Anyone have tips for catching thieves?

[Nebraska]

Well at least he got something, worst thing is you can't say no thanks i'll pass when he  catches his residence on fire....  >  >:(

[YellowHammer]

We've switched over to Reolink for all our cameras.  With 8 megapixel which can read a plate out to about 30 yards, to vehicle, human, or animal detect, with three different kinds of storage such as direct video recording, SD card and Cloud.  Or they also sell the 4G cell versions also.  They've been very good, and we can play back over the internet, or directly from the recorder.  What's cool is that even the cameras have onboard storage, so even if a thief steals the video recorder, and the internet gets cut, the camera still records to itself.  So the thief will have to even steal the cameras, which of course are mounted on roofs, gables, and other hard to reach areas.  We can view the cameras using iPads, phones and computers, locally or remotely.

 

[Walnut Beast]

I'm actually looking at motion sensor security cams solar as I want them down my trails. Has anyone tried these? I'm gonna do some searching shortly but figured I'd ask suggestions. Any good camera suggestions with good image quality.

Buckeye cams or Reconyx if you want the best and there prices reflect it. The same ones homeland security uses.They are being used all over the world in every situation. I've had and do have both

[Walnut Beast]

It would be hard to improve on stavebuyer's Spartan cameras but I noticed in his license plate photo, he had a Tasco and that's the same brand that I bought at Walmart for $40 and that included the batteries and photo card. I counted myself a winner because I didn't need the help of my grandkids to set it up.

Go price out some buckeye cams and Reconyx you won't find Walmart price and quality 

[Walnut Beast]

It would be hard to improve on stavebuyer's Spartan cameras but I noticed in his license plate photo, he had a Tasco and that's the same brand that I bought at Walmart for $40 and that included the batteries and photo card. I counted myself a winner because I didn't need the help of my grandkids to set it up.

Go price out some buckeye cams and Reconyx you won't find Walmart price and quality

Buckeye cams now have AI and image recognition if you need that. MADE IN THE USA 🇺🇸 

[stavebuyer]

It would be hard to improve on stavebuyer's Spartan cameras but I noticed in his license plate photo, he had a Tasco and that's the same brand that I bought at Walmart for $40 and that included the batteries and photo card. I counted myself a winner because I didn't need the help of my grandkids to set it up.

I have several of the Tasco cameras and they do a great job for little money. The downside is the red flash is very visible at night. I have had them discovered and vandalized(and yes I also use them as bait). I recently paired a Tasco with a SpyPoint Cell Link Adapter that makes any camera "cellular". The cell link is a bare bones China made product but does send images in real time. Just a heads up "somebody just opened the back gate" is worth a lot even if its not night vision/hd/facial recognition evidence. As has been said the ones for whom this is "a way of life" will probably  be wearing a hoodie and obscured/missing stolen tags to start with.

[mike_belben]

Anything that gets the owner out of bed on time is excellent.  The best deterent is a human being at home who is determined to do something about it.  And deterrence is better than retribution. You keep your stuff and your freedom.

[alan gage]

alan gage's friend as described above could/would be labeled as a "Hypocrite".

Merriam-Webster; Hypocrite: A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

Yes indeed!!!! I have known that type. Protect, amass more and take from others. The sad thing is that's what he taught his kids and you.

No doubt John could be labeled as a hypocrite for his actions. And probably for more actions than the ones I spoke of. But who of us couldn't be? I've yet to meet a perfect person.

I guess the point I was trying to make, and admittedly I did a poor job of it, was that good people can do things we don't agree with and it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person.

There were a lot of things John and I didn't see eye to eye on. When he did or said something that upset me or if I was just in a bad mood it was easy for me to find his faults. But when I stepped back and looked at the whole picture I could see that John was one of the best and most interesting people I'd ever known.

It was easy for me to forgive John for his perceived faults because I knew him personally. It's harder to forgive people whom we don't know, especially when the only thing we know about them is something we don't like. I read things online or hear comments from people around town that I very much disagree with and it's easy to mentally throw that person under the bus. But after stopping to reflect I realize that if I actually got to know that person we'd probably get along fine and I'd find that they're much more than a sound bite.

Alan

[jb616]

alan gage's friend as described above could/would be labeled as a "Hypocrite".

Merriam-Webster; Hypocrite: A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

It's also been my experience that whatever someone is accusing you of, they are actually doing themselves. I am sure someone could label it with a psychological term but in their head, that is what they would do, so they accuse you of it...strange but true. 

