The domestic alarm in casa LL is 22yo. Never been a problem apart from the rear door key pad, which, if not used regularly, has sticking keys.
It’s used daily. Whenever I go out in fact. And at night.
Becomes problematic when arriving home after a few weeks away and I can’t turn the alarm off. Especially in the early hours after an overseas flight. My neighbours aren’t impressed.
A local alarm installer can replace it...but also wants to replace the 22yo system...control box, movement sensors, and I think it unnecessary. At 22yo should I, or if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
CCTV. I’m thinking of installing exterior cameras front and rear....the rear of Casa LL is particularly private, easily accessed through large neighbouring gardens. Should I do so, any advice please on pros and cons, and is it worth having CCTV I can see on my phone ?
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Your local chap has probably quoted for the lot because he doesn't want to bother coming out to do one little job.
CCTV? You live in a small village,if you've got this far without I wouldn't bother. Billy burglar round your way is out robbing red diesel and farmer's quad bikes.
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>> CCTV? You live in a small village,if you've got this far without I wouldn't bother.
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My BiL got away with it for years too, then one day he came home to find the place ransacked. They then got done again a month later, presumably by the same crew picking up the insurance replacements.
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Most people do get away with it, not many have cctv.
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>> CCTV? You live in a small village,if you've got this far without I wouldn't bother.
>> Billy burglar round your way is out robbing red diesel and farmer's quad bikes.
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Very true about quad bikes. And sheep rustling.
Recently CCTV picked up 5 scroats wandering into a farmyard. They drove off in a Toyota. A short while later police followed a quad driven by 2 scroats wearing balaclavas. They hit an HGV on a roundabout.
Hope it wasn’t anything too minor....no further news in any of the local rags.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 27 Sep 21 at 21:12
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TBH I don't know, but in relative terms this sort of thing is now much cheaper than it used to be.
For my self build, I got a quote from the electrician to provide an intruder alarm and CCTV. In round figures they were about £1,000 each. The alarm will have about 8 PIR's and some door switches, and for CCTV 4 fixed cameras will cover the front and back of the house, and there will be a remotely accessible Hikvision (hick vision?) NVR whatever that is. Now that the masonry cladding is done, the Cat 6 is dangling out of the walls, ready for the cameras.
I am aware that Hikvision is a Chinese company and some people have privacy or data security concerns, possibly something about their images being stored in China but I think the privacy horse bolted a long time ago so I'm not going to worry about that.
If you want to see the quote I can scan it for you. You might understand it better than I do.
I have had an alarm on two previous houses, but I haven't bothered for the last 20 years, relying on a non-functional box, a legacy of a previous system in our old bungalow. I'm conscious that the new house will make us look considerably richer than previously, despite having made us somewhat poorer with the cost of building it. So I am adding some defences, even though we will have little of value to steal!
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 27 Sep 21 at 21:15
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CCTV can indeed give the wrong impression.
My brother in law is a sparkie and he has CCTV around the house incuding external cameras. They're not especially prominent unless you look up at them.
Over the summer his son was walking behind two policemen who were passing (once in a decade occurrence). "Look at that lot said one". "Yes probably a drug dealer" said the other.
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Crikey!
What an incredible coincidence?
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Looking at similar in my house - not sure whether primary or secondary defences are best - or whether to adopt both.
CCTV may help identify who got in - if plod is bothered or able to follow it up.
Other approach is to make it more difficult to get in to start with - PIR lighting, decent window and door locks, noisy alarm. Although the legalities may be questionable in some cases - razor wire atop fences, gates and hedges, spikes on window sills, bars or shutters on windows etc.
Ultimately a concerted effort will get into just about all domestic properties - therefore make it more attractive for the criminally inclined to look for somewhere easier.
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A branded alarm kit for the house costs no more than 140 quid. A fully functional 4 camera CCTV system is 280 quid.
All of us on here are capable of installing them.
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>> A branded alarm kit for the house costs no more than 140 quid. A fully
>> functional 4 camera CCTV system is 280 quid.
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>> All of us on here are capable of installing them.
It did cross my mind but I have more things to do than I will ever get around to. The alarm sounds the easiest.
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The big question with external cameras is do you make them highly visible or conceal?
The presence of cameras may indicate that you have something of value - but may also make the scroats move to the next property. I have a mix of Swan (pre digital) cameras with a HDD recorder that has Internet access - and several £20 steerable wireless digital TAPO cameras with integrated storage and 24hr internet access. The remote alert function is disabled because of excessive false alarms from spiders in the middle of the night, and what action could you take anyway.
I think that the front door coverage with an audible indicator probably has the greatest deterrent effect, to the casual " knock - if no reply - break in" chancer. They may just work out that they have been recorded on camera and move on.
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I don't have a CCTV system, or even an alarm system. I even leave the keys in my car 24/7.
One of the benefits of living in a godforsaken hole like Cornwall.
:o}
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>>The remote alert function is disabled because of excessive false alarms
>> from spiders in the middle of the night, and what action could you take anyway.
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A security expert told me that a moth ball in the vicinity deterrs them.
Oh! moth balls are now banned. :-( What will now do the job?
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All 3 sons have alarms of varying costs.
Son #2=
Most expensive - Cameras & lights all around outside, all external doors alarmed, internally cameras covering all open plan area. Put in when house was being built 2 years back. Linked to call centre & repair contract - pricey!
Son #2=
External lights all around. Door alarms. All branded wireless cameras, garden, open plan, garden room, up-linked to cloud.
Son#1 - broken into 11 years ago 4pm ish by druggie - damaged windows getting, in took camera, laptop, i-pod IIRC.
External lights all around. Yale self install kit alarm £400 IIRC probably a lot cheaper now (installed after burglary) Recent additions Amazon Blink cameras (modest cost) phone linked + up-linked to cloud - modest cost.
Me? Broken into 3 x early 90s - same person - now aged 48 he is still at it & appears in court regularly - now moved approx. 3 miles away - breaking into homes within 1 mile of where he lives (druggie)
Nothing other than good locks and a neighbour who scans the street - he is nearly 80 so I might invest in a camera or 2 some time soon.
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LL. Stay there My mate has just bought 3-4 fantastic cameras for his shop. Sends stuff to an app. Records etc., and I believe even listens in. I'll message him for details. The quality that I have viewed is quite amazing. It wasn't a lot of money either.
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Hilook series by Hikvision CCTV.
jmcsecure.co.uk
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Appreciated
I’ll check it out
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Home CCTV - sooty123
