let my gaurd down - ready to fight back with tech

NetWorker

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Long story short, someone come into our home while we there sleeping at 4AM. I don't want this to ever happen again.

I'm not wealthy but I'm willing to invest in safety and surveillance. This experience has frightened me. I own a couple of cheap Foscams and they seem OK but instead of buying more somebody told me about this forum and this Hikvision brand.

I'm looking for outdoor cameras mostly but want indoor as well. My neighbors are close but the neighborhood is dark. It would be nice to know someone is approaching my home before they touch my doorknob.

Can anyone help with affordable recommendations? I consider myself tech savvy but I'm feeling rushed to get a system setup so the more user friendly, the less of a learning curve I have to go through.

Someone recommended this

"Hikvision 2432 Cube with a pir sensor. If you get the 2.8mm optional lens you will have 90+ degree horizontal field of view. Way more than the foscams.They can be had for 120-179 depending on where you buy from. Wireless, POE, SD card, audio 3mp

For outdoors look at the hikvision 2332 turret"

Should I proceed with researching those suggestions? I'm looking for affordable options. Bells and whistles are nice but the main goal right now is feeling safe. My poor wife is the one who chased him out :(
 

DaveP

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For outdoors look at the hikvision 2332 turret
More affordable is the 1.5MP version of the above.... and it works better in lower light situations.

But CCTV is for after the event.. for prevention from advancing beyond the perimeter maybe an alarm system, or better still a dog (or geese) :eek:
 

NetWorker

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Yep, alarm system is coming tomorrow. Need to learn lots about that but it's part of the battle.

And a dog I really really want. My wife is resistant but I'll keep working her about it. Thanks for the reply DaveP!
 

fenderman

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@NetWorker...that recommendation came from me over at slickdeals...
DaveP makes a great point in that 1.3mp cameras will do better in low light...its a balance...you cannot go wrong with the 3mp 2332 or a 1.3mp 2312 turret...
If you use the turret you will need an NVR of some sort...standalone or PC...if standalone you will need a hikvision NVR. Others may work but for 100 percent compatibility you need a matching NVR.
Some hikvision outdoor cameras offer sd card slots to record to as well. The 2532 and 2732 domes and the 2632 bullet...as well as hikvisions new line of bullets with stronger IR...
 
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blake

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Yep, alarm system is coming tomorrow. Need to learn lots about that but it's part of the battle.

And a dog I really really want. My wife is resistant but I'll keep working her about it. Thanks for the reply DaveP!
If you don't mind me asking, I deal in security systems. Which system/ company have you chosen? I can help save you money if possible.
 

kccustom

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This may sound simple but motion sensor outdoor lighting is a great deterrent, cameras are great but they can only show you what has already happened.
 

Chust

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Same happened to me about 10 years ago. I put dead bolts on every door, sensor motion security lights plus IR lights everywhere, installed 22 cams, and sleep with Smith & Wesson. The Hikvisions are by far the best for $85! That's as cheap as a good webcam but has far more benefits! I like the bullets personally. Plus, you might want some IR flood lights. The darndest thing is when they broke in they took nothing, they just stood over me for a short time and then left. I live in a small country village with very low crime too. So if this happened to me then holy _hit it can happen to you!!!
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hikvision-Original-infrared-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-bullet-ip-camera-Can-support/1679852388.html
http://www.amazon.com/CMVision-IR110-Outdoor-200-300ft-Illuminator/dp/B003ZX1M88/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y
 
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id5

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The images that cameras take may be for after the event but that little ring of red IR lights at night is just as much of a deterrent as an PIR flood light.

We were burgled in August with 5 adults upstairs and none of us heard a thing, they took all the keys, wallets, purses, credit cards they could find and a car. Now we have deadlocks on the doors, PIR lights, outside cameras covering each external door and overnight downstairs alarm. It doesn't matter though because my wife still does not feel safe but you can only do what you can do.
 

blake

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This may sound simple but motion sensor outdoor lighting is a great deterrent, cameras are great but they can only show you what has already happened.
That is not 100% true. Depending on what you are doing and watching, cams show you live feed also.
 

LittleBrother

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Someone recommended this

"Hikvision 2432 Cube with a pir sensor. If you get the 2.8mm optional lens you will have 90+ degree horizontal field of view. Way more than the foscams.They can be had for 120-179 depending on where you buy from. Wireless, POE, SD card, audio 3mp

For outdoors look at the hikvision 2332 turret"

Should I proceed with researching those suggestions? I'm looking for affordable options. Bells and whistles are nice but the main goal right now is feeling safe. My poor wife is the one who chased him out :(
That is a great recommendation.

However, I have my cams mainly for capturing things outside and with the anticipation of not being at home during a potential break-in. If somebody is roaming around your house at night when you're asleep you need to go nuclear on not ever having it happen again. This should include alarms on all points of ingress. Even if you don't get a remotely monitored system you can get pretty cheap door/window sensors on Amazon. I have some of those $5 ones. Yes, they can be disabled quite quickly but even a few seconds of 100+ decibel is enough to wake you up, particularly if you put two of them on a door ;)

Also get alarm system stickers for all your doors even if you don't get an alarm, they are cheap and worth having.
 

kccustom

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That is not 100% true. Depending on what you are doing and watching, cams show you live feed also.
Ok if you want to sit and watch a live feed sure but if I am going to take chances like that I am going with lottery tickets.
 