[DDW_OR]

I WANT ONE 8) 8) 8)

Glitterbomb 3.0 vs. Porch Pirates - YouTube

[Lostinmn]

We've switched over to Reolink for all our cameras.  With 8 megapixel which can read a plate out to about 30 yards, to vehicle, human, or animal detect, with three different kinds of storage such as direct video recording, SD card and Cloud.  Or they also sell the 4G cell versions also.  They've been very good, and we can play back over the internet, or directly from the recorder.  What's cool is that even the cameras have onboard storage, so even if a thief steals the video recorder, and the internet gets cut, the camera still records to itself.  So the thief will have to even steal the cameras, which of course are mounted on roofs, gables, and other hard to reach areas.  We can view the cameras using iPads, phones and computers, locally or remotely.

I've been thinking of trying the Reolink cell version at our cabin.  Anybody here that has tried the Reolink Go or the 
Reolink Go PT (pan tilt)?  
These have a solar panel for charging and connect via cell phone sim card.  Online views seem ok, but would love to get some feedback from real world users. 

[DDW_OR]

We've switched over to Reolink for all our cameras.  With 8 megapixel which can read a plate out to about 30 yards, to vehicle, human, or animal detect, with three different kinds of storage such as direct video recording, SD card and Cloud.  Or they also sell the 4G cell versions also.  They've been very good, and we can play back over the internet, or directly from the recorder.  What's cool is that even the cameras have onboard storage, so even if a thief steals the video recorder, and the internet gets cut, the camera still records to itself.  So the thief will have to even steal the cameras, which of course are mounted on roofs, gables, and other hard to reach areas.  We can view the cameras using iPads, phones and computers, locally or remotely.

I have tried and use several different type of system
I love the POE cameras (Power Over Ethernet)
uses standard Ethernet cables,  up to 300 foot length.
I have used Swann, GW and Lorex.
I like the GW since it sends 5 photos from each camera trigger
The Lorex is 4K, GW is the older 5 MP
The Swann is the very old BNC 720, only good for ? ? ?
Yellowhammer - what system do you recommend?
do you have any PTZ cameras. if so, are they really needed?
what does anyone else have.

[YellowHammer]

I put my response in the security camera topic.

[barbender]

Alan, I think that was well put. We are all full of contradictions, and if I've figured out anything for sure,  it's that people are complicated.

[Jeff]

Post removed, inappropriate for the forestry forum. If your post is gone. You know it was yours.

[mike_belben]

@stavebuyer whats the make and model on those game cams again?  Spartan?

[stavebuyer]

@stavebuyer whats the make and model on those game cams again?  Spartan?

@mike_belben I have had so many incidents and such good luck my camera fleet continues to grow. 

I have 2 Spartan Gocams. One on Bluegrass and second on Verizon. They offer the most user controls all via the remote app. Unlimited pictures and high definition pictures are included in a flat $15 a month per camera added to my phone bill. These cameras cost $300 a pop plus 12 lithium batteries and an SD card so I try to keep them well hidden.

I have 3 Spypoint adapters that send pictures from a non-cell camera via a rigged SD card cable. Paired with a cheap Tasco camera. Thats the cheapest option but basically no user controls for the camera . I use these focused on my cabin and equipment shed where they blend in amongst the buildings and not likely to see much except me or an intruder. Spypoint offers the first 100 pictures a month for free so that's a good low cost option if you can limit the triggers and still be effective. Like anything else you learn with experience.

I started buying some of the Spypoint Micro LTE cameras. They are $100 a pop and easy to hide. Very low glow but still slightly visible unlike the Spartans which are true "no-glow". The same Spypoint app controls multiple cameras. The Link Micro offers many remote user controls including to ability to turn it off cell connection via the app. It also comes with the first 100 photos per month free. Spypoint also offers an "Insiders Club" which costs $100 per year and gives you 250 photos per month  for an unlimited number of cameras. I added this option. I now have 8 Spyoint devices and with a little planning the 250 per camera per month is pretty useful.


I have the Spartans setup and the game warden gets those pictures emailed in real time. The Spartan app allows you add and delete recipients to receive photos via email. With the Spypoint the only way to add users is to give them your login and password for the account and they have unlimited access at that point.

I also have a "fleet" of non-cell cams I use in higher risk or greater need for concealment. Hard to hide that antenna profile. I let the cell camera pick up the car from a distance out of reach in a tree and put a cheap non-cell down at license plate level sort of thing.

