Lights, Camera..., Action? Big Brother getting in my face.

Sorry, this has nothing to do with any movie. This is about over-bright street lights and now a 360 degree camera positioned at the edge of my garden.

There used to be ugly acid-yellow lights everywhere and I once tried to complain to the local council about my garden being bathed in their sickly glow. I was directed to the local council website and found the page that gave me a little box to fill in telling them where their broken light was. I used that box to tell them there was no broken light, just an annoying light. Nothing happened and so I let it go.

Anyway, last year they replaced these monstrosities with lovely white lights but I'm positive they're taller and my house and garden is bathed in that light every night when I think I should be allowed some real night-time. I want to see the stars. I want to open my back door at night and not have to squint because of the light.

I like sleeping with the curtains open but my room is lit and my garden which should be pitch black in order to trip up and confuse any would-be robbers is illuminated enough to show them around safely.

To top it all, this week I spotted a workman up his ladder at the nearest lamp-post, hanging up some road sign (I thought), but it wasn't a road sign at all it was a 360 degree camera, about 15-16 feet off the ground.

I'm torn between keeping my mouth shut, complaining to the council and getting caught up in some long-running battle which I probably wont win anyway, because everyone knows the council are worse than mafia these days, or get up my own ladder and smash the thing to bits.

Has anyone else had this problem? Did they get it fixed? Thoughts please..

Have you considered a catapult ?

reply to post by Faithmaker


Had a black widow once.

I aimed it at a street light and hit my toe with the rock.

Hello chap,

I have the same problem (or did have) in my street a few years ago. It was annoying as hell as i like to look at the stars myself.

However.......i do have a solution for you!

If you look closely at street lights, they tend to have a little node or "cap" on the top of them. This is the sensor they use to tell if its light or dark. Which ultimatly determins if the light is on or off.

It is possible to fool and in some cases fry the sensor without anyone knowing.

Simply buy yourself a laser pen from any good online store. Shine the pointer on the node of the light for a few seconds and BAM....no more light

Iv done it myself numerous times and in a few cases fried the sensor completly (seen the workmen outside a few days later trying to figure what was going on heh heh heh).

The best part is, you can do it from your window, avoiding the camera all together, no one will ever know that it was you. As far as the camera can tell the, light just shut off on its own.

See the video links below, give you an idea of what to expect.

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

Anyway have fun chap, let me know if ya have any problems with it and ill see if i can help dude

You seem to be more worried about the lights than the camera? I'd be freaking about the camera... that's just me.

reply to post by ThirdEyeofHorus


Well the lights have been annoying me for ages but this new camera is the icing on the cake. I'm flipping mad.

I've just been outside for a smoke and it's right there, and probably looking right at me. Why would anyone monitor an empty street when they can swirl it round and watch me picking my nose at the back door, not to mention the days when I sit outside with just my towel on after a shower because normally nobody can see me for the high fence. My total privacy has gone completely.

reply to post by Jademonkey2k


Thanks for advice. I'll check those sites and find me a laser pen quick smart. Hope I can find this "node" you mentioned.

p.s. camera looks similar to one of these

Heya dude,

Good Stuff man.

I just had an idea about the camera too. Opitical sensors are very VERY sensitive to light. Especially if they are HD cameras (CMOS or CCD Sensors). Using the laser pen on the cameras sensor might be enough to damage the optics. Anyone ever tell you not to shine a laser pen in your eye? same principal

There are lots of places on the net to buy lasers, they come in different flavours with regards to the MW (Mega Watt) output. The bigger the MW the more powerfull and damaging they are. They range in price from a few quidd (or dollars) to a couple thousand. So buy whatever you can afford.

But this info does come with a pre warning. Some of the better lasers are so powerfull they can easily set fire to things. So much so that some require a key to just to be able to take the saftey off.

They are lots of fun but can be pretty leathal, so use wisely

Thanks for advice folks.

I've been phoning here and there and found out the camera is temporary. I've found out it's called a domehawk. Still to talk to the man in charge who will probably tell me there's a shield on it's viewing area regarding my property, though I would prefer a physical shield. Here's a photo of offending thing taken from my porch.

CCTV Privacy MaskingCCTV Privacy Masking Guide

Interesting info here
About these cameras

The Dome Hawk is a rapid deployment wireless dome camera, self contained with integral radio equipment and optional 24hr time-lapse hard disk video recorder. All of the radio frequency components are contained within the camera enclosure making it very quick and easy to install on any flat surface or pole.
The Dome Hawk is a rapid deployment wireless dome camera, self contained with integral radio equipment and optional 24hr time-lapse hard disk video recorder. All of the radio frequency components are contained within the camera enclosure making it very quick and easy to install on any flat surface or pole.

The Hawk family of rapid deployment cameras offer a wealth of features and flexibility not found in alternative systems. The primary focus is to present high quality images via a reliable and stable radio transmission medium. This is achieved by designing and manufacturing cutting edge technology and adopting a policy of on-going development.

I'm a bit confused about how this works. If the video is stored on the hard disk recorder within that unit, does that mean the "man with the briefcase" has to come along and download the data via wireless onto his box for viewing? Or does this all mean that the camera is left alone and the stuff deletes itself after 24 hours if there are no incidents that the police are investigating? Or are the images sent live back to "base camp"?

The Hawk family is the only system to comply with the Data Protection Act in that all video transmissions are secure and cannot be monitored by third parties. Any RF transmission that is not scrambled can be monitored, very easily, by unauthorised people.

Could this camera cause interference to other antennae?