Remote video security cameras?

jmc · Apr 17, 2009

Hello,

I've got a little problem with some jerk that keeps leaving a little pile of bottles, fast food packaging, etc at the end of my driveway. He always puts it in the same spot and adds to it several times a week, depending on the weather. I think he is on foot because some of the trash is weathered like he picked it up along the way for my benefit. It's no big deal to pick up after him except its getting on my nerves after about 6 months.

I'm open to ideas on how to discourage this guy, especially ideas not involving explosives, stakeouts, or both. It's a long driveway and the house is way back out of sight. There's an electric gate at the road with 110/240 volts and a light pole about 15 ft high. There is also a phone line thru there that feeds the house, but some arrangement would have to made with AT&T, which is never cheap. For lack of a better idea, I'll probably end up with a video security camera. It wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, even without this jerk. I don't think a game camera would take enough pictures to catch him in the act- there is a lot of regular foot traffic down there.

So is anyone familiar with what is available in this type of equipment? Motion sensors vs continous operation, real time monitoring, data storage, internet uploading, retrieving the pertinent video, equipment vandalism, wireless transmission to the house (~1/2 mi), any other considerations?

John

Travelover · Apr 17, 2009

My local Costco sells a camera similar to a game camera that shoots digital stills and or video clips when activated by its motion sensor. It is attached to 110 volts and has its own light. I think it is about $100.

MossRoad · Apr 17, 2009

jmc said:
Hello,

I've got a little problem with some jerk that keeps leaving a little pile of bottles, fast food packaging, etc at the end of my driveway. He always puts it in the same spot and adds to it several times a week, depending on the weather. I think he is on foot because some of the trash is weathered like he picked it up along the way for my benefit. It's no big deal to pick up after him except its getting on my nerves after about 6 months.

I'm open to ideas on how to discourage this guy, especially ideas not involving explosives, stakeouts, or both. It's a long driveway and the house is way back out of sight. There's an electric gate at the road with 110/240 volts and a light pole about 15 ft high. There is also a phone line thru there that feeds the house, but some arrangement would have to made with AT&T, which is never cheap. For lack of a better idea, I'll probably end up with a video security camera. It wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, even without this jerk. I don't think a game camera would take enough pictures to catch him in the act- there is a lot of regular foot traffic down there.

So is anyone familiar with what is available in this type of equipment? Motion sensors vs continous operation, real time monitoring, data storage, internet uploading, retrieving the pertinent video, equipment vandalism, wireless transmission to the house (~1/2 mi), any other considerations?

John

1/2 mile is pretty darn far for anything inexpensive to send via wireless just to catch a litterbug. However, if you want a camera at the end of your driveway you can do a few things... wired camera with signal boosters, or wireless IP camera with a couple wireless routers and directional antennas come to mind.

We had a 10+ mile link that supported 11mbs. The problem was the radios at each end were several hundred bucks a pop.

jdbower · Apr 17, 2009

You mentioned that he may be picking up trash along the way and leaving it in a pile. In NJ I had a lot of frontage on a busy street and litter was a big issue for me - I would have loved a guy like this to help clean it up. Would it be easier just to put a garbage can out there for him? You could even plant a post out there and chain it up if you're worried about theft.

Dale_Alan · Apr 17, 2009

One of my neighbors and his wife walk a couple of miles past my house and they pick up trash and hold it for a distance then put it in piles all along the road. Later they come along with a garbage bag either walking or in the car and pick it up.
This might be the case here, before you spend a lot of money.

RonMar · Apr 17, 2009

Game cameras are getting pretty sophisticated these days. That would probably be your cheapest option for a reasonable quality picture, or short video clip. What is it going to get you for the cost? Either you or the sheriff will have to be able to ID the individual, but then what???

It might be fun to put out a trash can just to see what happens

Cat_Driver · Apr 17, 2009

I don't think this person is being malicious. He probably is picking it up from the highway/road then dropping it so you can dump it. He may do it to a lot of neighbors. Picks it up till it gets heavy then drop it off at the nearest drive.

Just my thoughts.

Trust me it would probably tick me off also, but he sounds more like a greenie, than dumper.

Here's some transmitters that can go 45 miles - line of sight
Wireless transmitter for long range AV transmission.

You could do some solar conversion so power would not be a problem, and you could if you wanted to record via motion detector hidden in a waterproof bob.

It's all doable.....but do you want to spent than kind of cash on an environmentalist???

A cheap way is post VIDEO SURVEILLANCE signs with a fake camera.

jmc · Apr 19, 2009

Original poster here.

I appreciate the board's wider perspective on this guy and it would be interesting to put a garbage can down there, as jdboower suggested, just to see what happens. My take is he would throw the trash next to the can. Easy enough to find out, but it's also an invitation to all the foot traffic to use it, which would turn into even more work. And if he has forced me into his little cleanup effort, he's still not too much better than the original litterers.

No matter, this may get me over the hump to make an investment in home security. If it's useful and interesting, some of the higher end equipment mentioned on this thread might be doable. The video based game cameras sounds definitely worth a look too. Thanks, everybody, and if you have any more technical (but not too technical) links for this sort of thing, please post them.

John

Wis Bang · Apr 19, 2009

There are digital game cameras w/ infra-red flash [not visible] that take a lot of pictures on a memory card. They can be aimed to avoid taking traffic pictures and have decient battery life. I've seen them hidden on bird houses for 'camp security'...

zzvyb6 · Apr 19, 2009

I have a game camera that does the job, day or night. You can turn off the flash (recommended if you want to keep the camera). Then, all you need is to identify the culprit (not as easy as you think). I just returned a Costco wireless camera system: range too short and pics too fuzzy.

By any chance, do they think the trash is from your household and are returning it to your peeps? If your kids are trashing the place, then they are just as mad about it as you... A few years ago, some one was throwing McDonalds meal trash in my road same place every time. I figured it was a few teens too lazy to take it home. I examined the billing slips and they all had about the same time stamp on them Tuesdays and Thursdays. That in mind, I waited in the curve in the road at the appointed hour for the car to arrive from the identified McD's and sure enough, there she was. I went back to McDonalds, borrowed a garbage bag full of the day's trash, and emptied it all over her properly manicured lawn. I wonder if she changed her clothes from proper business suit and heels into something more "trashy" to clean it up? Never a problem again since. I was prepared to put the next one inside her Land Rover minus the garbage bag, catsup and all...