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Q for M3Me re your home security


scooby_simon
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M3Me

On the "rude awakening" thread you said this :

[ QUOTE ]

Interesting that CarMad mentioned wireless security cameras because a form of CCTV is something I took to about a year ago.

Basically, we have 4 cameras.

Front of house.

Left side/right side

Rear of house.

All link into a Shuttle PC that is on 24/7 and recording a view from each camera (fed into a 6 port USB station). Drivespace is 250gb. Of course I can only keep a limited period of videos on file. They work well in the dark and have a small green light on them so act as a deterrent too.

Of course I don't have time to watch 4 x 24 hours of video but if I want I can skip through them on hi-speed to watch for anything dodgy if I think something has happened etc. Besides, I have changed the system to motion detection during daytime and it works very well indeed so I probably spend 20 minutes each night watching all the motion detected clips (has revealed quite a lot actually, but PM me for that). It has shown me who are really really nosey neighbours too and which little t**t it was that kept pulling the heads off the flowers at the end of the drive (sorted him out).

The costs weren't huge and they were easy to set up. They need a lens clean every few weeks at this time of year but they do the job.

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Care to elaborate a little more on the actual setup/spec's etc ?

We got burgled (and disturbed them so noting was actually taken, but that is another story) a while back and I kinda think we should do something (especially after an R32 got nicked recently in Hitchin and details posted on Tyresmoke.net)

Cheers

Scooby 169144-ok.gif

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Cameras for outdoor use must be just that... for outdoor use. The sensor chip inside the cameras destined for indoor use cannot cope outside and after a while, will just pack up. The sensor effectively is killed with white light.

Wired is the best solution, but the new cameras from www.Axis.com or Trust are excellent.

Depends on your setup requirements. IP-based CCTV is still quite new, but we've installed more of these system in 3 months than we have traditional based coax analog systems last year.

If you can run Cat5 around the home then that's fine, but most people/wives will not accept that. If you go wireless, get a proper one.

Webcams are used by a lot of people for this, but they are not ideal and cannot cope correctly with the lighting changes. They also are not packaged well enough to cope with the heat, or lack of when placed outside.

Trust do a nice 4 channel capture card and decent software (http://www.trust.com/products/product.aspx?artnr=12948) which takes little effort and comes with 4 Composite inputs for standard cheap analog cameras.

If you want to go digital, then Trust also sell the cameras (http://www.trust.com/products/product.aspx?artnr=14208) which plug straight into your network. Images can be sent my email with alerts too and motion-detection recording.

If you need some small cameras, give me a shout as I get them at trade prices.

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One thing to remember.. Colour cameras offer much lower quality at nighttime, unless you bathe the area in halogen lighting.

You want colour during the day, and black and white in the evening. A lot of Swann cameras and Sony cameras around £99 do this.

These are good B&W cameras and only £50 each from Maplin:

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Not the digital type though.

Or you could get the mother of all home CCTV cameras:

43918i0.jpg

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[ QUOTE ]

Only just spotted this thread, sorry.

I'm off to a meeting in sunny Middlesbrough (tracking people will be told where car is being left...) now so I'll pass the info on tonight.

[/ QUOTE ]

No news then?

I'd be quite interested as well to DIY some home security...

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Yes, sorry, I got a bit involved in the schools/parents/children threads last night.

Made a note to make sure I draft the spec up for you all fully though and I will make sure I post it.

It recorded a Robin yesterday. First I've seen. Sat right on a bush about 10ft from one of the cameras. Cute little things aren't they. Thats my soft bit over with for today.

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