Security and CCTV

Homes and Retreats
defender130
Posts: 84
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:24 pm

Security and CCTV

Post by defender130 »

Looking to increase my general all round security outside and looking for advice from anyone who understands different types of CCTV better than I do

Not something I have ever looked at before but I am looking to install half a dozen fairly discrete cameras (and a few not so discrete ones to draw attention away from the others) but don't really know much about CCTV systems

I think I want wired networked cameras (as I have cat 5 cable running all over the place so getting to a network port should be easy) which I can hook up to a hard drive for recording and monitoring and possibly remote monitoring as well

Does such a system exist that anyone can recommend or point me at relevant things so I can understand and piece things together

Any advice welcome if anyone can help




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jaffab
Posts: 164
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by jaffab »

I have CCTV in my home. I am no expert, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

For reference, the product I purchased was this one...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Security-Syste ... =CCTV+dome

Now things to think about (which I found out, added to over time)...

1) The hard part is running the cables. A friend told me to avoid WiFi based cameras as they can be blocked or just go wrong most of the time.
2) Plan whey you are going to put the cameras before you put them in place, and then plan where you are going to run the cables. Cables should be above head/arm height if outdoors to stop them being cut.
3) The cables supply the feed and power (so only 1 cable per camera) but the end of the cable are twin twist connectors - which are fairly large. If you are going through walls, the holes will be fairly large (about the size of a 2p). This can prove difficult when drilling through an exterior wall.
4) It may be worth spending the money to have somebody supply the camera system for you, and install it. I did it all myself, and it was fairly hard (but not complex work).
5) Make sure your camera box can be connected to via the internet - this will again involve running eithernet cables, so plan the position of the box
6) Take the time to make sure that you configure it to upload the footage to a internet file store. that way, if somebody breaks in, they will look for the CCTV box and steal/break it. This way, you still have the footage
7) Cover the major entrances/exits - this will normally mean outside cameras (I have one fitted to by outside garden shed). Think again about running cables, cable lengths and getting them back into the house
8) In my situation, I have 4 cameras (2 outside, 2 inside). A weeks worth of our general activities takes about 2.4Gb of storage space. when I have it streaming to the internet file store, I have it automatically delete footage over 2 weeks old, so have a 5gb store for this.
9) Because my box is internet connected, I can connect to my camera via my phone - nice if I want to check on the status of my house at any time
10) If you have an outside camera and you have neighbours, make sure you are either not taping their coming/going, or you have a word with them before hand
You live in a time of decay, when the worth of a man is how much he can pay (Flamboyant, Pet Shop Boys, 2006)
ForgeCorvus
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by ForgeCorvus »

I know nearly nothing about tech.... But knowing how people think I'd suggest having some nice easy to spot decoy 'cameras' that the little perishers try to dodge, move, cover or mangle. While your covert real cameras record every premeditated moment.
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defender130
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Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:24 pm

Re: Security and CCTV

Post by defender130 »

Thanks for the input

Covers and reinorces pretty much what i was thinking and the system you have linked to above is the same make as the one i have been looking at earlier today after browsing amazon and ebay
This is what i was thinking would probably do what i need
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surveillance-M ... CCTV+1080p

Working out where to put cameras is the main problem, we do only really have one entrance that i need covered, ie the main driveway entrance but from both the house and the outbuildings
I was originally thinking one big system with 6 or 8 cameras but connecting them all together is just going to prove too problematic but i did many years ago run a couple of cat5 cables in some piping under the driveway before concreting so both the house and outbuildings are all online via my network

I am now thinking one of these 4 camera setups covering the driveway and outbuildings from one side of the driveway with recorder and stuff hidden in roof space of outbuilding and plugged into network
Second seperate system on the house covering driveway from other side and much higher up which should get anyone trying to tamper with the outbuilding cameras and recorder for this hidden in loft space again connected to network

Couple of similar looking dummy cameras mounted to look like they are the ones to take note of and try to keep the real ones out of sight and reach

I have a large load of led floodlights on order which are currently winging there way to me via courier, cabling, pir's and other bits and pieces have already arrived

The plan is to illuminate the driveway sufficiently with led floodlights that are discreetly hidden and mounted away from the pir's so you are half way up the driveway before you trip the pir and then caught like a rabbit in headlights with floodlights all around once you set it off, the cameras will be mounted higher and facing down to cover the entire driveway without getting dazzled hopefully
Alloneword
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Location: London

Re: Security and CCTV

Post by Alloneword »

I know this is slightly off topic but what is the law on CCTV nowadays, i presume it's fine to film your own garden/front door etc but what about your driveway and it takes in some of the pavement or the main road?

Look at this video here:
https://youtu.be/wDJ_v06y0gk
it shows he is taping his front garden/neighbours front garden plus the main road he AFAIK nothing has happened to him


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jaffab
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by jaffab »

Regarding CCTV and the law, there you go....

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... r-property
You live in a time of decay, when the worth of a man is how much he can pay (Flamboyant, Pet Shop Boys, 2006)
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mightymayesy
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Location: West Midlands

Re: Security and CCTV

Post by mightymayesy »

I thoroughly recommend CCTV.

Discreet yet a deterrent. An extra layer of security to my developing fortress that I am very pleased with. Whether it stops crime falling on my property is another matter but from my perspective, CCTV gives me more peace of mind (in conjunction with other security measures).

