Project

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:48 pm

Ok...... so when I get the new room done and my command center moved into it, I'd like to set up a functional yet cheap-ass home surveilance system.

I'd like to put 2 or 4 cameras outside the house covering the property, feeding images to my permanent server. I want the server to take a snapshot every 5 seconds or so for archiving purposes. I'd like these cameras to be hard-wired for power, so no battery changing is needed. I have gables but the equipment should probably be weather-proof. I'd like it to be unobtrusive, too. Doesn't need to be invisible, but one shouldn't notice it unless they are looking for it.

CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. I already have the server, and cabling is cheap and I can run it myself, so the main expense would probably be the cameras, and possibly the software.

Anyone have any ideas?

Edited By GORDON on 1122144599

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:11 pm

How CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP do you want it?

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:26 pm

Under $500? Cheapest possible, really. I'd even buy used equipment. I'd even scavange equipment from a business closing down.

BTW, this isn't out of any type of paranoia... I just think it would be fun/cool/geek thing to do, homegrown-style.

Edited By GORDON on 1122147297

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:29 pm

I had the same thought a few months ago... but it seemed crazy expensive for the cameras once I started looking into it.

Post by **Cakedaddy** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:39 pm

X10 cameras? You might have to change batteries. But, I'm betting you could get something from radio shack that would eliminate that. But that means you'll have to run power to them.

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:03 pm

I had the same thought a few months ago... but it seemed crazy expensive for the cameras once I started looking into it.

Hmmm.

Maybe I could just set up the system and do one camera at a time, over time.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:02 pm

When playing with the phone lines I saw where the power meter enters. So I could just branch off that (before the meter) and run it to the cameras.

Post by **GORDON** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:51 am

Heh, that'd be funny.

I could see a LOT of uses for a backdoor energy line.

Of course there's probably pound-me-in-the-ass prison if you're caught.

Post by **TheCatt** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:08 am

Sure... and the fact that it's my employer that I'd be screwing would certainly hurt.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:45 am

My father-in-law has about half a dozen X10 cameras aroud his house. The one out front moves around.

We also use X10 cameras here at work to see who's coming in the front door.

They work fine. However, if I lived in a crowded neighborhood I'd probably avoid the wireless models, as any neighbor can tune in. I remember seeing an article on Fark a year or so ago about people turning their neighbors in for child abuse because they where tapped into their wireless camera signal and saw the abuse.

I have a some cheap, wired, b&w cameras with night vision (LED's) at my house. We mainly use the one out front to see if anybody is approaching the house, but when my kid was an infant we'd spy on her in her sleep. I got mine of eBay.

You should get at least one camera for the baby's room.

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Post by **GORDON** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:07 pm

The X-10's with wires... does that feed power to the camera, too?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:11 pm

Even the wireless onces have AC input. That's what my father-in-law uses.

The wired cameras I have have three wires, one is for power, one is audio, and one is video (the latter two have RCA connections so they'll plug into a VCR or TV or anything else with an RCA input).

X10 is nice because they provide the software. They have software that'll start recording if movement is sensed, and stop recording once things have stopped moving for awhile.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:31 pm

If I was rich, I'd get the stuff that I saw while Google'ing for webcams.

This Panasonic webcam allows multiple cameras. (I don't know what model it is... but looking around I found other Panasonic cams that do the same thing)

If I was really rich I'd spend more for something like an the Axis server and a good camera.

Of course, I'd have better security to keep people out.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:43 pm

Are the X-10's good to go out in the weather?

Post by **Vince** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:54 am

Are the X-10's good to go out in the weather?

They have weather models, I think. Search their site.

I agree that they're pretty decent for the cost. I picked up 3 of them a few years back for just what your talking about (something cool to play with).

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:41 am

All of his are outside, on the top of the walls, by the soffits. They overhang of the roof protects them. I don't see any difference between those and the ones we have here at work, so they're probaby not special outdoor cameras (unless we have outdoor cameras here.

The one he has out front is new. It used to a wired one that he got from Radio Shack. It had night vision and an intercom system that let him talk to people.
It died, so he replaced it with a movable X10 with night vision (b&w). He moves it around with a remote. The X10's night vision isn't as good as his old camera was, but he can integrate it into the system.

If it wheren't for the dogs always setting it off, he could set it up to record video whenever movement is detected. Then he can see if anybody approached the house while he was away.

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Post by **GORDON** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 12:22 pm

All of his are outside, on the top of the walls, by the soffits. They overhang of the roof protects them.

We get hurricanes, here. Sometimes it rains up.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 1:34 pm

We get big freaking storms and tornados and such here.

Here are the cameras. The wired ones appear to be cheaper, at $50-$70 depending on their features.

I'd look around for some sort of coupon or cheap bundle. X10 used to advertise that stuff a lot. You can always add on to any bundle you get.

Post by **Vince** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:18 am

They always are running various bundled packs. That's what I got way back when. Think it ran me a bit over $200 for 3 or 4 wireless cameras and a remote do-hicky thing-a-ma-bob. Plus the software stuff.