Home Security Gadgets & Reviews

Weatherproof Outdoor Security Camera Review for Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Camera

Today, outdoor video surveillance is affordable even for the average homeowner. You can get weatherproof outdoor security cameras, such as the Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera for less than $150. This camera includes night vision (up to 100 feet) with 480-lines of resolution, which provides crisp and clear quality.

The Q-See security camera can be used indoors or outdoors (it’s built to be weatherproof so it can withstand many seasons of wind, rain, and snow), and it can be hooked up to a TV/VCR to record images or view them in real time.

While it’s a good idea to include motion- or heat-activated lighting in your home security set-up, it’s nice to know that this camera has infrared night vision capacity, so even in the dark, it can monitor your yard, exterior doors, etc.

Q-See QSC48030 Outdoor Security Camera Review

(review submitted by Jason R. V.)

We got two of these cameras after one of our cars that was parked in the driveway was broken into and had the stereo stolen. The image is sharp during the day but it is surprisingly good at night too. There is a bit of glare but it’s still easy to make out people walking up our driveway even when the house lights are all turned off.

Setup was pretty easy too. I fix some stuff around the house but I’m not a DIY expert, and I didn’t have any troubles installing the camera.

The camera is much better than X10 stuff I’ve used in the past.

We were expecting to have to pay several hundred dollars a piece for outdoor security cameras that didn’t suck so were really pleased with this purchase.

Available at Amazon:

Q-See QSC48030 High Resolution Weatherproof CCD Camera

Tags: night vision, outdoor cameras, Security Cameras, surveillance

Posted in Security Cameras | No Comments »

Affordable Night Vision Goggles

It’s the middle of the night, the power is out, and you hear a noise outside. What do you do?

Personally, I’d probably just let the dogs out to chase down whoever or whatever made the noise, but if you’re the type to go out and investigate (i.e. you’re much braver than I), you could use a pair of night vision goggles in this scenario. You can spend hundreds of dollars on these things, but ThinkGeek has a more affordable set that comes in at $89.

Their EyeClops Night Vision Goggles use infrared technology for monocular (right eye) night vision. While it’s doubtful they’re even vaguely as sophisticated as the military versions, they let you see up to 50 feet in the dark.

That just might be enough for prowling around the yard investigating strange noises in the middle of the night. (At the very least, they look like they’d be fun to play with.)

ThinkGeek

Tags: night vision, security gadgets

Posted in Personal Security | 1 Comment »

Improve Garage Security with a Garage Door “Auto-Closer”

When it comes to home security, your garage door might be a weakness. There are a lot of reasons garages are frequent entry points for burglars, such as…

• exterior doors and windows that are far from the main part of the house (meaning, you might not hear them if someone breaks in)
• back and side doors are often left completely unlocked–just because your backyard is fenced doesn’t mean a burglar won’t invite himself in
• the garage door itself is left open while no one is home

That last item can be a pest due to a malfunctioning garage door opener or simply having someone in the family who forgets to close it on the way out. Unfortunately, an open garage door gives a huge glimpse of your family’s wealth (most of us store a great deal in this space) to anyone who drives by. It invites crimes of opportunity — even people who aren’t practiced burglars might be tempted to steal tools or other items stored in the garage if you leave the door wide open.

One easy way to improve your home security is to install a Garage Door Autocloser.

This gadget automatically closes your door whether you remember to hit the button on your way down the driveway or not. It can be installed onto your existing door opener in a few minutes and without a ton of DIY knowledge.

An autocloser uses micro-controller and infrared technology to ensure no one is standing close to the garage door when it shuts it, and it also has an “off” mode, for those times when you want the garage door to stay open.

With this Garage Door Autocloser model, you can program the timer to close the door after anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes.

The product itself costs about $70 and can be purchased online.

Tags: garage door, garage door autocloser, garage security

Posted in Doors & Windows | 1 Comment »

Linked Smoke Detectors Are Smart Upgrade

If it’s been a while since you upgraded your smoke detectors (or even thought about them), it may be time. Today you can get linked detectors, which is a smart move.

Linked smoke detectors alert the whole house (each alarm starts beeping) when one alarm detects smoke. Consider augmenting battery-powered detectors with hardwired ones (this means that even if you’re lousy about remembering to check the batteries on your smoke detectors, the hardwired ones will still go off in an emergency).

