Essential PI equipment for working from home

B

billal74

Member
Could anyone please advice me what equipment do I need to do PI work from home?
I started to work on my Diploma and decided to set up little office in my house but I need help to
choose what I need. So far I bought computer and all the surveillance kit needed to obtain relevant information
for my clients. I need help with some good video editing software to transfer the time and date stamp and to blur the video.
Anyone please feel free to add anything I missed. Thank you in advance.
 
billal74 said:
I need help with some good video editing software to transfer the time and date stamp and to blur the video.
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billal74,

Not wanting to sound off with you, but have you taken any formal training,
Peter at ISS or Aide at CTR would answer your questions on their courses.

Be VERY careful when considering editing footage, when gathering evidence remember to use RAW format.
Keep all originals and keep detailed notes of everything.

Usful kit for working from home is a bloody good kettle.

Regards

premier
 
rhea said:
What surveillance kit have you already bought to obtain the relevant information for your clients?[/QUOTEI

I bought 14.5 megapixel nikon dslr with 77-300 vr lens soon will upgrading it to 55-200 2.8 and sony camcorder with 72 intelligent zoom and few accessories.
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premier said:
billal74,

Not wanting to sound off with you, but have you taken any formal training,
Peter at ISS or Aide at CTR would answer your questions on their courses.

Be VERY careful when considering editing footage, when gathering evidence remember to use RAW format.
Keep all originals and keep detailed notes of everything.

Usful kit for working from home is a bloody good kettle.

Regards

premier
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice premier.

I have completed basic surveillance training and even tho we covered how to crop, input or create stills from video we didnt learn how to transfer d/t stamp or blur the video. I have now discover the dizzle from maplin but still searching for some good software to blur.
 
billal74 said:
[I bought 14.5 megapixel nikon dslr with 77-300 vr lens soon will upgrading it to 55-200 2.8 and sony camcorder with 72 intelligent zoom and few accessories.
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That's pretty good to begin with. Now how do you get from your office to the subject your client wants the relevant information from?

billal74 said:
but still searching for some good software to blur.
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What do you want to blur? I tend to find that a lot of my footage is blurred but to be honest the in-focus stuff is normally more use.:)
 
rhea said:
That's pretty good to begin with. Now how do you get from your office to the subject your client wants the relevant information from?


What do you want to blur? I tend to find that a lot of my footage is blurred but to be honest the in-focus stuff is normally more use.:)
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Not sure what you ment with the first question however I need some software to be able to blur the identity of 3th party for DPA reason.
 
billal74 said:
Not sure what you ment with the first question however I need some software to be able to blur the identity of 3th party for DPA reason.
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OK, you are in your office at home and a client calls and wants you to go and follow someone to collect the relevant information.

How do you get from your office to the subject? When there and they do not move for quite a while how do you stay hidden?. What do you use to follow them to be able to use your new kit and few accessories?

As for the blurring part I have never had to do it so maybe you can explain why you feel the DPA "reason" thinks you should?
 
For your sony camcorder you should have a look at a VRD-MC10 DVD BURNER, you can burn your footage directly from your camcorder and keep the time and date stamp without fussing over editing software.
 
rhea said:
OK, you are in your office at home and a client calls and wants you to go and follow someone to collect the relevant information.

How do you get from your office to the subject? When there and they do not move for quite a while how do you stay hidden?. What do you use to follow them to be able to use your new kit and few accessories?

As for the blurring part I have never had to do it so maybe you can explain why you feel the DPA "reason" thinks you should?
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I think I am with you now... I use my current vehicle (saloon). I have tinted it limo and bought some kit to adapt it for surveillance. I got this black elastic material to stretch it across the front rather then use curtains as it increases your visibility.

Now back to the video blurring I always seen professional surveillance videos blurred and so I thought legally it must be done. Isnt it the case?
 
I think you need to complete a proper course where you learn from experienced practitioners rather than be fed bull shit!

Apologies for being so harsh... but you should not be asking these questions if you have been taught properly.

Peter @ ISS
 
isstraining said:
I think you need to complete a proper course where you learn from experienced practitioners rather than be fed bull shit!

Apologies for being so harsh... but you should not be asking these questions if you have been taught properly.

Peter @ ISS
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And I thought this place is for asking and creating discussions about covert surveillance with people who has something to share. I asked few questions in this post but you havent answer any of them so maybe sometimes is better to remain silent if your intention isnt to benefit other members.
 
billal74 said:
And I thought this place is for asking and creating discussions about covert surveillance
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There's a conflict of interests there.

You have been given advice, you just don't realise it.

Nope that is not what this forum is for by the way.

I think you've just pissed off ISS, the best guy on here that could have helped you, is your foot feeling sore? You just shot yourself in it...