I don't own but have access to my neighbors Tactacam Reveal. Very similar to the Spypoint in price and features.

Spartan is top notch but doesn't come cheap. Spypoint probably the most mileage for the money but takes some effort on the users part to manage it.

[mike_belben]

thank you for the detailed explanation.  i am seeing the spypoint cell link universal adapter for $35 to 40 and it says provider is verizon.  i have a straight talk walmart burner phone plan, and i have two old cameras.  a moultrie and a stealth cam.  we do have very crappy wifi at the front portion where we live. 

am i correct in thinking that i buy two of these adapters, stick the adapter cable into the SD slot and it starts sending the images to my phone via the cellular network?  im thinking i will need to have the cameras where i can also make a call, service wise, yes?


do the images trigger an alarm to open the app or come by email or text or..? what happens if you go over 100 per month, do they send a bill?   i sometimes have an income of zero or less for pretty long spells and have to limit recurrent expenses as much as possible. 

 not really having any issues but the crowd is always around.  me taking a midnight stroll a few times in a row when they are on the prowl will get the word out to just quit trying.  theres always someone creeping in the dark sizing things up, testing the dogs, testing my response, etc.  this seems like a cheap way to hone in my response times to when theyll get me the most publicity. an audible notification on the phone would help since its a 3am crowd by nature. 

[btulloh]

Mike, if I remember correctly your place is about five acres?  Depending on various factors you could probably beef up the wifi to reach, use some inexpensive wifi cameras and appropriate app and do what you need a lot cheaper. The cellular stuff is nice but no matter what, there's going to be a monthly hit on your bill. Just might be another way to skin that cat.

[stavebuyer]

Yes; the cell link just starts sending pics from whatever triggers the camera. I had some decent luck with them pairing with a $28 Tasco camera. Some Tascos just would not work with it for whatever reason and neither of my Stealthcams would pair with it so I would start with one and wade in gently. All cell cameras are finicky on batteries. They won't tolerate the voltage drop on the rechargeable ones and the weather eats the alkaline variety pretty fast. Lithium or 12V solar is the way to go. 

The Spypoint App remembers your activation date so it quits sending at 100 unless you decide to upgrade but you don't get billed for going over and you start getting pictures again at whatever your anniversary date is the following month. If you start the cell link adapter today your account will reset on 25 Oct. If you want to buy one month unlimited you can. Very flexible in that regard. The downside is the finicky set-up and not pairing with all cameras even ones of the same make and model. The other is since its a universal "adapter" there is no control. In your back yard that may not a big deal if its remote and limb is waving in front you burn up your month before you can get out to fix it.

Spypoint is also very specific that you must do a "long format" of the SD card on your PC prior to use, I would guess many of the negative reviews are from issues related to people not following that direction. 

If you were a little closer I'd let you borrow an adapter to see if worked for you. When I had the log yard at Crossville I could throw a rock to the cell tower and had no service on my A.T&T phone. 

[stavebuyer]

I get text and email notification from the app as well as normal incoming text message and email alerts. The phone beeps at me when I get a picture. So you are alerted and can view the picture from you phone, computer or both. You want to know when someone pulls in the driveway while you are back at the food plot this works well although depending on the carrier there can be a delay but most mine are within a 30 seconds of the event.

A well place camera will only need attention when the batteries need changing which depends on temps, signal strength, and use. I have gone as long 6 months and 1000s pictures on a set of batteries.

The App has signal strength and battery condition indications.

If your wife has the app on her phone and is logged in to your account she will also get the notifications on her phone.

[Walnut Beast]

These are pretty hot cameras and really good reviews. A buddy has these and they are really good for the money. Tactacam Reveal X Cellular Trail Camera

[Peter Drouin]

stavebuyer, The thieves are that bad where you live you have to go though all that bs??

[Walnut Beast]

If you want the best game and security cameras hands down that last years it's Reconyx. I've had many many different cameras that have had rave reviews. They all got returned. They just didn't compare to Reconyx. I have Reconyx 600 game cameras that are 10 years old and have been out in the woods for years. Made in the USA 🇺🇸. You get what you pay for..... This is a Reconyx XS8 Surveillance camera 700 bucks and worth every penny..

 

 

[stavebuyer]

stavebuyer, The thieves are that bad where you live you have to go though all that bs??

Mostly with trespassing to hunt/fish/ or ride 4 wheelers. I often give permission but there is a certain element that has no regard for the ownership rights of others and I refuse to let them have their way. I can't be there 24/7 but the cameras can.