Security Cameras
in the Home
Where to Use and How
to Choose

Typical uses:

• To see who is at the door before opening. Determine if it is safe to do so, avoid the bogus callers. This is especially important for the elderly, who are often prime targets for this type of scum. The security camera can be simply linked into your TV (via an RF modulator) and tuned into a spare channel, or alternatively to the scart input of your VCR and TV.
• For recording who called while you were out
• To watch over your cars, motorbikes, caravans, boats and trailers. There have been many instances where these valuable items have been broken into or vandalised on peoples own driveways. A security camera positioned over these areas and connected into your TV and VCR can pick up and record these events and or warn you. A PIR activated security light can be used to trigger the VCR when movement is detected in the area. A prominently positioned camera may even deter any would be vandal or thief from attempting their crimes on your property.
• Watching garages or outbuildings where valuable equipment is stored such as: ride on lawnmowers, powerboats, jet skis, vintage vehicles, expensive cars, tractors and tools.
• Watching babies and small children when they are in their rooms or at play
• General camera surveillance: monitoring of house, garden and perimeter
• To keep an eye on animals that are ill, are about to give birth or have young. Especailly useful if animals are in a building remote from the house.

Remember:

• that recorded images should be of good quality if you intend passing them to the police to follow up on
• domestic VCR's do not start the instant that they are triggered, unlike a time lapse video recorder used in professional security applications. Inexpensive time lapse machines are now available and may be well worth considering.
• if you have prominent security cameras, the vandal, burglar or conman may realise that he has been recorded and try to steal the taped evidence. This could be a valid reason for installing covert cameras, although you obviously lose the deterrent effect of visible security cameras. Alternatively the VCR could be secured in a lockable steel box which is bolted to the floor or wall which prevents the tape from being removed. The addition of a hidden time lapse VCR would also fool most thieves, they would still probably take the tape from the domestic recorder.
• surveillance cameras can be a very effective way of monitoring and recording activities in and on your property. Wherever you install home security cameras use good judgment on their placement, don't ever install security cameras that invade areas where others (such as your neighbours) expect privacy.
• Other recording options now available, include recording to your computers hard drive or a separate digital video recorder. Once on the computer any recorded shots can then be sent to other destinations. Pictures can even be downloaded anywhere in the world via a mobile phone. You could watch what is going on in and around your house while still being thousands of miles away

Home Security Cameras and Systems

Many of the home security cameras available today are very simple to install, with cameras that operate off low voltage power supplies. Several of these home security cameras are also available in wireless versions or alternatively they can have wireless transmitters linked to them, making them especially suitable for DIY installation by most reasonably competent people.

Today there is an amazing choice of home security cameras available, with new innovations constantly being developed. These constant developments are making it virtually impossible for surveyors and installers to keep abreast of the latest developments.

The information printed here should at least allow you to ask any potential installer the right questions, to enable you to get the right camera surveillance system to suit your needs, at a value for money price, rather than being sold the system that the salesman wants to sell. Alternatively if you are installing the security cameras yourself you should know a little bit more about the equipment you will require to fulfil your needs.


SECURITY CAMERA CHOICE

Colour or Black and White

Colour is normally today's preferred medium, it looks better and we are used to seeing it on our TVs' and our still photos. In some situations, such as low light applications, a black and white camera will perform better than a colour camera, i.e. it can operate at considerably lower lux (light) levels. Black and white security cameras also have more lines of resolution, which makes the picture sharper. Finally, black and white cameras and monitors are less expensive than the equivalent colour cameras and monitors, which can often be the deciding factor if several security cameras are being installed.

Some more expensive security cameras switch from a colour output during good lighting conditions to a black and white output under poor lighting conditions.

Covert or Overt

Do you want the security camera to be seen, to act as a deterrent or do you want the camera to be hidden or disguised for spying and recording of all activities - for evidence purposes? See Security Cameras - Spy

Internal or External use

All external security cameras need to be sealed against the weather, either by installing in weatherproof housings or by having their own weatherproof casings. This weatherproofing is essential for prolonging the life of your camera. Many of these weatherproof housings and casings are fitted with heating elements which as well as protecting the electronics from condensation, helps to keep the lens clear of frost and helps prevent the build up of snow. Most external security cameras or in fact internal security cameras facing outwards will also benefit from having an auto iris lens, which adjusts to suit the varying light conditions.

Hardwired or Wireless

Hard wired home security cameras are generally more reliable, cost less and provide better picture quality than the equivalent wireless security camera, so it is important to take these points into account when deciding on camera positions

When determining where you want to position the security cameras to best monitor particular areas, note should be made of the nearest available power points and the ease with which any cable runs can be installed both for power and the video link. Digging up gardens and drives can be an expensive, disruptive operation and should be avoided where possible. Sometimes a compromise position can be found which will ease installation and still provide you with adequate camera surveillance of the particular area.

Both black and white and colour security cameras can be equipped with transmitters' which normally have a transmission range of approximately 100m. (uninterrupted view), this distance will be reduced when the signals have to go through walls of buildings to around 30m. (depending on the building structure).

Distance to Target, Field of View

If you want to cover a wide field of view, the security camera will need to be fitted with a wide angle lens, unfortunately these lenses reduce the amount of image detail, making it difficult to identify any strangers in the picture, unless they are quite close to the camera. This is the trade off that you get for covering large areas of your property.

