newb to forum***need advice on system selection

[gravityBad 0]

I am new to the forum and feel relieved that this exists. I just had a guy break into my car while i was in the garge (door closed). I heard the door shut and ended chasing the guy down the road. Unfortunately, I was bare footed and just too slow . This is the 2nd time my car was boken in to in the last year and have recently had several burglaries in the neighborhood.

 

I have looked through many hours of forum info and would say am thoroughly confused. Info overload. It seems much of the info here has to do with a more sophisticated security (more $$$) surveillance system than I can afford right now.

 

I will give a brief description of what my needs are and the system I'm looking at. My hope is to get some reliable feedback on the items keeping in mind my needs and BUDGET. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm looking for a DVR (I don't have a PC that can be used for this right now) w/ 3-4 cameras for outdoor day/night use. I would like motion activation and be able to view real-time video from 2 monitors/tv at different locations in the house.

 

Here's what I found from closeoutcctv.com:

FALCO CL-4PRO DVR w/ 500Gb HDD

2-LUXOR CL-515SH cameras (edit: 540 lines high resolution,1/3 sony ccd w/ adv DSP, Red Wave technology ? ,3.5-8mm variable focal, vandal proof, 32 IR L.E.D.infrared)

2-LUXOR CL512S cameras (edit: 420 lines high resolution, 1/3 sony ccd w/ advanced DSP, Red Wave technology ?, 20 IR L.E.D. infared, 3.6 mm, vandal proof, 65' range)

4-100' cables (the cables are longer than needed but is what was quoted in the package)

Power Supply

$632

 

[edit by mod-sorry no store links allowed]

 

I am trying to cover a 20x20 driveway, a 10x10 area @ back door, and a 10x15 front porch with a view of my 2 girls bedroom windows (catch the girls sneaking out, boys coming to window-LOL) that extends approx 25' past the intended camera location. The additional camera could be placed anywhere to enhance coverage (driveway maybe) or provide additional coverage in the back yard.

 

I think it would be obvious that most would want as much detail from a camera/dvr as their budget would allow...The $600 cost is as much as I can afford and if these cameras don’t cut it for facial recognition then I guess I will have to make do as my other main intent to catch vandal/peeping tom in real time - I'm a night owl by nature.

 

Sorry if this comes across as a cheap shot at home security compared to the systems I've seen here and for the lengthy post...but I need to start somewhere. Please help with your thoughts and any other possible recommendations within my price range.

 

 

Thanks

Edited August 3, 2010 by Guest

[gravityBad 0]

oopps...

 

moderator: sorry for the links. My intention was not to advertise for any company. Thought it might help with the specs of the cameras. Seems like these items are probably low end and hoped to get feedback on whether they are decent enough or total trash.

 

I edited the original post w/ a few specs. Hope this helps.

 

Sorry,

 

Joe

[bpzle 0]

Welcome!

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Pretty common these days... $600 isn't much if you want 4 cameras, dvr, and all the necessary goodies. The packages you were looking at are junk. Any professional would agree. The spec sheets look great, price looks even better, but those "package" deals are all the same... I know, I've bought a few for comparing to real CCTV equipment, and to see exactly what my customers were looking at. We can get as technical as you'd like as to why their worthless... but you've already mentioned information overload so I don't want to go there unless you just really want to.

 

I would highly recommend getting a DVR, and 1 good camera. This will still be in the low budget range, but very do-able. Then as budget allows purchase more. Go for quality over quantity.

[gravityBad 0]

bpzle-

 

Thanks for being upfront with your thoughts and experience. I see your are located in TX. I'm in SW Louisiana. Can you go one step further and recomend anything to start with in this price range or any company that could help? I don't know, if i went to a security type company, maybe $600 would only buy a recomendation to go internet shopping. Anything would help at this point. My wife and I need to do something, we just don't have the funds to do it 'right' at this point.

 

My other thought was that a $600 security camera system, although inadequate for criminal ID, under the best case scenario would be worth it if the motion actived DVR recording showed nothing over whatever length of time. Worst case, we would see that 'someone' was checking out the cars, house, windows, etc. and would be able to go from their.

 

On another note, I just lost my main security blanket to cancer. A 115lb German Shepherd. I didn't realize how we relied on his deep gutteral bark that gave us all a sense of safety/piece of mind until I no longer hear it. RIP.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Guest

[nancyh1980 0]

bpzle-

 

Thanks for being upfront with your thoughts and experience. I see your are located in TX. I'm in SW Louisiana. Can you go one step further and recomend anything to start with in this price range or any company that could help? I don't know, if i went to a security type company, maybe $600 would only buy a recomendation to go internet shopping. Anything would help at this point. My wife and I need to do something, we just don't have the funds to do it 'right' at this point.

 

Joe

 

I agree with bpzle 100000%.

Experts here would cringe what I am about to say next. In day light, $600 would barely get you a CNB day/night and quality (4) channel DVR. But I doubt that will do you any good.

Best thing to do, within your budget, is to put up (2) GVI outdoor housings with broken cameras/lens in it. Back it up with high-quality motion sensor lights (as many as needed to clearly light your cars up). Make sure the outdoor housings are clearly visible to the offender.

[gravityBad 0]

So it sounds like the cameras are basically worthless for clarity/identifiable facial features. I already have motion senors with 4 spotlights on the driveway plus 2 telephone pole mounted street lights. The house and driveway are well light even without the floodlights.

 

One objective was to have realtime viewing, possibly with some type of motion sensor b/c you just can't live your life watching your camera images and waiting . Is there the possibility of having the cameras for realtime viewing, minus the DVR since the recorded image will be useless for ID. Any thoughts or options for this scenario.

 

I have feeling that someone has been making the rounds through our driveway just waiting for the oppurtunity to take advanatage of an unlocked car and would love to catch the jackass as it happens.

[bpzle 0]

Decoy cameras are inexpensive, yes... but I'm not entirely convinced they will solve your problems.

 

There's a couple routes you could go...

 

1, the cheapest and easiest: Wireless outdoor PIR (motion) sensors tied to a receiver that would be a buzzer/ blinking light. This would warn you (and wake you up in the middle of the night) of the presence of someone in your driveway, without the fancy video gear. This equipment would be well below your budget...

 

2. Buy a decent DVR and a single true day night camera. It would be a good start for a real CCTV system, to help catch the terds when you're not around.

[hardwired 0]

I'd agree with Bpzle, above. Take a look at the Optex RCTD10U wireless PIR Transmitter/Receiver set, should work well for your application, at a reasonable cost.

 

Triggering alerts with the motion sensing on the DVR will give you sleepless nights reviewing footage of birds, bugs, tree branches, etc.

 

Look for a place (or create one with fence, hedge, etc.) that you could create a "trap zone" with one or two cameras where people will have to pass through first to do anything on your property, and install a good camera with a narrow field of view to get as much detail at that point as possible.

[skane 0]

+1 on the Optex RCTD10U.

When you're home, outdoor motion detection is the way to catch dirtbags in the act.

My neighbors and I use the Optex units to cover our yards and the sidewalks at night.