About a month ago both of my cars got broken into, the police were able to recover my stuff, but I was still out the cost of window replacement.

This made me more interested in home security...but not so much the contracts and monthly fees that go along with it.

I found some really bright LED motion lights that run on D batteries to place strategically around the yard and cars. The batteries have not run out yet, my guess is they will last a long time. They also look like wireless cameras from far away.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002P6EQPW/ref=pe_175190_21431760_C1_cs_sce_dp_1

I want an outdoor WIFI camera with Pan capabilities as well, preferably one with a smartphone app that can be pulled up quickly. That is getting mounted on the front porch, so it can point outward toward the driveway around to see who is at the door. These are 50-100 and you have to be careful because the good models have a lot of counterfeit ones being sold online.

The other option is a wired video surveillance system to go all around the perimeter and inside to guard the basement windows. I could probably justify spending the 250-350 on this since I am gonna be at this house for a while and once its installed it can be used for years.

5/24/2012 12:59:13 PM

Try Newegg for the camera, they have a good variety and a lot of them can be connected via the IP-Cam app with PTZ functionality. You'll want to make sure it has good night visibility unless your motion lights are sensitive enough and stay on long enough to get good pictures/video.

Your strategy of surprising them is a good one; however, if they really want what's in your car, they're going to get it. At least this way you're able to provide evidence.

Good luck!

5/24/2012 7:01:19 PM

z-wave stuff is pretty sweet. im looking at doing my doors and thermostat with them. im sure there are z-wave supported camera

5/24/2012 7:32:17 PM

You also need one of these.

5/24/2012 10:14:37 PM

in my (limited) experience with this, motion detector lights go a long way. People don't like to be lit up while they're breaking into cars/houses. They also won't be able to tell if it's just a motion detector, or if someone saw them and turned the light on. That alone is usually enough to get them to take off.


zoneminder is free if you have the ability to set it up. It's a bit of a pain to set up initially, but fairly simple once you figure it out and get going.

5/25/2012 3:24:46 PM

Kind of off topic, but does anyone have an remote door lock? I'm looking at the type you can open from the internet, how much trouble are they set up, do you use the functionality a lot, etc?

5/25/2012 3:49:46 PM

Quote :

"They also won't be able to tell if it's just a motion detector"

uh, they're very easy to spot

5/25/2012 4:58:46 PM

The Mr beams look like a camera, and when they come on it will scare you.

5/25/2012 5:48:10 PM

^^ When it's dark out, and a light on a porch suddenly comes on (the fact that it's bright and your eyes are adjusted for the dark making it tough to look directly at the source of the light), you can tell that it's a motion detector? They may be easy to spot if someone is looking at them beforehand or is willing to stick around the sort of "test" it out, but as someone said... none of this is going to stop anyone who really wants your shit.

The average jackass who sees shit in a car and tries to brake in is more than likely going to be spoked a little by some bright ass lights being shined on him while he's committing a crime.


fwiw, I grew up in a neighborhood with a relatively high crime rate. My parents were a little better off than a lot of the people who lived in the neighborhood, which made our house a bit of a target because we had nicer stuff (electronics and what not). I can't tell you how many times I'd hear someone moving around in the alley that went to our back and basement doors, or even hear someone kicking the door and then the light would come on from the motion detector and I'd watch them sprint out of there.

again, there's not much that's going to stop the people who really want to do something along these lines and have the slightest bit of intelligence. But a little bit can go a long way in preventing a lot. Or at least in making you aware that something is going on. We also had a motion detector that set off a ridiculously loud alarm. We kept it in the basement pointed at the door at night, and it was loud enough to hear upstairs.. and loud enough to freak anyone out who would have managed to get the door open.

[Edited on May 26, 2012 at 1:04 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2012 1:00:08 AM

I have been toying around with the idea of getting a system like this for us. I don't want the monthly bill, but I would like to have an alarm and some cameras, and the idea of being able to monitor via internet (ie: on my phone) is pretty appealing to me.