I have this system and it is great value and comes with 2TB hard drive, remote viewing and 7 day playback. The camera's red night mode LEDs slightly glimmer in the dead of night too which is cool.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Camera-Photo ... s=8ch+cctv

I installed with my brother-in-law. Took us three days and we took our time to run wires through walls, eaves and whatnot so that you cannot see a single wire.

Happy to take any questions.
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digi
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by digi »

If you have Cat5 cables run, but want the 'normal' sort of CCTV cameras (instead of the 'network' type cameras that use Cat5 for the entire system) you can use whats called a Balun on each end of the cable, this allows you to send both power and video down a Cat5 cable and use cameras with the usual power & video connectors (some also allow PTZ signals through for steerable cameras)

As mentioned, the hardest part is running the cables from the DVR (or NVR as you have linked to) to the cameras.

One option with NVR cameras that people dont mantion, but which DOES work, you can place the camera in position, and ensure it has a 12v power source, then use a homeplug kit to send the video signal back to the NVR, ive done this with a camera in a garage and the NVR in the main house

Maplin and Screwfix are a good place to keep an eye on, they sell Swann kits, which are very user friendly, and have dedicated simple to use and configure apps for apple and android devices. As long as the DVR is connected to your network, the app will find it and configure itself automagically, all youll need to to is enter your password that you made when setting up the recorder

with the cost of CCTV equipment falling, more and more people are having it installed, im installing between 15-20 full systems a month

First off decide where you want the cameras to see, and roughly where youd like to position the cameras, bearing in mind that youll need to get a cable from every camera position back to the DVR. Now decide where you want the DVR.

Id suggest having the DVR in an upstairs cupboard, as this makes it easier to run cables, via the attic, to the cameras (if theyre all external). It also keeps the DVR out of sight, and less chance of it being taken in the event of a robbery. You can still access it via phones and tablets, and if you waned to, you could route a cable to a screen somewhere else in the house

When im installing, im only allocated up to 4 hours to survey, plan, install, demonstrate and clean up, so as you can probably imagine, cables are thrown in the easiest and quickest locations possible

on my own house i spent nearly a week just on the cables, all run via the loft, a cupboard and a cavity for the cameras. Internet connection runs under floorboards and into the cupboard where the DVR lives, and an 8M HDMI lead again routed through the cupboard and under floorboards to a small screen. its controlled by a wireless mouse with small bluetooth dongle

The more time you spend planning the cable routes, the easier youll make the whole job for yourself

One cable, with factory fitted ends will fit through a 16mm hole. For 2 or more cables through the same hole, save yourself the headache and drill at least a 20mm hole, as even though the cable is only about 2.5mm, take it from me, you wont get a 2nd one through that large 16mm hole because of the BNC connector on the end
jansman
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by jansman »

I have CCTV,had it for years after we had drug dealers renting next door.Not allowed to point it into their ' space' but one camera is straight over our backdoor and one into the yard. The microphone was a boon though,as our security light comes on when next door is in their backyard ( narrow terrace) so when we were aware of them outside,we could hear them but not see! They moved on after a raid soon after installation, when we heard what they were up to!

Is it a deterrent? IMO NO!.When the house next door was empty between tenants,3am all the security lights came on and our dog started barking.Two scrotes were trying my workshop door and next doors back door.They had accessed across the gardens ,down ours and through the connecting gate ( we cross their property)

They took zero notice of the cameras and the VERY extensive lighting.I can light my entire property from inside,independently of the sensors.240 feet of garden lit top to bottom with a switch!

I went downstairs, wife phoned the law,and I quietly ( in the dark) went to the backdoor,and a scumball was trying it!!! I inserted the key,snatched the door open and hit him HARD with a maglight in the gob! His mate legged it,but the police dog nailed him later. None of the lighting or cameras deterred the criminals.
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Plymtom
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Re: Security and CCTV

Post by Plymtom »

jansman wrote:I went downstairs, wife phoned the law,and I quietly ( in the dark) went to the backdoor,and a scumball was trying it!!! I inserted the key,snatched the door open and hit him HARD with a maglight in the gob! His mate legged it,but the police dog nailed him later. None of the lighting or cameras deterred the criminals.
A well proportioned response IMO well done, we keep having the debate sometimes we see highly visible security around these parts and think it could be seen as a challenge to the aforementioned phuckwhets which we have around these parts in abundance, an alarm going off on the inside where they know there's a large dog has always had them turn tail with little or no damage, what interests me though is the knowledge CCTV and audio could furnish us with, as I've said many times before contact with the locals has always been minimal, for two reasons, one I was too useful, they wouldn't let me have much peace if they thought I was their buddy and in the beginning I worked long and hard, I didn't want to spend my spare time saving other people quids who never bothered to so much as buy a screwdriver ;) and two we had heard all the trouble the local kids would get into and cause between one another ( and rope the little better mentally equipped parents) and wanted non of it, these days it would be nice to know who's who, I know damn well they watch us and extrapolate , occasionally fish for information, one neighbour has like us been around here for 30 years and calls me by the wrong name ( Ere Dave why does Del keep calling you Rodney?) I corrected him for a decade then gave up, he has me mixed up with someone else in my wife's family and I just let him :lol:
I'm rambling :oops: anyway point is I sort of want CCTV, but I also would be tempted to look outside my own boundaries as our car is often parked further down the street, plus it would be handy to put faces to voices, know who live here and who just visits, you know the sort of things the nosey old $$"* down the road wants to know, it'd be a handy head start if there ever became a need to know.
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