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Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

Seems to be the "going thing" these days.  Do you have this type of surveillance system at your home with cameras etc?  What kind  do you have and are you happy  with it? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,238
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

I bought 2 of the ring things but haven't put them up yet.

 

I do have cameras (Nest) in my house but they only come on when I leave the house.  

 

I also have (and have had for years) ADT.  My ADT has everything covered except cameras, I draw the line there.  We had a house fire several years ago and I told my husband the fact that everyone and his brother has been in and out of my house (repairing, etc) and he was traveling a lot, I wanted security.  So, we have alarms everywhere, I seldom set them, but we have them.

 

I really like the Nest.  My son-in-law set them up before I had my knees replaced.  I knew I'd be in rehab and wanted to watch my cats.  When I'm out I get notices on my phone and I can touch the picture and it shows me (in real time) everything.  I can even talk back and forth with the person.  He put it in his parent's house because they cruise like 24/7.  Their's isn't as elaborate as mine though.

 

I bought and still have the one HSN sells but never did anything with it.  I'll probably give those away.  I also just bought the one's QVC was selling and they're probably in a box here somewhere (I'll have to look now that I'm thinking about it)...

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,482
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

@Annabellethecat66  I LOVE IT!  Watch the cat!!!!  I always wondered what one of our cats was up to during the day.  You'd come homw and see things he had done, and wonder how the heck did he do that, and WHY did he do it!

 

A neighbor put in a cat door and came home to find about 6 cats lounging on the living rom furniture one day.  She said the cats just looke up at her when she came in!  Cat parties!  LOL!!!

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,597
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

I have some fake cameras mounted on the outside of my house in obvious places. They look like the real deal and so much so that the police have knocked on my door asking for video footage I might have of a possible crime...lol!Woman LOL

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,018
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

We have one that my husband set up a few years ago.  I don't know the brand name, but it includes multiple exterior cameras that feed into a divided-screen picture on the interior monitor.  I like knowing who is at my entryways and parked in the driveway. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,238
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

@Sooner My problem though (with catching the cats) is they walk down the steps just out of sight of the camera yet enough to set them off (they are motion sensored).  Then when I look to see what they're up to....I might catch a fluffy tale flutter by!

 

It was funny when I was in rehabl and the dufus one (Katie, that cat is strange) would come down to the foyer and sit and stare at the front door....just stare there...

 

Another mystery was solved....every since I've had them (for a few years now) someone was throwing (really throwing) the litter out of the boxes (2 of them) where I keep them.  That stuff would be everywhere (over and over).  Never one little poop though would be thrown out, just the litter (thank goodness).

 

Then I discovered it was Bill...yepper, that booger went bonkers with the litter.  So the other day (finally) I found a box that has 3 sides wide.  So far I've haven't seen where he's been throwing it...I know, he's just making me THINK I've fixed the problem....Ha!

 

Just recently I had the kid next door take out my trash and when he came down the stairs I said hello to him....he jumped so high, even though he knows about the cameras, I guess he just forgot.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

[ Edited ]

We just bought ARLO Pros (completely wireless) and sounds a lot like @Annabellethecat66"s Nest.  We can view rooms in real time and talk to anyone in the room,  They are activated when we leave the house and are alerted for movement in the rooms on our phones,  also have one at the front door, We also recently purchased  Alexa Echo and love it!  Lights turn on and off in rooms, records shopping lists, gives us the weather, time, current news, turn the TV off/on, control the thermostat etc.....all with a simple command.   We are becoming bluetooth central at our home! We are finding so many uses and conveniences with Alexa.   (I can see that If there is anyone disabled, or elderly with a limited range of motion, I would highly recommend considering these systems.)

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Posts: 1,509
Registered: ‎07-18-2016

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home


@Sooner wrote:

@Annabellethecat66  I LOVE IT!  Watch the cat!!!!  I always wondered what one of our cats was up to during the day.  You'd come homw and see things he had done, and wonder how the heck did he do that, and WHY did he do it!

 

A neighbor put in a cat door and came home to find about 6 cats lounging on the living rom furniture one day.  She said the cats just looke up at her when she came in!  Cat parties!  LOL!!!


That's cute! We got a stray that way, before we had dogs. A cat started to come in our cat door while we were on vacation to eat & stayed. He was a really nice cat. How I picked my nickname, strays that stay. 😻

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,504
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home


@deepwaterdotter wrote:

We have one that my husband set up a few years ago.  I don't know the brand name, but it includes multiple exterior cameras that feed into a divided-screen picture on the interior monitor.  I like knowing who is at my entryways and parked in the driveway. 


 

 

Same here. We are rural, and a system like this doesn't hurt. We also have 3-4 cameras that came with the set and the split screen viewing, though we usually have it set to the driveway. 

 

I believe it was purchased from Lowe's or Harbor Freight and I don't think it was super-expensive. I know that the set sold at Costco is popular too.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all
Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,773
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Outdoor surveillance systems/cameras outside your home

We have a driveway alarm and dogs.

When I lose the TV controller, it's always in some remote destination.