Video Security System questions, please..

[rbatty11]

I'm in a ~25-unit condo complex and my neighbor, a single young lady on the 1st floor is having problems with a peeping tom.. I'm trying to put together some kind of video monitoring system for her that is relatively inexpensive (~$500 or so??).. I have no idea where to begin and we're hoping we won't have to go professional install (she's a struggling med student).

I geeks.com and saw that they have some cheap monitoring systems but doesn't appear any has recording capabilities, whether to a pc hard drive or to a vcr or .. ?? Also, she's in a corner unit so she has 2 sides to monitor..

Can someone please advise as to how/where to begin?? Any help w/b much appreciated.. Thank you.

[BJ_M]

get a few D-Link DCS-900 IP cameras , all you need , 80$ each

[Abbadon]

Hi,

I have purchased in the past from this place:
http://www.smarthome.com

They used to sell a tiny camera with night vision for an affordable price. I am not an expert, but a normal VCR can record up to 6 hours with no hassle, another option is just to setup a computer with good ventilation and a big hard disk and record directly to DivX. I used to record up to 24 hours in a 20 gigabytes hard disk. Of course, the quality was not so great and the compression kept the CPU busy all the time.

[Abbadon]

By the way, have you advised her to contact the police?, the peeping tom could be a criminal planning to break into her home.

[Supreme2k]

Just throwing this out there, but are you the peeper? I can see how this would make it a heck of a lot easier, since cameras are less scary than some guy hanging around your window.


Also:

[redwudz]

You need to decide what setup you need. If you don't mind running some cable, wired is the most inexpensive and most trouble free. Most of the small cameras that have composite output can use ordinary 4 conductor phone wire. They usually run on 12VDC and the other non-power leads can carry video and sound, if the camera has it.

If the cameras are in a sheltered area, away from rain, you can use about any type. The cameras that are enclosed a a small plastic dome will work indoors or outdoors and are fairly vandal proof it you have them in a good location. They can also be the easiest to set up and maintain.

Wireless cameras are OK, but some get interference from microwave ovens or cordless phones, and the cheaper ones transmit on the regular TV channels, so anyone can pick up the signal.

Steer away from color in the inexpensive cameras, they have poor low light capability. Lighting is also important. Even the low light cameras need a little light to work. Incandescent light sources are best. Quartz halogen outside lights are perfect. Mercury vapor or fluorescents don't put out enough infrared that most cameras need for lighting.

Another question is if you need to record the video. Lots of ways to go there. For short periods of up to 6-8 hours, a regular VCR can be used. For longer 24hr coverage, the time lapse VCRs can get expensive, typically ~$500. Most commercial setups are going to hard drive VCRs as they are more trouble free.

There are also capture card solutions that you can use with your computer. If you have more than one camera, you need some sort of switcher to display split screen or sequential displays. The PC cards may have the switcher built in and that type of setup is what many systems are using. It's a lot better than changing tapes.

There are lots of companies you can find with a Google search for 'security cameras' or 'spy cameras'. I've used this company a couple of times and they seem to be reliable. http://www.supercircuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4616

[rbatty11]

Wow.. lots of info..Thanks to everyone. She won't need 24hr surveillance, mainly after dark/overnight (~12hrs ?).. So I think it's going to be some hard drive based setup..

The D-link DCS 900 camera looks very convenient and easiest.. Maybe dumb question, but would she set it up right by her 2 windows from the inside of her place?? Just thinking where to set it up.. just put them up directly in front of the windows in plain sight?

redwudz, thanks for responding.. I will look at the sites you provided.. good info! Guess I'm on another learning curve..

Oh, and Supreme2k.. legit question..didn't even think about it.. lol. But NO, not me.. and NO, no pics from me. I love women but not enough to get in trouble with the law.. That said, admittedly, she's definitely hot..

Edit: And yes, police were notified and have stepped up patrol b/c this was the 2nd incident.

[Supreme2k]

There's a few items here and especially here, to get you started.

[BJ_M]

Wow.. lots of info..Thanks to everyone. She won't need 24hr surveillance, mainly after dark/overnight (~12hrs ?).. So I think it's going to be some hard drive based setup..

The D-link DCS 900 camera looks very convenient and easiest.. Maybe dumb question, but would she set it up right by her 2 windows from the inside of her place?? Just thinking where to set it up.. just put them up directly in front of the windows in plain sight?

redwudz, thanks for responding.. I will look at the sites you provided.. good info! Guess I'm on another learning curve..

Oh, and Supreme2k.. legit question..didn't even think about it.. lol. But NO, not me.. and NO, no pics from me. I love women but not enough to get in trouble with the law.. That said, admittedly, she's definitely hot..

Edit: And yes, police were notified and have stepped up patrol b/c this was the 2nd incident.

i would set up the The D-link DCS 900 cameras so they are visible and a deterrent ...

an IP type camera is by far the easiest to set and use ... plus she can check it from work , etc ...

[Supreme2k]

an IP type camera is by far the easiest to set and use ... plus she can check it from work , etc ...

You do realize that a peeping tom's "job" is to sneak a peek while the person is home, right? I don't think she's trying to figure out which nanny is shaking her baby :P

[ViRaL1]

Depending on the person, he might be interested in checking out her place (outside or in) while she's gone. 24-hour access might not be such a bad idea.

[rbatty11]

Does the D-link DCS 900 have any sort of recording to HD capabilities.. I looked/read specs, but doesn't seem like it. And 24hr does sound like a good idea. Maybe he's casing the place out to break in while she's gone.. man, this project is getting harder now..

Any IP camera like the D-Link that can record to hard drive? Or like redwudz stated, she'd probably need a capture device/card, which w/b a pain for her..

[Guest]

dont forget the ones with motion detectors.those would cut down on recording dead time

[drjtech]

Curtains are less expensive than video monitoring systems, and they stop the peeper from peeping in the first place, rather than catching him in the act of peeping. Plus, they even work during power outages.

-drj

[rbatty11]

drj,

Fine solution for YOUR family members and friends... Thanks for the valuable input.

[BJ_M]

Does the D-link DCS 900 have any sort of recording to HD capabilities.. I looked/read specs, but doesn't seem like it. And 24hr does sound like a good idea. Maybe he's casing the place out to break in while she's gone.. man, this project is getting harder now..

Any IP camera like the D-Link that can record to hard drive? Or like redwudz stated, she'd probably need a capture device/card, which w/b a pain for her..

yes - they can capture to HD , and the software package included motion sensor monitor

[tweedledee]

Oh, and Supreme2k.. legit question..didn't even think about it.. lol. But NO, not me.. and NO, no pics from me. I love women but not enough to get in trouble with the law.. That said, admittedly, she's definitely hot..

Edit: And yes, police were notified and have stepped up patrol b/c this was the 2nd incident.

I guessed that if she had a face like a Bulldog chewing a wasp, and a body like a Greek restaurant, instead of a Greek Goddess, we wouldn't be having this discussion.