Further Information about our
Security Cameras and Surveillance Items to
help You BEFORE and AFTER
Your Purchase Decision
Should I choose Wireless or
Wired Cameras for my security system?
There are many retailers offering
wireless cameras these days, and boasting about the range, and quality
as well as the ease of installation of these cameras...However, they
neglect to inform you of the MAJOR FLAWS of a wireless camera
system!
Wireless cameras are notsecure! These cameras are easy to install, but they can
allow a professional, or even an amateur who has a few dollars and
access to a Radio Shack® store, to see inside your house or business,
and case the robbery from the outside.
This defeats the purpose of a Security
Surveillance System!!! Now you never know who is watching you
on your own cameras!
These cameras operate on very crowded frequency bands which can be
interfered with by a Mobile Phone, Wireless Access-Point, Wireless
Network Card, or many other wireless devices. This also demonstrates how
easy it is to disable the camera system from outside of your home or
business.
Wireless cameras are not stable. The
pictures flip, and the least disturbance in the area, such as a person
walking by the receiver can disturb the picture.
Finally, the wireless cameras broadcast on the same frequency. You can
only have one wireless camera in an area. There are multiple frequency
cameras that come with multiple frequency receivers, but not only do the
cost 3-4 times more, they are also not reliable, and suffer from channel
drift as the video from one channels drifts into the next.
In our our experience a Wired
Surveillance System is the only solution!.
CAUTION -You can only have
ONE WIRELESS
CAMERA in an area, as they broadcast on the same frequency. If
you have two or more, all you will get is noise when you go to view them
on your monitor.
There are cameras that are multiple
frequency cameras, and they require multiple frequency receivers. The
start in price at $120.00 US each. They are limited to 4 channels,
Unfortunately, apart from being expensive, they also suffer from channel
drift, as the signal from one channel drifts into the other channels.
Not an ideal set-up at all.
There is one really good reason to
purchase a wireless camera. That is for its ability to be set up quickly
without stringing wires. So we suggest you consider, 3 wired cameras and
one wireless camera to take advantage of this capability to move one
camera around easily, without compromising the entire set-up.
Interesting
Wireless Story
DuncansOnline,
I owe you you guys an apology. I was raised that if you
make a mistake, you admit to it and take your lumps.
I finally found enough time to work with the camera
set, it’s a quiet Sunday. If you remember, I was trying
to set it up so we could monitor Main St. from the police
station. I mounted the camera on
a
phone
pole within visual sight of the station, about 80-90 feet
away.Both DIP switches were set on 2. As I
told you before, I got a VERY distorted video and audio.I put the receiver in my police car and used a
power converter to run it and drove up and down Main St.
The signal would get better and worse and seemed to have
images that I had no idea what they were.
I finally got disgusted and unplugged the camera
and….. Voila. I got a steady, clear picture.Of what, I had no idea. With some detective work,
I was able to determine that I was seeing the front door
of an antique shop on Main St., from the inside. Yes, I
saw the camera inside.
Now, I
ask you, what are the chances that there would be another
wireless camera running, in the same area, on the same
2.4g frequency, WITH THE DIP SWITCHES SET THE SAME!!!!
I
changed my switches to 4 and the camera set works
perfectly.
Do you
feel sorry for me a little?
Again,
I’m sorry for the confusion and tense moments.
K -
cop
Frames per Second
Most DVR
capture cards are 30 frames per second cards. (NTSC -
North American Video Standard) When they are being used to
run PAL cameras (European Video Standard) the frames per
second rate is 25.
If you
attach one camera to the card then it will view and record
at 30 frames per second. If you attach two cameras, that
resource is shared between the two cameras, and you can
view and record at 15 frames per second. If you attach
four cameras, then you can view and record at 7.5 frames
per second.
Why frames per second
is NOT THAT
IMPORTANT!!!!
Well, it is, if you are using the card to study the mating
habits of hummingbirds!
But we believe that the
object in good surveillance is to be able to obtain high
quality images that you can email to the police, print out
on your color inkjet, and that can be used to prosecute an
offender.
