Home security cameras, who's using them?

Forum Sponsor
Joe Bass said:
Crimes of opportunity would outnumber targeted houses imo, for a large number of us. But anything you can do to lessen the possibility (alarm, dog, camera) is a plus for me.

sent from my Purple LGG4 on the GTAM app
Click to expand...

Consider the following:

- Move to a remote undisclosed rural location, where you're the only person and maybe your dog.
- have bio-metrics on all your devices (bike, doors, locks, phone).
- barbed wired electrical shock fences.
- build a moat with alligators or sharks in them and the only way in and out is a drawbridge.

(I'm not actually being serious, if you all didn't get the troll post).
 
I've been using a cheap DVR with several 560TVL wired and wireless cameras for a while now. I loaded up the DVR with a 2TB SATA hard drive so that I've got a huge amount of recording space. The resolution isn't great but it's better than the crap you usually see from mini-mart robberies on TV. So far the best use has been to help get the neighbours from hell evicted.
 
Evol said:
Consider the following:

- Move to a remote undisclosed rural location, where you're the only person and maybe your dog.
- have bio-metrics on all your devices (bike, doors, locks, phone).
- barbed wired electrical shock fences.
- build a moat with alligators or sharks in them and the only way in and out is a drawbridge.

(I'm not actually being serious, if you all didn't get the troll post).
Click to expand...
Are you kidding? That would be awesome!

sent from my Purple LGG4 on the GTAM app
 
PrivatePilot said:
....

I do still like having them though. I currently have a Lorex wired system. Not a huge fan of them anymore as they are VERY slow updating their software - my system will soon be partially obsolete once iOS11 is released for the iPhone as their app is so old it won't work on the new OS. I've been nagging them for 6 months to update them but they don't seem to care - I guess when iOS11 drops and countless thousands of people find they suddenly can't view their cameras on their iPhones anymore they might pay attention when their tech support people are overwhelmed and people start dragging them through the mud online.
Click to expand...


Instead of Lorex's application download the one from SwanView, and use the same settings as your Lorex previously did. The app actually works with updated operating systems on phones. Lorex doesn't seem to be doing much at all to support older systems.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
I've been using a cheap DVR with several 560TVL wired and wireless cameras for a while now. I loaded up the DVR with a 2TB SATA hard drive so that I've got a huge amount of recording space. The resolution isn't great but it's better than the crap you usually see from mini-mart robberies on TV. So far the best use has been to help get the neighbours from hell evicted.
Click to expand...

Seems like a story here. You're not going to share?
 
DJM said:
Gang of punks trashed a couple of neighbours cars last night. We were unscathed because two were in the garage and I was working midnights with the other car. None of us have security cameras and I don't know the first thing about them. Any recommendations to cover front driveway and entrances would be appreciated. I'm not a skinflint, but something within reason to identify fkers like that.
Click to expand...

The easiest and cheapest solution is likely a dashcam in the car with shock triggering (do any do motion detection?). Finding one that works well on it's internal battery can be a struggle though (assuming your car turns off the lighter with the key).
 
GagguP said:
Instead of Lorex's application download the one from SwanView, and use the same settings as your Lorex previously did. The app actually works with updated operating systems on phones. Lorex doesn't seem to be doing much at all to support older systems.
Click to expand...

I looked and most of their Applications haven't been updated since 2013 either which means they're going to have the exact same issues.

GreyGhost said:
The easiest and cheapest solution is likely a dashcam in the car with shock triggering (do any do motion detection?). Finding one that works well on it's internal battery can be a struggle though (assuming your car turns off the lighter with the key).
Click to expand...

That's great until they steal the dashcam as well as your other stuff. Any thief who sees a camera that may be recording him/her that's easy to remove is going to do so. ;)
 
PrivatePilot said:
That's great until they steal the dashcam as well as your other stuff. Any thief who sees a camera that may be recording him/her that's easy to remove is going to do so. ;)
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I figured when multiple cars were trashed, it was probably a group of punk kids that wouldn't be smart enough to look for cameras. I agree a camera with remote recording is always a better option.
 
Lyndsay said:
Seems like a story here. You're not going to share?
Click to expand...

I live in a townhouse complex. Constant pounding on the shared wall by the kids, bouncing balls off the wall on the other side of my bedroom as late as 1:00am. Generally started around 6:00am on weekends. Father cut down the shared privacy hedge, which had stood for 50-odd years before they moved in. (Before *I* moved in) Kids would kick soccer balls at my backyard window, full force, any time from 8:00am through 10:00pm during summer break. It had never been an issue in the over 40 years I've lived there, with dozens of families having moved in and out over the years, and there's a soccer pitch across the street if they really wanted to wing the balls around. They would throw garbage on my lawn, caught on camera, then get ****** off because I tossed it back to them. Drove like idiots into and out of the parking lot, but had the gall to say that I drove fast? Kids damaged multiple cars while playing road hockey and lacrosse in the parking lot, but the parents could never be nailed down to pay for it. "Wasn't MY kids."

