Security - now I am the victim

[huskernut]

Well I got hit this weekend and I am really pissed off. So I am thinking about the coming lighting season. I know this has been hashed over many times but specifically I wanted to ask this question (s)

1. If you have installed cameras, what system can you recommend

2. Are motion lights a better idea

3. Any other thoughts

I am all over securing my controllers but after this weekend, in what I thought was a safe neighborhood I am agitated. They just walked into my yard at some point and made off with 4 solar yard lights and a few other things that were not tied down. I feel like I cant just do nothing but I dont know if a camera system is the best route or several motion lights that dont come on until the show ends. I am more concerned with what happens after 10 PM.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Rick

[GaryBo]

Rick,
There are several cctv system you can easily instal. About 3 years ago I purchased a “Q-See” system from Costco online. It had 9 color cameras (channels), and a DVR. It cost about $500. I have been very pleased with it. It has both day and night (dark, goes to B&W in low light) vision. It didn't have an audio camera and I added one separately.
It may be pure luck, but I have been very fortunate, in that I have not had any thefts or vandalism. I like to think, it is because I have the cameras prominently displayed, that I haven't had any problems. Also, I can watch my lights and the people, from the comfort of my home, on my TV. ( you can you can hook up the system, to a TV and monitor it).
There are several good units out there, at reasonable pricing.
Go on line a do a search for cctv security systems, and determine your best price. Costco, Frys, Sam's Club, and similar sites are good places to look at.

[BadSCR]

I would recommend cheap motion flood lights with the cameras.

The day/night cameras are good but not good enough to get a positive ID that can hold up in court. Now , I have a motion flood light for every camera and they paided off a number of times.

I would get a minimum of an 8 camera system. Never could have too many cameras.




Attached files

[JBullard]

This is where I buy my cameras and stuff

https://www.scdlink.com/

[kzaas]

I too bought the Q-See system form Costco.com. I think mine was $499.00 and it is a 16 channel DVR with 500GB hard drive which you can upgrade the harddrive plus add a second one. Mine also came with 8 day/nite cameras.

I have been very happy with mine, but I agree with BadSCR, I would also add some motion lights(which I still need to do) because a positve ID at nite is pretty difficult.

I too live in a good neighborhood but I still use a cable to tie all of my Christmas decorations down to the house and that definitly includes the controllers.

[rjnitto]

Here's another approach, though not a perfect solution for everyone. I experienced display vandalism (not theft) in 2008 and immediately went looking for a way to prevent a repeat occurrence.

I ended up buying a wireless motion alert system made by Chamberlain - Model CWA2000 and added a second sensor. The AC powered base will accept up to four sensors and can be placed anywhere in your house. I have my sensors near the road pointed back at my display. They pick up motion approximately 30' away and you can lower the sensitivity to prevent pets from setting it off. My AA powered sensors are at least 100' from my base and I have never had a problem or a false alert with them. When the base beeps, there is something out there!

Many online sites carry them so search for the best deal. I paid $75 including the second sensor.

During the season, I also place motion activated floodlights on each side of my yard that go on as soon as someone steps into the yard after hours. Thieves and vandals don't like lights. Just another thought.

Richard

[Shubb]

Cameras are great, I love being able to watch the jerks steal my stuff!

Motion lights are an absolute necessity. Several to light up the yard and front of the house usually scare them off before a camera.

For the holiday season I use a motion switch set to trigger a "All On" sequence and a beeping noise. That way, the intruder's presence is announced.

Scott

[kzaas]

Shubb wrote:

Cameras are great, I love being able to watch the jerks steal my stuff!

Motion lights are an absolute necessity. Several to light up the yard and front of the house usually scare them off before a camera.

For the holiday season I use a motion switch set to trigger a "All On" sequence and a beeping noise. That way, the intruder's presence is announced.

Scott

I like the idea of the motion sensor triggering an all on sequence. Maybe you can have the Demented Elf create a special alert track for your motion alarm

[PaulXmas]

I too have cameras but I think the motion activated flood light works best.
The flood light is off during the show and active all other times.

[huskernut]

Shubb wrote:

Cameras are great, I love being able to watch the jerks steal my stuff!

Motion lights are an absolute necessity. Several to light up the yard and front of the house usually scare them off before a camera.

For the holiday season I use a motion switch set to trigger a "All On" sequence and a beeping noise. That way, the intruder's presence is announced.

Scott

Thanks so far to all you added comments.

Only my 2nd year coming up so i have a lot to learn. I have loaded sequences into a controller and I have a DC board running in standalone mode right now but I am not sure I understand using a trigger. It looks to me that during a show you can trigger interactive sequences to run but in the middle of the night I assume the trigger would have to initiate a standalone sequence in a controller?

So if I am right, my question is this: Can a given controller have a standalone sequence in it and still run with the network during a show? Such that after hours the trigger would set off the standalone sequence? I may be getting way ahead of myself but how do you prevent the trigger from being set off during your normal show?

See i managed to steal my own thread.

Rick

[rwertz]

Setting off an alarm outside should scare away intruders. But if you have neighbors, you probably want to get a motion sensor that is pet immune


Here are the steps we have taken to secure our property (so far):

1. Landscape lights around the house.
2. Replaced large shrubs with smaller ones.
3. Converted existing exterior lights to sensors (carriage style lights in front and flood lights in the back).
4. Night vision security cameras feeding a dedicated monitor that is easily viewed from our main living area.
5. Infrared sensors to get reliable camera triggers (camera motion detection creates a lot of false events).
6. Visual alert (blinking LED) triggered by infrared sensors.
7. Audible alert (buzzer) on same trigger as LED, but with a cut out switch to disable through the day.


Several people have mentioned motion sensor alarms. I really think that is the cheapest and most effective way to prevent or prosecute for vandalism if you are home. I don't think most $500 camera systems are going to produce an image capable of identifying a stranger after the fact (unless they accidentally pose for a close-up).

[jeffandnicole]

Cameras - even those mounted in banks, convenience stores, and all types of businesses, typically are never mounted correctly anyway. How often do we see pictures of someone's hat, rather than a face, on the news? For those companies spending five, six, and seven figures for cameras, you would think they would get it right.

Even with the $500 camera system, you're going to want to mount them no higher than 6 feet high, in order to capture the FACE of the individual...not the hat. Sure, 1 or 2 cameras zoomed out to see the yard is fine, but have some cameras zoomed into areas where the bad guy may walk, such as on a walkway, near easy-to-cut wires, a controller, etc. Test them too with your family/friends....have them walk around the yard - at night - to see if they are visible on your recordings.

You may even want to consider mounting one that will capture license plates from cars passing by (of course, check to see if recording a public street is legal in your area). Again, the zoomed out cameras will see the people and the vehicles (or bicycles, wheelbarrows, etc); the zoomed in cameras may get lucky and capture the tag of the vehicle. Again, think general - you don't need to position it so that it will capture a parked vehicle...you just need to get lucky and maybe get the tag number as the car approaches or speeds away.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

the other thing you can do is along with the cameras get a steel cable about 2 to 300 hundred feet long looped and banded at each end I run it through every one of my decorations and lock them together with a pad lock this usally deters any theft not many people have a set of bolt cutters in their pocket,

[GaryBo]

There is another solution!

[Robert G.]

If it helps any, here's what I do:

1. I don't do this all the time, but I take a few feet of "trip" wire and string them all around my 9 deer. A nice place to go deer tipping ay? Well, have a nice trip!

2. Only did this once, but I ran metal chains deep in the grass to each deer with a few masterlocks. They were not visible but good luck moving the deer.

3. I also only did this once, but I took a bright flood light and put it on a timer. After every night when the lights shut, it clicks on and shines on the display. Very noticeable and attracts much attention.

4. A bright flood light sits on the corner of my house next to my camera. Triggered by sensitve movement in the whole area, it catches my attention on my camera's screen.

I thought this was hilarious, my friend's plan as follows;

1. He catches the kids on camera and finds out who they are..etc.

2. Buys huge piece of blank paper.

3. Writes down all the kid(s) information-phone number, address, age, full name.

4. Posts paper on garage door strung with lights for them and everyone to see the next night.

--Nice Try!--

[Shubb]

I have a Allen Bradley relay with a 110 coil on 1 channel. It has 2 Normally Open and 2 Normally Closed contacts. I wired the security/motion lighting to the N.C. switch. The N.O. switch is wired to the stereo and FM transmitter.

When the show starts it powers the relay and shut's off the motion lights and turns on the stereo/transmitter. Then when the show stops, it switches back to the motion lights.

The motion camera's run 24/7. Having them down low helps to see their face, but is also easy to smash/disable. That's why most people mount them up high, out of reach of the bad guys.

[toddmoon]

There are a few other options for security. I have a junk yard dog that I keep on my front porch when I have display items out. If anyone tries to come into the yard he lets me know about it.

He is a rescue dog I pulled out of a dumpster two years ago and brought home. He has been such a good dog I have not been able to let go of him. So he is my security system.


Attached files

[toddmoon]

If having a dog for security is not your thing and you do want to go with electronics then why not add a little extra to it. If vandals enter your yard then add some pain to their vandalism.

http://www.paintballsentry.com/

And yes I realize that their are all of the liability issues and some little twerp would try and sue me for pain and suffering but I would go for a trial by jury I think they would let me off, I hope.

[Scott T]

My show runs until 11:00pm. After that I run a "dream" sequence. Lights slowly fade up, down, change color, etc. All very slow, but I keep them on all night. No more that 50-60% power. It may cost me a little more in electricity, but I agree with others: thefts and vandals don't like light.

And for the Darwin nominees, I sure hope they don't trip and get a little ZAP! :dude:

[Bret LeFevre]

I have heard of someone having a remote motion detector mounted across a yard just high enough a cat or dog wouldn't trip it but a persons leg would. Then staked under the front bushes were 6 100 watt flood lights. If someone tripped the sensor, they were blinded and the security cameras caught their faces. For a few seconds they can't see and look up. Then they run off not to return. Plus anyone driving around or outside will definitly notice the lights.

They also had a siren powered that when the floods went on, the siren went off and woke them up.

Cheap security.

Course you could just get a baby monitor and place one part outside and the other by your bed. If you hear some one you can check it out.