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[teenytiny]

Hi:

We live in an old house amidst other old houses, and are researching home security technologies.  I've always shied away from the brand-name/big-$$ security monitoring methods, though I do understand that cost-effective monitoring of a home-grown security system is available.  At some point, we'll be replacing our front and rear doors with better quality, but still antique (or antique-looking) doors -- so a door alarm system probably isn't in our near future.  We have a very small front yard, and a very small rear yard (a total of about 5,000 square feet).

Here is the need:  there is a property overlooking ours, which does not have road frontage.  The residents and their "guests" must cross our driveway, via car or foot to access this property.  I'm interested in a motion sensing system which will trigger cameras to record all traffic in and out of the driveway.  A motion sensing system in the backyard that would trigger light and sound would be helpful if we could set it for specified times, or via remote.  No exterior sirens, but a sound trigger, and perhaps a small strobe.  Also, perhaps a motion trigger for the front yard that wouldn't activate when people walk by on the sidewalk, but would if someone actually walked up the property steps (there is no front fence, only steps to the yard).

My first thoughts for the driveway were the ActiveHome Pro Home Automation Starter Kit with iWatchOut Camera Monitoring Software Module plus FREE Bonus: USB Video Capture Adapter and EagleEye Motion Sensor, with an additional motion sensor, and a Ninja pan-and-zoom camera.  But if I aim a stationery low-light camera properly, and use a motion sensor, it could be triggered to record ins and outs of the driveway anyway, yes?

Forgive my utter newness, and get me started, pretty please!

[mike]

sounds like u really want a system you can trust to work.  X10's security module (D7000 I think it is called) works 100% - have 2 at businesses and they always work and never false or fail.  I cannot say you would be happy with the sometime works and low resolution x10 cameras;  they are ok for fun and maybe they will work at the right time but dont count on them in my opinion.  Vangaurd software seemd a tad more robust than activehome Pro but they do not play together so it is one or the other.  even vanguard will not switch cameras 100% reliably and the x10 cameras work well to their receiver over a max distance of about 25 feet;  if you remove the x10 camera and receiver antennas and put on 7-12db 2.4ghz network antennas you can get to around 50-100 feet from my experience.