Installing video surveillance after this morning, need help.

[Katy TX5.0]

3 bulglaries and 1 robbery at gunpoint in my neighborhood has me interested. Unfortunately, they got a gun from a vehicle. All that was stolen from my truck was a pack with gym clothes because my gun doesn't get left unsecured.

Is it a DIY project and expensive?

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

DIY and expense all depends on how good of quality you want. I know people who have installed it themselves for a couple hundred but the quality is not good and they don't have good night vision.

 

[JpL4K3]

CCTVHotdeals.com, decent quality for the price, not HD. Night vision is diffcult to see, but I feel these are definitely a better theft deterrent on the house then the ADT sign in the yard.

I got the 8 channel camera system with 1TB HD.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Or just install a punji pit....

4 times in a few hours. Guess it's time to think about living further towards the country more.

 

[SweetSVT99]

DIY and expense all depends on how good of quality you want. I know people who have installed it themselves for a couple hundred but the quality is not good and they don't have good night vision.

Pretty much this. I've installed several of them in both homes and businesses for friends and family. The quality of the camera is the most important if you really care about getting a good quality image of what's going on. If you are mostly concerned about a deterrent, then the lower end cameras are OK. Your night vision on the cheaper ones will be OK at first, but over time (especially if they are exposed to the elements) the seal between the lens and the infrared LEDs will breakdown and leak light, rendering your night vision pretty much useless.

Most of the DVRs available to consumers are pretty much the same cheesy outdated interface, and for the most part contain the same basic hardware.

I'm far from an expert in the subject, just sharing my experience with the 8 or 9 systems I've done. In all cases you'll need to be comfortable running and hiding cables, which will usually mean you're drilling holes, etc. I have no idea how well the wireless ones work, but keep in mind that even those need some sort of cable for the power.

A system I installed last winter for a friend who owns a local bar saved his ass just a few weeks ago.

 

[Serpent]

Thinking about getting a video system too, maybe even setup one in my bed room. I think my chic room mate snoops around my room. Probably smelling my clothes. :dw:

 

[roy_1031]

Thinking about getting a video system too, maybe even setup one in my bed room. I think my chic room mate snoops around my room. Probably smelling my clothes. :dw:

Not seeing the problem there... Haha jk

 

[SweetSVT99]

Thinking about getting a video system too, maybe even setup one in my bed room. I think my chic room mate snoops around my room. Probably smelling my clothes. :dw:

There is clearly only one SVTP approved solution here.

 

[trc46]

My dad started his own business specializing in cctv. If you want something quality call a small security company who does it all the time. Avoid adt like the plague. They will lock you in for 5 years and then bump rates whenever they feel like it. Consult a professional is your best bet imo

 

[Katy TX5.0]

There is clearly only one SVTP approved solution here.

You win the Internet for today.

 

[BadBlue98GT]

Supercircuits.com sells about the best quality stuff your going to find for a reasonable price. A good four camera system with multiplexing DVR will set you back about a grand. Installation is not hard, but it will involve crawling around in some tight places in your attic if you want to do it right. You will need basic hand tools: cordless drill/driver, screwdrivers, wirestrippers, etc. Most systems are sold as plug and play, but if you want to hide the wires, you will need to cut and splice. Look for cameras with a Lux rating of .01 or better (the smaller the number the better for night time clarity) and those with IR illuminators are even better. Look for a multiplexing DVR (puts all camera views on one screen, but records all in full frame) that has a time/date stamp overlay and enough recording capacity to last for a week or better. Make sure you put the DVR in a concealed spot, preferably somewhere under lock and key...if the thieves steal your DVR, your evidence is gone. Put the cameras somewhere that will require a ladder or shotgun to disable them, i.e. up high. Test the field of view of the cameras in the daylight and at night to make sure you don't have any unwanted blind spots. Lastly, consider installing both overt and covert cameras, meaning some that are obvious to everyone and some that no one knows are there. This will give you the deterrence factor along with evidence in the case someone tries to destroy your system (the one they can see and know is there).

