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Security Cameras For Your Home - A DIY Overview
Affordable Security Camera Solutions For Your Residence
POSTED 07/07/2010 by Andy Wendt
Starting Your Do-It-Yourself Home Security Project:
It's a fact of life that sooner or later a good number of us are going to face an incident in the home that will lead us to consider a home surveillance system. To be more specific an internet accessible, home based, security camera system. The incident could be something as simple as a missing package from your porch, vandalism, a serious attempt at a break in, or just the desire to see who is at your door when the bell rings at midnight. Whatever your motivation, when the need arises for home surveillance you will know it beyond a shadow of a doubt.Once this happens you'll next start think about getting the project started. From that moment on you will instantly be faced with several seemingly competing objectives. For example, you may find yourself wanting the best camera technology on the market while not spending more than you would a new Xbox360. You may want advanced camera features such as long range infrared capability, a great zoom lens, and even the ability to have the camera automatically zoom in and out, while not wanting a camera larger than a dry erase marker. At the end of the day you may feel overwhelmed with options, you may find yourself just wanting to be told what you need, when in reality you're simply afraid to admit that no one knows your security needs, or your budget, better than you.
Once you find a middle ground for the numerous catch twenty-two potions listed
above you will want start setting the proper expectations for your system.
Following is a list of unreasonable expectations I have heard over the years
from home owners with good, but misguided, ideas of what an average home
surveillance system is capable of: Expecting to make out license plates on cars driving down the street.
Expecting to see enough facial detail at 25ft away from your camera that the police
will run right out and make an arrest. Expecting your
property to be more secure by the mere presence of security cameras without any
added physical security, such as lights or locks, or a monitored alarm system. Expecting a wireless solution to travel
through countless numbers of walls without loss of signal all while costing less
than a wired system. Expecting to mount cameras on telephone poles or other
structures that you do not own. Expecting to zoom in on a CCTV image after its
been recorded while ignoring the fact that any 640x480 image will quickly become
pixilated... no matter what they say on CSI. All of these things might have
sounded good when you dreamed about what you could accomplish but having the
proper expectations will insure a better overall security camera system and your
satisfaction with it.
Getting Your Do-It-Yourself Home Security Project Done:
Once your goals are set and your security camera hardware is purchased you will find yourself in possession of a DVR, cameras, cables, and power supplies. These are the basics of any security camera system and doing it yourself changes none of that.
To get this out of the way, the hardest part of your DIY home security camera project is going to be getting the wires from the DVR to your cameras. Since the location of the DVR will determine the distance and difficulty of the cable runs to your cameras, be sure to chose a logical location for the DVR. That is to say pick a spot for the DVR that will allow for the easiest path for your cable from the DVR to the cameras.
When it's time to run the cable you will want to be careful not to go poking holes in the walls where there might be live electric lines. So turning off the breaker and testing any nearby outlets or appliances to make sure there is no chance you could hit a live power line is a must before you go drilling holes into anything. One possible scheme is to take the cables up into the attic of your house and then run them across and out to your eves where they will meet up with your indented camera location. As most of us already have cable or satellite TV and phone lines coming into our house it should not be a surprise that in one way or another if you intend to mount the camera outside that you must get that cable outside in much the same manner as any pre-existing service requiring the use of wire.
Once the wires are in place mounting the camera is no more difficult then mounting a smoke detector. Of course unlike a smoke detector you will need to aim your camera. Using a friend and two phones for this step can save time. Simply have one person remain at the DVR while the other is with the camera. When the friend at the DVR says the direction or aim of the camera is good simply secure it in position.
The final step of the project will be connecting the DVR to your home network/internet. This step will enable you to view the cameras through a web browser or smart phone either from your home or remotely across the internet. This step simply involves opening the correct port on your router or firewall to allow remote access to your DVR. For the details and port numbers be sure to consult your DVR manual.
Final Thoughts On Your Home Security Camera Project:
Making the decision to purchase and install a home based camera security system yourself can be a great way to save money, improve your home security, and provide valuable information about your property when you are away. Using the best equipment for the money and working with a trusted hardware reseller who can support you as the installer will help guarantee your projects is completed successfully. Remember, the very same surveillance equipment used to monitor banks, factories, government institutions and business all across the country can be scaled back and made affordable for home use without sacrificing features or performance, and you can do it yourself!
To learn more about how to install your own security camera system see the links below or call today
at 877-422-1907 for professional
advice on how to get started with your project.
To learn more about how to install your own Security Cameras visit our
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Learning Center or our
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Expert Discussion forum.
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