock up one of those radio gizmos that monitors crew overboard. Each crew person clips a key fob doofer to themselves, then the dashboard display lights up if a keyfob goes out of 100m range to tell you man overboard. Good for monitoring children on bigger boats. Again, needs a sexy dashboard display, not a maplin parts bin job. Raymarine do it as part of H6, but I dont want the whole H6, I just want this bit.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Screwit Fix catalogue

All the bits you need at popular prices this month.

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[Newbroom]

JFM.
The system is 12/24 volt wired to the control box. One cable to each camera from control box. The control pad i.e. camera selector is the only thing that is wireless.
The reason for that is trying to press small buttons on a monitor screen with cold hands isnt practical. The control pad has large buttons and can be clipped to the monitor or in a seperate holder away from the monitor. The control box can then be mounted remotly away out of site.
The night vision gives a view in practically zero light situation but only in black and white not in the normal colour.
The screens are either flush or bracket /trunnion mount
I might have look at what you are suggesting later re the manoverboards etc and combine them to the same monitor.
Thanks for the comments

Peppermint,
Not marine quality, not multi camara, not colour, not voice talk through otherwise the same.

Dave



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[Magnum]

Unless the boat is huge I'm not convinced multiple cameras are neccessary. A reversing camera on a large flybridge boat would be though. Something mounted under the radar arch/flybridge overhang, dome shaped with a white casing. Am planning something similar to interface with Furuno NavNet kit.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.magnumyacht.net>http://www.magnumyacht.net</A> - Princess P42

 

[Newbroom]

No I agree not all boats will want 4 cameras the system is able to expand to 4 cameras but can be a system just as you describe one rear view camera and one monitor. Or expand to two station and extra cameras.
One of the main reasons for doing it beside reversing was for engine room monitoring to save having to open floors or engine room doors underway.

Dave

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[jfm]

I would think most flybr boats would have 3 cameras, one for reverse, one for engine room, one for saloon or aft cockpit so can see kids if driving on flybridge. I guess the incremental cost of buying extra cameras is small

These things are easy to fit EXCEPT for running the wires, which can be very difficult. It would help if the video cable that connects camera to screen comes with bare ends, ie the video connectors installable by user. Reason is, it is much easier to poke cable behind trim if it doesn't have plug on end. So can you do the kit so the fitter can attach the plugs, or sell a crimper tool as an upgrade for those that want it?

Do you have a pic so we can see what the screen unit and control box look like?

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[Magnum]

Is your system similar to this? - <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.magnumyacht.net>http://www.magnumyacht.net - Princess P42

 

[robind]

Arent these on the market in the form of House security cameras (low light) which can be plugged into the House ( boat ) TV. They have a splitter/control box, are colour and very economic £150-00 ish for a 4 camera setup, I saw some in Makro last year, If my ageing memory serves me right?

Regards
Rob

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[jfm]

Ah thanks for link Magnum. That looks like proper stuff

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[Newbroom]

JFM,
I agree about the plug but unfortunantly it is difficult to do with out an increase in both mass production of the cameras and fitters time costs. Will look further into it.
Hope to have a finished sample by the end of November will post some pics then.

Magnum,
My system is very similar in functionality, but I am hoping to make it more affordable for the smaller boat user. Mind you that is a very immpressive piece of kit even if it is outside a lot of peoples budget.

Robind,
There are many cheap camera systems availble, but ones which use the the TV as the monitor are hardly suitable for a boat you also need consider how you going to view it underway. Camera angle for reversing, mirror image, waterproofing etc etc.

Thanks for all your comments they are all useful.

As a next stage I might try to have some fitted to three or four different types of boat at below cost price to test them in "field"

Dave

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[mjf]

So you are going Furuno then?

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[Magnum]

Yep. Like the Raymarine stuff, specifically intuitive menu system, but no room for portrait layout and prefer Furuno system integration. Both good quality kit though.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.magnumyacht.net>http://www.magnumyacht.net</A> - Princess P42

 

[tico]

Already around!!
We fit wireless systems to forklift trucks. Colour LCD screen, high quality image. Waterproof rugged cameras, flush mount screens that can take more than one camera. Will run of 48/24/12v
Have I missed anything??

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[jfm]

Hmmm. The plug thing worries me. In general I am ok with outside fitters installing boat stuff, but where it involves removing a load of interior trim to hide wires there's no way I'd let a team of installers take my boat apart. Wouldn't trust em to reassemble it properly. Perhaps I am scarred by seeing what an awful job BA Peters plc of Chichester did when running the wires to my holding tank. It was appalling and unseamanlike workmanship. (Please dont pull the post Kim - I am reporting it accurately). So not being able to run the wires due to no option to crimp plugs on wires would be a big drawback for me.

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[Newbroom]

JFM
Sorry mis lead you there a bit, by pulling the cables threw to the control box there is no plug. the control box end is a screw terminal fitting. The din plug sits at the camera end and is only used to connect to the camera with a short fly lead. That is a moulded waterproof joint hence my comments on costs.

Dave

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[tcm]

Re: harumph

I had one of these. It was free, and it was rubbish. You would only really "need" one of these on a massive boat well over 100 feet long, i think.

our boat is not flybridge, so a rear-facing camera simply gave a picture of what you could see when you turned around. In the engineroom, it gave a picture of engines, which is a bit dull. The screens were on the dash, and in the crew room. The lights have to be on in the engineroom to give a decent picture. Mind you, if anything went wrong in the engineroom, i wd imagine the camera kops it first. On the rear-facing platform, the camera has to be high, but it gets covered in salt, and then it stops working after a couple of seasons. The only ONE time i really needed it to work was when a bunch of girls asked to change on swim platform, so we went down to the saloon to give them some hoho privacy - but the sodding camera or the connections to the telly was on the blink and the controls were up on the dash! Rubbish!

I am on the lookout for summink to fill the holes for the video display on the dash when i rip it out, as well as for the poxy fuel computer thingy, which is also rubbish.

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[Newbroom]

Re: harumph

Perhaps you got what you paid for.

Quality costs a little more

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