Alarm/Surveillance Systems for a home

[CES020]

Trying to find options for a house for a friend that is looking to try and avoid the $30-40 per monthly monitoring from the big boys.

I've seen a number of motion detectors that hook into your phone (work on VoIP too) that will call preset numbers if the motion detector is set off. I've read good reviews of them and bad reviews of them.

With technology moving so fast in that area, I thought I'd ask here, to see if anyone was using any cool things out there that I could research and pass along to her. She's fairly tech friendly so all options would be open.

I think she'd like to get notified via phone or text message if something is triggered. Could do with or without cameras. She has high speed internet and her phone is over that too.

 

[MikePro]

my friend just opened a bar and has his entire camera system routed through his computer, which he is able to use a remote desktop app on his phone to see what's on the cameras anytime.
i'd like to know if the motion sensors triggering an SMS message alert is possible without a paid-service, as I think it'd be kinda cool to have around here at the shop considering we've had some theft issues in our yard lately.

 

[btropical.com]

http://www.animalshelter.org/shelters/Virginia.asp

 

[shakey0818]

http://www.animalshelter.org/shelters/Virginia.asp

What the **** does that have to do with this thread?

 

[John L]

If you can believe this... Radio Shack used to make one of the best systems. We still have 2 bldgs using old Radio Shack Safe House alarms and they still work great after almost 20 years of daily use, have all the features, smoke/fire alarms, keypad entry, glass, motion, dialers, battery backup, etc. Sadly, the Shack is just another cell phone store nowadays. If you search ebay, you can still find these older (and NOS) hardwired systems...they sell pretty fast and they actually bring 2-3 times the money they sold for when new. There must be others out there that have also had great success with them. This is the kind we have used... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjlhJIF-5IE

Some pretty good info on the newer wireless stuff can be found here... http://www.alarmprofessor.net/

This is a pretty cool, inexpensive (free) option too... http://www.yawcam.com/ ...you can get it to shoot you an email snapshot, short video, with or without sound, whenever someone walks past a webcam. I get these timestamped pics on my cellphone whenever someone walks up to the timeclock at each of our shops!

 

[RobbyMac]

THis si something Ive wanted to do for a while. But I never wanted to get elaborate... even the x10 systems were too much.

A month ago, a guy was robbed the next town over, and he had a motion sensing webcam on. THe pics hit the news that night and within a week the guys were caught.

It's probably NOT a business/full blown option... but I run TEBOCAM (Free software) when I am not home. It send emails, updates pics, uploads to ftp etc when motion is detected. a dog and a cat, and no false alams yet with it's sensitivity rating...

Downside is, you run only one cam through it... and USB is limited on the length of the cord. But it gives me peace of mind. and for A $30 WEBCAM AND FREE SOFTWARE, The minute anyone walks past it, it send me an email.. and I know right away if something is up.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

The best alarm you can get

 

[CES020]

The best alarm you can get

She should get a bicycle?