I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at the back of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as it'll only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think of anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw attention.

On 28/12/14 11:18, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at the back of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as it'll only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think of anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw attention.


Could you start with a Spycam which has a very small sensor and the rest
of the electronics in a box on a tail? You could hide the sensor in a
plank of wood in a knot hole - they are that small.

Or are you committed to a particular camera?

In which case, look at your neighbours houses and note what features
there are on the walls that most people pay no attention to?

False extract fan flue, light fitting, your bird box even.

I would have thought for a 5' height, the fan extract had some potential
- big enough to get a small box-cam in, and no one would notice a 10mm
hole lined up with the lens (assuming you do not need IR led apertures too)?

On 28/12/2014 11:18, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at the back of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as it'll only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think of anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw attention.

- Fake drainpipe
- Trellis
- Electrical junction box
- Security light (which can be bought with an integrated covert camera)
- Roofed bird table
- Plant basket

If you're going to fabricate an enclosure for the camera, it might be
worth designing it so that it's impossible for the camera to see any
part of your neighbours' properties.

"LumpHammer" wrote in message
...
On 28/12/2014 11:18, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted
inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at
the back of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as
it'll only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think
of anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw
attention.

- Fake drainpipe
- Trellis
- Electrical junction box
- Security light (which can be bought with an integrated covert camera)
- Roofed bird table
- Plant basket

If you're going to fabricate an enclosure for the camera, it might be
worth designing it so that it's impossible for the camera to see any part
of your neighbours' properties.

stick one of those cheap and obviousely fake dummy camera's in another place
looking over the same area, so the scrotes will go for that cam, or laugh
thinking they are not being watched as the cam is fake (a flashing led on it
helps scream fake camera... if it were real then at night the flashing led
would be buggering up the auto iris function)

On Sunday, December 28, 2014 11:18:07 AM UTC, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted
inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage
at the back of my house

'bullet' camera inside a length of 'overflow' pipe.

Owain

On 28/12/14 11:58, LumpHammer wrote:

- Electrical junction box

This ^

Thanks for those replies

This is the camera I have ordered:

http://www.eyespy247.com/shop/produc...curity_Camera/

It's about 6cm in diameter and rather brightly coloured so needs hiding

On Sunday, December 28, 2014 4:05:22 PM UTC, Murmansk wrote:
http://www.eyespy247.com/shop/produc...curity_Camera/

It's about 6cm in diameter and rather brightly coloured so needs hiding

You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Owain

Murmansk wrote

I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which
will be mounted inside my garage looking out through
a hole in the wall of the garage at the back of my house
and I need some way to disguise and protect it as it'll
only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box

I'm not sure that many would find that plausible so close to the ground.

- I wonder if anyone can think of anything else that
might do the job better and wouldn't draw attention.

How about a sign saying do not park here or something ?

wrote in message
...
On Sunday, December 28, 2014 11:18:07 AM UTC, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted
inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage
at the back of my house

'bullet' camera inside a length of 'overflow' pipe.

Very unusual to have an overflow pipe ending 5' from the ground
going horizontal. A sign would be much more plausible, maybe a
joke sign.

You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!

On 28/12/2014 20:26, Murmansk wrote:
You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!

What's the purpose of the camera - don't you need it to see things at night?
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 28/12/14 19:00, wrote:
On Sunday, December 28, 2014 4:05:22 PM UTC, Murmansk wrote:
http://www.eyespy247.com/shop/produc...curity_Camera/

It's about 6cm in diameter and rather brightly coloured so needs hiding

You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Owain


Indeed - it will be very obvious and you'd need a huge aperture to allow
the LED light through - also you'd need to paint the aperture and inside
the box matt black to avoid IR reflected glare.

As the cornishman (whatever) said - if I wanted to get there I wouldn't
start from here

On 28/12/14 20:26, Murmansk wrote:
You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!


So you are happy to disable IR all the time (being not much use in the day)?

Tricky - think you'll have to use a birdbox.

If you have the chance to return it, I would consider:

http://www.cctvkits.co.uk/hd-ip-cctv/ds-2cd2432-iw/

which is what I have. Technically an indoor camera, but if you are
hiding it in an enclosure, it would probably be OK.

Again the IR LEDs can be disabled. And it can be got for £70-75 on
AliExpress for a 3 week wait posting from China (I have 2 ordered this
way and can recommend a supplier). It would be a lot easier to conceal.

Needs a 12V PSU - unless you can supply PoE.

A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Murmansk" wrote in message
...
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted inside
my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at the back
of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as it'll only be
about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think of
anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw attention.

On Sunday, December 28, 2014 10:36:59 PM UTC, Brian Gaff wrote:
A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

IR floodlight just out of reach, its how far can go with anti tamper devices before it might be interprted as a trap.

Observation of scrotes on CCTV has shown them to be attracted to dim red rings in the dark, they will try and attack them, mains volatge present on a 12V camera might be hard to explain, thought of camera flash `accidentally` wired to an otherwise isolated case....

For the O.P. start with a bullet or board cam , not a hulking great scrote magnet.

