Household Security Discussion

[COSCitizen]

In the Nancy Guthrie discussion, I was interested in the post where someone said that he used a mix of Blink and Nest cameras. Since that is off-topic there, I am hoping @browneyes will answer here.

 

[Kakidoll]

i use blink and have my entire property covered. i can watch live or be notified. I can check in on my property even when i'm on a cruise ship to check any part of my property (as long as internet is active). i mostly have them to watch the animals outside, my koi pond pump etc. but the battery operated ones work great for me. i have them on my roof also so no one could get to it. Mine can also have the light that shows recording turned off so you don't know its recording. I have movable ones that i can hang in trees, or wherever (i move them for hurricanes, to check on outside raccoons, etc).
As for security, i also have a doberman, i have multiple 'weapons' situated around my house for easy access (i live alone). I also leave my doors unlocked and windows open as much as i can in Florida....

 

[COSCitizen]

It seems to me that having a thread just for household security would make a more convenient resource than a general off-topic thread.

 

[browneyes]

I use Blink and Nest. I love them equally.

 

[Athos65]

We switched about two years ago from Ring cameras to Eufy cameras. Our concern with the Ring cameras was the possibility of someone tapping into them.

I will briefly explain the benefits of our Eufy cameras:
1) They are solar powered;
2) no subscription is necessary;
3) they connect to a base unit that is kept inside the house and has a memory card;
4) the quality of images and sound is truly stellar.

The cameras that point at both main points of entry (front and back doors) pan and scan, and can zoom in on distant objects without diminishing picture quality. The cameras by the side gate and over the driveway also have excellent image quality.

The indoor camera we use for our disabled son's day room is plug in, and we can see and hear him, and we can talk to him as well.

They are easy to install and our son, who lives out-of-state can access the outdoor feeds if needed.

In light of the situation the Guthrie family is experiencing, and considering we are advancing in years at the inevitable pace, we are opting for a second camera, from a different angle, on the porch to see not only who walks up to the door, but their face.

We have not been disappointed with these cameras; we find that they work much better and are more reliable than Ring. If we hear a notification (each camera has been assigned a different tone so we know which one to check), we simply check through our cell phones. If there is any need to call LE, we can do so fairly quickly.

Thank you.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I use Blink cameras.

I got them for wildlife purposes (trying to figure out exactly where the deer are getting in, mostly) but they also function as household security.

I don't like being startled by someone knocking at the door, so a chime warning that a car is at the driveway definitely helps even when the person is a friend or just UPS etc.

I have multiple cameras covering different areas and one thing I have thought about while reading the Nancy Guthrie thread is that some of my cameras include views of other cameras, which means that if someone damaged or stole one of my cameras, there's a decent chance one of the other cameras would catch it.

My cameras are not hidden as the deer and raccoons (and a beautiful fox!) don't know what they are anyway.

Also, I don't have a subscription but I do use a thumb drive so that video clips stay for 60 days which gives me plenty of time to view and save any I want to.

These cameras are motion activated and record short clips only -- I think 60 seconds is the longest, and then there is at least a ten second delay in starting a new clip. Not necessarily ideal for catching a burglar. But on the other hand the resolution/detail most of the time is fantastic.

 

[Athos65]

I use Blink cameras.

I got them for wildlife purposes (trying to figure out exactly where the deer are getting in, mostly) but they also function as household security.

I don't like being startled by someone knocking at the door, so a chime warning that a car is at the driveway definitely helps even when the person is a friend or just UPS etc.

I have multiple cameras covering different areas and one thing I have thought about while reading the Nancy Guthrie thread is that some of my cameras include views of other cameras, which means that if someone damaged or stole one of my cameras, there's a decent chance one of the other cameras would catch it.

My cameras are not hidden as the deer and raccoons (and a beautiful fox!) don't know what they are anyway.

Also, I don't have a subscription but I do use a thumb drive so that video clips stay for 60 days which gives me plenty of time to view and save any I want to.

These cameras are motion activated and record short clips only -- I think 60 seconds is the longest, and then there is at least a ten second delay in starting a new clip. Not necessarily ideal for catching a burglar. But on the other hand the resolution/detail most of the time is fantastic.

View attachment 645043

We have birds fly up to the one on the front porch...it is rather funny to see them staring back at us.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

We have birds fly up to the one on the front porch...it is rather funny to see them staring back at us.

Yes! The raccoons especially notice the click when the camera starts and they turn to stare at it, pretty funny!

I often get a laugh when the notification says "motion in the south garden" and I look and see a bunch of quail waddling past.

 

[COSCitizen]

This is the sort of thing I was hoping to learn. I like the idea of having on-premises storage. Solar power also sounds good.

 

[Athos65]

This is the sort of thing I was hoping to learn. I like the idea of having on-premises storage. Solar power also sounds good.

It is VERY convenient. If you order a solar-powered camera it comes with a 10-foot extension for the panel. I was worried when I ordered the first one until I realized that it is included.

Even when the power goes out, we have the cameras going because our internet is Google Fiber and we run it, and our base unit with the memory card, off a small Jackery solar-charged generator.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I have 5 Ring cameras outside which includes the doorbell one. I have a subscription $25/year for each. I can download and save videos. I’m not sure how far back, maybe 30 days? I live alone and my girls can check in on me if needed.

