CCTV Systems
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Discussion

NDA

Original Poster:

25,727 posts

255 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all

We are pretty sure we had our house 'scanned' today by would-be burglars. White van comes in, has a nose, drives off at high speed - my daughter spotted him but I just missed catching the number. As we live in a rural location and have a half mile single track driveway to the house, anyone coming in and out is either friend or foe!

I know CCTV would probably not be of huge benefit, it wouldn't make us burglar proof, nor would it get our stuff back - however, I'd still quite like to fit it.

Ideally I'd like a wireless system of maybe 3 cameras and a system that records a static photo based on a movement sensor. Wireless because it's a large (ish) property and I don't want hundreds of yards of cable to bury.

But where to look?! There seem to be dozens of systems out there - is there a PH'er in our midst who knows about such things?

Thanks

N

Mr Will

13,719 posts

236 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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I've heard Sciroccology knows quite a bit about home CCTV

scratchchin

10JH

2,070 posts

224 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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Costco currently have a wired system of 4 cameras, a monitor and a big hard drive thats about £900. I asked a while ago about wireless and they said they had a new wireless system coming in soon.

The pictures looked good quality and all the cameras had small LED lights attached to them. I'm sure it won't be as good quality as an installed one however.

A guy I know also has some of these - http://www.getplc.com/smart/cctv/wireless-cameras....

Scott328i

18,296 posts

231 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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That costco stuff is actually the nuts

I have installed 3 of these systems at work

simple o do and can monitor anywhere!!!

Saskia7

176 posts

218 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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Red care??

NDA

Original Poster:

25,727 posts

255 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all

Thanks for the suggestions - and Matt for the email....

SS HSV

9,646 posts

288 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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Don't go wireless! nono

They use the same 2.4Ghz frequency so anyone with a receiver can see exactly what your system sees and more importantly what it does not.

You have to run a power cable to your camera anyway so best keep it closed-circuit - hence the name Closed Circuit Television System.

NDA

Original Poster:

25,727 posts

255 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
SS HSV said:
Don't go wireless! nono

They use the same 2.4Ghz frequency so anyone with a receiver can see exactly what your system sees and more importantly what it does not.

You have to run a power cable to your camera anyway so best keep it closed-circuit - hence the name Closed Circuit Television System.
I was hoping to take power from some floodlights on the wireless camera and therefore not have much cabling. I don't have any neighbours for many acres - so no risk of other receivers. Although those pesky badgers are up to no good.

Stamp

3,609 posts

266 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
NDA said:
SS HSV said:
Don't go wireless! nono

They use the same 2.4Ghz frequency so anyone with a receiver can see exactly what your system sees and more importantly what it does not.

You have to run a power cable to your camera anyway so best keep it closed-circuit - hence the name Closed Circuit Television System.
I was hoping to take power from some floodlights on the wireless camera and therefore not have much cabling. I don't have any neighbours for many acres - so no risk of other receivers. Although those pesky badgers are up to no good.
I think what was being suggested was they could have a receiver and pick up you cameras and "see" where there is no cover and take advantage of these "hidden" areas

willd58

1,559 posts

238 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
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Surely the signal would be on a secure network of some kind, meaning the trespassers would need the password to connect to the signal?

Racylady

931 posts

263 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
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A very good friend of mine does this and I'm sure he'd talk you through the options if you'd like - his name is Malcolm Stone of Melcom Systems - www.melcomsystems.co.uk 01664 454066.
He tells me that a lot of people are going for the cameras that you can monitor using your pc.

Doug Phillips

351 posts

276 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
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I work for this compay www.y3k.com in the tech dept, I would say dont go for a wirless system. I may be easer to install, but its performance is just to unpredictable in every day use. Fell free to drop me a mail if you want any help.

Meeja

8,290 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
I agree with the sentiments about not going Wireless. Even if it is using a "secure" wireless connection, it's going to be hackable by someone.

Stick to "CC" TV wherever possible.


phib

4,520 posts

289 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
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Having been done over on tuesday ( only the shed but 2k worth of chainsaws etec) I have exactly the same issue have three people comming in today to look at what we can do CCTV, Alarms, spikes, booby traps etc etc

Will post up anything useful later

Meeja

8,290 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
NDA said:
We are pretty sure we had our house 'scanned' today by would-be burglars. White van comes in, has a nose, drives off at high speed - my daughter spotted him but I just missed catching the number. As we live in a rural location and have a half mile single track driveway to the house, anyone coming in and out is either friend or foe!