Not the best neighbourhood, with shady folks cutting through all the time, but it was the neighbours who made me buy security cameras.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
I live in a townhouse complex. Constant pounding on the shared wall by the kids, bouncing balls off the wall on the other side of my bedroom as late as 1:00am. Generally started around 6:00am on weekends. Father cut down the shared privacy hedge, which had stood for 50-odd years before they moved in. (Before *I* moved in) Kids would kick soccer balls at my backyard window, full force, any time from 8:00am through 10:00pm during summer break. It had never been an issue in the over 40 years I've lived there, with dozens of families having moved in and out over the years, and there's a soccer pitch across the street if they really wanted to wing the balls around. They would throw garbage on my lawn, caught on camera, then get ****** off because I tossed it back to them. Drove like idiots into and out of the parking lot, but had the gall to say that I drove fast? Kids damaged multiple cars while playing road hockey and lacrosse in the parking lot, but the parents could never be nailed down to pay for it. "Wasn't MY kids."

Not the best neighbourhood, with shady folks cutting through all the time, but it was the neighbours who made me buy security cameras.
Click to expand...

I would have to be seriously short of options to live like that, lifes too short
 
Was looking into a security camera system myself, now that we've moved to the boonies. A neighbour mentioned Lorex, as he uses the same. In researching the various systems, I found that wireless cams are rated for "warmer" temps than wired. -10 vs -30, for example. So, if/when we actually implement a system here, we'll be going with wired.
 
The temperature issue with the wireless camera is that cold weather saps batteries really badly. I have a few sensors for various home automation stuff outside and in the winter the batteries barely last a week - eventually I started using lithium AAA's as they are less effected by temps but they still suffered.

Wireless has many potential issues.
 
Jenerator said:
Was looking into a security camera system myself, now that we've moved to the boonies. A neighbour mentioned Lorex, as he uses the same. In researching the various systems, I found that wireless cams are rated for "warmer" temps than wired. -10 vs -30, for example. So, if/when we actually implement a system here, we'll be going with wired.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about the Lorex wireless cameras that use a power adapter to drive them, then the cold isn't that much of an issue. I used one of their wireless cameras for two years without issues until squirrels eventually ate through the block of wood I used as a mount, then got through the power cable too.
 
Now that i know how easy it is to set up, I use Ubiquiti Unifi cameras for surveillance. If it fits the budget and you care to roll the sleeves up a bit they have infrared for decent night captures, the cost vs quality tradeoff is more than fair for gear thats not consumer-grade. And if you have a little network at home (ie. the router your isp gave you and pocket change for a small power over ethernet switch) it pretty well is plug and play.

https://www.ubnt.com/products/#unifiVideo

Canadian vendor near Owen Sound I've had good luck with
https://ubnt.ca/unifi-video/437-unifi-video-camera-generation-3-dome.html

Maybe overkill for some, depends on what you need to keep an eye on I suppose.
 
Jenerator said:
Was looking into a security camera system myself, now that we've moved to the boonies.
Click to expand...

I live in the boonies and don't even lock my house. I even leave keys in vehicles. Maybe our definition of boonies is different.
 
Lyndsay said:
I live in the boonies and don't even lock my house. I even leave keys in vehicles. Maybe our definition of boonies is different.
Click to expand...

Until not that long ago my parents closest neighbour was 500m away. They still needed to lock everything up as punk kids with nothing better to do would drive around at night looking for unlocked vehicles. The downside of the boonies is there aren't many eyes to catch suspicious behaviour.
 
How about just putting up a few signs...

cf337154f3b7b9c0b5b9c737ea87541f.png
 
Next you'll be telling us that we have to lock our doors like the 'Mericans do!
 
One of our neighbors had their car stolen right out of their driveway. The next day, I was shopping for cameras. Already had a Synology NAS that would support the cameras, so I was good that way. Bought 3 Foscam outdoor _wireless_ cameras. I mounted the 1080P camera facing to the front yard/driveway. The other 2 (720p) are in the backyard. Truth be told, one of them is just there to catch wildlife - like dog killing raccoon, dog almost killing another raccoon, owl taking out a mouse/rat/vole (whatever that was).
Cameras are always on. Motion detection was hit or miss. I have the space and the wifi bandwidth, so why not.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom