Domestic cctv camera suggestions please..

stevewestern

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I have been asked about fitting some cctv cameras to a friends house following an attempted break-in.
I know nothing about such things, so have any of you fitted them or looked into fitting them, and if so, can you pass on any wisdom please ?
 
Try a search on here, Steve. The subject has been discussed at length and folk have posted opinions.
 
Try a search on here, Steve. The subject has been discussed at length and folk have posted opinions.

Yeah, sorry...
I posted it in a rush without thinking of doing a search first.
I'll try harder next time !
 
have a look at this

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sam...rity-system-ip66-waterproof-cameras-day-night

i can't say how good this particular model is but i have an older samsung full HD CCTV kit and it's pretty good for the money
i think this one replaces the model i have and if mines anything to go by you won't be disappointed

mine cost quite a bit more when i bought it a few years ago but i'm still happy with the quality and if the model posted above is as good it's a bargain
 
have a look at this

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sam...rity-system-ip66-waterproof-cameras-day-night

i can't say how good this particular model is but i have an older samsung full HD CCTV kit and it's pretty good for the money
i think this one replaces the model i have and if mines anything to go by you won't be disappointed

mine cost quite a bit more when i bought it a few years ago but i'm still happy with the quality and if the model posted above is as good it's a bargain
Thanks Mark - the idea of buying a system appeals - much appreciated !
 
I installed some CCTV cameras last year, but I don't think I've written anything about it, so you won't find this on a forum search.

One important consideration is how you're going to power the cameras. You can get battery-operated wireless cameras but I wouldn't have thought they'd be suitable for a permanent installation. So you need to get some wires to each of the camera sites, and that might affect your choice of locations.

Another important consideration is how you're going to get data off the cameras and where it's going to go. Wired or wireless, local storage or cloud? Personally I think wired cameras and local storage is likely to offer a more convenient solution, but in this respect YMMV.

Putting these two strands together, I decided to fit cameras that used Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE). So they have just the one cable that carries both power and data. I bought this system from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surveillance-Megapixels-Security-Ethernet-Smartphone/dp/B01F4PQQYE/

(There are lots of similar systems from the same manufacturer, Sannce. They differ in details like the camera resolution, camera style (bullet or dome), cabling technology (PoE or coaxial), hard disk size etc, so make sure you read the details carefully.)

It was very easy to set up, and everything worked first time. The user manual is a bit Chinglish and the smartphone app isn't the smartest, but it does work.
 
I installed some CCTV cameras last year, but I don't think I've written anything about it, so you won't find this on a forum search.

One important consideration is how you're going to power the cameras. You can get battery-operated wireless cameras but I wouldn't have thought they'd be suitable for a permanent installation. So you need to get some wires to each of the camera sites, and that might affect your choice of locations.

Another important consideration is how you're going to get data off the cameras and where it's going to go. Wired or wireless, local storage or cloud? Personally I think wired cameras and local storage is likely to offer a more convenient solution, but in this respect YMMV.

Putting these two strands together, I decided to fit cameras that used Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE). So they have just the one cable that carries both power and data. I bought this system from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surveillance-Megapixels-Security-Ethernet-Smartphone/dp/B01F4PQQYE/

(There are lots of similar systems from the same manufacturer, Sannce. They differ in details like the camera resolution, camera style (bullet or dome), cabling technology (PoE or coaxial), hard disk size etc, so make sure you read the details carefully.)

It was very easy to set up, and everything worked first time. The user manual is a bit Chinglish and the smartphone app isn't the smartest, but it does work.
Thank you for such a clear and well written reply Stewart.
I feel like I am actually starting to learn a little about these things...!
 
It's worth talking to your home insurance company to see what they accept as an approved system - they should be able to offer advice and hopefully reduce your premiums.
 
I feel like I am actually starting to learn a little about these things...!
Camera placement is absolutely critical, and planning that properly is probably more important than the choice of system. Obviously you need the cameras to cover the likely approach routes. Mount them too high, and there's a risk that all you'll see is the top of the intruder's head - not so useful for identification! Mount them too low, and the bad guys can disable them. At work we once had one of the outdoor cameras taken out by a bloke with a sledgehammer. And of course you need to get the cables to them inside the house, because if you run cables along an exterior wall they can just be cut.
 
Some good recommendations here, but also, it’s worth telling your friend(s). To create the illusion of being in even when they are out. In this case it’s hard to describe how to do that properly without physically seeing this particular dwelling but it’s a good general rule of the thumb. There will be a reason why the offender(s) picked this particular house and not immediate neighbours.
 
Some good recommendations here, but also, it’s worth telling your friend(s). To create the illusion of being in even when they are out. In this case it’s hard to describe how to do that properly without physically seeing this particular dwelling but it’s a good general rule of the thumb. There will be a reason why the offender(s) picked this particular house and not immediate neighbours.

The attempted break in was on the garage, which is used as a pottery - it has double wooden doors which are pretty old and rotten. I don't think it was a serious attempt, but the house is lived in by a single woman who gets a little scared at times. The whole place, a detached house with 7 garages, will be knocked down in a year or so for a new house to be built, so I suggested some motion sensor security lights and a fake cctv camera or two.
The owner, who isn't the woman living there suggested some real cameras. All the neighbouring properties are either used garages or 4 story houses divided into flats, so lots of people coming and going - I feel it was either someone looking for a place to sleep, maybe a junkie - it wouldn't be anyone looking for anything valuable...
 
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