NetWorker

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@NetWorker...that recommendation came from me over at slickdeals...
DaveP makes a great point in that 1.3mp cameras will do better in low light...its a balance...you cannot go wrong with the 3mp 2332 or a 1.3mp 2312 turret...
If you use the turret you will need an NVR of some sort...standalone or PC...if standalone you will need a hikvision NVR. Others may work but for 100 percent compatibility you need a matching NVR.
Some hikvision outdoor cameras offer sd card slots to record to as well. The 2532 and 2732 domes and the 2632 bullet...as well as hikvisions new line of bullets with stronger IR...
Hey it's me DigitalBullet from SD. Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction with this. Sorry I did not give you credit for your post over there. You have been really helpful in educating me about these cameras. I'm definitely going to pick a couple of Hikvisions up, just need to shop around but the search is on thanks to you guys!!

I kind of want to get all 3 but that would be a hefty investment. Aliexpress prices are nice but never bought from them before. Amazon selection and prices are weak for the suggested models. I'll keep looking. Thanks again!

If you don't mind me asking, I deal in security systems. Which system/ company have you chosen? I can help save you money if possible.
Not at all. We went with ADT. It's the "Pulse" system and I'm pretty sure we overpaid but they knew we were shaken up and would go for something. Had to make budget decisions and decide what areas to cover. I can PM you the details of the systems and what I paid if you want and hopefully you can help me save some money. Shall I do that?

This may sound simple but motion sensor outdoor lighting is a great deterrent, cameras are great but they can only show you what has already happened.
I agree that it is a great deterrent but should or could be used with cameras for layered security and protection. I plan to utilize both which may or may not be overkill but worth the investment to me after what happened.

Same happened to me about 10 years ago. I put dead bolts on every door, sensor motion security lights plus IR lights everywhere, installed 22 cams, and sleep with Smith & Wesson. The Hikvisions are by far the best for $85! That's as cheap as a good webcam but has far more benefits! I like the bullets personally. Plus, you might want some IR flood lights. The darndest thing is when they broke in they took nothing, they just stood over me for a short time and then left. I live in a small country village with very low crime too. So if this happened to me then holy _hit it can happen to you!!!
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hikvision-Original-infrared-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-bullet-ip-camera-Can-support/1679852388.html
http://www.amazon.com/CMVision-IR110-Outdoor-200-300ft-Illuminator/dp/B003ZX1M88/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y
That is a horrible story! My worst nightmare come true. So messed up. What a f@%kin weirdo. Obviously messes with your mind and hard to recover from. Maybe never? I'm really sorry to hear that. I completely get your setup. It's insane but kick ass. I want a gun but my wife would take a dog before I have one in the house so perhaps that is the next step? I feel like just like you did or do right now. It's been 10 days since it happened but still ultra paranoid. Finally able to pull myself together enough to use the bright minds of the internet to stay safe and live smart. Really glad to find this place. Thanks again @fenderman

Thanks for the product links! Amazing light, never heard of it. Going to research it. In your opinion how does it compare to 2300 lumens with 240 degree coverage from Lowes? I was leaning towards a couple of those, they sound/look powerful : http://www.lowes.com/pd_459002-85538-SH-5942-BZ-A_0__?Ntt=459002&UserSearch=459002&productId=50057233&rpp=32

I've never ordered from Aliexpress but everytime I stumble across the site in searches, the price is right. How is the service? I've heard it's a bigger company than Amazon, is that true? If they would accept PayPal that would be nice but I'm sure they are legit.

The images that cameras take may be for after the event but that little ring of red IR lights at night is just as much of a deterrent as an PIR flood light.

We were burgled in August with 5 adults upstairs and none of us heard a thing, they took all the keys, wallets, purses, credit cards they could find and a car. Now we have deadlocks on the doors, PIR lights, outside cameras covering each external door and overnight downstairs alarm. It doesn't matter though because my wife still does not feel safe but you can only do what you can do.
I agree, those rings are pretty intimidating. My goal is to make my house look "unapproachable". Just move on! I think part of the problem is we keep our house so dark on the outside because we don't or didn't like to waste or I have even thought a light brings attention to your place. They might have thought we weren't home? This experience has changed me on that. I am not concerned about saving, I'm concerned about safety and I'll do my best to make educated decisions but whatever it costs, it's worth it. Any advice on how to make the inside of the house look "occupied"? Maybe rig up some Home Alone props.

