FTV-10 Charcoal TV Simulator – TV Security Light, Burglar Deterrent

This is not that difficult to figure out how to use properly! But sometimes, you've got to out-smart the bear... or find somebody else that is to help you. If you think you can just take this out of the box, plug it in, slide a switch, point it at a blind or draped covered window 20 feet away, leave all the lights turned brightly on in the room and expect this to make people in the next county believe you're watching TV... you might want to think again before purchasing this! This item takes some planning and common sense to use properly.All kidding aside (actually, I wasn't kidding)... If you've got room-darkening blinds or drapes, you'd probably not even see a spotlight through them, let alone a Fake TV. This produce is meant to be subtle. If you can't even see your own TV operating (flickering) from outside any way, this definitely won't work for you. What makes you think this product would do any better? C'mon... use that noggin on your shoulders. Some planning or "arranging" may need to occur in your specific setting to make this thing "believable" to those thinking about using your keepsakes to pawn off for crack. Thieves still are typically lazy and will move on to an easier target if you do your part, first, and take a little time to set this up properly. Even just a little flicker might save you from having to make that 911 call when you return from your Bingo night or church's pot-luck supper.In my application, which I use for extended vacations, or even just an evening that I'll be returning after dark... I plug it in, of course, placed on the entertainment center or a stand less than 2 feet in front of the window, angled about 45 degrees off to one side. It's aimed (up) towards the wall that has my window(s) that I want its blinking to be visible from. I don't leave any other "glaring" lights on in the room either... but there still are some dimmer lights on in the room. I have only blinds and I "crack" them open slightly so the light goes up and through them. I also have (the advantage of) a gable window that allows the blinking Fake TV's light to reflect off of the vaulted ceiling and this is the most effective application I've found although I've used it successfully in other rooms. Anybody on the street would think there is somebody home here with the TV on. You also may need to obscure the area around the sensor (block off with books or a newspaper crumpled up) to ensure it comes on in a lighted room.Try different angles, tilts, blind/drape openings and/or reflecting off ceiling or walls to find the best results. Of course, if you black-out your windows completely (or don't have any), nothing will work for you. Then again, a little thought process before you purchase this may save you some trouble (or the need to write negative reviews). This product may not work in your environment or setting.I've used this product for almost a year now. It works suitably for my situation and it DOES look like a real TV operating in the room from outside. There are, however, a couple items I'd like to see changed or added to it. Of course, these would increase to the already reasonable price this thing now sells for.1. Have a "random" on and off setting still retaining the 4 and 7 hour relative timeframes.2. Have a variable sensor sensitivity like high, medium and low.3. And this is really picky... have a 5 or 6 hour setting. 7 hours is still too long even for our winter's early sunsets. It will remain on till well after midnight here, which is a dead giveaway that I'm really not home if you already know my "pattern" or observe my other light timers.Still, I love the Fake TV. It gives me a reassuring feeling that my property is safe and sound when I do leave it for just an hour or for weeks at a time. I highly recommend it.

It works great! Just what I needed

This is a effective solution at a reasonable cost.

It gives the appearance of a television turned on . I think it does repeat its program lighting to quick and often I put mine on a timer at the outlet so it can turn on at different times rather than use the presets the unit has

With frequent travel comes home worries. The fake TV is just a perfect device to set it and forget about, all the while it's creating an illusion of activity inside a house. When I arrive home I see it through the window and have no concern it appears to be a fake TV, and I assume passer-bys believe it's a TV and have no idea that it's automatic. I leave it on when at home or away, so with a garage to park in I don't think it would be an easy guess to know if the home is occupied or not. Good job to the creators of this device. Thanks

This unit is so convincing, I have actually pulled into my own driveway thinking, "oh, someone is home watching tv..." Of course, I quickly remember that it's FakeTV, but it is amazingly realistic. I scoured the reviews before buying this and waited over a month to review it myself. Here is what I have gathered after experimenting with several locations in my house and viewing it from outside.1 - Needs to be on an upper floor and not in a window someone can look into directly, for obvious reasons2 - Works well with thin blinds/roman shades, or white curtains, but I have no issues using it without any window coverings3 - You'll probably want to shine the light at an angle to the window so you get an ambient glow that looks like a TV. Mine is set about 1' below the base of the window, centered underneath the middle and pointing towards the corner of the room next to the edge of the window. I also put it in a very large room set about 8' away from the side wall and 5' away from the wall with the windows.4 - Settings include a dusk+4 hours, a dusk+7 hours and an "always on" setting. I prefer using the dusk+4 hour setting since it stays on through prime time when most people have their TV on. I've found it reliably comes on, but the times are approximate so it isn't *too* predictable.5 - Be prepared for the neighbors to ask you about your favorite shows... if you're like me and don't really watch TV, you might struggle with answering that one! :)I noticed a reviewer complained that it was too rhythmic to be confused with a real TV, but this wasn't the case at all in my experience. I could not discern any pattern as it appears to change from screen to screen... maybe at some point it looks like flipping channels, but that is to be expected if someone is at home watching TV and changing channels during a commercial break and I think it just adds to the realism.Bottom line: it is definitely worth the money, does exactly what it claims to do, and is really easy to use. The unit itself seems fairly basic (it is made in China if that matters to you), but it does not seem flimsy. I would absolutely make this purchase again.