On the other hand a narrow angle lens will give you very good image detail, but will not monitor a very large area. It is best to look at photos taken with various lenses at different distances from the security camera to gauge your requirements more accurately. More expensive varifocal lenses are available where you can vary the field of view without changing the lens, thus matching it to your needs.

Many of the cheaper home security cameras have fixed lenses, which cannot be changed, they have to be ordered with the correct lens. Many miniature spy/hidden cameras are fitted with pinhole lenses, these lenses have apertures of approximately 3mm or 1/8 inch, which allows them to be easily hidden or disguised. These lenses do however cause a slight decrease in image quality.

Although not warranted on the majority of home installations, security cameras can be fitted with powered focus and zoom function lenses and can be installed on pan and tilt units offering complete remote control of all functions.

Camera Lux (Light) Ratings

As mentioned earlier all CCTV cameras come with a rating which shows how sensitive the camera is to low light levels. The lower the lux rating of a camera, the less light it needs to see and produce a good quality image. Good external lighting is required for colour cameras to perform adequately outside after dark. Black and white cameras, whilst working at lower light levels anyway, can also operate in total darkness with the aid of infra red illuminators. Some security cameras (black and white only) are fitted with built in infrared illuminators (around the lens) for short range uses, or can be fitted with external lamps for longer range applications.

Controlling Home Security Cameras

Some homeowners will only requires a simple, easy to use control system that will integrate with their existing TV and VCR. A typical system would only have one security camera, monitoring the front door. When someone knocks on the door the homeowner can switch channels on his TV and see who is there without getting out of his/her chair. For this type of simple application homeowners don't want the hassle of getting out of their chair to view images on a dedicated CCTV monitor hidden in a cupboard or another room

When multiple home security cameras are installed some form of control is needed to switch between one camera and another. A number of options are available to carry out this task depending on your requirements and the depth of your pockets:

Sequential Switcher

The lowest cost method of viewing multiple security cameras. Most switchers can view each camera independently on the screen and can also be set to automatically sequence through the cameras at an adjustable preset rate (some have independent adjustments for each camera). As well as viewing live on the monitor the outputs can be recorded for future viewing.

NOTE: recorders will only record one camera at a time with these switchers or the sequenced views - they will basically record what you see on the screen at any one time.

These switchers work with black and white and colour cameras. Some monitors are available with built in switchers. If you are feeding the output directly to your TV you will need a separate switcher with a built in RF modulator.

Many systems are now available as complete kits which include: cameras, lenses, brackets, power supplies, cables with connectors (different lengths to suit), RF modulators and with monitors and recorders if required.

Quad Switchers

Quads are similar to switchers but allow the simultaneous viewing and recording of all four security cameras, by splitting the monitor screen into four sections and showing a separate camera image in each quadrant. Most quad systems also allow you to view individual cameras full screen. Quad switchers are available to suit black and white cameras or colour cameras and can incorporate other features such as time and date and camera title insertion. If you need to record full size images from all cameras in the system, regardless of what you are viewing (single camera or multi camera views), you will need a multiplexer along with a time lapse video recorder or a digital vide recorder.

Multiplexers

More expensive than quads, the complexity and cost of these units generally make them unnecessary and unsuitable for the average home. Multiplexers allow the recording of multiple full size camera pictures on to one VCR tape and the playback of a full screen picture of any single camera or group of cameras. Multiplexers come in various models for handling 4, 8, 9 or 16 cameras, in various forms of sophistication.

Video Recording

Many homeowners will use the low cost domestic VCR for recording the output of their home security cameras. The main drawbacks with these machines are: the slow take up time once activated (you could miss the action), the restriction on recording time, no time and date stamps and of course you may be using it with your TV for recording or playback purposes at the critical moment.

Time Lapse Video Recorders

Time lapse video recorders have come down considerably in price in the last few years and offer far greater versatility than the less expensive domestic recorder. Time lapse machines are similar to the domestic VCR but with a slower moving tape that records the camera pictures as snapshots at split second intervals depending on the machine and the record settings, typically 24 to 960 hours on an E180 tape. The longer the record setting, the longer the period of time between the individual snapshots. It is important to match the record mode to your particular security problem, for example in the 480 hour mode the cameras picture will only be recorded every 3.2 seconds whereas in the 72 hour mode the picture would be recorded every 0.5 seconds. If you were recording 4 cameras these time delays would be multiplied by 4. Too long a delay and you may miss some vital action. You should always strike a balance between the time intervals when you can change tapes and the amount of information you need to record (time intervals between frames).

As time lapse recorders put more strain on the tapes than domestic recorders, it is important to restrict the number of uses per tape to maintain the quality of the recordings.

Example:

3-72 hours recording time........50 uses

600-960 hours........................5 uses

Digital Video Recorders

These recorders digitally record camera images from one or more cameras (4, 8 and 16 camera versions) on to a built in hard drive. They are really a multiplexer and a time lapse VCR rolled into one, but with no tapes to wear out or change. Being digital they offer fast simple easy retrieval of information, simply select the time and date you want to investigate, press play and you have the recorded images instantly replayed on your screen. No more tapes to rewind, fast forward or change. Easier to use than your domestic VCR