Excellent setup! I'm really sorry to hear your wife is still struggling with that event. It's only been 3 months and probably takes a long time to recover. That is a really traumatic event. Something about someone coming into your home while you are there is the absolute worst. Probably heroine addicts,that drug has made stealing reach a whole new level. Addicts will steal from their own mother for heavens sake. That is lowest of low. Apparently they don't care if you are home or not. They got off with a bunch of electronics (iPhone 6+ 128GB, bastards!) but luckily no keys or wallet and car (wtf!!?). Your intrusion was the worst case scenario. That is just an ugly thing to do and I wish them the worst. I believe in karma, they will get is coming in some way or another. I wish you and your family a speedy path to healing. The security company told me 80% of breakins are someone you know or a neighbour. Not if that is true but definitely has me thinking about suspects now.

That is a great recommendation.

However, I have my cams mainly for capturing things outside and with the anticipation of not being at home during a potential break-in. If somebody is roaming around your house at night when you're asleep you need to go nuclear on not ever having it happen again. This should include alarms on all points of ingress. Even if you don't get a remotely monitored system you can get pretty cheap door/window sensors on Amazon. I have some of those $5 ones. Yes, they can be disabled quite quickly but even a few seconds of 100+ decibel is enough to wake you up, particularly if you put two of them on a door

Also get alarm system stickers for all your doors even if you don't get an alarm, they are cheap and worth having.
Agreed! I am mainly interested in knowing what is going on outside of my home at night when we are asleep or away in the day. A security system is in place now but it's not covering all of the areas I want it to. Since monitored sensors are expensive, I agree that those those cheap audible sensors from Amazon are an affordable alternative. 2 per door, clever! I picked up a door sensor from Lowes and it's kind of wacky. It does have an alarm you can set but it's more like a poor mans alarm. which be disabled in seconds probably by smashing it quickly removing the battery. You can only shut it off with the passcode once it's been triggered but can disabled in seconds probably by smashing it quickly or removing the batteries. At least if that goes off, I'm out of bed and ready to defend my family.

I've got some actual stickers from ADT but I was thinking some monitored by camera stickers would be good to use a well. I was thinking about getting these : http://www.amazon.com/SECURITY-DECAL-Commercial-Surveillance-Deterrence/dp/B002OY80OI

or are they cheesy and fake looking? I'm still using camera but I thought it might be nice to let that trash know that before they proceed to stupidity.

I'm also interested in a motion detection setup but it's too expensive to add to the security system. Can I pick something up from Amazon and use in conjunction with or NAS for my own alert system? Somebody recommended the DSC brand to me. Anyone have experience with them?

This looks affordable : http://www.amazon.com/DSC-BV-300DP-Digital-Infrared-Detector/dp/B0013CMUYI

Can I use it for my own "unmonitored" system that won't call the police but still alert me with notifications? If possible, how does that work? Just tap into my wired / wireless network and utilize it that way? If that is not the right kind of motion sensor for a DIY setup, can someone point me towards one?
 
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blake

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If you already signed the contract, then there isn't much I can do. ADT is one of the worst to go with sorry.
 

blake

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I deal mostly now with 2GiG systems. For the cost and convenience, you really can't beat 2gig with alarm dot com.
 

blake

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Ok if you want to sit and watch a live feed sure but if I am going to take chances like that I am going with lottery tickets.
That's what I love about Blue Iris, you setup your motion zones, notification sounds for each zone and bam, before someone even reaches your doors or windows, you have already received the alert that someone or something is within the perimeter that you have setup!
 

blake

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I've been doing alarm systems for awhile now and here is the bottom line. Unless you setup perimeter notification, the alarm sounds AFTER THE FACT. Use your camera system as your pre-notification that something is going on around your property!
 

id5

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Excellent setup! I'm really sorry to hear your wife is still struggling with that event...
Probably heroine addicts......
The security company told me 80% of breakins are someone you know or a neighbour. Not if that is true but definitely has me thinking about suspects now.
Thanks for the kind words NetWorker, luckily ours were professionals stealing cars to order for Eastern Europe rather than crack heads, there have been a spate of them in the UK of late.

Blake's post above is right though, and the thing I am missing from my setup is valid advanced notification as cameras without a PIR can generate too many false alerts. If you have a chance go for PIR curtains with alert I/O event raising to the cameras to send emails to your phone and or ringing a buzzer in the house.
 

blake

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If you are okay with wiring, OPTEX sensors work really well at perimeter notification. A set like the Optex AX-130TN.
 
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aaronwt

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If you already signed the contract, then there isn't much I can do. ADT is one of the worst to go with sorry.
Yes. I used to have them in the early 2000's. Never again. There are many other options that also cost much less for monitoring. Personally I just upgraded my main alarm system to one with a touch screen, that can use wifi, cellular and even control z-wave devices. I didn't go the cellular route though,. I'm just using wifi for monitoring and the z-wave module to control some lights.
 

blake

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Yes. I used to have them in the early 2000's. Never again. There are many other options that also cost much less for monitoring. Personally I just upgraded my main alarm system to one with a touch screen, that can use wifi, cellular and even control z-wave devices. I didn't go the cellular route though,. I'm just using wifi for monitoring and the z-wave module to control some lights.
This is why I mainly deal with 2gig. Much nicer platform, flexibility and cost effectiveness. For what ADT rips people off with I'd ridiculous! When I show a customer the new system and savings, they are floored!!
 
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