Home Security Systems - Advice

Danjo_2

There has been a spate of low level crime on my street just recently which is worrying in itself however the other night a house opposite where I live was entered by 3 youths who smashed the front door in and then attacked the owner while stealing his keys and then making off in his car. This is a very serious crime and has worried my wife. I am now looking at getting an advanced security system for my house, looking at everything possible from motion activated CCTV to motion activated speech warning devices. What I need to know is what the best security systems you can buy are? So if anyone has any advice that they can share with me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Dan

ormus

even if you spend 50k on steel doors and armour plate glass, it wont stop serious crime like the above.
they will just get you when you leave/enter the house.
or when you stop at the traffic lights.

buy a good knife. they allow you to stab em now.

Danjo_2

I hope my wife does not see your post it will scare her even more, but I understand where you are coming from.

I am just after a deterrent more than anything. I am after a new house alarm with two remote touch pads, CCTV camera which will hook up to my PC and start recording upon the detection of motion, speech detectors and a low level siren front and rear of my house. Not looking to spend a fortune but want a quality system. Thanks Dan

fuzzgun19

I need a cheap camera to monitor my car outside my house, if I plug this into a tv, and left it all night would it actually record the footage, or do I need to do something else to make a recording?

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=7003093

Myser

if I plug this into a tv

If you plug it into your TV, you will only be able to view the image. You need to plug it into a video/hard-drive/DVD recorder.

Myser

low level siren

Danjo - when you say low level siren do you mean height or audible level?

The type of system with speech detectors is very expensive and not commonly available with most alarm systems.

I know you are trying to make your house as secure as possible, but it may be wise to take a step back rather than take a knee-jerk reaction.

Have you checked all the locks to your external doors?

If you have doors with euro-cylinder locks, consider upgrading them with ones that can't easily be bumped as a first measure.

muckybutt

As an external deterrent you could install one of these front and back http://www.e-fireandsecurity.co.uk/esp-guardcam-combined-security-floodlight-camera-with-sd-recording-and-voice-warning/p3014
Its a floodlight with built in cctv that activates when movement is senced, it can also be set to play a recorded message. Obviously the light should be put up out of reach of the scroats so it cant be tampered with.

As a diy type alarm then personally I would recommend the Infinite Prime system, wireless ysytem fully expandable to incorporate home automation and can be bought with GSM modules that will alert you if you are out etc http://www.e-fireandsecurity.co.uk/esp-infinite-prime-infp-kitwes-gsm-wireless-intruder-alarm-kit-siren-now-with-3-pirs/p5994
If you were going for a fully monitored alarm system then you would have to goto someone like adt, they do monitored systems but it'll cost you an arm and a leg as you'll be collared into a maintenance contract too.

As stated above too check your door locks are insurance approved etc, if you have a drive close the gates if you have them, if not install a parking post its another deterrent from getting your car nicked if theres a bollard in the way.

wacko911

+1 for the infinte prime alarm. Just installed mine and it has every feature you can think off.

Have a foscam (£40 or so from dealextreme) mounted in the front hall, it pan and tilts and can be remotly viewed from my iphone if the alarm txt's or phones me of an activation/fire. (Quality too low to be of much use as evidence) Can also listen in or talk to the house when the alarm goes off.

Not that worried about home invastion type burglarys round here, but a couple of sound bomb internal sounders £6 ea (http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TSSB2.html) and a panic fob and NO ONE is going to hang around inside the house when they go off. They are so loud and intense you cant think and panic.

sillygoose

I don't think there is an easy answer to two types of problem. There is the sneaky type of burglar that doesn't like attention and good physical barriers and alarms will help deter them Then there is the type the op described that security lights, cameras and alarms or of zero consequence to be honest. For the latter brute force type then I would consider three defences. 1st best physical block, good doors, good frames, I have laminated glass panels in my doors marginally more expensive but a lot tougher. 2nd damage limitation, I have two small safes - one is in clear view with £100 and some tat in, the other pretty well hidden. In an intimidation situation I would rather open the obvious safe and say take it, as you can see thats all there is. The other safe has important documents and backup external hard drives in, also is a fire safe. 3rd Make sure you have decent insurance and go round with a digital camera, snap all possessions, room views, try to do close ups of model numbers and serial numbers. Don't keep the memory card with the pictures in the camera in case its stolen! hide it somewhere safe. Will make a claim a lot easier.

C_Mababejive

The modern way to steal cars is simply to acquire the keys. They do this by nicking them from your house and/or threatening you until you hand them over. Modern car security is too difficult to defeat you see.

My top tips are

Buy a safe and bolt it to the floor.

Buy an IP camera that will motion detect and start emailing pics to an email address. No point in having cctv if the miscreant just breaks in and nicks the recorder...

fuzzgun19

fuzzgun19 wrote: »

I need a cheap camera to monitor my car outside my house, if I plug this into a tv, and left it all night would it actually record the footage, or do I need to do something else to make a recording?

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=7003093

Would this camera work with a recording device like this?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-4CH-CCTV-Digital-Security-Camera-

If so, would I be able to set it up through a monitor screen?