Video Camera Options
Let’s look at the options when it comes to choosing your security camera. As with most of the components, the key is deciding what you want the cameras to do and where you’re going to need them placed before you start to buy. There are a lot of options, and this will help you narrow down the field quickly.
So here are some things to consider;
A wireless camera sends the picture (or signal) to a receiver, which is in your house, normally hooked up to a monitor system and a VCR for recording the picture. You can also record the images to a computer hard disk if you wish, but make sure your camera is of the ‘Wireless IP’ variety in order for you to be able to do this.
How far away from the receiver are the cameras going to be? You shouldn’t really experience too many problems if the distance between each camera and the receiver is around 30-40 meters. You can get cameras that can operate from a distance of 10 miles, but I assume that’s a bit over the top for most people. If you do need to extend the range of your camera, then it might be as simple as plugging a wireless card into it, thus effectively moving the aerial outside the camera body and increasing the range.
If you experience picture problems, but you are satisfied that it is within range of your receiver, you might need to move the camera slightly. Sometimes the smallest variation in position can improve the picture quality by a great amount.
Another thing to think about is how many walls are there between the cameras and receiver? Up to 8 should be ok, any more than that and you might experience a loss of signal, or at the best, a reduction in picture quality.
If your cameras are outside, what sort of environment are they going to be in? Is it hot or cold, does it rain a lot, are they likely to get wet? Are they in a location where they might get damaged or vandalized? Some cameras are built to withstand this sort of punishment, where as others may require you to buy some kind of protective casing. These offer protection, not just against water, but temperature extremes too. So if you live in the desert, the casing has a fan inside to keep everything cool, but if you live in the Arctic, it has a built in heater (alright, that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea).
Is it dark where your camera is going to be placed? Or do you want it to operate mostly at night? If it’s just low light conditions then look at the lux rating of the camera. This is an indicator of how well it will perform in low light – the lower the rating, the better the camera will be.
But if it’s going to operate at night, or total darkness, then you will need an infra red camera. This will give you a clear picture with no light at all.
Don’t forget that all of these cameras can easily be moved to different locations around your property until you are satisfied with the coverage. That’s the beauty of wireless.