computer based home security

F

Fark_Maniac

2[H]4U
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
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For the 2nd time since July, my house has had an attempted break-in as well as mail theft. When I moved in, everyone had said it was a pretty safe area.

So after the first one, we had an ADT system put in...after this last one, we've beefed up the sensors.

While having sensors is all fine and dandy, it doesn't provide any descriptors on WHO is doing this...just that they ARE doing it.

Now granted I'm looking to do this on the cheap since I'm also trying to pay for a June wedding for myself as well as all the lovely other costs that come with home ownership. I've heard of people hooking up webcams to motion sensors to take pictures and such in office cubicles.

I thought the [H] should be able to get creative and brainstorm.
 
This brings to mind the first generation of web-popups, the x10 remote-webcam thingy.:p
 
Well, is the computer in the general area you want to monitor (IOW just setup a basic webcam right there)?
More than one camera?
How far away are they going?
Info, Info, Info.
 
zacdl said:
Well, is the computer in the general area you want to monitor (IOW just setup a basic webcam right there)?
More than one camera?
How far away are they going?
Info, Info, Info.
Click to expand...

Well my thoughts would be to have two cameras in the back and one in the front....cost being the factor. The house was built in '31...and is nearly entirely concrete. If hardwired (I'm guessing attic access & server in the basement), routing would be long distance, I'm guessing coax cable would be cheapest. Wireless IP is an option, but based on multiple cameras...doubt it would be much of an option for me. But for discussion purposes, may be feasible.

I did find a software that did look pretty slick. Can take a regular webcam and analyzes the picture. if something changes, then it starts recording. For 40 bucks, not bad.
 
Here is an $80 camera that plugs directly into some Cat5: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830137003

Here is some software you may like:
http://www.webcamsoft.com/en/netcamctr.html

Not exactly cheap- but it will do what you need it to do. You may also need to get a big hard drive for this as well- if you don't have one already.
Read about the software- I think you may like it. There may be free alternatives for it- I have no idea, this is all I could find.

At any rate, I am sure this system is cheaper than having it done by a pro. Plus you can remotely manage your feeds from your phone or something.

You think dummy cameras would work? You can get them for about $10, they have a red LED on them.
 
At one time I was having problems with vandals that like to mess with our vehicles. I installed 5 security cameras around the house and purchased an 8 channel DVR card from ebay. They record on motion only. IIRC I paid around $100 each for night vision cameras. One of the things that I recommend is getting verifocal lense with the camera. This way it can be adjusted to see exactly what you need to. Also be careful if you buy a CCTV DVR card to record. Most of them say 30 fps but that is often split between 4 or 8 channels. Therefore leaving you 7.5fps on a 4channel card. A perp can make it from one side of the camera to the other and never be recorded just because of the frame rate.

Also, the more IR LED's the better the camera. If you can get a camera with a Sony board and lense but MFGerd by someone else they are typically cheaper but have the same quality as the sony cameras.

Stay away from wireless. Any more than 2 cameras in a wireless setting and you are likely to run into interference. And that is not worth the headaches. I have a wireless camera that is in my door and I cannot connect it to my DVR because it interferes with my other hardwire cameras. With it connected I get some bleed over and I am not sure why.

If you buy a DVR card make sure it will record 30fps per camera. Typically they tell you the frame rate across all chanels COMBINED. So an 8 port DVR card should be at 240fps.


Hope this helps.

-Axel
 
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