I know CCTV would probably not be of huge benefit, it wouldn't make us burglar proof, nor would it get our stuff back - however, I'd still quite like to fit it.

Ideally I'd like a wireless system of maybe 3 cameras and a system that records a static photo based on a movement sensor. Wireless because it's a large (ish) property and I don't want hundreds of yards of cable to bury.

But where to look?! There seem to be dozens of systems out there - is there a PH'er in our midst who knows about such things?

Thanks

N
Just out of interest, is the physical security on the house up to scratch? and are you alarmed? - and if you are alarmed, make sure your system is remotely monitored (redcare or similar) as a bells only alarm in a remote location is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.....

scorp

8,783 posts

259 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
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Doug Phillips said:
I work for this compay www.y3k.com in the tech dept, I would say dont go for a wirless system. I may be easer to install, but its performance is just to unpredictable in every day use. Fell free to drop me a mail if you want any help.
Theoretically, couldn't a wireless camera be "jammed" ?

Not that i'm expecting your average scrote to.

NDA

Original Poster:

25,727 posts

255 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
Meeja said:
Just out of interest, is the physical security on the house up to scratch? and are you alarmed? - and if you are alarmed, make sure your system is remotely monitored (redcare or similar) as a bells only alarm in a remote location is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.....
Yes security is good - although I don't rate redcare particularly - they only ever seem to phone a keyholder if the alarm goes off and take no other action. So it's extremely expensive (£500+ a year is what I'm charged) for seemingly very little action.

But do keep the suggestions coming as it's very useful... I did have a look at the y3k website yesterday and sent an email to them asking for a recommendation - so I'll post that mail to you too. Thanks....

Doug Phillips

351 posts

276 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
scorp said:
Doug Phillips said:
I work for this compay www.y3k.com in the tech dept, I would say dont go for a wirless system. I may be easer to install, but its performance is just to unpredictable in every day use. Fell free to drop me a mail if you want any help.
Theoretically, couldn't a wireless camera be "jammed" ?

Not that i'm expecting your average scrote to.
Yes, very easy to do (but I dont think its wise to say how). The only real way to go is with a wired system, or and IP one.

Meeja

8,290 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
NDA said:
Meeja said:
Just out of interest, is the physical security on the house up to scratch? and are you alarmed? - and if you are alarmed, make sure your system is remotely monitored (redcare or similar) as a bells only alarm in a remote location is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.....
Yes security is good - although I don't rate redcare particularly - they only ever seem to phone a keyholder if the alarm goes off and take no other action. So it's extremely expensive (£500+ a year is what I'm charged) for seemingly very little action.

But do keep the suggestions coming as it's very useful... I did have a look at the y3k website yesterday and sent an email to them asking for a recommendation - so I'll post that mail to you too. Thanks....
Apologies - when I said "redcare" I was using it as a generic term for a monitored system. Agreed that Redcare service isn't the greatest - there are some very good monitoring centres around - it depends on who installed your alarm system as to who you can use to monitor.

I'm probably teaching a grandmother to suck eggs here, but make sure you do things like making sure that no house keys are available in the house when you are not in - ie if someone breaks in through a window, the first thing they need is to be able to get out through a door for ease of escaping with booty, and also going relatively un-noticed as they leave a property (although in a rural property that makes little difference)

Never leave keys in locks in doors, and don't fall foul of the "fishing rod through the letterbox" trick.

ETA: Regarding redcare calling keyholder only, is your alarm system capable of "confirmed reporting"? May be worth an upgrade if it isn't.

Basically, monitoring centres will call a keyholder on activation of an alarm system, but if the alarm is capable of confirmed reporting then they will call the police in the event of a confirmed activation.

On a "confirmed" system, Once the alarm is triggered by one sensor, then the monitoring centre is alerted. Once a second (different) sensor detects an alarm, that confirms it as an intruder alert (rather than a faulty sensor) and they will call the police, in addition to calling the keyholder. If the confirmed signal is not recieved, they will only call the keyholder, as it is likely to be a false alarm - and if they send the police to a false alarm, then you get a black mark with plod against your name - too many black marks, and they will not respond at all.

I'm sure that diffent monitoring companies have different policies, but that is my understanding of the current policies with at least two of the big monitoring organisations.

(I used to be an alarm engineer, but that was a lifetime ago!)



Edited by Meeja on Friday 22 August 10:16

Doug Phillips

351 posts

276 months

Friday 22nd August 2008
quotequote all
NDA yhm.