Surveillance Camera Advice

I’m restoring an old house in Calvert, Texas and recently I’ve been having problems with someone breaking in and stealing my tools. I’ve added motion detector lights and upgraded the locks, but I also want to add a surveillance camera. In fact I’ve already bought a pretty nice one, but the problem is that it is a pretty “dumb” system. It just records straight to a VCR until it runs out of tape. The problem with that is that I’m only up there a couple of days here and a couple there, and once the tape is used up it’s just going to sit there.

I think what I need is something that will record only when it detects motion, or only records a frame every 10 seconds or so. I guess this means I’m going to have to record to a computer with some software controlling when things get recorded.

So I’m here looking for advice.

Sounds like a Motion Activated Security Camera would do the trick for you.

Check out the X-10 products. They have a unit that turns on the VCR when movement is detected. Check this URL http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ux21a.htm

Looks like a package deal, without the VCR, here http://www.x10.com/home/offer.cgi?LND126,../overturekw1.htm?|x_10camera:.15 for about $80

It is relatively easy to rig a motion detector to a VCR so the VCR records onle when there is motion. There re also Software programs which do the same thing with a computer cam but that would be more expensive I think.

Huh. x10.com, the only site on the internet without a popup ad for X-10 products. :smiley:

It’s easy enough to hook up a motion detector to a VCR but to get it to turn on in record mode is the trick.

So what makes you think they’re not going to steal the camera?

Looks like a big job so presumably there are a lot of tools - we’re not just talking a couple of hammers and screwdrivers. I guess that made me wonder if a camera will deter the thieves at all, I’d just wear a balaclava if I was dead set on getting in there and thought there might be a camera. Is there no way you can secure the equipment off site in a lock up facility nearby? Failing that record a loud dog barking as a .wav or something and put it on playback from a cheap PC system?

There are some web cam programs you can get that when they detect motion, they email you a video of what they detected. That would be fun.

Here is one:
http://www.jpcsoftware.com/products/eyecu2/eyecu2_main.htm

free to try $29 to buy