..............

Having said that, have you any hands on experience? If you can find someone who will take you out, it's worth more in experience than a certificate. Licensing dosen't come in 'til next yr as far as I'm aware. You could have the best website and Yellow pages add but I promise if you don't know your stuff a client will pick up on that within five minutes and you will lose the job.
 
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Hi.. I work in Security but in a different field and after reading your post, you have asked for advice on equipping your home into an office. First I would agree with others on here, ISS Training are known as the best in the business, so you asked for advice and didn't accept what advice was given, when it is very clear you are totally new in this field and it also sound like you have not completed any formal training. Secondly..If you had completed any formal training, it would be clear the pitiful's of doing any form of security from your own home, as you should be aware depending on the sort of clients you are hoping to take on, even the simplest jobs can go pear shaped, which you wouldn't want that coming to your home, especially if you have family. There are now small business willing to share offices/room to cut costs, look up in your area. Also if I was looking for a PI firm, I would not use one that was using a home address or using a mobile phone as a main contact. But that is my opinion and I have been around a few years and I have friends in different area's of the security industry. Please understand, people on this forum are asked time after time for advice on various subjects on security and it is down to you if you do not listen when someone is trying to help, as so far, the questions you have asked sound like you are being mislead on how PI's work or you have no training in this area and I am someone who is not in the PI world and this is how it has come across to me, sorry I do not wish to insult only advice. All the best Jen
 
Jenco10 said:
Hi.. I work in Security but in a different field and after reading your post, you have asked for advice on equipping your home into an office. First I would agree with others on here, ISS Training are known as the best in the business, so you asked for advice and didn't accept what advice was given, when it is very clear you are totally new in this field and it also sound like you have not completed any formal training. Secondly..If you had completed any formal training, it would be clear the pitiful's of doing any form of security from your own home, as you should be aware depending on the sort of clients you are hoping to take on, even the simplest jobs can go pear shaped, which you wouldn't want that coming to your home, especially if you have family. There are now small business willing to share offices/room to cut costs, look up in your area. Also if I was looking for a PI firm, I would not use one that was using a home address or using a mobile phone as a main contact. But that is my opinion and I have been around a few years and I have friends in different area's of the security industry. Please understand, people on this forum are asked time after time for advice on various subjects on security and it is down to you if you do not listen when someone is trying to help, as so far, the questions you have asked sound like you are being mislead on how PI's work or you have no training in this area and I am someone who is not in the PI world and this is how it has come across to me, sorry I do not wish to insult only advice. All the best Jen
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Absolutely Jen.

To the OP...

I'm PI now (ish), at 41yrs old I took on site training from someone in the business, I did it for free! I had to coax him to let me come with him actually, he said "Why should I train you up? People I've trained before have went self employed and left" that's completely understandable and fair enough.

He told me last week that when the SIA bring in the license he'll just do it, no questions asked. Can't see him asking questions here about how to start a PI business from his house.
He's ex plod and in his sixties. That's why I said a certificate won't do you any good on it's own.

But if you need to ask then you need training.


Peter from ISS will steer you right if you wind your neck in and listen.

You haven't told us about your background?
 
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colonel45155 said:
Absolutely Jen.

To the OP...

I'm PI now (ish), at 41yrs old I took on site training from someone in the business, I did it for free! I had to coax him to let me come with him actually, he said "Why should I train you up? People I've trained before have went self employed and left" that's completely understandable and fair enough.

He told me last week that when the SIA bring in the license he'll just do it, no questions asked. Can't see him asking questions here about how to start a PI business from his house.
He's ex plod and in his sixties. That's why I said a certificate won't do you any good on it's own.

But if you need to ask then you need training.


Peter from ISS will steer you right if you wind your neck in and listen.

You haven't told us about your background?
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Hi colonel,

thank you for your advice. I have been working in security for while and after completeting my formal surveillance training
I have been doing small jobs for people I know. I have done few mistakes as we all do at the begining and that is one of the reasons why I joined this forum but It seems to me like some people are here only to tense their muscles or to advertise their courses. I am not planing to take on big jobs anytime soon. I am only 26 and I want to take time in my training however I still
want to set up little space in my house for study and completing my reports. There are few courses that I was planing to do but they are not avalible until the begining of next year and so I decided to do my PI Diploma first.
 
billal74,

Did Ronin not cover this for you?
Can't you ring and get some FREE friendly advice, after completing their course?

As I said in my first reply to you both ISS and CTR would!

I got advice from Peter just a few weeks ago, and I didn't do my training with ISS, so get off your soapbox, and remember it is you who is new to the game and in need of help!

You will surely see that even with the sarcasm you are getting educated albeit its a baptism by fire!

Regards

premier


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