You may think that just browsing through catalogues of Surveillance Camera
Equipment will give you all the good ideas you need and the guidance you deserve
for setting up, by yourself, your Home Surveillance.
Maybe you are systematic and patient, but you risk coming out with more
confusion and headache, overwhelmed by the mere over choice. That is why a short
guide might be of help in explaining the options in simple terms.
What would you expect from a good Guide? To get a sense of trust, a few hints
to dispel your confusion, some good and plain explanation of what is needed and
why, and possibly some guidance on how to avoid costly mistakes and
pitfalls.
Let us start from the purpose. Despite all the noise and hype claiming to the
contrary the basic requirement of good Home Surveillance is to provide a measure
of deterrence.
In other words the most important function of the equipment displayed
prominently or announced by suitable placards is to be credible to
ill-intentioned people hanging around, in search of an occasion to perpetrate
their deeds, in order to convince them to try elsewhere their chances.
We would not recommend building Home Security only on deception. That is why
dummy cameras, in our opinion, should be considered only as temporary or partial
solutions.
With this in mind we would suggest that for Home Surveillance the system
should be simple and inexpensive, based on proven and reliable equipment but
without costly extras or far reaching possibilities.
The main components of basic Surveillance Camera Equipment consist of one or
more cameras, of a reliable video signal transmission system, of a monitor and
of video recording capability. A few peripherals or accessories may be
useful.
Camera selection depends essentially on the lighting available and on the
amount of details one may wish to distinguish, our preference being given to
simple and economic devices. The ability to identify an unknown person from a
filmed record is not to be considered a high priority.
Transmission can be wireless or wired, both having advantages and drawbacks.
Wireless is easy to set-up and to change, remove and transfer, but it may be
disturbed. Wired is more reliable but installation may require piercing holes in
the walls, making it fixed and somewhat cumbersome.
An old TV set maybe all the monitor you need, while recording may require
considering a few more options, like motion detection, to use tape footage
sparingly.
To select expensive equipment with all the options may be unwarranted for a
first time project, and may cause disappointment.
It is recommended to start with a simple, self installed set-up to get
acquainted with equipment, jargon, options and practical results, and to
consider upgrading and expanding your Surveillance Camera Equipment only at a
later time, when more experience has been gained.
A partial solution is always better than no precaution at all. Take
action!
