Home CCTV

sionharris

Hi guys, I've had my car vandalised three times in the last 6 months, so I'm looking to install a home CCTV system. Basic needs are either infra-red or a light with motion-sensor - and the ability to record high-quality images from a distance of approximately 10 metres. My car is likely to be vandalised again so it is absolutely essential I catch it on camera this time.

Any recommendations or suggestions?

shelly

A friend of mine put a camera up and caught vandals in the act but the video couldn't be used as evidence because she hadn't put up signs warning the vandals that she was recording what was going on :rolleyes:
This was quite awhile ago so you might want to find out if you still need to put signs up.
I think it has something to do with where your camera is pointing....ie at your own property or at the street and are you recording people only on your property or passers by/public.

Tea3

Ask your local police station - mines were great with me - they advised I can only record my own property and must ensure none of my cameras overlooked the neighbours as that would infringe their privacy in their own gardens etc. I was however told if i saw an impending threat from outwith my property I could move the camera to show where the threat was coming from but only whilst the threat was there (not much help as how do you hang out a window to point a camera at a young thug throwing rocks without him noticing???). I also had to have a sign up in my window saying I had cctv operating (couple of pounds from ebay).

I used a basic £100 kit from B&Q - had two cameras, one with pir motion detector - I could flick alternate between cameras setting my own 'flick' rate, or have it just on one camera only. It is viewable by using the av button on my tv remote and can be recorded as normal on video or dvd-recorder. It also had sound which is very handy as thats how I caught my little thug - the camera showing him damaging the car wasn't enough as there were a few there all similar dressed, however the next day singing to the camera and admitting to the damage thinking the camera was fake was his silly move!! :rotfl: You can get experts to install these kits etc but definately have a look at these home kits available - you can get ones with their own tv/monitor also but mines going through tv makes it easy to record and also to flick over when I hear a disturbance. No trouble at all now but its handy for peace of mind when in on my own. If you want high resolution images then the cheap kits prob wont be enough but these type of stores should have something more along the lines of what your after and all mines needed was someone to hang out bedroom windows (be careful if doing this, better with a ladder from outside if you can), drilling hole through wall and then mounting the cameras using the attachments in the kit. One thing I did learn was black and white cameras tend to give a clearer image at night than colour ones unless you go for one of the high spec/high cost camera kits.

dacouch

A trick I tell my customers is to buy a wire free baby monitor which cost about £35, they have rechargable batteries.

You simply put the microphone (The bit that goes near the babies cot) in your car and plug the speaker part in your lounge or next to your bed when you go to bed. The noise of a thief / vandal will normally alert you