When you are running four cameras on a 30 fps card, an
illegal act that takes 1-2 seconds, will produce 7 - 15
pictures that you can use to prove your case to the
police!!!
A 30 fps card is by far your
most cost effective choice for professional surveillance.
If you absolutely need higher frame rates, consider buying
more than one card, and then you could have up to 4 cards
in one machine, driving 4 cameras, each with 30 frames per
second viewing and recording.
As soon as you go to the
internet viewing, however, your frame rate will drop
again, because the internet slows down the process.
Bottom line, 30 frames per
second total resource is most likely all you need in 95%
of the time you need surveillance.
Want to drive 8 cameras -
Purchase 2 cards - you need 2 PCI slots
Want to drive 12 cameras - Purchase 3 cards - you need 3 PCI slots
Want to drive 16 cameras - Purchase 4 cards- you need 4 PCI slots
What is a LUX in the camera
rating?
To see properly, a CCTV camera requires
a certain amount of light produced by natural or artificial
illumination. B/W cameras work with any type of light sources, but color
cameras need lights that contain all the colors in the visible spectrum
for best color imaging.
The amount of light is defined by LUX
(Lumens per Square Meter). One LUX is one candle light volume at one
meter distance. Followings are some examples of natural lights expressed
in LUX.
Natural LUX Examples
Full daylight:
10,000 LUX
Very dark day:
100 LUX
Twilight:
10 LUX
Deep twilight:
1 LUX
Full moon:
0.1 LUX
Quarter moon:
0.01LUX
View the LUX ratings of your camera to
determine the LUX necessary for your application.
WHAT MAKES ONE
CAMERA BETTER THAN ANOTHER?
Color vs.
Black & White
While color has
been a standard feature in televisions for decades, cameras with black and
white output are still made. While we can all agree that in most cases a
color picture looks better than a black and white one, under some conditions
black & white models perform better.
In general,
black and white cameras have more lines of resolution, which makes the
picture sharper. They also have lower lighting requirement, formally known
as the LUX rating. More about these two items will be discusses later.
Lastly, black & white models are less expensive than color, a big
consideration if you are investing in multiple units.
Weatherproof
vs. Indoors
We
realize that most of you want a camera to observe the outdoor areas of your
home. In some cases, there are compelling reasons to have a camera covering
your driveway, backyard, or the front of your home. We offer cameras that
can withstand the effects of rain, snow, wind and wide ranges of temperature
changes.
In
most cases when you see a "weatherproof" rating it means the camera can
withstand most types of moisture, it does not mean the camera can tolerate
being submersed in water. Weatherproof cameras have special gaskets to keep
the effects of the environment from damaging the camera's pickup element and
electronics. When indoor-only cameras are used outdoors, the camera will
likely fail in two to five years (even if it is mounted under an eve or
soffit.) If you find a camera that you like and it is not rated for outdoor
usage, we have an
Aluminum
Outdoor Housing that the camera can be installed into and be protected
from the weather.
Wired vs.
Wireless
The
purpose of the camera is to provide a continuous picture to a monitor,
television, or VCR. There has to be a link between the two and that where
you have to plan for wiring. In some cases, it is not practical to run a
cable between the camera and the monitor, so we offer wireless cameras. Let
me make one point here: wired cameras will be more reliable, provide a
better picture, and cost less than comparable wireless models. Wireless
cameras are available in both black & white and color outputs. We have them
in
weatherproof cases and in
concealed
designs. Most of the wireless models will need to be plugged into
electricity near the camera's mounting location. The camera will then
transmit the picture over a radio frequency (433MHz, 900Mhz, or 2.4GHz) to a
receiver that outputs the picture to a monitor or VCR. The distance the
signal can travel is generally between 100 to 300 feet. Disclaimer alert!
When manufactures give you range estimates for wireless devices it's the
ideal conditions for that device. As I like to say, that range figure is
between two hilltops in the middle of Kansas on a sunny day, your 'actual
mileage' will vary. We do have a
Wireless
Audio/Video Transmitter and Receiver System that can take a signal from
a wired camera and send it several hundred feet to a receiver. This kit will
work with nearly all of our cameras.
