where is your cctv DVR mounted??

[zmxtech 0]

dont forget that most DVRs/PC's get hot after a while. So have proper vents

 

In the roof ? no deal! the DVR would fry here in Australia. [bBQ]

 

UPS.... get the biggest you can afford. Oh and fuse each camera individually.

 

I think its a great idea to hide the DVR. secret panels and all that.

 

 

my 2c

[bpzle 0]

Holy $%&*! What are you guys protecting? National security? Around my area the thieves are just dumb smash and grab car stereo snatchers. If theres a thief out there smart enough to jam my cell backup, cut my phone/ ISP, AND find disable/ my DVR, or cut my power/ generator and UPS then by God he deserves anything and whatever he wants in my house! At what point does the cost of prevention and protection outweigh the cost of replacement? The only thing I own that insurance and money can't replace are my family. And for THAT we use this black metal thing that goes boom real loud.

 

Ok, I know this sounds ironic coming from a guy who makes a living installing security systems but just food for thought....

 

ALSO: How are you guys getting cllients that need all of that crap? I'd LOVE to be able to install a rediculously redundant system like that! KaCHING!

[rory 0]

LOL i hear you man ... a $100 DVR and a couple cameras thats all people want around here now adays ... but while on the topic .. a cheap can of this and any camera can be blurred (up to 22 feet spray distance)

http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fop_w_h_k.asp

need automatic wipers ...

[kensplace 0]

Do you not have the equivalent of redcare in the states, it available in the uk, basically a line that is monitored all the time, if the line is cut, the ARC (alarm receiving center) knows about it due to loss of the line.

[rory 0]

Do you not have the equivalent of redcare in the states, it available in the uk, basically a line that is monitored all the time, if the line is cut, the ARC (alarm receiving center) knows about it due to loss of the line.

 

They do that in the US probably, problem in the Bahamas is that the phones go down too much, too many false alarms, so nobody uses it. Here we just use Radio primary. How does it work in the UK? I mean once the line is cut it needs to goto radio or cell then to let them know its cut. I mean the alarm cant be dialing the CMS every few seconds. Or do they stay connected all the time, and if so, is BT that good?

[alanjh1965 0]

If you want to keep intruders away you can nail a picture of my mother-in-law to the porch..... now thats scary !

[tomster 0]

I plan to leave mine out in the open. The DVR I'm running is PC based and I plan to use a redundancy RAID array. Fine, steal my DVR, but the mirrored data stays put burried in a wall somewhere.

 

I agree with most here. I don't live in a place that would be a target for any thieves that would have the savy to defeat my alarm and my CCTV system. My biggest problem is my wackjob neighbors, which is what got me to install a CCTV system in the first place. Thankfully, so far my system has done its job because it has captured my neighbor vandalizing my property and has led to his conviction of criminal mischief.

 

Anyway, my point is that if you have an alarm and a CCTV system, most thieves that you would have to wory about who have the savy to beat your defenses are going to move on to easier targets. The smash and grab crackheads probably don't know what a DVR is nor would they have the ability to get past your alarm without setting it off.

[jonnbinky 0]

Why not hide the dvr, ceiling or cabinet, then use a wireless mouse to control it?

[alpine0000 0]

Why not hide the dvr, ceiling or cabinet, then use a wireless mouse to control it?

 

Heat issues, mainly... Especially if your ceiling happens to be an attic.

[bpzle 0]

I've heard of even the dumb criminals know not to open windows or doors. Instead, they smash a window and climb through. Homes with pets can actually be a greater traget because the PIRs (if present at all) are obviously bypassed. Once their inside they pull the battery and AC power to the panel so they can easily take your stuff out through the front door. An easy last defense for this without adding window break sensors is to either enable the tamper feature on the panel OR break the contacts on an existing zone with some magetic reed switches that you mount to the inside of the panel. Example, they open the panel and alarm goes off. They can probably still pull power before the panel dials the central station so that's why I take it a step further. I used a relay on the bell to open contacts on a normally closed circuit going to my dvr. I always use normally closed in case some is trying to rip out or cut wires. The dvr instantly text messages me and a few other family members to be alerted that something is up.