And if you’re tired of your smoky cooking setting off the detector in the kitchen, you can pick up heat sensors that are designed to sense a rapid temperature increase instead of simply responding to the presence of smoke. Heat sensors cost $50-$100.

You may also want to pick up carbon monoxide detectors (they cost about $100), which protect you against the colorless, odorless gas that is produced by malfunctioning equipment.

Tags: fire safety, Home Safety, smoke detectors

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Door Stop Alarm Can Make Travelers Feel Secure

If you’re traveling alone or somewhere you don’t feel 100% safe, you may consider getting a door stop alarm for your room.

These simple little devices slip under your door after you’ve closed yourself in for the night, and then if someone tries to enter, the alarm sounds a 120dB Alert (triggered when pressure is applied). While the door stop itself might not block entry (check out the portable door jammer brace we covered earlier for that), the sound may be deterrent enough, as people in the other rooms will be alerted by the loud noise.

Pick up the door stop alarm for $10 from Amazon:

GE SmartHome Door Stop Alarm

Tags: alarms, doors, security

Posted in Burglar Alarms, Doors & Windows | No Comments »

Home Security Door Can Be Stylish

A home security door can be a wise choice if you live in an iffy neighborhood or you just want to take precautions to increase the safety of your family and belongings.

When you think of a security door, you might imagine ugly bars that detract from the curb appeal of a piece of property. However, there are some stylish options that incorporate the security of bars with decorative elements that make the door attractive. After all, you don’t want the front of your home to remind people of jail cells!

This decorative security door from Pretty Smart Guys is one of several designs they offer.

While all the models offer the strength of bars, the bars are crafted into different patterns, and in many cases, you wouldn’t even think of the end result as a “security door.” They just look like normal ornamental front doors, so check out their site if you’re looking for ideas.

Tags: Home Security, security door

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Are Your Home Security Signs Telling Burglars too Much?

Congratulations, you’ve just paid for a professional home security system to be installed in your home. At the end, the installer probably stuck a couple home security signs in the yard, and you’re happy to leave them there, because it’s a good idea to let would-be burglars know your home is secured with an alarm, right? That’ll make them more likely to choose another target, a home that doesn’t have a professional system guarding it, right?

Yes, and no.

All things being equal, burglars would like to do as little work as possible to get into a home, but home security signs and stickers may not be quite as much of a deterrent as you’d think.

According to The Complete Book of Home, Site and Office Security, those home security signs can actually tell burglars more information than you’d want them to know.

“Because many burglars know its shortcomings, a typical professional installation actually may increase your risk of being burglarized. When sophisticated burglars see certain alarm system stickers on homes, they know many ways they can get in, move about inside the homes, and get out undetected.”

In other words, installers trained by professional security companies tend to set up alarm systems in a certain way for each home, and experienced burglars can learn these methods and how to avoid the system.

The solution? The book says you can hire a professional to install your alarm system creativity, so a burglar won’t know what to expect, or if you’re a do-it-yourself type, you can even install your own system.

At the very least, “Never use the [home security signs and] window stickers that come with your alarm; they give away too much information about your system. Buy no-name window stickers from a home-improvement center or hardware store.

Tags: burglars, Home Security, home security alarms

Posted in Burglar Alarms | 4 Comments »

Window Lock Upgrade Is Inexpensive and Easy to Install

If you’ve got a spare 60 cents, you can afford to upgrade a window lock. Even if you’ve got 20 windows in the house, we’re still not looking at a big financial outlay.

Why would you wish to do this?

Well, a lot of off-the-shelf windows don’t come with very good locks. When the doors are locked, the windows are the next things a burglar tries, and if they find an easily exploitable weakness, they can be inside in a snap.

There’s nothing fancy about the window lock shown here (hey, what did you expect for 60 cents?), but as reviewers on Amazon point out, it does the job:

“These little gems work very well! I don’t remember where my Mother had bought them, but we used them in a house where we never had any problems up until it went up for sale, at which point they did stand up to the test of a burglar! I also had one on my bedroom window that did not have a screen, and I was not able to force the window open when I had locked my keys inside! In my new apartment, they are actually fairly visible if you stare into the window with the blinds open–we all know a visible deterrent is an added security precaution! As a Security Supervisor, I would also recommend window bars or even just a cut or broken off piece of wood. The screw can be tightened as tight as you can squeeze it too.”

Aluminum Window Locks

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