Ideas for cctv camera (not enough height to prevent interference)

jon1981

Hi there,

I have a laneway behind my house with an entrance to my garage from the laneway. A few neighbours on my road have had break-ins through their garages. I'm thinking of sticking up a CCTV camera that's visible but the only problem is I don't have enough height to prevent it being tampered with.

Any ideas? I was thinking of just getting a hidden camera I can hide somehow, but it won't act a deterrent.

bk

Well if you get modern cloud IP cameras, they will immediately notify you when they detect motion and they save the footage in the cloud.

So tampering with the cameras won't gain a burglar anything. Just you notified of them tampering with it as it happens, you calling the Gardai and lovely footage of the person trying to tamper with it to share with the Gardai.

The main benefit of cameras is to act as a deterrent, so visible is better. If you really want, you could have a second hidden camera, but I'd definitely have one on show. And perhaps some nice CCTV in operation signs.

jon1981

I'm leaning towards an IP camera. I have power in the garage but I need to extend the wifi into it so thinking of using a powerline adapter.

My concern was tampering or damage but as you say i'll catch them doing it. I don't want to spend a fortune on one either, not one I could potentially lose.

bk

Yi Outdoor camera, £80, seems like a good, affordable option:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/YI-Wireless-Weatherproof-Surveillance-Detection-H30/dp/B0776V3CG5/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538387631&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yi+camera&psc=1

You will want to get an SD card too.

Note for free this records only 8 seconds of video to their cloud when motion detected. Though it can store all video on the SD card, though that might be lost of tampered with. They also have paid options for more cloud storage.

I haven't used this particular camera myself, but I do have two of their indoor camers and quiet happy with them so far.

jon1981

bk wrote: »

Yi Outdoor camera, £80, seems like a good, affordable option:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/YI-Wireless-Weatherproof-Surveillance-Detection-H30/dp/B0776V3CG5/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538387631&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yi+camera&psc=1

You will want to get an SD card too.

Note for free this records only 8 seconds of video to their cloud when motion detected. Though it can store all video on the SD card, though that might be lost of tampered with. They also have paid options for more cloud storage.

I haven't used this particular camera myself, but I do have two of their indoor camers and quiet happy with them so far.

Does the SD card backup to the cloud at any point? Also can you connect to it and view what's going on?

bk

jon1981 wrote: »

Does the SD card backup to the cloud at any point? Also can you connect to it and view what's going on?

The Yi cameras record 8 seconds of video to the cloud when they detect motion (you can adjust the sensitivity and motion zones). If you add an SD card, it will record everything that happens to it, but no it doesn't backup to the cloud as such.

You can connect to the camera from the app at any time and view what is happening live (might be a few seconds delay). You can also look at what was recorded on the SD card from the app, you don't need to take the sd card out.

Of course Yi is just one option. Nest, Logitech Circle, etc. have different options if you prefer.

jon1981

Yi seem to offer alot of bang for buck. Though I'm not familiar with the brand, i presume they are solid enough as a company.

EDIT: saw your answer over in IOT, thanks.

jon1981

This is the type of height im dealing. Not much scope for a camera that can't be interfered with or damaged.

bk

You could always put the camera inside the garage facing the garage door.

You could get away with a cheaper indoor model then, like the Yi Camera that I recently got for £17!

Obviously not a deterrent, but then you could always stick one of those CCTV in operation signs (see amazon) on the outside of the garage and you can even get fake cameras for less then €10 to stick up on the outside if you want a deterrent.

listermint

If you have nothing in there worth taking then dont bother with the camera, It will only attract and not deter thieves.

Id concentrate on shoring the door up or changing the locks internally or even a new metal door instead.

best making the garage look unattractive than putting in cameras to make people think its full of worthwhile stuff

bk

BTW there are also DIY alarm systems that you could install, which would set off an alarm and send you a notification if someone entered the shed without first deactivating it.

jon1981

Thanks, some food for thought there. Perhaps an external camera is not the way to go.

jon1981

listermint wrote: »

Id concentrate on shoring the door up or changing the locks internally or even a new metal door instead.

I'm planning to do this also. Looking into locksmiths that can provide solution for these doors.

bk

jon1981 wrote: »

I'm planning to do this also. Looking into locksmiths that can provide solution for these doors.

If you don't need access from outside and can access it from the other side, then a simple lock bar across the inside of the door would be the best option short of completely replacing the door.

listermint, interesting point. There has always been that question, do you show off your security and try and deter or will that just attract attention, that you have something worth breaking in for.

I know in the past, CCTV was expensive and it would certainly attract attention. But nowadays it is so cheap and widespread, I feel by not having it your just drawing attention to your home as being a weakly secured home, while they skip the well secured looking neighbour and break into you instead.

Stoner

jon1981 wrote:

Thanks, some food for thought there. Perhaps an external camera is not the way to go.

You've some fluting around to do with powerline adaptors too. They are often not great by the time you are out in a shed

A long patch lead to wire it in is often better .

A pir and camera in the shed is a good idea. Otherwise a hidden camera might be the man, however that is a public area too.

fiacha

Similar situation to myself.

I have power line down to the garage and two wireless IP cameras. One facing the external car door and another covers the back garden / house . Motion detection on the cameras. Zero problems with the power line, but it can be affected by the quality and length of cable run.

The up and over door is beefed up by placing wood bars across the middle and top. Simply a matter of lifting the bars off before opening from the inside.

To be honest, it's normally easier for people to get in via the roof so the cameras are just to alert me to intruders. I have a NAS with Surveillance software that alerts me via mobile.