X10 Security Cameras????

[cpritchard]

Our little girl began sleeping in her own room this week and is doing great. It is LOML that is having a hard time with the transition. Last night, she was asking me about our alarm system and if the system was good enough with our daughter sleeping a good distance away from us now. I said "no worries". Well, at 2:30am last night, we get a call from the alarm dispatch service and said they got a signal form the battery, saying low battery. No matter if it was only a low battery or not, with our conversation about the system being so fresh, we were a little frazzled.

Now she wants security cameras at the windows and in the little ones bedroom. I was looking at x10.com and they have some pretty neat stuff. I wanted to see if any of you had used there cameras and what you thought. Or maybe give some better avenues.

This is a smart bunch here, I know there wil be a few. thanks ahead of time!
Chris

[Tequila]

I'm going to start off by trying to change your mind on this idea. If you really want to go that route, I'll throw out some suggestions in a later post.

First off, I'd take the battery incident as proof that your security company is doing their job and doing it well. It's upsetting to get a call from them, but you should feel a lot better knowing that they'll be on the ball for any little problem, even if it's just a battery.

Second, video cameras don't do anything unless someone is watching them. So you can have a camera focused on every window and every family member, but for it to be effective you'll need to turn your life into one of a night watchman, sitting in front of a screen monitoring your house all night long.

If you're set on the camera idea, I'd talk to your security company and see if they offer anything. They're clearly good at monitoring, so they might be able to monitor a little more for a little more money, and you won't have to stay up all night watching your windows on TV.

[jking]

I'm with him

I'm going to agree with Tequila. If your alarm company called in the middle of the night to tell you the battery was low, it seems like an excellent sign they are doing their job. After calming down from the late night call, I'd sleep better knowing the alarm company is working.

I don't see how cameras do anything for you unless you're planning to stay up and watch them.

[MilDoc]

X10 systems have their problems. I once had a house with every window and door covered (not cameras), alrms, and lots of other stuff. The house was broken into twice. Alarms never sounded.

[jackellis]

It seems like the concern is your child could be kidnapped. Even in a high crime area that's extremely unlikely. Not that it doesn't happen, but I think your chances of being involved in a traffic accident are a lot higher than the likelihood your child will be snatched from your home.

I agree with the others that the alarm company is enough protection.

[MilDoc]

I might mention ... I don't know what kind of windows you have, but no matter what they are, there is always a way to limit how far they open. Anyone wanting to break in then has the break the window. Noisy!

[Hellrazor]

Alarm batteries are a PITA. We change them every 2 years at work. I had one fail last week that was only 1.5 years old. I am #1 on the alarm call list for all 5 buildings at work, I know all about the 2am alarm calls... *sigh*

[MilDoc]

Just as with smoke alarm batteries, best procedure is to replace them every year on the same date. Works for me.

[Kristofor]

Honestly, I'd be far more worried about a camera in my little girl's room than about the possibility of a break-in and kidnapping. I'm guessing it's a 20:1 or 50:1 ratio of related/known molesters to stranger abductions...

It's a lot easier to break into someone's home-grown video system undetected than it is to break-in and steal their child...

[Mrs. Wallnut]

Being a mother of 3 and knowing your wife's concern about the little one. If it is just having the baby so far away from you may I suggest one of those video monitors so that you can see and hear the baby. They did not have these systems when my 11 year old twins were young and the one that I did find was outrageous in price as they were just fairly new. Our youngest sleeps at the other end of the house and all we have is a baby monitor but it is very sensitive as I can hear the furnace kick on, him moving around and the dog get up off the couch.

I would also go with the others comments and check with your alarm company.

[cpritchard]

Thank you all for your responses. My wife and I have been looking on to them all. She is feeling alot better now and we will not be doing the cameras. All windows in our house have sensors and we keep the alarm on instant alarm while we are sleeping. I think, if we do anything, it will be to have the alarm company install a glass breaking sensor in the bedroom.

We dont live in a high crime area at all. When you spend so much time with your little one sleeping in the same room for such a long time, separation anxiety can get the best of you. By all means the most valuable thing one has in life is thier children, IMHO.

Again thanks for all comments!

[gerti]

Well, at 2:30am last night, we get a call from the alarm dispatch service and said they got a signal form the battery, saying low battery.

I am sorry, but even with low bat those things should last a few more days. So they feel the need to call about it at 2:30 in the morning?

X10: This is the cheapest of the cheapest stuff. Fun to play with, but I would not want to have to rely on it.

[LinuxRandal]

In my area about two years ago, a crew of burglers was busted, that had been driving around with a vcr and a x10 reciever in their car. They used the footage to figure out which houses to break into.