Cameras in Engine Room

[mydauphin]

I am adding cameras in my engine room. My question is rather simple but most important. Where should I mount them, what do I want to look at. I am planning on mounting two, but should I mount them to look at shafts, water intakes, etc...

Any experience or ideas are welcomed.

 

[TANSL]

With all due respect, if you do not know what you need to watch, put NO cameras¡¡¡¡¡

 

[Saildude]

I would think that one should be a overall view to hopefully show things like a HP fuel leak that starts to fog the engine room.

A friend had a HP fuel leak on his sailboat that started a fire in the engine compartment while he was motor sailing - the boat burned to the waterline and sunk in deep water - the Canadian Coast Guard did a great job fishing him out of the water.

 

[mydauphin]

On a 70' boat that will be single handed every little bit of information can help. A camera might see a leak or fire before anything else.

 

[CDK]

Use cheap cameras with IR LED's around the lens and keep the engine room dark. They produce a weird greenish picture, any hot spot will show up as a bright area. A flame will trigger the camera to visible light mode: if there is color in the picture you'll know there is trouble.

 

[michael pierzga]

Yes indeed. Heat sensing imagery would be very worthwhile. Include high tension electrical connections in its view.

A camera set up to view hard to inspect components such as stuffing box or steering gear would be worthwhile. The front end of the engine is full of possible problems. A good view of the front end would be worthwhile.

 

[PAR]

The fundamental issue with any camera is you have to monitor it. Even worse is not having sufficient resolution or camera angle to see a slow drip or leak or wisp of steam, hidden behind or under something. This is why sensors and alarms are the logical route to monitor engine room conditions, as well and propulsion and equipment vitals. "Idiot lights" and buzzers don't need to be continuously watched like a camera. A plethora of assorted sensors, can warn you, for about every imaginable concern, without having to hover over a screen, leaving you free to enjoy your beer.

 

[TANSL]

The concept called "unattended engine room" means that no one is watching, in the engine room. To achieve this "savings" of monitoring, regulations require an endless set of sensors, alarms and some other devices, precisely to avoid continuous monitoring of the human eye. And, really, an engine room "unattended" is more secure than a "normal". If the aim is to replace the presence of a person within the engine room by another person, outside, occasionally looking for a monitor, I do not think that contributes nothing to the safety of the ship. Perhaps the Captain "dazzle" the passengers with their full set of TV monitors, but little else can be done with them. I assume further that such monitors can not cover eliminate the placement of sensors and alarms required by SOLAS or the Classification Society.
But all the above is just my humble opinion.

 

[mydauphin]

Great ideas guys. Using Infrared is a great idea. I am putting cameras for surveillance against thieves. There has been a lot of weird things happening around where I am docked, the Miami River. So I am putting cameras looking around boat. I can also use cameras for a little night vision and to make pretty pictures. So if I am providing all this hardware then putting two in engine room is no big deal. This stuff is pretty cheap anyway.

I agree with you Tansl, and engine room needs to be visit offend anyway. I actually start my engines from engine room, and check then before I start then every time. My boat consists of 5 compartments and everyone has sensors to check on water levels, fire, smoke, and power. I am redoing engine sensors to include more temperature and pressures sensor, and the logging of these to
see developing trends.

I have never put cameras on a boat but having cameras all around might also help if I get boarded by CG, lol Anyway all, thanks for the great ideas.

 

[keysdisease]

There has been a lot of weird things happening around where I am docked, the Miami River.

Being a native of Miami and having lived aboard on the River (near 17th Ave So side) that could be an understatement.

I installed motion sensor lights, like for a driveway on a house, from Home Depot under the gunwales in my cockpit. Anyone coming into the cockpit activates a pair of floods they didn't see.

Cheap and effective

As for cameras, these things have become so cheap and the ability to show on just about any screen (like in the corner of a plotter or TV) makes it almost a no brainer. It's like, instead of why, it should be why not.

Thanks, Steve

 

[TANSL]

As for cameras, these things have become so cheap and the ability to show on just about any screen (like in the corner of a plotter or TV) makes it almost a no brainer. It's like, instead of why, it should be why not.

I beg to differ, it seems that I'm breaking the toy to a child. The cameras need somebody looking at them. Otherwise I do not find out how they may help. Any alarms, audible or visible, is more effective.

 

[Landlubber]

Cameras in engine rooms work very well, the Raymarine type where the monitor is the GPS screen anyhow is good because the operator can look at the engine, gearbox and shaft seals whenever he wishes to, and that is where I would focus the camera too. I have personally run a few boats this way and they are very clear to see and also from that angle would show any water leaks too.

 

[sabahcat]

I beg to differ, it seems that I'm breaking the toy to a child. The cameras need somebody looking at them. Otherwise I do not find out how they may help. Any alarms, audible or visible, is more effective.

I dont see the difference
Both types need someone to see them.

 

[BertKu]

I beg to differ, it seems that I'm breaking the toy to a child. The cameras need somebody looking at them. Otherwise I do not find out how they may help. Any alarms, audible or visible, is more effective.

I also beg to differ with you. If you have a infra red camera with digital output, it can be set in such a way that if any colour comes on the screen, you before hand have identified as a danger, you don't need to monitor the screen. Normally a picture is stored and compaired every 100 millisecond any differentiation, you ring the bell. You can enjoy a beer, witout glaring 24 hours on the screen.
A camera has the advantage it can cover a large area and any changes can be triggering a bel, alarm hooter or whatever with sometimes some extra electronics, if the camera does not have such feature.
The Philips security camera hangs high up in the air. A picture is taken over an area of 1000 square feet. Digital you cut those portions out you want to walk freely and if the other area's are no longer the same compared to a stored picture, the alarm goes off.

 

[TANSL]

Dear friends, I'm talking about what the regulations require ships to install. Perhaps the boat we are talking about need not meet any regulation. And, of course, the owner can put whatever he wants, even if I say otherwise, if it makes him feel safer. I'm just expressing my opinion as a designer of ships, perhaps wrong.
Indeed, from a video monitor and an optical alarm makes no difference. So the regulations require to install visual AND audible alarms. Still thinks that a visual alarm, without more, does not offer sufficient security. On the other hand, all checkpoints through optical systems, with or without night vision, color or black and white, need the permanent presence of humans. It is also true that if everything is recorded on a tape, you may, perhaps, to recognize the offender, but it is hard to prevent crime.

The Philips security camera hangs high up in the air. A picture is taken over an area of 1000 square feet. Digital you cut those portions out you want to walk freely and if the other area's are no longer the same compared to a stored picture, the alarm goes off.

I like this system, no permanent human eye is needed.
Thanks for your patience with me.