Highlander25 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Hi all, I'm looking some advice on buying cctv systems for home use. I've been looking into this recently but everyone I speak to tells me their system is the best and is just what i need! here's my situation(s) I'm in Scotland. ------------------------------- I would like a 4 camera system for the exterior of the house, basically if it records movement with a reasonable picture I'd be happy. I have spare PC's I could use if this were an option? ------------------------------- I rent a farm building in which I keep/restore cars. about half a mile from home. Over a period of time i've been having some things stolen/damaged I'd like a small standalone (battery powered?) camera to record any movement within the building, I have mains power but its not a reliable supply. -------------------------------- I also do a bit of offroading/wheeling, drive a van regularly long distance and would like an onboard camera to record the action. I have been reading through a lot of other threads but I get lost in the jargon very quickly Can anyone point me in the direction of what I actually need? Could I use a mobile cam for both building security and offroad use? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kawboy12R 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Try looking at game cameras for your remote barn/garage. They're self-contained, battery powered, give a very good picture (well, some do- read the online reviews), portable, and easily lockable to prevent casual theft. Most have an optional steel mounting bracket of some kind for this, but an hour or so with some scrap steel, maybe a welder, and a drill will get you something you could bolt to studs or rafters with hinges and a spot for a padlock if you're handy. Maybe put a shelf under it and store stuff to either side so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb against a blank wall. Get something with a black flash (invisible flash, etc) so thieves don't notice it working at night. You'll probably want something like a GoPro Hero for offroading, although a gamecam set to record video when it detects motion might work. Home system if you're not fussy about video quality? Just about anything will work, but if you're buying local try and make sure that you don't just test drive it at the store by watching live video under fluorescent lighting. Try and view some tricky lighting (sunlight mixed with shade to see if the cam can adjust to both and still show detail) as well as darkness (running a cord into a back office and shutting the door might work) to see how the cams perform. Also watch some recorded video, because many analog systems look fine live but are horrible when playing back recorded video. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Highlander25 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Game cameras! thats exactly what i'm looking for, I didn't even appreciate such a thing existed! Thank you! As for the house system, is there a way to connect cameras to a PC rather than a specialised DVDR unit? I have pretty high spec PC's with a lot of storage capacity and it seems silly not to utilise it if possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kawboy12R 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Yes, you can find dvr cards for PC's. Geovision makes good ones but get from a licensed dealer. Tons of fake geovision cards out there. There are lots of cheaper ones if you don't mind taking your chances with quality. Just make sure you get one that says it RECORDS D1 resolution on all channels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Q2U 0 Posted April 25, 2013 I thought all you guys carried big freakin' swords over there and stood around on top of the mountains all day screamin' "F R E E D O M ! ! !" As a result, I would think that the thieves would be too scared to steal anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Highlander25 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Nah, that guy was an Aussie! (actually I think he's really from the USA??) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Q2U 0 Posted April 25, 2013 Nah, that guy was an Aussie! (actually I think he's really from the USA??) Australia can have him back bro...we've too many nuts over here already. But hats off to Ensign Ewart! And Scotland FOREVER! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cessy 0 Posted June 18, 2013 Could I use a mobile cam for both building security and offroad use? Are you saying about Car Recorder? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SectorSecurity 0 Posted June 18, 2013 If you have a computer go IP cameras, more money and shorter distances but better quality picture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
