After 2 incidents where people have been in our gargen (one where they tried to remove a lead surround to a hand pump but failed, and one where they took an old sink and tap we had removed from our kitchen as it was being replaced) we have decided to get a CCTV system to compliment the security lights and alarm. I've looked around but don't really know what to go for. Maplins do some kits for which range from £250-£500 but I'm not sure which make or features I should go for. Does anyone have any experience or advise on these?

Cheers

 

If you have a Cost Co nearby pop down there, they have two excellent systems one ideal for residential and one bit more suited to commercial.

The residential is a Samsung system, 2 colour cameras with excellent night vision capabilities, a hard drive recorder and all wiring. It also comes with a handy smart phone app so you ca log in via Blackberry or iPhone to check in on things and have a look at home.

Excellent system bud, friend of mine fitted it to cover his garage and pride and joy, from memory it's about £399 and sometimes they have an offer on it.

Si

 

dont buy micromark theyre ****e,dont go wireless or half the neighbourhood will be tuning in on their baby monitors,all you need is a decent hardwired cam and a source of recording,Macro have some very good systems on offer

 

get this
http://www.cctvdirect.co.uk/products...e-Viewing.html

and a few of these

http://www.cctvdirect.co.uk/products...Low-Light.html

or this as they are the best

http://www.cctvdirect.co.uk/products...on-Camera.html

Ive got a swan setup with nightowls and its ok but a bit ****, the above is what im getting next

 

Have you got an air rifle?

If any one's in your garden, uninvited, shoot 'em with it!

 

I love living in a small town, no hassle, no alarms. Everyone keeps an eye out for you, defo the way forward, I moved from Liverpool to the Scottish highlands.

 

Dey doo do, don't dey do!

 

Eh eh, calm down.

 

Yep its great to be somewhere like that .We lived in the Outer Hebides for a year or so and people left the keys in their cars,at the paper shop etc .Would be wonderful to go back to being able to do that.Sadly too much scum about in mainland England.

 

Either this, or get a DVR card for your PC (but then it will need to be on all the time) and suitable cameras for your needs, obviously if you need a longer view at night you're going to need BIG IR floodlights, and they're not cheap. I think COSTCO Samsung kits are fantastic, and you would have to go a long way to beat them for price construction and quality.

 

I have installed 10 + of the Swann kits that Maplins sell,
Cracking kit and good prices.

 

Ive got 6 camera dvr system 60 day record infa red.Can see the images all over the world on its own ip address.

But guess what does f all.When they come they come in the early hrs 3-4am pitch black black clothes and a hoody u cant see shiiite .Simple.Good for your'e insurance and that's about it.

Check out the m1 that was stolen on pistonheads, 3 outside lights, 2 cameras,And you cant see nothing car was nicked still.

 

Personally I couldn't give a stuff if somebody nicked my car and don't understand why people get so obsessive about it.

If the cctv cameras discourage people from breaking into my house then they have done their job. Of course cctv cameras won't stop home intruders if they really want to get in but a combination of flood lighting, a centrally monitored alarm and cctv cameras will probably convince most burglars to try a house that will provide easier pickings.

I wouldn't care less if they nick my car, it's insured and can be replaced.

 

I got mine from Maplins... recoder + 3 cameras.

as the camera fail I replace with better 540TVL cameras for about £45 each off Ebay that are wide angle vieing (3.6mm lens, instead of the 9mm from Maplins)

TBH, I wish I'd of bought all the kit off the companies I've used on Ebay, better camera's than Maplins and the recorders are better for the money too.

Just seen this on ebay now...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEAP-Outd...ht_2778wt_1162



The bigger the TVL number the clearer the picture

 

If you told the neighbours you moved from Liverpool,that's why they are keeping a close eye on you.

 

Check out cctv42

 

Thanks for everyone's comments.

I've looked at the various sites mentioned but I've found the one at Maplin seems to offer the best value. This is the one I'm interested in:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/500gb-pro-cc...reaming-636695

The cameras looks decent (600 and 700TVL) and it has the option to expand if I wanted to add more cameras. Just need to wait for them to have stock

 

I was in Costco the other day and had a look at the cameras. Compared to the ones I bought from cctvdirect they seem cheap and flimsy. I reckon the ones from Maplins will be similar.

You should take a look at cctv direct, the stuff I bought from there looks like it will last

 

I have the swann dvr 4 net and its ok

Issues it has are, if you use sensor activation after some time it locks out with thenharddrive going all the time, ive had 2 now and they still do it, swann support keep saying firmware but it never fixes it.

I have 2 swann nightowls they are ok, but the sony cameras ie the lens are supposed to be good kit. 700tvl

If you switch the swann to 24/7 mode its ok but if you have any issues in the night you have to back track no easy way to find anything, with the failed sensor mode at least you could see how many times its triggered. My point her is if you use 24/7 unless u have an incident youll never check it, on sensor mode you see the activations so see pikeys sniffing about

I guess theynhave moved on now to be honest, but i wont buy it again. Let me know how it goes,

Ted

 

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20400

As i said support is crap, be carefull, read that, its what i had but the firmware actually trashed the box, not good hardware

 

must be a old system as the latest ones Ive used are a DVR4-1300 unit,
Only issues I have come across is user error on port forwarding and setting up their router,
I had a brand new power supply fail out the box on a system but (touch wood) no hardware problems or freezing thru 2011 and 2012 on systems installed by myself,
I always format the system when installing and set the system to reboot its self each week,
I know they arent the best but for what you get and how easy you can get them I cant knock them.

 

True it is a few years old

 

+ 1

this dvr is just as good

http://www.cctvdirect.co.uk/products...e-viewing.html

but those cameras are superb