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Security camera gurus, please help

From the attached photo, my home is on the Right, and my Mom is on the left (yeah, I’m one of those lucky guys who gets to keep Mom Close).

What I’m wanting to achieve, is to put a single security camera on my front gable of my garage (green dot).

I would like to cover my yard, including driveway, all the way across to the other side of the street...green dotted lines (Yes, I know there are laws about filming on other people’s property, that I will adhere to).

In a perfect world (pink hash line) I would like to get 180* coverage from my gable to the other side of the street (with permission from both nextdoor neighbors which will not be a problem). Every year, there is more and more stupid chit happening in the area, and I’m just trying to be proactive and at least provide video to authorities if the need should arise.

I do not just want something I can watch “Live”, but stored for a certain amount of time to be viewed at a later date (1 week-1month-etc.). What do I need to store the video, how am I able to view it?

I’m at a total loss what to buy, and figure someone has also done the research or, quite possibly, has extensive knowledge in this field.

If I didn’t supply enough info, let me know what else is needed and I’ll supply it.

So, please shoot me some options, or avenues to go down. Thanks in advance,

Mike

I've got three trail cameras covering our back yard. They are primarily for seeing what sort of critters come by, but two of them also cover anything and anyone who comes into the back yard and therefore, our two back doors, so they serve as security cameras as well.

I was thinking the same thing, but you would end up with THOUSANDS of photos. probably won't work on street like that.

Scar Finga,

Yeah there is that!

I've got some very cool ten-second videos of deer, bears, coyotes, cougars, etc, but for everyone of those, I have a dozen or more of my dog and branches and leaves waving in the wind.

I check all three cameras at least twice a week and then delete what's on the card after saving the good 'wild critter' ones, so I rarely have more than 25 at a time on any of the cards.

The upside is, besides the cool critter photos, ANYONE who gets around to the back of our home is going to have their picture taken. If we ever need it, the police are going to get a great video ID on the bad guy.

A couple of wireless transmitter/ receiver units can send your home WI-FI from your house to your Mom's camera. So, you could have a camera at both locations, viewable anytime on the web, with an option to view the history as well. There are some really affordable systems now that do all that.

We have the additional advantage of living on a court with just nine homes. Several of us have offices in our homes which overlook the street. As a result, it would be unusual for a car or truck we don't recognize as belonging here not to be the cause of suspicion. In fact, even in the winter when our windows are shut, we can pretty much tell who's driving up the street simply from the sound they make.

When I see a vehicle I don't recognize, I go on 'alert mode' until I'm comfortable with what I'm seeing. On more than one occasion, when I've seen a slow moving, strange vehicle, my Kimber .45 ACP goes into my back pocket and I walk out to the street to see what's going on.

This is a very low-crime/zero crime part of town and we intend to keep it that way.

Most of us are armed and know how and when to defend ourselves and our neighbors.

Depends what your budget is. You can by a consumer grade camera system at a lot of the big box stores in 4/8/16 camera configurations. Usually IP with 1.3 or 2MP cameras. Built in auto IR out to about 60'. A fixed 2.8mm lens image will be about 100' wide at 60 feet. The recorder has a hard drive that will store video at 10 frames per second 2-4 weeks depending on the number of cameras. Plug a standard VGA computer monitor into it to view live and stored video. It auto writes over the oldest video. Some allow you to plug into your home internet router and use a hosting site to view live or stored video on any internet capable device including your smart phone. 4-$800 depending on number of cameras. You install it and set it up. Consumer grade electronics work until they don't.

Or you can contact a Professional Security Company for the good stuff. Higher resolution cameras, even digitally stitched 180 degree like you are looking for. Camera analytics, motion detection, alarm triggers, line crossing and other goodies. Again recorded on a networked storage box (NVR). Build the hard drives to store as long as you want. Archive video clips on the NVR or export to a thumb drive so you can email it or pass to authorities. These cameras can be anywhere from $400 to $2000 and the NVR $600 to $3000. Installed and serviced by professionals.

All camera systems now require a fair amount of IT knowledge. If that is in your wheelhouse and pulling cable isn't a problem, you may want to install yourself. If not, get a free quote from a company that does it every day.

THAT is the exact kind of info I’m looking for. Thank you.

Trail cameras have their purpose, but not for my intentions on this project.

My brother has had a trail cam pointed towards his daughters bedroom window for the whole time she was growing up...only had to knock on someones door once with an 8x10 !

I have a lot of trail cameras but use some wireless alert systems for home security. I had one set up at my mom's house before she passed away and she lived a quarter mile away though the woods. It would alert me when someone got near her house and a few times I went up there at 2 AM, with my AR 15 to see deer looking in the back door. I have a camera that I set up to watch the drive way and it took a lot of adjustment to get it right. It will video anything, including cats, foxes, coons, cars or trucks that come into my drive way. The video is stored on a computer in the house and we used a TV for the monitor. Doesn't do well in rain or fog. If we hear an alert we can check the monitor to see what is out there. It has infrared light for night.

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