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Use WiFi cameras, non-WiFi ones, get ADT or similar surveillance IF your location and LE presence make it worthwhile which often doesn’t apply in rural areas, fencing, signs warning of hidden surveillance (e.g., “The cameras you see aren’t the only ones around”), and BE THERE A LOT—no vacation home absences
Skip the WiFi cameras, and especially skip the cameras sold by alarm system vendors.
Visible cameras and signs warning of video surveillance just encourage savvy intruders to use a stolen car and put on their masks before they turn onto your driveway,
Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray
I put in an offer on a new home that is about 200 yards off of a semi-main road in a new section. There are no street lights and no neighbors for now. I know my wife will be scared hearing noises at night. There is no phone service for now either. What would be the easiest and cost effective way to get her a sense of security at night?
My first thought was solar powered motion lights, but what other options are out there?
I use hardwired, generator-backed floodlights which respond both to remote motion sensors and also to button press (one of several wired keypads on the wall or a handheld you can keep on you when outdoors). The sensors play a tone indoors, and then (after a small random delay) any tripped motion sensor turns on all the outdoor lights and some ground floor lights.
Skip the WiFi cameras, and especially skip the cameras sold by alarm system vendors.
Visible cameras and signs warning of video surveillance just encourage savvy intruders to use a stolen car and put on their masks before they turn onto your driveway,
I use hardwired, generator-backed floodlights which respond both to remote motion sensors and also to button press (one of several wired keypads on the wall or a handheld you can keep on you when outdoors). The sensors play a tone indoors, and then (after a small random delay) any tripped motion sensor turns on all the outdoor lights and some ground floor lights.
Stealing a car is yet another precaution they would have to do before arriving. Nothing is guaranteed to prevent crime; the goal is to throw as many difficulties at the creeps as possible.
The best prevention is to keep people from thinking you have things worth breaking in for. Everything else is just piling on ways to slip them up either during a crime or after leaving.
We have motion detector lights, which I listed in an earlier response to this thread.
I really like the crazy armed lady patroller thing, though.
Knowing the lowlifes aren't going straight, the question is will they find a new way of "earning" a living or will they adapt to work-around the new technology?
Haha maybe they’ll get jobs?
But yeah, tech isn’t going to totally stop anyone really desperate, determined, or dumb.
You see these “porch pirate” videos on the news, and sometimes they get caught, and sometimes they are not.
But I do believe it is an effective deterrent.
A good gravel driveway works well too.
We can hear the crunching as soon as the tires hit our driveway.
My wife normally will hear a car coming down the street before my driveway sensor picks it up. We are the only house in a circled neighborhood. The sensor will pick up anyone walking or driving on the road that leads to the circle. All of the other lots are wooded. I had the sensor go off over and over again early one morning. It was a group of four deer.
I am back a way from the road and have solar lights placed around the yard and a motion detector light in the back. The front courtyard is gated and has solar lights. I have a gravel drive but I generally don't hear anyone driving on it. The gravel road is noisier. I have a critter cam that is mounted with a view of the driveway and the rear and side of the house. Security, for me is mostly wildlife issues -- coyotes, bobcats, and an occasional mountain lion. This is the desert so bears don't venture out this far. I have a goldfish pond in my front courtyard that serves as the water hole in the Kalahari so there is some wildlife traffic there. I lock my doors, usually. I have accidentally gone to bed with the garage open (not visible from the road). I always have a window open, maybe two. I don't have a dog but the cat seems to be aware of night visitors outside. I have never had a human-related security issue. I have one adjacent neighbor who has motion detector lights and has a lot of coyote traffic but they patrol her yard because she feeds the rabbits. My critter cam will pick one up occasionally.
We’re a few weeks away from moving into our new house. Unfortunately, MrsK7’s first trip there after dark drove a few changes and, I had to calm her down. The sheer darkness bothered her.
“Now you tell me?” Sheesh, what are you gonna do?
I called the local electric co-op and they installed a light on the power pole within three days. Our master closet was built to withstand tornadoes and is the perfect place for her if she senses a threat and I’m not there. She can lock the solid door and hide on the other side of the gun safe which contains…. guns. She wants her own gun and I’m thinking that my childhood Sears & Roebuck youth 20 gauge is perfect for her. I’ve had it for 55 years!
That closet is almost soundproof and I’ll have to emphasize that she can’t “shoot now and ask questions later”. Know exactly what the threat is. That is, if I bang on the door, she can’t shoot through the door. I’ll make sure I’m off to one side when I knock. A shotgun won’t penetrate the walls but the door isn’t that thick.
Each corner of the house has motion detector triggered flood lights. We have neighbors on one side but they really can’t see the house. We’ll insure we all have each other’s contact numbers.
I’ll add a driveway sensor but as others noted, a gravel driveway isn’t exactly quiet. Lol Security system…. will add a simple one. Door sensors, interior motion detector, panic buttons.
We have a generator so I’m not too concerned about power outages. The major electronics will be on UPS backups i.e. her work computer and the LTE modem. That’ll give her time to exit her work systems or, keep everything up until the gen kicks on.
I just had the area on the west side of the house mulched. That really opened it up and will make an approach to the house slightly more difficult. Tall, skinny pine trees are marginal cover at best.
When C-D becomes aware that I’ve passed, get ready to make her an offer on the property. I suspect a “for sale” sign will be up before my body reaches room temp.
I installed another solar light on my shed which is about 30' from the house. This one sticks up high above the ridge line and covers a large area. It shines at 30% until motion activated to 100%. This helps to see if any critters are outside our Yorkie's penned in area at night. One night we took her outside and she heard something she did not like and ran right back to the door. Another night she heard something and took off running to the edge of the pen. I now take my spotlight out with me. Last night we saw several sets of eyes across the street. We have no close neighbors. The new light also shines on our firepit area.
I have no poles that a power company street light would work, so I am dependent on solar. They are either across the street or to far away from the house.
I also added another game camera. I now have one at the front and one at the back/side of the house. The new camera solved the mystery of water disappearing from the birdbath at night. The deer are drinking it. I now fill it up before nightfall.
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