Could I end up with "too many" cameras? Consequences?

[Jim I.]

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Looks just like my old 1977 Ford Country Squire station wagon! Had a 460 cubic inch big block with a C6 transmission. Took the family on vacation in 1985 and drove that thing to the top of Pike's Peak in Colorado! Being from Houston, I had to adjust the carburetor to account for the thin air. I had a bbq pit and a large ice chest strapped to the top luggage rack. We looked just like Chevy Chase's family vacation! lol

 

[bradner]

Just a beginner here with a naive question: could I draw unwanted attention simply by having too many cameras visible on my home?

I currently have zero cameras. But as mentioned in another thread, there's a good chance I could get caught up in all this and have a variety of them mounted on my house.

What could my neighbors think of this? Some things that come to mind: What's he hiding or worried about? Is he doing something illegal? (e.g. running a grow-op). Is he spying on his neighbors?

What could random bad guys think? e.g. is there something very valuable in his house? Maybe they'll start plotting...

Background: I live in a middle-class suburb that is a regular neighborhood with many houses on the street (i.e., I don't live on acreage or out in the country). People will notice that suddenly I have cameras.

I will say that people DO have cameras in my area. Maybe a single consumer-grade camera above their main door perhaps. Maybe a 2nd one also in view.

But knowing my own tendencies, I will likely get carried away and at some point, there'll be cameras everywhere on my house and property.

I started with 4 and now have 30+. Your fear is real. No negatives from it though. I hope they notice as cameras seem to smarten people up for some reason.

 

[quest100]

I want people that come to my front door to know they are being recorded.



This is a 12 MP camera mounted at 62 inches up from the porch. The base diameter is 6 inches. I don't think anyone the comes to the front door fails to notice it.

Add to this a pair of Color-4ks covering the driveway to the left. On the front right are two more cameras plus a PZT. To the right off that are two LPR cameras mounted on top of the fence corner. I have a total of 16 (or maybe 17?) cameras scattered around. I don't plan on adding any more, but I will probably upgrade some of them.

My neighbors and my wife think I am crazy. And they are probably correct.

 

[Ri22o]

I want people that come to my front door to know they are being recorded.

View attachment 157001

This is a 12 MP camera mounted at 62 inches up from the porch. The base diameter is 6 inches. I don't think anyone the comes to the front door fails to notice it.

Add to this a pair of Color-4ks covering the driveway to the left. On the front right are two more cameras plus a PZT. To the right off that are two LPR cameras mounted on top of the fence corner. I have a total of 16 (or maybe 17?) cameras scattered around. I don't plan on adding any more, but I will probably upgrade some of them.

My neighbors and my wife think I am crazy. And they are probably correct.

You may want to give your keypad a wipe down. I could be way wrong, but I'm guessing your code is some combination of the numbers 0, 9, 8, and 7?

 

[JDreaming]

You may want to give your keypad a wipe down. I could be way wrong, but I'm guessing your code is some combination of the numbers 0, 9, 8, and 7?

YOU THIEF!

Good observation.

 

[dmcIPCAM]

YOU THIEF!

Good observation.

It was a good observation!

Interestingly, my Kwikset 916 keypads (and many others, no doubt) present the keypad user with two random digits to press.
Once you press those you can enter the PIN for the door. I always wondered why? Well after reading these posts and
seeing the pictures it's pretty obvious: to keep someone from guessing the PIN from the smudge marks. DOH!

 

[Ri22o]

It was a good observation!

Interestingly, my Kwikset 916 keypads (and many others, no doubt) present the keypad user with two random digits to press.
Once you press those you can enter the PIN for the door. I always wondered why? Well after reading these posts and
seeing the pictures it's pretty obvious: to keep someone from guessing the PIN from the smudge marks. DOH!

One of my safes is that way, to randomize the presses and the dirt around the numbers.

I have the same Schlage deadbolt. If the Schlage lock button at the top wasn't also clean I probably wouldn't have commented.

 

[quest100]

You may want to give your keypad a wipe down. I could be way wrong, but I'm guessing your code is some combination of the numbers 0, 9, 8, and 7?

It does need cleaning - but not for the the reason you suggest. Five different people have their own 6 digit combinations equals 30 total. If the combinations were random each number should be used around three times between them. In reality the four dirty numbers are used slightly less often then expected. Some more than three times, some less than three times. I think I’m safe.

 

[The Automation Guy]

It doesn't matter how well your cameras "blend" into their surroundings during the day. If they use IR that falls in the 750nm or less range, people are going to notice them at night. At least if the camera is in a dark environment where the red LEDs are noticeable. If they are mounted in an area that has lots of light, the IR is less noticeable. For example, the IR from my porch cameras isn't noticeable with the porch light on, but turn those off and the IR light really stands out (and yes the IR is on even with the porch light on).

Still, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take steps to blend the cameras into their surroundings. Trying to avoid using an electric box helps because it keeps the overall size of the camera smaller. Getting or painting cameras so they match the color of their surrounding also helps. I have white trim, so I generally get white cameras which works well. However I have a PTZ camera on a corner post of my side patio hanging lights. It is a white camera and from the angle that most people are going to view the camera from, the background is natural (bushes and trees). That camera stood out like a sore thumb so I got some "natural" camo tape and covered all of the white portions of the camera and box. It made a huge different during the day and I suspect most people wouldn't notice it. However at night the PTZ camera has four large, bright LEDs that can't be missed.

