Home security cameras?

[ihopewewin]

I remember reading a post with someone talking about a 4 video camera security system that was linked to some kind of recorder. I'm looking into getting some security cameras for the outside of my house for some protection agaisnt vandalism etc. Anyone remember seeing this and has a link for me? Thanks in advance.

 

[Falcon]

Not sure which company you're looking for but I use these guys...

http://www.supercircuits.com/

...and highly recommend them!

 

[BSlacker]

Supercircuits is great. Here are the cameras I am using. Mine are mounted out in the open but they are under an eve or patio cover one is mounted in a hole in the wall. Painted the background color people don't even notice. Neighborhood Watch Officer could not find them. I can post a video of a attempted break in where the perp noticed a sign and then looked up to see the camera and left without entering. Paid for itself right there.

http://www.supercircuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4166

With out the low Lux number you won't see much at night these are amazing. 4oo lines of resolution is ok 600 won't be much better unless you really spend on lens.
I use a PC based system for recording the GeoVision 800. Good but expensive and the instructions were hard to use. Much better out there today look around. A few for less than 100. For 4 channels you will want 120fps recording so each channel is full motion. Also reset time after motion detection has timed out is critical.
PM me for more.

 

[ihopewewin]

This may seem to be an odd request but does anyone know of wireless cameras? I looked through the site and didn't seem to find any...
Edit: found one wireless system but it was only a single camera.

 

[BSlacker]

I use one of these mounted in a vehicle and park it across the street to see my house from a different angle. It is good for about 150 feet. You can't run 4 of the cheap ones like this they will interfere with each other and also wireless phones that share the same band. Ok for short use where you have power. If you have to run power you might as well run a siamese wire with video conductor.
http://www.supercircuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3998

 

[BigO01]

Do a search for the X10 camera I think they have what you need .

 

[cousinelmer1]

security cameras

That is some pretty neat stuff, but how difficult is it to install all that stuff guys?

 

[BSlacker]

The hardest part for most will be making quality connections for the video lines. To do a good job takes patience and some skill but just follow the directions and it will work. You should have a good connection crimper cost 50/100. For wire use a siamesed video/DC wire it is easier than running seperate power and video. Use a single DC supply instead of the wall adapter. Not hard and it will work if all the wires connections are good. Setting up the cameras will take a little study. Get a small monitor you can take to the camera site to adjust. I use a TFT unit powered by the 12vDC at the camera so I don't have to take a AC cord to power the monitor. Practice at the work bench using iris and focus and set them up before you mount them. The internet has lots of info on mounts and set up. Supercircuits will help you on lenses just measure the width of the area you want to cover and the distance from the camera location give that to the phone person and they will get you close. You may need auto iris lenses if the camera looks east or west. I worked in pro video for 20 years seems easy for me. It is like a hobby I enjoy. You will not believe what goes on in an area once you can see everything that goes on around you 24/7.

 

[cousinelmer1]

Thanks for all the great info BSlacker, your not in Ohio by chance and looking for any side jobs, LOL?

 

[BSlacker]

Your welcome. Think about this before you jump into this. People go nuts around video. They can not stop themselves. Once they think they are on camera it just comes out the waves, danceing or monkey imitations, trying to get real close with their face in the camera it is like an IQ test. Just whip out a camera and start video and you will see the real IQ come out. People with home cameras are aware of this for sure. Some get real quiet some dance, go figure.
I keeped quiet about mine for 6 years. Some will think you can see in their windows even though they live in back of the camera and around a corner two blocks away. When the local miscreates check your door handle you can not fly off the handle. Use the info to find out about who they are where they hang first. My son and I watched a group of 5 young people check door handles vandalize commons areas be out at 1 or 2am smoking pot shoot air soft at lights and trucks. We checked them out knew where they hung and when one of them vandalized my property we hid in the bushes in the park they like to hang at and scared the crap out of them when they returned. They ran to the next best spot and my son was waiting for them there. The kid went to the Police Station and confessed, he felt safe there. Case solved. But if we didn't know where he hung he would just be another kid in the hood to the police. The police evidence locker is full of video where they have a good likeness of the perp but he didn't drop his wallet so no name. It ain't enough to just get a video. My neighbor recently had his tools stolen from a parking lot one of my cameras sees. It is at a distance and the cameras primary function is a face shot of someone entering my driveway so it ain't set up for the faces in the lot, see link below. The perps didn't drop a wallet with picture ID. His wife works for a big agency and had them enhance the video with some of the best stuff in the country and you could make out the perps face but alas no wallet or drivers license could be seen. BTW the locals didn't even pick up the video for 10 days. The vehicle is a little different it could be positive IDed from the video. Another police agency my wife works around said they would be all over that type of vehicle in their town. So it ain't cut and dried. Hold your fire don't go off on every little thing. And keep them low key no big housings like a 711 blend in too the background is what I have luck with. Mine are in plain sight but the local Neighbor Hood Watch officer made two passes and could not find even one camera and one is so obvious as to hit your head if your not careful she stood right in front of it.
Here is a sample. BTW if you know this guy let him know I am looking for him. The local PD had no interest in the video and didn't want a copy.

http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j50/BSlacker/?action=view&current=redwallzombiewithimage.flv

 

[fletcher]

I've always been interested in network cameras, but it can be pricy to get a good one (CMOS sensors = bad). They usually come with software to activate recording with motion and store it all on a hard drive somewhere.

I'm currently using a D-Link DCS-900W (cheapo one), and it's ok. Because it's on a network, there's a tradeoff between framerate and quality. Cool thing is the recording software I mentioned, it's wireless, and it's ~$80.

 

[Flak_Jakett]

I have no security cameras around my house, but I've thought about it a few times. I always see the criminal caught in the act videos. You see some dude in a ball cap and glasses or some such. It seems to me that cameras put in a lower position might actually have a better angle of the face. You might need more to get the same coverage as the higher mounted ones, but it is just a thought.

 

[BSlacker]

It seems to me that cameras put in a lower position might actually have a better angle of the face.

That is the exact reason I have camera one in the position it is. I want to get a good face shot of folks entering the driveway. The still at the end of the video is burned and enhanced from the video. If you knew this guy you could ID him from the image, yes. I don't know him and he is not a "regular". Camera positions are a compromise read your local code, yes we have one here. Code for residential systems wants the camera to be inside the home. I conviced the nice policeman who checked mine that sense the patio cover was connected and the floor was tile it was part of the home proper. Under the eves no problem he said. I am moving the rear one to a location lower and at the rear so I can see more of mine and less of theirs it may not be code but they are not paying for the losses either.

 

[athlon64]

I just put together a system in response to 2 recent incidents of vandalism against my property. I already have a good idea of who did it, but I need to get some proof for LEOs to followup.

(4) day/night megapixel IP cameras (Arecont AV3130s) and lenses
(1) 8 port switch with power over ethernet (PoE)
(1) LuxRiot Pro SW license
Ethernet cabling.
Camera mounts.

I already had a good workstation with lots of storage to drive the cameras and retain data. I'm currently running the cams indooors aimed out windows on my perimeter. Long term plan is to get secure housings and mount at least a couple outdoors to cover more of my property. The megapixel 3130's are impressive with good lenses. They can cover a wide range of area at high resolution. Google "Arecont" and check 'em out. They're not cheap, but I look at this as a long-term investment to supplement the usual layers of security. I had always planned to get cameras, but needed this recent "motivation" to move forward with the investment.