Garage security, options available?

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David321

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#303005 10-Jan-2023 06:07

Hi all,

I am currently looking in what sort camera/alarm system I could install in my garage? It’s a stand-alone garage and at least 10 meters from the house (so just within range of the 2.4g WiFi but not the 5g from the house.

I am thinking of intruder alarm with siren and at least two cameras, with functionality to send my phone an alert with pictures video and audio should it be activated, if I can talk back that would be a bonus also.

I talked to a sparky I know who installs systems and he said he does not really know of an alarm system with integrated cameras and you usually have to purchase both separately which I believe as I have never seen an integrated system. If this is the case I could probably do without the siren/alarm system and just rely on motion activated cameras sending my phone an alert.

I am thinking I would need some sort of keypad alarm system so I can un-arm and arm the alarm system as I like, I prefer some sort of manual system like a keypad as I don’t need to rely on my phone to gain entry. Along with the alarm system id probably have to install a basic two camera surveillance system, this is what I would like to alert me if there was an intruder, obviously the motion detection on the camera.

My main sticking point is cost, I have a lot of other priorities at the moment and this is not at the top of the list, but I’d like to look into what options I have for when the time comes to buy. As mentioned above, if there are no integrated camera/alarm systems I am happy to rely on just the cameras. Hoping to get something for around $500 if that is realistic.

_David_

timmmay

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#3019374 10-Jan-2023 07:26

Cameras for $200 sounds unrealistic. I've been considering this as well for my standalone garage. I was thinking a motion sensor, a siren, an internal screamer to drive people away, and a remote control that can be used from the house / car to arm / disarm the system. I would be surprised if it cost under $200.

I'm also considering integrating with my main alarm system, but that's wired and getting a cable out there would be difficult.

David321

485 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3019377 10-Jan-2023 07:34

timmmay:

Cameras for $200 sounds unrealistic.

Yeah you're right, I need to up my budget.

_David_

jonathan18

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#3019425 10-Jan-2023 09:39

Based on my experience, I'd be careful about both what cameras you buy and where you install them within the garage.

I went with a wifi Reolink camera - this 4MB model https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B077N8FBNT/ for a bit over $100. One good thing about this brand is, while their cameras will work with surveillance software (I use mine on a NAS), they'll also run independently, recording directly to an SD card, with all content viewable via their own app.

It's not a huge distance from the nearest AP, so the connection is good enough. The most significant problem is how well (or, in this case, how poorly) it deals with contrast. It's ok if the garage door is closed, but when it's open it's simply not able to cope with the brightness outside (or, if I adjust it to not blow out that, inside is too dark). And, yep, this screenshot is after I've fiddled with the settings to try to provide a balance (but would welcome suggestions of what else I can try).

The other thing to think about is is how accurate the camera is with detecting motion (and the kind of motion you care about). Again, cheaper cameras like this one aren't the best at limiting false positives (especially while also ensuring actual action is caught). I get light coming in from a side window in the later afternoon (see image below), which I've found really hard to ensure the camera doesn't detect as movement. Personally, between this camera and three others on the outside of the house I've never got them all set up well enough to be patient enough to have alerts turned on, as I simply get too many false positives! [Edit: My other Reolink cameras have the smart detection the post below talks about; these are recent installs and so I've not had the chance to tweak these to the point of getting few false positives. Good to hear that's possible!]

Mehrts

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#3019429 10-Jan-2023 09:56

On the topic of Reolink cameras:

The newer cameras have smart motion detection, and in my opinion are the only ones to consider if you don't want thousands of false motion triggers.

Instead of just looking at whether pixels have changed in the scene (standard motion detection), they can determine whether the motion was casued by a person, a vehicle, or a pet. You can easily filter out the motion events by each type via the app, and in my experience it's very accurate.

They also have the capability to write to an SD card for standalone operation.

Newer cameras all have their model numbers ending with an "A". E.g. RLC-820A (4K turret style camera).

Geektastic

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#3019437 10-Jan-2023 10:06

Do you not need a system in the house also? That way you can connect the two.

If it’s in budget I highly recommend Inner Range alarm kit.

jonathan18

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#3019443 10-Jan-2023 10:11

Geektastic: Do you not need a system in the house also? That way you can connect the two.

If it’s in budget I highly recommend Inner Range alarm kit.

Knowing your champagne tastes, I assume it's going to be slightly north of the OP's proposed initial budget of $200?

Personally, I think it's always best if suggestions are reflective of an OP's budget, scope and preferences, rather than using them as a signalling device of one's own wealth and brilliance. Just saying.

David321

485 posts

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#3019444 10-Jan-2023 10:14

I've done a little bit of looking online this morning and how come to realise I may need to increase my budget up a bit, id like to change it to $500 but I can edit my post here on GZ?

_David_

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Geektastic

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#3019539 10-Jan-2023 13:35

jonathan18:
Geektastic: Do you not need a system in the house also? That way you can connect the two.

If it’s in budget I highly recommend Inner Range alarm kit.

Knowing your champagne tastes, I assume it's going to be slightly north of the OP's proposed initial budget of $200?

Personally, I think it's always best if suggestions are reflective of an OP's budget, scope and preferences, rather than using them as a signalling device of one's own wealth and brilliance. Just saying.

He never said the budget was to include the house, which is why I asked. Sometimes it’s easier to do things as one job.

Wheelbarrow01

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#3019787 10-Jan-2023 23:12

You could consider something like the Eufy 2C camera system with add on keypad:

https://www.myanker.co.nz/eufy-cam-2c-pro-2k-2-camera-set.html

https://www.myanker.co.nz/eufy-security-keypad.html

The 2C Pro cameras are 2k resolution and have pretty good programmable motion detection. The cameras also have built in programmable sirens, as does the base unit they connect to. I recently had a mind to manually activate the sirens at my house after my cameras silently notified me of a prowler - they high tailed it out of there when the alarm was activated. It may not wake the neighbourhood with it's volume but it lets the target know they are being watched and usually that's all that is required. It has two way audio but I find it a bit laggy to be truly useful.

If the Pro level cameras are a bit too rich for your budget you could opt for 1080p resolution - see this deal on Amazon.

In your situation, you could have the base unit setup at the back end of your house - the cameras use their own wifi network to connect to the base unit, not the house wifi, so your house wifi coverage to the garage won't matter.

I have a camera around 20 metres from my base unit (not line of site either) and it works without fail. I do have my base unit hard wired to my internet via Cat 6 for reliability but it can connect via wifi if you wish.

In the future, you could also choose to have a separate system for your house that operates off the same app - I have a second one for my bach and the two systems 360kms apart are easily and separately controllable all from the same phone app.

Here's a sample of 2K footage from my system (when my neighbour came over to retrieve a ball kicked over the fence). You can zoom in on footage which is handy for reading number plates or identifying faces - which you can do in real time or during playback from either moving or paused images from the app if you need to.

With the way I have my motion detection setup, my camera batteries last around 9 months between charges.

Basil12

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#3020861 13-Jan-2023 14:27

I use Wyze cameras which are as cheap as chips and will do all of what you're after bar the intruder alarm part. Wyze ship only to North America so mine were bought from Amazon. I have a number of the Wyze Cam V3 which operate on 2.4g and are powered by the equivalent of a phone charger.