outdoor wireless security camera guide

Everybody knows how vital home security is. One of the ways to make your home more secure is to use surveillance cameras. In this hub I'd like to explain some of the things you need to consider when deciding to purchase an outdoor wireless security camera. Here are the things you should consider before making a purchase:

These days when everywhere we look products are digital, it's easy to forget that we can still buy analogue cameras. Although sometimes the quality is lower than their more expensive digital equivalents they offer good value for money so should still be considered.

How sensitive the camera is to light is measured in lux. The lower the lux number the better the camera’s ability to cope with low levels of light but for night time observations you need a camera with an infrared sensor. Many cameras offer color daylight vision and black and white infrared at night.

It's nice and convenient to be able to mount a wireless camera anywhere you like but do you have to also get mains power to it? You can get cameras that run from batteries and even solar powered models, charging their batteries during the day for use at night.

Although probably not as useful as it first sounds many cameras do have the ability to pick up audio but their audio range will not be the same as their vision range. A camera that can focus on a range of 10m might only be up to pick up sound for four.

To act as a deterrent your camera has to be outside your property, therefore it has to be weatherproof. For home security there’s not much point in going to the extra expense of buying an impact resistant casing.

The distances quoted by manufacturers between the transmitter (camera) and receiver (Base station) speaks for itself. Be wary of purchasing a system where the maximum quoted transmission distance is the same as the distance you want to transmit over. Quoted maximum distances, just like broadband speeds, are seldom accurate in the real world. They are based on ideal conditions with no interference or obstacles between the units. You should always look for a greater transmission distance than you actually need. When you decide to make a purchase check with the vendor to see what distance the device can transmit over in the real world.

For example, if you want to have 50 m between your transmitter and receiver and your unit’s maximum range is 50 m then this is likely to be problematic. You’ll have more luck if you look for a transmitter with a range of 80 m. You also need to consider any obstacles between the transmitter and receiver. Glass and plastic are no problem. Timber and plasterboard are usually okay, brick and concrete and steel cause problems. If you're worried about this see if your vendor can come out and test the system at your property.

One problem with a wireless devices is interference. Electric motors, computer networks, baby monitors, microwave ovens and telephones can all interfere with the signal. This affects the quality of the picture and the transmission range. Within the range of frequencies that wireless devices use are several channels. If you find that you are having a conflict between two wireless devices change the channel on one of them and this will help fix the problem.

The screen resolution is measured in lines. Typical resolution is between 300 and 400 lines, anything from 450 to 500 would be considered high resolution. How important the resolution is depends on what you want to achieve with your camera. If you want to deter people with your camera (this is the goal for home security) then the resolution doesn’t really matter. But if you want to catch people, and therefore see the detail of their face and their clothing, then you'll need a higher resolution.

Once the video is being transmitted you need to be able to see it. Old-style CRT TVs are no good for this. They’re not meant to run 24 hours a day and use a lot of power and create heat. Instead use a dedicated monitor or LCD TV. Make sure it’s big enough to accommodate multiple inputs, that is if you have several cameras you want to be able to see them all on one screen without losing too much detail. It is simple to hook this up to recording devices like VCRs or DVR.

Buying a wireless outdoor camera doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Just by doing a quick search on Google I found a camera with a weather resistant case, 50 meter transmission distance, an 8 m range with a night vision, 3 m audio range, color/BW (at night) and a 380 lines resolution. All of that for $150. There are some drawbacks to this model, it requires a mains connection (but can run off batteries for a short while is this) and it doesn't have remote control capability but for the price it offers a lot, and that's before shopping around.

I hope you've found this information useful. One last thing, it’s worth checking with your insurance company to see if you'll receive a reduced premium because you have extra security measures in place.