 

[Machdup1]

Do it yourself. I just went down to Sam's Club and got a 16 channel system with a 2TB drive and eight cameras. If you are comfortable running coax or UTP cable you are good to go. It is not the best thing in the world, but it has low light cameras that work well and decent quality video and it has been running strong for two or three years.

 

[nxhappy]

honestly IF the cameras catch the action, will they be good enough to identify the crooks?

Put up some fake cameras, they won't know the difference anyway.

IMO it's a waste of money. Invest in some guns. And a good guard dog.

 

[thomas91169]

honestly IF the cameras catch the action, will they be good enough to identify the crooks?

Put up some fake cameras, they won't know the difference anyway.

IMO it's a waste of money. Invest in some guns. And a good guard dog.

Right?

Like "cool, you get to watch them rob you again and again, and in slo-mo"

Cops wont give two shits and unlike CSI you cant keep hitting "sharpen" 20 times to reveal who the perp is.

 

[grantturner]

I am a fan of puting up a couple of these. They track the motion and follow it. Makes it seems like you are watching and/or filming them.
http://www.3gorillas.com/smart-robo...lb-9782.html?gclid=CK2VqP386cECFUUV7AodBkUA3g

 

[assasyn]

Dropcam has great quality. YouTube has examples of low light and outside clarity.

 

[CobraBob]

My dad started his own business specializing in cctv. If you want something quality call a small security company who does it all the time. Avoid adt like the plague. They will lock you in for 5 years and then bump rates whenever they feel like it. Consult a professional is your best bet imo

While you can, of course, DIY, I agree with trc46. Consult a professional (smaller security company). A good friend of mine owns a security company here in Connecticut and he's done my security setup twice over the past 20 years. He just installed a camera system at my daughter's house. I'd rather pay him to do it right the first time. You should at least get a quote from a couple of security companies. If nothing else, you'll at least get tips based on what they recommend. Also, consider doing a central system in your home if you don't already have one.

 

[CobraBob]

Right?

Like "cool, you get to watch them rob you again and again, and in slo-mo"

Cops wont give two shits and unlike CSI you cant keep hitting "sharpen" 20 times to reveal who the perp is.

:shrug: You DO know that high quality cameras are available, right? And cops WILL check the video footage if a crime has been committed. I just called our own police department to confirm that. I believe it would be the exception and not the rule that police won't check your video footage. Especially if the camera is a high quality camera. Doesn't mean the culprits will be identified by the footage if their faces are concealed, but it's wrong to say that "cops won't give two shits". :dw:

 

[Led_Zep]

If those gym clothes that were stolen were dirty, that would be like a slap in the face for the robber.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Supercircuits.com sells about the best quality stuff your going to find for a reasonable price. A good four camera system with multiplexing DVR will set you back about a grand. Installation is not hard, but it will involve crawling around in some tight places in your attic if you want to do it right. You will need basic hand tools: cordless drill/driver, screwdrivers, wirestrippers, etc. Most systems are sold as plug and play, but if you want to hide the wires, you will need to cut and splice. Look for cameras with a Lux rating of .01 or better (the smaller the number the better for night time clarity) and those with IR illuminators are even better. Look for a multiplexing DVR (puts all camera views on one screen, but records all in full frame) that has a time/date stamp overlay and enough recording capacity to last for a week or better. Make sure you put the DVR in a concealed spot, preferably somewhere under lock and key...if the thieves steal your DVR, your evidence is gone. Put the cameras somewhere that will require a ladder or shotgun to disable them, i.e. up high. Test the field of view of the cameras in the daylight and at night to make sure you don't have any unwanted blind spots. Lastly, consider installing both overt and covert cameras, meaning some that are obvious to everyone and some that no one knows are there. This will give you the deterrence factor along with evidence in the case someone tries to destroy your system (the one they can see and know is there).

I have rudimentary knowledge of electricity but you make it sound very doable.