how to monitor home via camera/laptop?

victor2

Mr_Toad wrote: »

I bought a cheap Chinese remote IP camera off fleabay, mainly just to play with and see what they were capable of.

It cost just under £20 and for the money it's very impressive. I can control it from my mobile, it usually sits on the window sill looking out but I can remotely turn it to look indoors. What really surprised me was the picture quality, it really is better than I thought it would be for the money.

You can listen to what's going on via the built in mic and even speak through the internal speaker.

Something like this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tenvis-Wireless-WiFi-HD-720P-IP-Camera-Home-Security-Network-CCTV-Night-Vision-/262578716953?hash=item3d22e94119:g:tZsAAOSwo4pYNuo4

As already stated I did replace the Chinese power supply with a UK one though.

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of playing around with, but I had a camera with infra red lights on it and found that at night, you just got a horrible reflection off the window it was against. Is that still an issue?

Mr_Toad

victor2 wrote: »

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of playing around with, but I had a camera with infra red lights on it and found that at night, you just got a horrible reflection off the window it was against. Is that still an issue?

It can be depending on the angle, however, I'm sure when I last played with mine at night it was mainly OK as it gives a fairly wide angle view so moving it about isn't that necessary.

discat11

There are lots of cheap ones about but IMHO the best I've had were either the Y cam home monitor or the Nest camera.

I've had cheap ones but the wifi connection has been flakey IME, not so with the more expensive options.

For security and making it appear someones in, I'd replace the light switch with a timer/random security version.

Shimrod

blackcloud wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, it funny because people say if you go away then you have to turn off all electrics, so I was going to buy some of those timed switches for the lamps and a fake tv to plug into the wall which are suppose to be for when people go on holiday but then people said oh no you cant leave electrics plugged in if you go on holiday....?? t

Ask the people who 'switch off the electrics' if they include the fridge and freezer in that. It takes some organisation to have emptied those in advance of a holiday! I suspect they or their parents have been scarred by this public service annoucement from the seventies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-Wga_7wvI

When going away I turn off those devices that make sense from a power saving point of view. The fridge, freezer and sky box stay on! Just get a reasonably priced timer switch, plug a light into it and go away on holiday. I have been using two of these for years.... http://www.argos.co.uk/product/9822911

blackcloud

Thanks for the replies. Do you think that Battery operated LED lights which turn on and off would be just as safe as using timer switches switching on and off the lights?

bsod

Shimrod wrote: »

Ask the people who 'switch off the electrics' if they include the fridge and freezer in that. I suspect they or their parents have been scarred by this public service annoucement from the seventies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-Wga_7wvI

When going away I turn off those devices that make sense from a power saving point of view. The fridge, freezer and sky box stay on!

informed, not scarred

fridges and freezers consume more power than anything else.

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/06/which-reveals-the-home-appliances-most-likely-to-catch-fire-406053/

http://www.uk-afi.org/product-recall?field_product_manufacturer_tid=All&field_product_type_tid=393

an incandescent light bulb on a timer is low risk, but a pir based alarm is far more use than a light or a few leds and a battery. It has a deterrent effect all times of day and night, gives early warning of any fire, and the neighbours have a far better chance of doing anything useful if a burglary or fire was to occur.

victor2 wrote: »

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of playing around with, but I had a camera with infra red lights on it and found that at night, you just got a horrible reflection off the window it was against. Is that still an issue?

you can usually turn ir illumination off in the settings, or use tape if you're pointing it out of a window.

S0litaire

victor2 wrote: »

...but I had a camera with infra red lights on it and found that at night, you just got a horrible reflection off the window it was against. Is that still an issue?

Yup! infra-red is just like any other light source, it will reflect off of any shiny surface (like a glass window!)

Ideally the infra-red lights (and usually the camera) should be outside. Failing that have the camera lens as close to the glass as possible, with the Infra-red lights slightly behind it and not right next to the lens. That should reduce the glare somewhat. (but your millage may vary! )

alanjuk

It always intrigues me that people wont leave electrical appliances on when they aren't at home. If an appliance is going to fail and burn my house down, I'd much rather it happened when I wasn't in it than when I was asleep in it.

bsod

illogical, the second circumstance is unconnected to the first action

Shimrod

bsod wrote: »

informed, not scarred

No, I meant scarred (and not a typo for scared either). Why turn some electrical items off but not others? Especially as the top one on the list that is likely to be operating while you are away is the fridge freezer? Didn't see the couple go into the kitchen once.