My front door is on an angle facing right. Not my favorite because you don’t know if anyone is approaching from the left, until they are right there!

The one on the right side porch post is facing the front door. It catches the backs of who comes to the door.

The one on the left of the door is up by the soffit. So if I hear anything I can touch the Live Option and immediately see if someone is out there.

The three front cameras let me know what’s going on. Package delivery, sales people, stray dogs, cats, raccoons, lizards and the wasps that hate me and crawl on the lens.

In the back, I have one facing my double gate and on the other side, I have one facing the single gate. This is because we have “avocado gangs” that jump your fence in the middle of the night, strip your tree and run. Thankfully my avocado tree isn’t visible from my gates and isn’t producing yet. I do grow a lot of food tho.

This might seem excessive. However, I live in the ‘hood, high crime, low tax base part of Sarasota FL so, when the chopper lands in front of your house, you know there’s a “runner.” Go inside, lock the door and stay put for a bit.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

This is the sort of thing I was hoping to learn. I like the idea of having on-premises storage. Solar power also sounds good.

Blink has indoor cameras that plug in to house power (I use them outdoors but only on the covered/protected part of the porch) and outdoor cameras that run on AA batteries. Solar would be great but I didn't see that option. And if you want the cameras to not be obvious to nearby humans, a solar panel, as small as it is, might not be the best way to power them.

 

[Athos65]

Yes! The raccoons especially notice the click when the camera starts and they turn to stare at it, pretty funny!

I often get a laugh when the notification says "motion in the south garden" and I look and see a bunch of quail waddling past.

The squirrels here are shameless. They mock our Golden Retriever as she sits at the window in the afternoon. They climb on the porch roof and have staring contests with her. If I pan the camera up, I can watch this...

 

[Athos65]

I have 5 Ring cameras outside which includes the doorbell one. I have a subscription $25/year for each. I can download and save videos. I’m not sure how far back, maybe 30 days? I live alone and my girls can check in on me if needed.

My front door is on an angle facing right. Not my favorite because you don’t know if anyone is approaching from the left, until they are right there!

The one on the right side porch post is facing the front door. It catches the backs of who comes to the door.

The one on the left of the door is up by the soffit. So if I hear anything I can touch the Live Option and immediately see if someone is out there.

The three front cameras let me know what’s going on. Package delivery, sales people, stray dogs, cats, raccoons, lizards and the wasps that hate me and crawl on the lens.

In the back, I have one facing my double gate and on the other side, I have one facing the single gate. This is because we have “avocado gangs” that jump your fence in the middle of the night, strip your tree and run. Thankfully my avocado tree isn’t visible from my gates and isn’t producing yet. I do grow a lot of food tho.

This might seem excessive. However, I live in the ‘hood, high crime, low tax base part of Sarasota FL so, when the chopper lands in front of your house, you know there’s a “runner.” Go inside, lock the door and stay put for a bit.

That was us in Anaheim 20+ years ago. You heard a chopper, you made sure all windows were latched.

 

[Vaderman]

I made up my mind that I don't want to have surveillance systems at my place. If someone's that intent on coming for me, there's not much I can do to prevent it IMO. I have far too much anxiety to constantly check security recordings. If I did have a system and, while scrolling the footage, saw something like in Nancy's case, a masked man moving around my front door at 2 in the morning, I would likely never sleep again. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

 

[Athos65]

I made up my mind that I don't want to have surveillance systems at my place. If someone's that intent on coming for me, there's not much I can do to prevent it IMO. I have far too much anxiety to constantly check security recordings. If I did have a system and, while scrolling the footage, saw something like in Nancy's case, a masked man moving around my front door at 2 in the morning, I would likely never sleep again. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

For us it has a double purpose: we know who is outside and, even though it has not so far been in his nature to wander, we know if our son gets out. Regrettably, there are people with ASD who tend to do that. He wasn't a boater as a child or teenager, but best to have eyes on all exits.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I made up my mind that I don't want to have surveillance systems at my place. If someone's that intent on coming for me, there's not much I can do to prevent it IMO. I have far too much anxiety to constantly check security recordings. If I did have a system and, while scrolling the footage, saw something like in Nancy's case, a masked man moving around my front door at 2 in the morning, I would likely never sleep again. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

For me, it's 98% wildlife, and 2% peace of mind. I have almost no concerns about bad people coming onto my property. But when I hear a noise, looking at a camera to see that it's nothing (or a deer) does give me peace of mind.

 

[Vaderman]

For us it has a double purpose: we know who is outside and, even though it has not so far been in his nature to wander, we know if our son gets out. Regrettably, there are people with ASD who tend to do that. He wasn't a boater as a child or teenager, but best to have eyes on all exits.

That is the difference here. I live alone, I'm not also defending loved ones. That would probably change my mind. Now, I just figure if someone comes for me, I have a 50% chance of overpowering them lol.

 

[Athos65]

That is the difference here. I live alone, I'm not also defending loved ones. That would probably change my mind. Now, I just figure if someone comes for me, I have a 50% chance of overpowering them lol.

I have a 36-inch rolling pin, and I am not afraid to use it.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Confession time: Even though I live on a dead end street with only three other houses, I harbor a secret Websleuths-induced desire that my cameras provide the needed video to help solve some crime or mystery someday.