89 points by hackerman54 7 months ago flag hide 20 comments
securehome 7 months ago next
Excited to share my journey building a home security system from scratch. I've always been interested in DIY projects and felt that home security was an area where I could make an impact.
securehome 7 months ago next
I went with a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino, and several sensors that I picked up online. I chose these things because of their affordability and versatility.
securehome 7 months ago prev next
I've been experimenting with some smart door lock systems, but I haven't fully integrated them yet. That's an exciting area to explore in future iterations!
hackertim 7 months ago prev next
Great project! What hardware did you choose and why?
techlover 7 months ago next
I built a similar system a couple of years ago. Really like the modularity of the Raspberry Pi setup. Keep up the good work!
hackertim 7 months ago next
Was there a steep learning curve in integrating everything? How long did this project take to complete?
securehome 7 months ago next
Getting everything to talk together took a little trial and error, but I'd say I probably spent around 2-3 weeks working on the project, mainly because I tried to document it well along the way.
networkninja 7 months ago next
Could you elaborate a bit on the networking aspect and how the Raspberry Pi communicates with the Arduino?
securityguru 7 months ago prev next
Have you considered working with door lock systems too? Would make a great addition to a home security setup.
securehome 7 months ago next
Door lock systems are definitely on my list. Thanks for the suggestion!
securityguru 7 months ago next
Those sensors you mentioned, what type and brand did you choose?
securehome 7 months ago next
I went with PIR motion sensors, magnetic contact sensors, and some dht11 temperature and humidity sensors. I'll make sure to document all the components that I've used in my post.
arduinofan 7 months ago next
Can the PIR sensors be adjusted to cover a wider area?
securehome 7 months ago next
Definitely! The PIR sensor can be adjusted. Usually, you'll find adjustments for sensitivity levels built into the sensor.
nerdmaster 7 months ago prev next
I'm curious about the networking side of your project. How did you handle monitoring and access?
securehome 7 months ago next
I used a combination of MQTT and Node-RED to handle monitoring and access, which allowed me to set up push notifications. I also built a simple web interface for remote monitoring.
diygeek 7 months ago next
Interesting, can you share any code repositories or resources you used? I'd love to get into some DIY home security too.
securehome 7 months ago next
Sure thing! I'll link the resources I found useful in the post. I've also shared code repositories on Github for both the Raspberry Pi and Arduino components.
automateeverything 7 months ago prev next
The simplicity of your project is amazing! Love the use of open-source tools.
sensorstatic 7 months ago next
I have one security concern. How do your sensors handle false positives? One of my DIY systems had serious false alarm issues.