Ask Slashdot: Video Monitors For Areas That Are Off the Grid?

An anonymous reader writes "I have a cottage at the end of a long dirt road, no electricity nor internet, and recently some (insert expletive here) wads are using the area as a trash dump: countertops, sofas, metal scraps, tvs — all the stuff they don't want to pay to dump at the landfill. I can't block the road because it's a fire access. But I would really like to have a way to catch who is doing this. Are there any a) waterproof, b) self-contained, c) self-powered, and (ideally) d) inexpensive video-recording units out there? Are there any other creative ways to get the guys? I was thinking of something like a device that will cycle, so that the last week of video is recorded. It could take photos or video, and as long as it's small enough that I could camouflage it well, I suspect I'd be able to figure this out soon. And any idea of what my legal rights are to videotape or record?" Hunters have been doing this for years (with film, and now digital) to figure out prey patterns with cameras that are built for concealment; what else would you recommend?

Comments

Deer cams

[Lumpy]

Put up the IR deer cams. Hide them because they will steal them.

Re:Deer cams

[Nethead]

What I was going to say. trailmasters.com Did webpage work for them back in '97.

Re:Deer cams

[boristdog]

Yes. Deer/wildlife cameras are what I would recommend. You can get them for $59 - $200. They take pretty good pictures and a set of batteries lasts a couple months.

Re:Deer cams

[Lumpy]

nope, well it depends on what you call "affordable" $5500.00 is affordable to some people.

But there is a self contained security camera called "silent witness" that lets you place them high up in a tree or on the roof of the cottage. just add a 12AH gel cell battery and a 20 watt solar panel and it will record to the internal SD card for over a month.

http://christy-ind.com/silent_witness/swc40r.php

Re:Deer cams

[Anonymous Coward]

right. you could use something like this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/887443-REG/Bushnell_119438_Nature_View_HD_Camera.html but you'll have to hide it well

Re:Deer cams

[Copperhamster]

There is only one tiny problem that you might run into, and it should be ok if you stick a couple in trees... those deer cams usually have a red light on them, if people are looking they can be found. However, they'd have to look.

Also, something to check for, in my state it's illegal to record other people on your property 'without consent of at least one party involved in the recording'. Consent is however assumed if signage is posted. (I can record at my door without a sign, because I'm recording myself and others, I'm consenting. I can't just do surveilance without posting a sign. The rules are of course, byzantine.)

Re:Deer cams

[jasper160]

The newer ones have dropped the light. Check Cabela's, Gander Mountain, or Sportsman's Warehouse. And just using the Google with: deer cameras cell phones, this popped up http://www.trailcampro.com/howtocatchathief.aspx. No lights.

Bushnell?

[frostfreek]

Bushnell Trail Sentry 5MP Digital Camera

Seems like it's packed with features.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/bushnell-trail-sentry-5mp-trail-night-vision-camera-119305.html

Hunters have the right gear

[Gunnut1124]

Don't reinvent the wheel, hunters have already done the hard part. Check around for concealed hunter camera gear. Already camouflaged, and able to take stills or video...