Outdoor Night Time Security Camera Recommendation

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced one off outdoor night time security type camera?

The story: My elderly parents are having an issue with one of their garden gates being opened (and left open) during the night. This has been ongoing for some weeks now and happens maybe once a week or once a fortnight or as in the case of this week just gone - twice in a week.

Now it could be that they have forgotten to shut it, but they are not quite at that forgetful stage yet. And it's not the kind of gate that unlatches itself or can be blown open. No one else needs access through the gate and it is in a more rural setting so everything is quite open plan as such.

Anyway I'm as intrigued as they are and think that maybe some kind of outdoor camera, just enough to record the nights footage to see if we can establish how this gate is magically opening itself. It can be SD card or cloud based, so does anyone have a product that they can recommend or even a better suggestion to my camera idea?

[anonymous-user]

Surely a padlock would be cheaper and less mither?

[hersh]

To be honest, pretty well any outdoor cctv camera will do the job
You can be either battery or mains, can be linked via WiFi with the option of a micro sd for storage
Don't go for vga quality, get a 4k version
Argos sell the Tapo for £30 ish, will do the job, it will send you notifications of any activity, as most will

[sherman]

Buy a wildlife camera off amazon. Any with IR around £50 will be more than enough. Some have a screen to view pictures others you need to download the sd card to view the pics.
You can use it to see whats about in the garden after too.

You could also fit a return spring to the gate so it self closes although this msy make it tough for the elderly to open.

[Volvolover]

I have a couple of properties that are empty on occasion and I have Blink systems at each, I used various systems over the years and these are great , cheap, easy, great app and some
Free storage (cloud based)

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

lord trumpton said:

Surely a padlock would be cheaper and less mither?

It's not a secure garden as such, the gate is only a 3ft by 3ft (if that) wrought iron style thing. You could almost step over it if you are tall enough. Plus the fence is only low panels in slotted posts.

It's an intrigue thing really and peace of mind for them. But if someone is snooping about it obviously needs more serious action.

[Magnum 475]

Install a Bisley Mine on the gate.

Then identify the perp by looking around for someone with brown trousers

[joropug]

I recommend Yi (believe they are now rebranded as Kami.

Usb powered or 3 pin
SD card records days
Connects to Wi-Fi also
Permanent looped record like a dash cam
App shows you motion detection alerts so you can quickly flick through activity
App also allows you to skip to any part of the SD card and watch at up to 8x speed
Can view it live on app too

Kami Smart Outdoor/Indoor Security Camera, AI-Powered 1080p Home Surveillance System with Human Detection, Starlight Night Vision, Time Lapse, Activity Zone, Siren Alarm, Cloud Service

Note I paid less than £40 on a prime deal. I also have two of their indoor cameras which can look outside via window effectively in the day but less so at night.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VK2PK3D/ref=cm_sw_r...

[Cold]

Will they be pleased or relieved when it turns out to be a fox or badger?

[samoht]

Volvolover said:

I have a couple of properties that are empty on occasion and I have Blink systems at each, I used various systems over the years and these are great , cheap, easy, great app and some
Free storage (cloud based)

+1 for Blink, assuming (a) they have WiFi and (b) the front gate is in range.

Battery powered so can pop them anywhere, can monitor them from a smartphone, and runs for months on a pair of AAs.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Cold said:

Will they be pleased or relieved when it turns out to be a fox or badger?

Ironically this is why they have started closing the gates at night, to stop the badgers digging up the grass and to encourage them to head for an easier target elsewhere. I can't see any way in which a badger of a fox could even manage to nudge the gate and manage to unlatch it.

[sherman]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Ironically this is why they have started closing the gates at night, to stop the badgers digging up the grass and to encourage them to head for an easier target elsewhere. I can't see any way in which a badger of a fox could even manage to nudge the gate and manage to unlatch it.

A fox would just jump a 3ft gate.