Hi from Easton Pennsylvania

[jeff black 0]

I'm new to the world of security systems. I live in a 28 room rooming house. The landlord purchased a Lorex 2 camera VGA type system. Harbor Freight is selling a system like it now with a different name on it. There's only one camera because a few years ago one was dropped, it did not bounce. Last November a tenant who had the monitor in his room for 5 years died, the landlord lives off site. On the day of the 14th this year I was given the monitor, I asked if I could use it because it was off and unused. Well the system fails to record about a 1/3rd of the time, Its inside pointed at the entrance door 15 feet away. Now 5 days later I was thinking of how to look at the entrance door with the webcam I use for Skype. There's a store on the first floor and rooms on 2nd and 3rd. There's a small porch at the 2nd floor level door, I'm on the 3rd floor 20 feet off from the porch. Looking out my window I can see the porch and steps. You know the term "working with what you got" I mounted my C270 webcam inside the bottom of a cut open ketchup container to shield it from the rain, balanced it on the end of a fiberglass pole. Then out the window it went! Installed iSpy, set up the porch as a zone and I'm really in business. Only problem if I want to use Skype I need to go stand on the porch.

 

Tomorrow I'm ordering two IP cameras from Amcrest. One outside to watch the backdoor and one inside to get a better view at the front door.

 

Thanks from newbie Jeff