The Five Minute and $6 Home Security Upgrade

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases (more).

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a security geek. From automated paintball sentries, to high tech surveillance camera gear, security topics pop up with some regularity here at HomeFixated.com. Unfortunately, security often comes at a cost. In this case, I’m not referring to the NSA snooping your suggestive text messages. Instead, I’m referring to actual dollar costs. Alarm systems, security monitoring services, and even surveillance systems can all add up to a ton of money. And, since most of us find having an armed military sentry posted outside 24/7 impractical, I’d like to present a simple solution. It’s something you can install in less than five minutes and will cost you less than $10, yet it can still make a huge impact on your home security.

31KF1wNEQJLBehold, the dummy security camera! Notice I did not say, “behold, the security camera, dummy”, that would be rude. Sporting a flashing LED powered by two AA batteries, this particular dummy cam is made by the uniquely and exceptionally-named, “UniquExceptional.” OK, so the brand doesn’t quite have the same cachet as Sony or Panasonic, but who cares? It’s a dummy camera, not something to document your parenting struggles with.

Who says security doesn't come cheap?
Who says security doesn’t come cheap?

For the cost of an extra, extra large, premium blended coffee beverage, you can add a visual deterrent that has a decent chance of deterring the common burglar, particularly when mounted conspicuously. Keep in mind most burglars are strung-out addicts looking to finance their next fix, (not the highly observant, carefully planned, criminal masterminds seen in the movies). In other words, make sure the camera is pretty obvious. Adding a sticker around your entry can help get your point across too.

The cable reportedly tucks right into the mount so you don't need to drill a separate hole in your wall.
The cable reportedly tucks right into the mount so you don’t need to drill a separate hole in your wall.

One of the less convincing models available
One of the less convincing models available
Whatever you do, don’t buy the camera shown to the right here (also from Amazon). The front has “Camera TV Lens” boldly printed on it. My guess is after they made it, they realized no one would actually believe it was a real camera unless they labeled it as such. Although there are many dummy cams out there, make sure you buy one that actually looks real. This probably goes without saying, but don’t install one of these where you might actually want or need a real camera. The footage from dummy cams won’t get you very far.

You can find the silver Dummy Security Camera with Blinking LED for around $6 on Amazon. The same brand also offers the sleek black model shown above for a whopping $10! Both have almost a full five star review rating, with the silver model sporting an impressive 700+ reviews. Oh, and if you scare off any burglars with it, send us the footage!

Photo of author

About Marc Lyman

Marc grew up under a brave single mom who "encouraged" home improvement on the family home. Early toddler gifts included a tool set, and even a cordless Bosch drill when cordless drills first came out. In grade school (give or take a few years), Marc's mom said, "We need to cut down some trees. . . . here's a chainsaw." A father figure also involved Marc in many home improvement projects, including a summer of home remodeling in Palo Alto, CA. Toss in some Obsessive Compulsive personality traits researching everything home improvement related. The end result: a genetically pre-disposed, socially sculpted home improvement machine! For his complete profile, please visit our About page. Really, it's worth it.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get access to free prizes, product sneak-peeks, reviews, how-to's and much more!

More Info | Email Privacy

2 thoughts on “The Five Minute and $6 Home Security Upgrade”

  1. Be very careful with fake security cameras. Never use them in commercial/business situations.

    Say Timmy works for you, and he parks his car beside the ‘security camera’ because it’s safe, right?
    Timmy’s car gets broken into, and he asks for the tape for the cops. Timmy could get all legal on your butt because you provided a false sense of security in an area deemed to require additional measures against a possible insecurity.

    A simple google search for ‘dummy camera lawsuit’ will yield many warnings against these things in any real situation. My vote would be if you’re worried, do it the right way to start with. Break-ins happen, don’t make your day worse by remembering it’s a fake camera.

    Source: working qualified locksmith, 8 years.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.