5/28/2012 8:08:24 PM

5/29/2012 12:24:11 AM

I ended up going with the Simon XTI by GE/Interlogix. Seems to have tons of options for sensors and you can buy parts from all over the internet.

10/17/2013 11:42:16 PM

I backed the Kickstarter for SmartThings, which is a platform that is compatible with Zigbee and Z-wave. It's pretty awesome, has an iOS and Android app so you can check on your house from afar. The platform runs what they call "smartapps", which you can basically program to do things like send you a text message or turn on lights/activate a siren when it detects motion or your door is opened and no one is home.

The nice thing about it is you can buy individual components for fairly cheap and most all are compatible with the system. They are still working on integrating cameras, which is really the last piece of the puzzle for me, as far as security goes. I'd like to someday add automated door locks and thermostats for convenience. I currently have:

2 presence sensors
3 motion detectors
3 door sensors
a bunch of outlets and switches

It's pretty cool to have the lights follow you around the house when it's dark out without having to life a finger. There's an app I run that also learns your normal lighting usage, and replicates it when you're away from home to make it look like someone is there.

[Edited on October 19, 2013 at 11:22 AM. Reason : d]

10/19/2013 11:20:07 AM

I got a nightowl video surveillance system with 16 channels and 12 cameras. I will fill the other 4 ports eventually with fixed interior cameras covering my doors.

10/21/2013 2:12:47 PM

I wish z-wave light switches were cheaper. My alarm has the module for them but once I start that shit its gonna be easy to spend hundreds on switches and sensors.

5/2/2014 1:22:29 AM

yeah, im looking at insteon right now, but at 50/light/control/switch/plug/etc - shit gets pricey quick.

5/2/2014 12:39:25 PM

while my inner geek wants to install a bunch of home automation stuff, my inner accountant says fuck that, save money.

5/2/2014 2:08:13 PM

Once you start, you cant stop.

My house got broken in to in October. First I got a video surveillance system because there was no monthly fees with it.

Then I was not comfortable with just that so I got the Simon XTI alarm system with the Alarm.com app. (diy install, you buy parts online) Then I kept buying sensor, after sensor, after sensor, because I kept thinking of ways an intruder could get around the sensors. There are so many different sensors you can get. Fire, Carbon Monoxide, Water, Glass Break, Motion, Door, Window Shock and Open, Interior door, etc. My house has a basement, 5 exterior doors, and a ton of windows. I spent a lot on sensors.

Now I am concerned about lighting. My neighborhood is heavily wooded and there are not any street lights near my house. I need more lighting to improve the camera distance at night. Since the trees have bloomed there is not even enough light around to get a good picture on some of the cameras.

5/2/2014 2:33:01 PM

String some trip wire and claymores party poppers covered in candlewax along the treeline. You'll scare the shit out of the deer or intruder coming through the woods. Incorporate a magnetic breakaway sensor for a wireless trip notification.

On a more serious note, are you happy with what you have or would you make some changes? I've wanted to do the same (cross between home automation/security but am in the same boat as Bobby Light. My worry is setting up a foundation based on a protocol that has either poor support, will be antiquated around the time I install it, and/or is just too damn expensive/inconvenient to maintain.

[Edited on May 2, 2014 at 6:20 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2014 6:18:14 PM

What I am finding is some of this equipment is used by multiple alarm companies so there are plenty of places to buy parts. My contract was only 12 months since I bought all equipment offline, also its $29 a month which is way lower than ADT or CPI for a subsidized system.

I am not sure if GE/Interlogix will be the most popular thing as home automation evolves, but it seems like a lot of alarm companies are using this equipment. There should be enough of them it to keep it in production for long enough to get my moneys worth out of this system.

If anyone goes the GE route I really recommend safemart/livewatch, the customer service has been excellent so far.

5/2/2014 7:23:21 PM