Murmansk wrote:
You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!

You can have a separate infra red light away from the camera.

/AliExpress for a 3 week wait posting from China (I have 2 ordered this
way and can recommend a supplier)./q

I'd be interested Tim, email is valid if rqd.

TIA

Jim K

On 29/12/14 12:54, JimK wrote:
/AliExpress for a 3 week wait posting from China (I have 2 ordered this
way and can recommend a supplier)./q

I'd be interested Tim, email is valid if rqd.

TIA

Jim K


Here you go:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/whole...472253824.html

You need to state in the order description whether you want 2.8mm
(nearly 90 degrees horizontal field), 4mm (75 degrees ish)

If you send a message to Julia, she's pretty good at confirming stock
levels fairly quickly.

I just upgraded the firmware on my original Hikvision (bought from the
UK) using the Hikvision US site and it went without a hitch.

Be warned that you *might* get stung for VAT and an admin fee during
import if customs happen to be bored enough to pick your package - I was
not. Even so, it's still way cheaper than UK purchase. So you should do
your calcs on the basis of VAT plus £15 or whatever the Royal Mail admin
fee is now and view lack of VAT as a bonus if it happens.

On 28/12/2014 20:26, Murmansk wrote:
You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!


What's the purpose of the camera - don't you need it to see things at night?
--

I don't need the infrared facility as once anyone is within the view of the camera they will have set my floodlight off anyway.

On Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:10:19 +0000, Tim Watts
wrote:

snip

Be warned that you *might* get stung for VAT and an admin fee during
import if customs happen to be bored enough to pick your package - I was
not.

Nor was I on quite a few items, till they 'tightened up' on such
things. The guy in our local PO said before the change he would get 4
such items per week, now it's more like 40. ;-(

Even so, it's still way cheaper than UK purchase. So you should do
your calcs on the basis of VAT plus £15 or whatever the Royal Mail admin
fee is now and view lack of VAT as a bonus if it happens.

I think the RM handling fee was 8 quid (fixed) on my one a few months
back. Quite a bit on a 16 pound item (£1 over the threshold for VAT).
;-(

I've bought off some Far East sellers who seem to import in bulk then
ship from the UK (even though all their details seem to suggested they
would be sending them from the far East).

Cheers, T i m

On 28/12/2014 22:37, Brian Gaff wrote:
A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

Besides having 4 cctv cameras which are live 24/7,which are at the back
and side of the house, I also have 1 dummy camera at the front of the
house, which has a blinking red led going all the time.

I also have a yellow sign in the front room window saying 'Beware CCTV
in Operation'

Every little bit helps, so they say

Tim Watts wrote:

I just upgraded the firmware on my original Hikvision

A customer has just installed a 32 camera HikVision system. On the
first afternoon, as light levels dropped, there was a strange effect
that multiple small dark shaded rectangles with lighter borders and
rounded corners appeared on several of the cameras, they increased over
time, but had gone the following day.

They looked deliberate rather than an artefact, the installer couldn't
explain them, they didn't appear to relate to any feature of the cameras
such as motion detection areas, privacy rectangles etc, I don't suppose
you've ever had similar?

"BobH" wrote in message ...

On 28/12/2014 22:37, Brian Gaff wrote:
A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

Besides having 4 cctv cameras which are live 24/7,which are at the back
and side of the house, I also have 1 dummy camera at the front of the
house, which has a blinking red led going all the time.

I also have a yellow sign in the front room window saying 'Beware CCTV
in Operation'

Every little bit helps, so they say

Hmmm... I'd prefer to find a less crime ridden environment.
Each to his own.

"Richard" wrote in message
...
"BobH" wrote in message ...

On 28/12/2014 22:37, Brian Gaff wrote:
A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

Besides having 4 cctv cameras which are live 24/7,which are at the back
and side of the house, I also have 1 dummy camera at the front of the
house, which has a blinking red led going all the time.

I also have a yellow sign in the front room window saying 'Beware CCTV in
Operation'

Every little bit helps, so they say

Hmmm... I'd prefer to find a less crime ridden environment.

Have fun finding one of those.

Each to his own.

On 30/12/14 08:24, Andy Burns wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:

I just upgraded the firmware on my original Hikvision

A customer has just installed a 32 camera HikVision system. On the
first afternoon, as light levels dropped, there was a strange effect
that multiple small dark shaded rectangles with lighter borders and
rounded corners appeared on several of the cameras, they increased over
time, but had gone the following day.

They looked deliberate rather than an artefact, the installer couldn't
explain them, they didn't appear to relate to any feature of the cameras
such as motion detection areas, privacy rectangles etc, I don't suppose
you've ever had similar?


Not that I've noticed...

On 30/12/2014 08:59, Richard wrote:
"BobH" wrote in message ...

On 28/12/2014 22:37, Brian Gaff wrote:
A very obvious dummy camera up high out of reach?
Brian

Besides having 4 cctv cameras which are live 24/7,which are at the
back and side of the house, I also have 1 dummy camera at the front of
the house, which has a blinking red led going all the time.

