System to capture wildlife at night.

[BML 0]

I have security lights at the back of my bungalow and at the end of the back garden which often trigger in the late evening and I would like to know what activates. The end of the back garden backs onto open country and is about sixty feet away.

I think that I need a system that will switch on when activated by either the security light or the movement of wild life, foxes, hedgehogs and then capture movement and transmit the result to a computer.

Does that make sense and if so what should I be looking for?

[Kawboy12R 0]

If you want to watch the action live from your home then just about any cctv system will do, but for a distance of 60 feet you'll probably prefer a camera with a bit of zoom. A 6mm lens will give you a fairly broad field of view at 60' but still make the subject big enough to recognize, although something with a varifocal lens would let you choose the "zoom" level and field of view. If you've got a computer and are a bit techy then it's hard to beat an IP network camera for a one camera job. Great video quality and no DVR needed. Many come with free software for recording on your computer. We'd need to know your location and budget before recommending something though.

[BML 0]

I was thinking of setting the camera up at the end of the garden not shooting from the bungalow. I live near Abingdon. As to budget, I would like to see what sort of costs are expected for such a project.

[wingetalisa 0]

You need to use a camera with extra zoom. And there are so many software available in the marketing from where you can have one for your system.

[Kawboy12R 0]

Seems like any IP camera with a good sensitive sensor for night would work. I still don't know what country you're in, but if it were me I can find a suitable budget cam (I would probably look for a Hikvision or rebranded Hikvision like Swann or Lorex) under $200, plus cat 5 wiring and a PoE injector. $250 easily if you did the installation, plus whatever software you wanted to use.

[BML 0]

Many thanks for your message. I live in England but am thinking of emigrating to Scotland where its not so over crowded. Many thanks for your message which has raised a number of questions for me a non technical person.

1. What is an IP camera?

2. What is cat 5 wiring?

3. What is a PoE injector?

4. What sort of software are you referring to?

[Kawboy12R 0]

An IP camera is a camera that works over an Ethernet cable like you computer does.

 

Cat 5 wire is the wiring used to connect network IP cameras, computers, routers, switches, cable modems, etc together.

 

A PoE injector is a little gizmo that adds power to run a PoE (Power over Ethernet) camera on a plain (non-PoE) home router.

 

The software is the program that runs on the computer that reads, displays, and records the video data from the network camera.

 

If all of these terms are new to you, then you might be better off getting a CCTV DVR with an analog camera, or if you don't want to record the video, just an analog "bullet" cctv camera with cable, BNC to RCA adapter, and a power supply. Simpler for a do-it-yourselfer to hook up and run. The DVR will record the video from the analog CCTV camera and display it on something like your TV or a computer monitor if you want a record of what goes on.

 

I'm in Canada, so I can't help you with local places to buy this stuff. I've heard reference to a place called Maplins over there that sells cheap CCTV gear. It isn't fantastic stuff, but might do what you want.

 

Maybe someone from Britain or close by could point you in the right direction?

[BML 0]

Many thanks. Yes Maplin is an interesting place, difficult to get out of without buying one of their interesting bits of kit.

[joseph.chen0312 0]

IR Bean + Camera system will be fine for your requirement.

[BML 0]

I have no idea what an IR Bean is.

[Kawboy12R 0]

Joseph is correct but had a typographical error. Given that the original poster is British, *MR* Bean plus a camera system should suffice to provide adequate identification.