Any tips for security systems?

pgh13

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The M-i-L is reckons she gets people prowling round outside her house in the night. She has a couple of pir security lights, but I'm wondering if something cheap could be cobbled together with an old PC and webcam. She doesn't have broadband, but maybe it could dial up on a timed basis to save any images elsewhere. Anybody done anything home brewed in this area?
TIA
 

Topper

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Standards in this area have dropped during the last 20 years and after a sole person slashed the tyres of a 4 x 4 opposite our house and another two cars further up the road, the police said they could not do anything without evidence. This happened about 9 weeks ago and I immediately set up an old win98 laptop and an old web cam and it has been working ever since. There are another two also in the street as I showed my neighbour how to set one up and they are obvious to anyone near the house as my camera is mounted on a small tripod. The logitech software supplied a number of years ago had a really useful security motion detector software option and when triggered can snap a still picture or a small video. Obviously I have to keep on top of housekeeping of the small 30GB Hard drive but it works a treat.
 

mhku

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You can also get wireless IP cams that have the software built into the camera and will link straight to your wireless router and then the Internet (or to your PC).
 

PaulR

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mhku said:
and then the Internet (or to your PC).
Be careful if you have a smallish upload/download allowance from your ISP as this could bite heavily into it.
 

pgh13

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XTrend ET8000, Dr HD 15, PC/twinhan combination. 80cm dish. GBPVR with 2 DTTV cards +hauppauge Media MVP +Raspberry Pi running XBMC
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Midlands UK
Thanks, I'll do some experimenting.
 
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