CCTV Advice Needed For Home Security

move house.

hth

be aware that wireless cctv systems can conflict with neighbours equipment and with wireless routers on computer networks. I have learnt this to my cost.

This fact not fiction, but... Some time ago a resident was find £2000, an offender who had committed an knife assult on a person, police gained footage of the assult by the said residents CCTV camera footage as it was verging over the residents property boundry(public footpath...result was the offender was found guilty and his lawyer then filed a lawsuit against the resident for illegal use of the CCTV.

So do be warned.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Sounds like an urban myth to me - can you provide any proof of this 'fact'?

Key part is 'some time ago'. I think it was February 2004 that new guidance came from the ICO. Essentially: if there are no more than two cameras, they are not remotely steerable, the output is just taped, and it's only used for police assistance, then it's fine.

As a previous poster said, interference is a problem with wireless cameras. Microwave ovens can also knock out the signal. If the camera is mounted high enough, vandalism should not be a problem. However, very few cheap cameras work well under night time conditions and you may well have problems with reflections if trying to operate through a window. If the problem is only over a few hours, then a standard video camera would be a better solution, this will have better optics than a low cost camera. It can easily be coupled to a standard VCR. Can you borrow one?

Regards Capitol

Its not urban myth. No, not now as it was a newspaper article late 2004?

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Have a look at the laws relating to CCTV on the information commissioners web site

it is an offense to use a camera in public places without cause etc. we were warned at work as one of our roaming cameras look at our second building (across a public rd) by the installation company. Having said all that if anything happens on the estate the police borrow to the tape to see who came on and off it via the road so they tend to be understanding.

With respect, I'll believe it when I see it.

but if you have cause .....

Read what I said. I said 'new guidance'. It's a separate note. Also read again...I said that it's OK if the cameras aren't steerable; you were warned about a steerable camera.

I'm perfectly aware of the ICO website; that's why I mentioned the ICO! See:

To avoid possible wireless Lan/microwave oven conflicts, you could consider one of the Homeplug cameras that transfer their info to your computer via the mains wiring. Pictures are jpegs and readily stored on a pc. I'm sure there is software available to give the equivalent of VCR functionality. Google will find suppliers such as Solwise for the cameras I've not used a camera on Homeplug but do use Ethernet over Homeplug which works very well.

hth

Bob

Modern wireless is pretty good, and modern ovens less crap than they occasionally used to be. I was worried about this, but my 802.11a/g WIFI and DECT phone work quite happily with the microwave on. The DECT base station is 6" away from the oven too.

HTH

Tim

Increase your budget tenfold and you might get a system that is worth having.

Colin Bignell

He's watching his car not the crown jewels. lol

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

I read in the OP's question (between the lines) that he was worried about his car being vandalised in a private car park.

He doesn't specify as being private?

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Unless he is watching it live, constantly, there is little point in having a low quality CCTV. The recordings will not be of evidence quality, so the Police won't be interested in them.

Colin Bignell