I also have a yellow sign in the front room window saying 'Beware CCTV
in Operation'

Every little bit helps, so they say

Hmmm... I'd prefer to find a less crime ridden environment.
Each to his own.

What about if the crime comes to your area, do you move again to a less
crime area.

On 29/12/2014 20:01, Murmansk wrote:













On 28/12/2014 20:26, Murmansk wrote:
You do realise that it will glow bright red at night?

Yes, I'll turn the infrared LEDs off at night as I have heard they just attract insects which in turn set off the motion detection facility!


What's the purpose of the camera - don't you need it to see things at night?

Maybe you need to distract them away from the camera using lowish volume
buzzer that is set off with A PIR and positioned elsewhere, if they rip
that off you know you are being targetted.

On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 13:18:54 -0000, "Gazz" wrote:


"LumpHammer" wrote in message
...
On 28/12/2014 11:18, Murmansk wrote:
I'm planning to install an external CCTV camera which will be mounted
inside my garage looking out through a hole in the wall of the garage at
the back of my house and I need some way to disguise and protect it as
it'll only be about five feet from the ground.

The camera will be pointing to one side at an angle of about 45 degrees.

So far I've thought of a bird nesting box - I wonder if anyone can think
of anything else that might do the job better and wouldn't draw
attention.

- Fake drainpipe
- Trellis
- Electrical junction box
- Security light (which can be bought with an integrated covert camera)
- Roofed bird table
- Plant basket

If you're going to fabricate an enclosure for the camera, it might be
worth designing it so that it's impossible for the camera to see any part
of your neighbours' properties.

stick one of those cheap and obviousely fake dummy camera's in another place
looking over the same area, so the scrotes will go for that cam, or laugh
thinking they are not being watched as the cam is fake (a flashing led on it
helps scream fake camera... if it were real then at night the flashing led
would be buggering up the auto iris function)

Perhaps you could disguise it as a dummy camera by putting it in a
dented camera-like shell with a flashing red light?
--
Dave W

replying to Murmansk, mike wrote:
A Bird box is a good idea, we have used them successfully particularly in
conservation areas attached to buildings, a bit more adventurous is an air
brick, also an ornate garden mirror with camera behind it. Consider potential
stumbling blocks such as collateral intrusion under ECHR legislation. Good
Luck! Mike
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/cv

On 30/01/2018 13:14, mike wrote:
replying to Murmansk, mike wrote:
A Bird box is a good idea, we have used them successfully particularly in
conservation areas attached to buildings, a bit more adventurous is an air
brick, also an ornate garden mirror with camera behind it.Â* Consider
potential
stumbling blocks such as collateral intrusion under ECHR legislation. Good
Luck! Mike
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/cv




A better option is to hide it in plain sight. Put up two dozen fake
ones, and nobody will be able to tell which is the real one.

Well thanks for the reply but my original question was three years ago!!!

On 30/01/18 17:53, GB wrote:
On 30/01/2018 13:14, mike wrote:
replying to Murmansk, mike wrote:
A Bird box is a good idea, we have used them successfully particularly in
conservation areas attached to buildings, a bit more adventurous is an
air
brick, also an ornate garden mirror with camera behind it.Â* Consider
potential
stumbling blocks such as collateral intrusion under ECHR legislation.
Good
Luck! Mike
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/cv




A better option is to hide it in plain sight. Put up two dozen fake
ones, and nobody will be able to tell which is the real one.

I got so fed up with kids slinging their empty coke cans over the hedge
into my garden that I hid the camera in an empty coke can..

Nick

On 30/01/2018 18:20, Murmansk wrote:
Well thanks for the reply but my original question was three years ago!!!


But it just goes to show that time travel (if you only want to go
backwards) is possible.


--
Adam

Assuming this query is not from 1997 or something, I don't think you need to
worry too much about people being seen on it without their permission if you
aim it right.

Could one ask the simple question of why disguise it, even a dummy camera is
supposed to discourage burglers.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"mike" m wrote in message
...
replying to Murmansk, mike wrote:
A Bird box is a good idea, we have used them successfully particularly in
conservation areas attached to buildings, a bit more adventurous is an air
brick, also an ornate garden mirror with camera behind it. Consider
potential
stumbling blocks such as collateral intrusion under ECHR legislation. Good
Luck! Mike
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/cv

On Tue, 30 Jan 2018 13:14:13 +0000, mike wrote:

replying to Murmansk, mike wrote:
A Bird box is a good idea, we have used them successfully particularly
in conservation areas attached to buildings, a bit more adventurous is
an air brick, also an ornate garden mirror with camera behind it.
Consider potential stumbling blocks such as collateral intrusion under
ECHR legislation.

EHCR ???



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 30/01/18 20:16, Brian Gaff wrote:
Assuming this query is not from 1997 or something, I don't think you need to
worry too much about people being seen on it without their permission if you
aim it right.

Could one ask the simple question of why disguise it, even a dummy camera is
supposed to discourage burglers.


Because ne'erdowells have a tendency to hide their faces from cameras if
they know they are there?

Nick