Hello!
Due to a recent scare, I am looking at installing some form of CCTV to look out over our bike shed. And was wondering what your opinions/ideas/experiences of cctv are.

Bike shed sits immediately outside my bedroom(downstairs) window. It has a steel roof, which covered in a layer of soil and growing in that is sedum turf.

To access the shed, both wheelie bins need to be removed. This gives access to a composite plywood, softwood door about 120mm thick. This is secured into the brickwork side wall, with a sliding bolt, and large padlock.

Inside the shed, all bikes are locked to wall anchors and/or the steel roof, with 12mm thick link chain and armoured lock.

I am pretty sure the noise of moving bins, cutting smashing door, and cutting a motocycle lock off so close to bedrooms of the house would wake someone up! However as a further deterrent..

I am thinking of placing an Indoor Network IP camera inside my window. This would be focussed on the door, and I hope would record any movement. Is this the right way to go?

An external camera would look ugly, and may be a target for vandels?

Ideally looking at one which will record and send videos/images to an email address or store them for later..

Is this the best way to go? Any recommendations?

Cheers
Tex

Definitely go IP cam as it will send images to a web address as soon as it picks up motion and you can check the live feed at any time from a mobile phone or PC anywhere in the world. I have one that has pan and tilt control from a web console and IR lights for night vision.

for position it just depends if you can get a good enough image to identify them.

Part of the point of CCTV is as a deterrent so while it may look ugly on the outside it’ll be visible.

I recently bought a Xenta IP camera of eBuyer to replace an older one that recorded to video.

The onboard software allows remote viewing and while it will email or upload stills when movement is detected it’s rather crude.
iSpy software is free for use on the local network, a paid version allows better remote access and works better as you can decide which areas of the viewable image you need to monitor.

Mine is currently sat in a bedroom windows overlooking the garage so night vision doesn’t work as the IR lights bounce of the glass.

The one I have has a rather narrow viewing angle which is just about ok for what I need and would be perfect for monitoring a specific space.

I just need to sort out power and some big ladders in the attic so I can mount it outside and run the cable up into the roof.

Iv got CCTV on my shed…when they robbed it they were looking at the cameras..huds up tight so you could not make them out very well….I would also fit a good alarm or try and connect to your house alarm if you have got one fitted.

Thanks for your help!

Regarding using the CCTV as a deterant… I am concerned that It may attact attention.. Why would someone put up a camera to guard a well hidden shed? Is that how a theif thinks?! I don’t know!

Dave Rambo… cheers I will look for that on Ebuyer!

Texas.

I’ve put in a camera that watches the garage door the drive and the cars after I had someone try and force the garage door (and set the alarm off), had several the cars gone through on the few occasions we’d left them unlocked (I know, I know), and had some bar steward nick some ferkin plants from the garden (I think that was a spiteful neighbour though !).

It’s an IP camera so every time someone walks into the activity zone it sends me a snap shot to my Blackberry. It even goes off when the street light goes off or if a leaf blows across the drive.

Within 2 weeks of putting it up we caught someone sneaking up the drive to try the front door (CID said they we’re after the keys to the car) but he clearly didn’t realise the camera was there. We got a really clear movie showing exactly what he looks like. The police have circulated it on their national database and I put it out everywhere I could. When CID came to the house they showed me some research that they’d carried out on convicted burglars. It showed that none of them would touch a house that had a camera or had a CCTV sticker in the window. They even avoided houses with Police campaign stickers that said the security in this house has been assessed. Touch wood, we’ve not had anything for nearly 12 months and I’m working on the basis that the local gangs now know I’m alarmed and CCTV’d up !

If you want an IP camera then drop me an e-mail. My wife’s cousin has his own business (based in London) and I’m sure he’d give you quote.