Is there an IDIOTS Guide to installing CCTV myself?

DoaM · 27 March 2017 at 4:24PM

Do the cameras not include their own storage? (e.g. via SD card).

Molly4 · 27 March 2017 at 4:32PM

No these cameras are for plugging into the mains and a recording device. If I have cameras with SD cards installed outside there is nothing to stop someone entering my garden and stealing the SD card from the camera.

Mee · 27 March 2017 at 5:54PM

Hi molly57,

Hope things improve for you and you find a solution. Do let us know what you decide and what worked.

Frozen_up_north · 7 April 2017 at 3:38PM

Molly, you might find those Lidl cameras next to useless.

I've just upgraded my very basic CCTV setup to a Swann system that uses 4 mega pixel ip cameras (NVR4-4700 recorder, NHD-818 cameras). Image quality is outstanding. Motion detection is easy to setup too. Although it needs a little tweaking to avoid recording too many moths and sparrows! The '818 cameras are quite large, about the size of a beaker, they are white and very visible! Cost of a two camera, 4 channel recorder kit was £449.99 from Coditech. Extra NHD-818 cameras are £99.99 each.

You mentioned hiding cameras behind glass, unfortunately most home cctv cameras have a ring of infrared leds around the lens, these reflect off the glass rendering the image unusable at night. During mornings or evenings the sun will hit the glass giving a poor image too. It might be possible to fit outdoor ir lamps and hidden "bullet" cameras (w/o ir leds) mounted to view through knot holes in a fence or shed, for a well hidden setup, but it gets complicated very quickly.

The Swann ip cameras use Ethernet (network) cabling, the supplied cables have a large RJ45 plug and rubber boot, needing quite a large hole through the wall, unless you can route them through vents under your roof tiles. Swann don't include cable junction boxes, one will be needed for each camera, Screwfix part 30356 costs £1.87 and is OK. Maplin stock similar ones.

As Mee said, let us know how you get on.

JP1978 · 7 April 2017 at 10:47PM

EdwardB wrote: »

I have used Swann and found it terrible, the software cloud is terrible, it is what I call a "mortgage" product, they expect you to pay 29 a month for just 30 events a day.

They are overpriced and do not seem to do all the things the Hik Vision cameras they OEM do.

Good job the one I bought isnt a cloud model then - it has a 2TB hard drive that is accessed by either the NVR itself (and a monitor), PC App, Mac App or Android/iphone app.... or, set up a DDNS and via any pc with internet connection.

Really impressed with it so far.

JP1978 · 7 April 2017 at 10:55PM

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

Molly, you might find those Lidl cameras next to useless.

I've just upgraded my very basic CCTV setup to a Swann system that uses 4 mega pixel ip cameras (NVR4-4700 recorder, NHD-818 cameras). Image quality is outstanding. Motion detection is easy to setup too. Although it needs a little tweaking to avoid recording too many moths and sparrows! The '818 cameras are quite large, about the size of a beaker, they are white and very visible! Cost of a two camera, 4 channel recorder kit was £449.99 from Coditech. Extra NHD-818 cameras are £99.99 each.

You mentioned hiding cameras behind glass, unfortunately most home cctv cameras have a ring of infrared leds around the lens, these reflect off the glass rendering the image unusable at night. During mornings or evenings the sun will hit the glass giving a poor image too. It might be possible to fit outdoor ir lamps and hidden "bullet" cameras (w/o ir leds) mounted to view through knot holes in a fence or shed, for a well hidden setup, but it gets complicated very quickly.

The Swann ip cameras use Ethernet (network) cabling, the supplied cables have a large RJ45 plug and rubber boot, needing quite a large hole through the wall, unless you can route them through vents under your roof tiles. Swann don't include cable junction boxes, one will be needed for each camera, Screwfix part 30356 costs £1.87 and is OK. Maplin stock similar ones.

As Mee said, let us know how you get on.

This is the kit i have (Its NVR 7400) - 8 Channel but supplied with 4 bullet cams - i have bought an additional dome camera.

Image quality is outstanding.

All 5 ethernet cables run from the attic into the 1st floor soffit,

Three of them drop down in conduits into three IP boxes - bullet cameras mounted to the IP boxes and the cables join inside.

One drops from the 1st floor soffit and follows the downpipe, into the garage and back out again into a lower soffit for the dome camera in the porch.

The last drops down another downpipe (tied to the rear) and onto a camera overlooking the driveway.

All (except the dome) are high enough that needs a ladder to get to, but easy enough for me to adjust / clean as needed.

Mind that positioning the cameras is a trade off, too high and they dont get an image of the face, too low and they can get moved or damaged - hence mine been out of reach unless a large step ladder is used.

forgotmyname · 7 April 2017 at 11:06PM

I bought a 16 channel recorder for about £60 from a local company selling them on ebay.

Which cameras did you buy? What are they like in low light levels? If you fit them indoors the infra-red LEDS will be useless. You will just get glare from the glass. Fitting them externally would be better but they could be a target themselves and the LED range maybe short.

I bought quality used Panasonic cameras (off ebay again) You need to keep watching to get the decent ones. The ones i bought came with fixed focus lenses but i bought motorised auto focus lenses which just screw on and plug into the cams. Excellent low light performance without the need for LEDs.

A laptop hard drive wont stand upto being recorded on 24/7. You want a recorder with a proper CCTV hard drive like the WD Purple range.

Molly4 · 10 April 2017 at 7:20AM

Good Morning

Thank you for all your comments and help but as I said at the beginning I am looking for an "Idiots" guide for myself. I am still very confused by the various terminology being written.

I have learned that it would not be prudent to use cameras indoors to look through glass as this will affect the images recorded. I can't use an outdoor camera with SD card as there would be nothing to stop the "B******s" from stealing the SD card. I'm not in a position or have the knowledge or ability to mount cameras on my house walls myself. At the moment I can't afford to pay for it to be installed professionally.

I could buy a wireless system. As someone has said the Lidl's cameras may not be any good but at least I haven't wasted much money on them.

I still need to find a recording device for the Lidl's cameras. Any suggestions? Something that will record images 24/7 and that can either be set up for wireless(if I go down that route) or I just plug in the wired cameras I have at present.

Thank you for your continued help.

Frozen_up_north · 10 April 2017 at 4:03PM

If you have a Maplin Store not too far away, they have cctv kit on demo and plenty of time to talk you through various options. https://www.maplin.co.uk

away-with-the-fairies · 20 April 2017 at 1:06PM

I bought one from mapline last year or so. It was with 4 cameras and its own DVD . I decided to have the DVD itself -the recording bit- installed in my loft.the only hard part which a friend helped with was running the cables from the cameras into the loft and placement of cameras. It has quite a large hard drive which I have set to overwrite when full. When I am away from home I have installed the Swann view app so can log in remotely and watch what's going on via the cameras. Setting it up was fairly easy if you have some basic pic knowledge. The only problem I have is that the cameras attract spiders webs and when they are that close to camera they look huge so make sure you place cameras where you can get at them as mine need de cobwebbing on a weekly basis

Is there an IDIOTS Guide to installing CCTV myself?

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