# Surveillance Camera Advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424 "2003-05-11T02:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/1 "2003-05-11T02:12:09Z")
I’m restoring an [old house](http://home.austin.rr.com/hammondhouse/) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/2 "2003-05-11T02:15:48Z")
Sounds like a [Motion Activated Security Camera](http://www.aeisecurity.com/CTV380P.html) would do the trick for you. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/3 "2003-05-11T02:19:05Z")
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](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](http://www.x10.com/home/offer.cgi?LND126,../overturekw1.htm?%7Cx_10camera:.15) for about $80 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/4 "2003-05-11T02:19:30Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/5 "2003-05-11T02:23:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaryM \* > 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](http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ux21a.htm) Huh. [x10.com](http://x10.com), the only site on the internet without a popup ad for X-10 products. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/6 "2003-05-11T03:40:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*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. \*\* 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. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/7 "2003-05-11T06:55:41Z")
So what makes you think they’re not going to steal the camera? ---
**Author:** ![Swagman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Swagman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swagman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/8 "2003-05-11T07:01:25Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surveillance-camera-advice/174424/9 "2003-05-11T15:16:20Z")
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](http://www.jpcsoftware.com/products/eyecu2/eyecu2_main.htm) free to try $29 to buy