Got a Security Camera from the Scrap Pile!

So last fall one of the guys at a place I where pick up scrap comes up to me and hands me an old security camera. I asked "Does it work?" He says "I don't know, we just pulled it off a pole. Hang it up somewhere as a dummy."

I threw it on the dash of my pickup and when I got home I threw it on my workbench and forgot about it.

Me and the wife were laying in bed the other night and and she told me Timmy (her uncle) stopped in to see me at my office but nobody answered. He told her my music was blaring, and he banged on the door but I didn't answer. LOL. I have all the shades on the windows pulled, and the glass in the door broke, so I replaced the glass with a piece of 1/4" plywood that I painted black. The Glass store wanted $300, piece of plywood was $15. It actually looks good. So basically I baricade myself in and can't see out.

So this got me thinking about that camera. I found and old 12V wall wart from the scrap pile, and a plug that fit the power cable from the scrap pile. Spliced the plug to the wall wart and the camera works great!!! Only Standard Definition but hey, total cost $0 Not too bad.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...psdznsrbpo.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...pswkbd6m0h.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...psu35ejksb.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...psx65ode4m.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/...pszpxfedlj.jpg

I have a webcam set up outside my office door for this. You never realize how useful those are until you start using them. Very nice to know when people are coming.

*Don't use the camera to not allow entry to people you don't like ;)

I got some of these a couple of weeks ago from a clean out. They are new in the box so should be good to go. I just don't know how to hook them to a monitor. I can figure out the power ok, just need to know if you run it through a computer with software or is it easier than that?

recently I upgraded my setup so I can check them with my phone on the go and the motion sensors I have alert me usually with in a minute, I have not really needed them a lot I have 4 outside to watch the garage 1 inside with 2 motion sensors 2 of which are inside my apt windows looking out and 1 in my living room that faces the door since the door window and kitchen entry is in the same view. its more than I need but saves a lot on insurance.
the 4bay hard drive setup that this has allows me to finally use some of the 80gb satas I get in all the time, its not really meant to use such older ones but when im lazy I can just switch it out.

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Originally Posted by Pnutfarmer

I got some of these a couple of weeks ago from a clean out. They are new in the box so should be good to go. I just don't know how to hook them to a monitor. I can figure out the power ok, just need to know if you run it through a computer with software or is it easier than that?

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Hey p-nut

This one is a phono / RCA plug. Just like on a stereo. That monitor that I have pictured is actually an old Samsung Syncmaster. It is a computer monitor/tv/video monitor. Has picture in picture too. Quite the monitor in its day.

So this camera is just regular video. No webcam or anything.

A lot of the Dell monitors have an RCA input. If so, just plug straight into there like Pjost did. If not, you can add a card to your computer that has an RCA input, and bring it in that way. I just use a webcam at my office- it inputs via USB, and I can run it in VLC Media Player as a full-screen stream. It really comes in handy!