The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Kinda-decent cheap security cameras/solutions?
LaCabra
MelbourneRegistered User regular
MelbourneRegistered User regular
So my mum (late fifties) lives in a tiny town in Australia (like, really tiny) about a five hour drive from Melbourne and she's acquired a stalker. Long story short, the dude showed up a couple times pretending to be offering to mow the lawn for cheap or trying to insinuate himself into her house ostensibly to use the bathroom or whatever, often enough that she knows what his car looks like. Then someone (almost certainly him) tried to break into the house in the night more than once and wasn't any good at it or lost their nerve (but fucked up the paint on the windowsills and ruined some flyscreens). She called the police and they know about the guy, he's got a history of stuff like this but has never taken it further than this kind of relatively harmless bullshit, but that's small reassurance. Anyway, the history there was enough to get an intervention order against the guy, which is basically your typical restraining order: he can't come within a couple hundred meters. He hasn't, during the day, but there's been 2 more incidents of someone trying to get in the windows, and it's probably him.
Someone suggested mum get a guard goose (she can't look after a dog) because geese are aggressive as fuck and it might be enough to deter somebody by making some noise, but the goose is worthless at that it turns out. I only mention it because geese are adorable.
Anyway, I'm thinking I need to set up some kind of security system. People are suggesting automatic motion-sensor lights, which is probably a good idea, but I'm thinking more of a security camera route - after all, if we get a picture of the guy, and it's restraining order guy, he's in deep shit. He's an obsessive type so even though he might get deterred by motion-sensing lights once or twice, he'd probably just figure it out and keep trying. This is especially awkward because due to various funding cuts and whatever, this town actually doesn't have a functioning police station. If anyone calls emergency, it's like half an hour minimum for cops to drive in from a few towns over. The guy probably knows this.
I have very little experience of this kind of thing; I once set up a webcam to record-on-motion to catch somebody snooping round my room, and actually thought about just doing that here, but it's dark out and webcams suck. Maybe some kind of IR thing? I don't wanna spend more than two or three hundred bucks if I can.
What say you internet
Someone suggested mum get a guard goose (she can't look after a dog) because geese are aggressive as fuck and it might be enough to deter somebody by making some noise, but the goose is worthless at that it turns out. I only mention it because geese are adorable.
Anyway, I'm thinking I need to set up some kind of security system. People are suggesting automatic motion-sensor lights, which is probably a good idea, but I'm thinking more of a security camera route - after all, if we get a picture of the guy, and it's restraining order guy, he's in deep shit. He's an obsessive type so even though he might get deterred by motion-sensing lights once or twice, he'd probably just figure it out and keep trying. This is especially awkward because due to various funding cuts and whatever, this town actually doesn't have a functioning police station. If anyone calls emergency, it's like half an hour minimum for cops to drive in from a few towns over. The guy probably knows this.
I have very little experience of this kind of thing; I once set up a webcam to record-on-motion to catch somebody snooping round my room, and actually thought about just doing that here, but it's dark out and webcams suck. Maybe some kind of IR thing? I don't wanna spend more than two or three hundred bucks if I can.
What say you internet
0
Posts
I've used the original one of these and it's pretty good, 160 USD.
You should count how many cameras you're interested in getting, and think about getting a set which usually includes the whole set up (4-8 cameras, recording/drive, etc), otherwise you'll be shelling more for getting the needed equipment for this. You should also think about if you're getting a wired or wireless, as that would affect placement of your camera.
Looking for Edith Finch Pin!
Also a lot of cameras advertised as wireless, are not cordless and require a cat 5 or some other item for power.
We have the older model of these at work and they are pretty decent. It is wired and runs back to a standalone DVR the viewing software is okay, never used the phone app.
There are a bunch of brands that make these things, and from a lot of the reviews and models I've seen I'm like 90% sure that most of them are all made in the same factory and they just have different stickers.
IDK her house layout and stuff, but you may want to look at something like a solid-cored door for her bedroom and a deadbolt or even a dropbar, just to fortify it a bit.
I was actually going to recommend this as well. I helped set one up for a business (different brand, same product). It's ridiculously easy to set up out of the box. The phone app works fine, you just have to do some port forwarding on your router and you can watch it from your phone or a laptop anywhere you've got internet or phone data.
I'd go this route. You can hide the DVR in the attic or something to decrease the chance of someone looking for it if you want, and with the phone app you can record to your phone remotely as well in case they take the dvr with them. You can also set the daily recordings to dump to your PC, which can then be backed up online.
They usually run around $150-$200 USD
Also, is internet access required for that thing to be good? My mum doesn't have interwebs
A lot of the standalone units can record right to your desktop, but, it needs to be always on.
Most of the time you don't need internet.
You might consider a security system instead, especially if you want reliability.
Edit: not that I would expect someone who's in their 50s to not be able to call an ambulance, but I know people who have split their heads falling down or cut their hands doing yard work that without a neighbor home who could help theyd have had serious troubles by virtue of living alone.
Before doing any of that I'd invest in secondary and maybe tertiary locks on the windows and doors. For windows there are inexpensive DIY options like using dowel rods (internally) in the sash. Paired with a glass break detector with a loud-as-fuck alarm would give notice. For doors you'll probably have to go to a hardware store, and you can find 2ndary window locks there as well.
Did the cops not look for prints? Cause if you know the guy is handling the screens and windows you might want to consider either having them dust, or cleaning up the area so prints can be taken should this happen again. Such would be better informed by the local constabulary.
If you really want to do cameras as cheap as you can there are packages where you get 4 or 8 cameras (often with IR), with wiring that feeds power and delivers capture back to a DVR with hard drive storage. The system I'm thinking of has N number of cameras, wired physically to a box (looks like a cable box or VCR) and you can attach a mouse and monitor to that box to view live, rewind/FF, configure and such. It does not require internet, but you may want to connect it to her LAN so it's easier to view recordings and do configuration remotely (like from a PC in her house).
If the DVR lives inside and the cameras outside (likely scenario), then you'll need to figure out how to pass the wiring through the walls. Budget brands I've had to use (work-related) are Zmodo or Swann or Q-See (these aren't endorsements, more to give you search terms to find stuff). They are a bit of a pain to setup, but are very affordable here (US), but electronics are generally cheaper here.
Thanks for the big post! Yeah I am actually looking at a Zmodo 4-cam thing with IR etc, which I found by trying to find @tinwhiskers solution in Aus. It is this, reviews seem fine. IR!
The police did dust for prints but didn't get any, it's not this dude's first time apparently so he might be gloving it/just being careful. He is a total creep.
I second this advice
especially if you suspect this person may be continuously 'visiting' the property and losing his nerve w/r/t a break-in, he is (imo) likely to discover fairly quickly that what you set up is little more than security theater, and then you're back where you started. Remotely monitored systems are are more expensive (plus monthly charge), but not enormously so
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
we ain't rich so those cameras are probably the most we could get
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Security theater indicates making a show of security vs actually securing stuff/people.
I'm alarmed about your mother's situation, and hence the verbosity.
1st deal with physical security: secondary and tertiary locks, engagement with neighbors about the threat so you got more eyes peeled. 2nd is deterrence: make shit visible - motion sensing lighting and trimming vegetation near the house that can provide cover. 3rd is dealing with attribution, which is where your camera system comes into play; when you catch this fucker on video you can get the cops to do something about it.
BTW, I love your idea of the watch goose. I mean, no, you should never get animals to serve in a security fashion if you aren't prepared to keep them as pets/companions also. But watch geese sounds hilarious.
You added the sprinkler right?
thats how you know its a security camera
or an american sub