 

[looktall]

I'm not sure why people want to hide their cameras.
Having them visible is more likely to make someone think twice about breaking into your place and go find somewhere else.

 

[CanCuba]

I'm not sure why people want to hide their cameras.
Having them visible is more likely to make someone think twice about breaking into your place and go find somewhere else.

200% agree. I like that my Color4K/X stands out. But I also like the idea of having some cameras hidden as much as possible. Can't wait to get my BoobieCam as I plan on camoflaguing it at 4' off the ground in my front entrance.

 

[fenderman]

Can't wait to get my BoobieCam as I plan on camoflaguing it at 4' off the ground in my front entrance.

That sounds terrible out of context

 

[wittaj]

^ That is the height and what @Arjun calls all his cameras

 

[samplenhold]

I'm not sure why people want to hide their cameras.

There have been a few posts here that answer this question.

• Some are afraid of someone stealing their cams.
• Some are afraid of someone damaging their cams.
• Some want the perps to focus on hiding their faces from the obvious cams, and getting a good shot by the 'hidden' cams.
• Some are wary of neighbors not being happy with those cams.
• Some have issues with the HOA possibly getting on their case.
• Some have the wife not liking the cams that stand out.

Personally, I have tried to make the installs not too intrusive/obvious from the street. So the driveway and back yard cams are turrets, but can be seen from the street if you look for them. The front door cams can be seen from the street but are only obvious once you head up the walkway towards the front door. The bullet Z4E pointed at the intersection is very obvious from the street, but I think lots of people do not notice. My two LPR cams, Z12E bullets, are in a box in the garden to be more stealthy, but the IR is easily seen at night.

Originally I did not want the HOA getting into my business. I also did not want the Karens complaining to the HOA about the cams. I just did not want to deal with the trouble.

After my LPR cams were installed, the HOA passed some rules about how cams can be hung, where they can be placed, what they can see, etc. It also made you apply for approval of each cam by the HOA, requiring a fee to be paid along with detailed descriptions and diagrams of the install. All of this was done without any homeowner's input and was not even communicated to the homeowners. It just appeared on the review website. I noticed it when I went to apply for replacing my fence.

Now the state of Texas has passed a law that states HOAs cannot stop you from putting up cams. It basically negates the HOA policy. I am waiting to see if the HOA does anything about cams in the future.

 

[JNDATHP]

Quoting @samplenhold - Some have issues with the HOA possibly getting on their case.

Our HOA didn’t “like” our cameras. My response was simple. If we are damaged, either through property loss or worse, I asked for a letter from the board and their attorney that they would compensate us. Didn’t here a peep after that.

 

[looktall]

i had to look up what HOA was.

For country that likes to talk about your freedoms you certainly like to impose a metric fuckton of restrictions on yourselves.

 

[JNDATHP]

We are in an HOA only because of my wife’s parents who needed her in their end of life time. We are now headed to the free state of Florida and will not be in an HOA!

 

[Masejoer]

Background: I live in a middle-class suburb that is a regular neighborhood with many houses on the street (i.e., I don't live on acreage or out in the country). People will notice that suddenly I have cameras.

I will say that people DO have cameras in my area. Maybe a single consumer-grade camera above their main door perhaps. Maybe a 2nd one also in view.

But knowing my own tendencies, I will likely get carried away and at some point, there'll be cameras everywhere on my house and property.

Too many cameras? Then you end up like me and have 50+ spares of various models that have been tested/replaced/upgraded over the years, and that's after pawning extras off to friends, family, etc. I like playing with new gear, having various focal lengths, etc, so I'm often swapping things out.

I don't worry about everyone else. Usually neighbors ask me if I've caught events on my cameras - they like that I have 7 cameras on one side of the house monitoring different sections of the main traffic area around us. I'd like to install more, and now have poe+ splitters to do so without running even more cat6, but we're looking to move in the next year or so. Perhaps in the next place!

Having some 1/1.2" cameras now days has cut down on the amount of glowing red dots at night around the house. My cameras have gotten larger over the years though - from initial tiny sensor more-discrete cameras, to my much larger sensors and speed domes today. Everything is much more visible than it used to be, but the picture quality is worth it.

 

[Arjun]

^ That is the height and what @Arjun calls all his cameras

Wait…how did you know? may be I have two cameras mounted in the same spot from that height, but one angled a little up and the other angled a little down for the perfect perspective never want a missed opportunity lol, two is better than one, too tall or or somewhat short, to about average size haha

 

[Ri22o]

After my LPR cams were installed, the HOA passed some rules about how cams can be hung, where they can be placed, what they can see, etc. It also made you apply for approval of each cam by the HOA, requiring a fee to be paid along with detailed descriptions and diagrams of the install. All of this was done without any homeowner's input and was not even communicated to the homeowners. It just appeared on the review website. I noticed it when I went to apply for replacing my fence.

Now the state of Texas has passed a law that states HOAs cannot stop you from putting up cams. It basically negates the HOA policy. I am waiting to see if the HOA does anything about cams in the future.

I would question the legality of their changes. If it's not in the Covenants, then it should not be enforceable. In order for them to make a change to your Covenants it requires approval from more than the majority of the homes in your neighborhood. A change where they are requiring submission for approval and a fee is definitely one I would think would have needed to be voted on by the homeowners.