CCTV help

[winchman]

I was thinking of fitting CCTV at home.
I do wonder does it attract or deter?
Would some one wonder why I have it do I have something to steal or am I over reacting?
So thoughts please and any supplier recommendations

 

[gaz1]

if anything cctv will

give you the time when it happened
allows you to see what was damaged or pinched
catches neighbors doing stupid things
or exes doing stupid things

will it deter no, attract attention no not really they have to have an idea what you have

supplier recomendations interesting part is it all depends on what you pay for and what you want in end

theres a few cctv threads on the forums

 

[Perry Owens]

The hoodie is standard burglar uniform so try to site at least one of your cameras at eye level in a position so that it can't be approached and spray painted from behind. Get the highest definition cameras you can afford - at least 1080P. I use Amcrest, which have proved very reliable, connected via POE and not WiFi. Savvy thieves will smash or steal your PC or recorder if they can find it so hide it away and use the Cloud for backup. For connecting to the cameras and storing images I use a Synology NAS ( network attached storage) which is small and can be located away from the main PC. Synology has free software called Surveillance Station that runs the camera functions very well. This is the view from two of my cameras while I am posting this.

 

[Nick67GT]

@Perry Owens

What was the approximate cost of your set up?

I assume that it can be monitored when away from home.

 

[J1nx]

I’d be careful of picking cameras based on day time stills. A lot can look good in the day but the vast majority of naughtiness occurs after dark! Really you want to see a moving image at night, a camera with a good sensor will pick up details and avoid blur as it can use higher shutter speeds.

If you buy turret style cameras then they can blend in quite well (you don’t want domes outside), only people paying attention will spot them and I’d hope it’s more of a deterrent than attraction.

On a budget, nothing comes close to matching the Dahua starlight cameras. I upgraded recently from Hikvision 4K cameras and synology drive to the Dahuas 2MP and Blue iris server, it’s more complicated but much more capable. That’s not a mistake either, the 2MP cameras easily out perform the 4K ones, don’t chase resolution.

 

[Perry Owens]

@Perry Owens

What was the approximate cost of your set up?

I assume that it can be monitored when away from home.

IIRC the cameras were about £80 each.They were made by Foscam in the USA but supplied by Amcrest and I note that Foscam now have their own UK distribution web site. A Synology DS115J single bay NAS is around £100 but it's a backup for the whole network, not just the cameras. To avoid drilling holes in the house walls the cameras connect to the network via a 4-port network switch in the shed and a homeplug. The Synology software is free and will deal with most makes of camera. In addition to the two cameras shown I have one in the workshop/garage and one minding my gun cabinets. I can view them from anywhere via my phone or tablet and they can text me if movement is detected.

 

[J1nx]

The Synology software is free and will deal with most makes of camera. In addition to the two cameras shown I have one in the workshop/garage and one minding my gun cabinets.

Have they changed the licences then? I changed mine only last year but then it was 2 camera licences free with the drive, you had to buy per camera after that.

Drives to go inside should really be a WD purple or equivalent, sweet spot seems to the 3tb size, can be had for less than £100 quid.

 

[Perry Owens]

Have they changed the licences then? I changed mine only last year but then it was 2 camera licences free with the drive, you had to buy per camera after that.

You're right, the free licence is only for two cameras. My two interior cameras use Amcrest View Pro, a free Android app which is perfectly adequate in situations where there are no false triggers due to foxes, crows etc.