[Soundy 1]

Homes with pets can actually be a greater traget because the PIRs (if present at all) are obviously bypassed.

 

That's not the case anymore - pretty much ALL modern PIRs have some form of "pet immunity" feature. Even without it, a properly placed and aimed PIRs has very little susceptibility to being triggered by animals.

 

Once their inside they pull the battery and AC power to the panel so they can easily take your stuff out through the front door.

 

Not if you have a properly installed alarm system - a good installer will put it somewhere that's not obvious.

[bpzle 0]

Homes with pets can actually be a greater traget because the PIRs (if present at all) are obviously bypassed.

 

That's not the case anymore - pretty much ALL modern PIRs have some form of "pet immunity" feature. Even without it, a properly placed and aimed PIRs has very little susceptibility to being triggered by animals.

 

Once their inside they pull the battery and AC power to the panel so they can easily take your stuff out through the front door.

 

Not if you have a properly installed alarm system - a good installer will put it somewhere that's not obvious.

 

I have 2 90lbs labs. There's not much these beasts wouldn't set off. Short of mouting PIRs 5 feet off the ground or infared beams everywhere, I'm not sure what would you mean by "properly placed and aimed." I've never see motion PIRs mounted that low. Nor would I ever do it.

 

Your right, wall warts shouldn't be mounted near the panel but power can still be pulled inside the panel. Any idiot can read "AC."

[bpzle 0]

And by the way, who installs intrusion panels "properly" anymore? Lol. Isn't that an oxymoron? Home builders and monitoring services pay crap for installers. Like most home owners...my alarm panel came with the house. It's not a total loss, however. With a few tweaks and mods like I already mentioned, it can be a pretty tight security system with not much invested. As mentioned earlier, it's all about the cost to benefit ratio. Why would I add glass break sensors, change out the panel, pull new wire they way "I would have done it", upgrade the PIRs, ect just to protect a 50" plasma, a couple computers, and high end kitchen cutlery. That's what insurance is for. Please, take my crap. I'll get new and better everything!

[rory 0]

I have 2 90lbs labs. There's not much these beasts wouldn't set off. Short of mouting PIRs 5 feet off the ground or infared beams everywhere, I'm not sure what would you mean by "properly placed and aimed." I've never see motion PIRs mounted that low. Nor would I ever do it.

 

Your right, wall warts shouldn't be mounted near the panel but power can still be pulled inside the panel. Any idiot can read "AC."

 

I agree, PET motions are pretty useless. Those just make it easier for a burglar. I was in that biz for 6 years BTW.

[Soundy 1]

The PIR in our living room is actually mounted about 8' up (under a 16' ceiling)... even my friend's huge Rottie doesn't trigger it, but a person can't step into the room without it triggering. It's not a PET-type detector, either.

 

YMMV, but it seems to me careful placement should be able to get around pretty much any animal problem.

[hardwired 0]

The easiest location for a pet-proof PIR for me has usually been a hallway.. There's nothing for the animal to climb on to trigger it, and a thief will have to pass through it if he wants to get into more than one room.

 

Wired window screens work, too, but they can be a pain.

 

A floor safe in cement, and good insurance are what I recommend, too.

 

As far as pets, a survey of thieves that were interviewed I saw a while back put dogs as the #1 deterrent.. alarms were a distant second. My 75Lb Shepherd/Lab mix is as friendly as a kitten.. But she doesn't look or sound that way.

[rory 0]

everywhere is different though, here they just poison the dogs.

[bpzle 0]

Or give em a couple McDonald's cheeseburgers. My dog's can sound vicious when the door bell rings but that's about all their good for. Feed them and you have 2 best friends for life.

[WRS_Mark 0]

I have mine out in the open, guarded by my English Mastiff. Sure, you can poison the dog but between the beast and the cameras isn't it just less work to go somewhere else?