"Ghost" on security camera system

[katz]

So, I got called to look at a security camera system for a local convenience store. The story is that the store was robbed many years ago and a person was shot...and died in the store.

I'm not making this up.

There are four cameras on the system, and on the camera that views the counter/register area, I am told that you can see a white/yellow "swirl" thing move about at random times.

The manager called me in to see if it might be some type of glitch in the system/software or something else that I could explain technically.

I am scheduled to go have a look at it in a few days. Some of the workers are spooked by this occurrence, so we need to clear it up somehow. (If possible)

Have any of you techs come across anything like this when working with cameras/security systems? I'm trying to find a reasonable technical explanation for the ghost...

 

[mraikes]

So, I got called to look at a security camera system for a local convenience store. The story is that the store was robbed many years ago and a person was shot...and died in the store.

I'm not making this up.

There are four cameras on the system, and on the camera that views the counter/register area, I am told that you can see a white/yellow "swirl" thing move about at random times.

The manager called me in to see if it might be some type of glitch in the system/software or something else that I could explain technically.

I am scheduled to go have a look at it in a few days. Some of the workers are spooked by this occurrence, so we need to clear it up somehow. (If possible)

Have any of you techs come across anything like this when working with cameras/security systems? I'm trying to find a reasonable technical explanation for the ghost...

Weather balloon.


More Roswell filler . . .

 

[16k_zx81]

"reasonable explanation"?

Its not a ghost.

How's that?

Aside:

That type of media is probably able to be monetized. Might be worth seeing if any paranormal tv producers want to buy it for their shows. (serious. could be worth $$ to you and store owner)

 

[jbartlett323]

I vote greenhouse gases!!




But in all seriousness, look for an ice cream cooler or the like near where its seen. They are notorious for EMI showing on convenience store camera's. Had similar stuff at both the convenience stores i worked at, but one more than the other because of the ancient ice cream machine...

 

[PCX]

It reminds me of this story:

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. You can even hear the film crew talking about it as they had spotted it if you turn the volume up

Click here for video

 

[katz]

LOL - I knew I would be opening a can of worms here - yeah, I know - get Art Bell involved in this one!

...but I was looking for an answer like this one -

But in all seriousness, look for an ice cream cooler or the like near where its seen. They are notorious for EMI showing on convenience store camera's. Had similar stuff at both the convenience stores i worked at, but one more than the other because of the ancient ice cream machine...

 

[eliforp]

I have ran into a similar situation and found that the Power distribution unit for the cameras was beginning to fail and was plugged into the same circuit as an air compressor. Needless to say when the compressor kicked on the cameras would start having "Ghosts" Replaced the Power unit and moved the compressor to a different circuit.

Hope this helps

 

[codegreen]

True story: when I was in university, I had a summer job at a coffee and doughnut shop. One night, i was filling in for the baker who worked the overnight shift after the store closed. I was working alone. Just before my shift, I had seen The Blair Witch Project, so my imagination was acting up. While I was working in the back, something caught my eye on the security monitor. There was a blurry, white, person-shaped figure on on the screen! My heart skipped an indeterminate number of beats. Then, it became widened and distorted... and then it disappeared. I stepped out to the front counter and looked around. Nothing. So, I went back to making doughnuts. A few minutes later, my ghost came back, then vanished again.

The same cycle repeated itself through the night at irregular intervals. After so many repetitions, it shifted from creepy to annoying. Once all the doughnuts were in the oven, I went back out front to find out what was going on. Finally, I saw it: an oddly-shaped advertising sign was hanging down at the within the camera's field of view, and was slowly rotating. At certain angles, it would reflect light back at the camera and look all ghostly. Then, as it turned, it "disappeared".

Thus, my suggestion: look for signs hanging within the camera's field of view.

 

[HawkinsPC]

It reminds me of this story:

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. You can even hear the film crew talking about it as they had spotted it if you turn the volume up

Click here for video

I hate you.

.........................................................

 

[katz]

It reminds me of this story:

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. You can even hear the film crew talking about it as they had spotted it if you turn the volume up

Click here for video

LOL - My son showed me that one a couple of years ago...

 

[16k_zx81]

FAAAAAARRRRRRRK

You are evil.

.

 

[DocGreen]

It reminds me of this story:

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. You can even hear the film crew talking about it as they had spotted it if you turn the volume up

Click here for video

Gotta show this to my kids tomorrow

 

[Steve202]

It reminds me of this story:

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. You can even hear the film crew talking about it as they had spotted it if you turn the volume up

Click here for video

Nice try
........

 

[katz]

Now the story is even better; There is a round garbage can near the register area - one of those ones that look like "R2D2", with the rotating top...seems that sometimes the top will rotate when no one is using it...

The manager hasn't witnessed that, just some of the other girls (supposedly).
I will be sure to take a priest on-site with me when I go to the job next week.

I'm a logical explanation type of guy, so naturally I'm not buying any of this malarkey - but hey, if it's a paying job, who am I to turn it down.