Apartment robbed, need security camera system

[sithjedi333 0]

Hi all. Great forum you have here. My NYC rental apartment was recently robbed, so in addition to other security measures, I'm looking to install a camera system. My budget is around $1-2k, I could go higher or lower if it made sense.

 

I have 4 areas of the apartment, kitchen (less important), family room, and 2 bedrooms. In order to get double coverage I might need 2 cameras per room, but may start with 1 per room to stay within my budget? Being able to identify who was in the apartment would be important in case of another breakin (the police think it was an inside job). I would like the system to be expandable in case we move to a larger apartment in the future. In addition, I would like the cameras to be concealed/disguised. I would prefer to have audio, and would welcome your suggestions on whether I need color vs B/W for my purposes.

 

Since I live in a rental, I would prefer not to have to drill. However I'm somewhat concerned about neighbors' ability to tap into a wireless system and monitor me, so some encryption would be appreciated. Ability to monitor remotely would be a plus too. On some websites I've seen cameras that transmit data through the powerplug, is that a recommended setup?

 

Are there any go-to combinations of cameras/DVR/software you can suggest, as well as reputable vendors? Please PM me if that's a better way to handle this.

 

How do I secure the computer/DVR that's recording the feeds, should I keep in in a safe?

 

Thanks for reading, I will be checking this thread regularly, so if I need to provide more info, please let me know. If there are any articles I can read to get up to speed I would greatly appreciate it.

[Kiwi 0]

I would spend $500 on securing the door better and forget about the CCTV.

 

Other than a nanny-cam built into in a teddy bear, your simply not going to be able to have a covert system without drilling holes and it's very likely the equipment will be gone the next time you have a burglary.

[sithjedi333 0]

Thanks, I am spending about that having the door hardware upgraded with Medeco and Mul-T-lock/Abloy protec locks. Forgot to mention we have an infant & nanny so the camera system would serve multiple purposes. I came across the Logitech Wilife system which looks decent if I lock the network drive in the safe we're getting. Any opinions on that system? The main drawback seems to be that they only have 1 alarm clock type concealable camera. Any suggestions for reputable dealers/installers in the NYC area would be welcome as well.

 

Thank you.

[Harrar 0]

I'd forget about putting a computer/dvr/network drive in a safe unless you plan on drilling holes in it for cabling or an antenna if you go wireless. With no ventilation, the electronics won't last very long.

[Kiwi 0]

These answers are never easy. The Logitech system still needs a PC which must survive the break-in, nearly impossible without either a strong box or hiding it - both difficult in a rental property. I've put my DVR and other security monitoring kit inside a large, vented NEMA 4 box in a closet but I own the property. It took me years to evolve and cost thousands.

 

It pays to play out all the potential scenarios to see if the proposed solutions will even work and are worth the cost. And that includes trying to get the cops to act and produce results from your CCTV images.

 

I wouldn't limit yourself to ideas which also suit your nanny concerns. The optimum solutions may be different as the nanny is unlikely to mess with your PC but will have more time to notice a hidden camera.

 

Do you have a trustworthy at-home neighbor that can respond to a silent alarm?

 

The big advantage with an apartment is limited access and if your door is impregnable that's the best answer. Perhaps you can limit CCTV to the nanny.

 

Someone should sell a DVR with a battery and single camera looking out the front, all inside a lockable steel box that can be temporarily but securely screwed to the back of the front door.

[Sawbones 0]

Depending on the size of the safe, and the power consumption of the network drive, that's not a completely unrealistic solution.

[bpzle 0]

Look at the Mobotix Q24. Check out the YouTube videos on it. Doesn't look like a camera, has 360 degree coverage, and doesn't require a dedicated DVR/NVR. Would be very easy to take to the next apartment.

[sithjedi333 0]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

 

The Mobotix looks great but a little pricey, and I'm worried it will be obvious even though it looks like a smoke detector.

 

Most gun safes have a wire port for goldenrod dessicant tubes. Not sure how that impacts fireproofness, nor if that's enough airflow for a network drive.

 

We've gotten to know our neighbors much better since the incident, but don't want to rely on them for this type of situation.

 

Right now I'm looking at the Sharx 2607 IP cameras, they have a built-in webserver and can store video in an internal SD card, does that sound like a good solution? Kind of like a camera/computer/dvr all in one.

[Sawbones 0]

A single network hard drive inside your safe should neatly take the place of a Goldenrod, since a goldenrod is simply a small heater element. The Goldenrods don't remove any humidity... they simply heat up the safe.

 

The theory behind the goldenrod is to raise the temperature in your safe above the dew point... that is, that point at which water will condense on the guns contained within it (as long as the metal is above the dewpoint, water will not condense on the surface). It's not necessarily the atmospheric humidity that is so terribly harmful to stored weapons... it's the water that sometimes condenses on the surface of cold metal (for instance, a gun safe stored in a cold, damp basement). Elevating the temperature inside the safe retards rust.

 

A single drive inside a decent-sized gun safe will raise the temperature within it, but it shouldn't cook the drive. In addition, it will frankly be to the benefit of your stored weapons to do this.

[bpzle 0]

Bones, that's a little scarry how much you know about gun safes.

[Sawbones 0]

Bones, that's a little scarry how much you know about gun safes.

 

I will only say that I've confronted this particular problem before.

 

If you like, I can show you the solution I chose for one of my own weapons storage lockers (one that primarily stores ammunition)