Light
Sensitivity
I mention
earlier that all cameras come with a rating to indicate how sensitive the
camera is to light. This figure is called the LUX rating. One lux of light
is the amount of light from a candle measured from one meter away. The lower
the lux rating on a camera, the less light it needs to 'see' properly. Most
folks will not be lighting the outside of their homes like a television
studio, so the lux rating on a camera is very important. In general, black &
white cameras will have a lower lux rating than will color models. If the
camera is being used outdoors, like to monitor a backyard pool, a color
model will look great during the day, but come nightfall, it will be totally
back and the picture will be unusable. An equivalent black and white model
will provide a decent picture will only a porch light turned on. Since the
lighting outdoors can vary, we suggests using a black & white camera.
Some
of the black and white models have the ability to operate in total darkness.
Black and white cameras have the ability to pickup light that humans can't
see. Some cameras like theses have infrared illuminators built into the
camera:
The
illuminators will shine out infrared light a few feet (typically 12 feet) so
that in total darkness the area being covered by the camera will appear
fully lighted. The Ir light will not be perceptible to humans and is not
harmful in anyway. This is the same technology used on the dark rides at
theme parks all over the world. We also offer the
Indoor/Outdoor IR Illuminator that will come on automatically when dark
and flood an area up to 40 feet long and 56 degrees wide with invisible Ir
light. Color models are not sensitive to Ir light, so it's best to choose a
black and white model with the Ir Illuminator.
Resolution
Another
important detail to look for in a camera is the resolution. This
specification is given in lines of resolution where the higher the number
the better the picture will be. Most color cameras have a resolution of 330
to 400 lines. One color model,
Color C-Mount
Camera #7682A has digital processing circuitry and high quality CCD
imager that provides a whopping 570 lines of resolution in color. Black and
white models will do a bit better against a comparable color models ranging
from 350 to 470 lines typically.
Imager
Element
When comparing
cameras, you may notice price differences for what appears to be basically
the same thing. What they rarely mention about these toy cameras are the
specifications. When looking at any camera, check for the specification that
lists the imager used. The imager is the device that converts the light into
electrical signals. Much like a microphone converts sounds into electrical
signals, cameras use an imager. Most budget models use inferior CMOS
imagers. The majority of our cameras use the superior CCD imager.
Even within CCD
imagers, that can be quality differences. The larger the imager, the better
the picture will be. Below are there screen captures from cameras with 1/4",
1/3" and 1/2" CCD imagers.
Cameras that
have digital signal processing will deliver a better picture than similar
models that lack this DSP feature.
Lens
This is often
an overlooked specification. All the cameras will need a lens to focus the
light onto the CCD imager. Most of our cameras come with a fixed lens. Only
our C-mount cameras, which are designed for commercial installations,
require the purchase of a separate lens. On most of our web pages for
cameras, we not only give you the field of view in the specification table,
but an actual image captured from the camera is on most pages!
A camera with a
wide-angle lens will pick up a larger area than a narrow model. That is to
say, a 6mm camera lens will pick up less area than a 3mm lens. The area in
the center of the screen will have more detail with the 6mm model, but at
the sacrifice of picking up less area overall. If you need to read a license
plate from a vehicle with your camera, a camera with a narrower lens (higher
mm) will be a better choice. However, if you want to cover the broadest
area, like your front yard and don't care about the details of a visitor or
intruders face, a camera with a wide angle lens (lower mm) will be an ideal
choice. The trade off is that you will be giving up some detail to get a
broader picture.
For our C-mount
cameras, we have two variable zoom lenses that can be attached. These lenses
are ideal for locations when you not sure how much of an area you will need
to cover. Below are two examples of different lens angles.
Some of our
cameras are built into inconspicuous devices like clocks, picture frames,
and non-functional smoke detectors. The camera board in these units use a
special kind of lens called a pinhole lens. The camera looks out a
small hole no larger than an eight of an inch. There will be a small
decrease in quality between a pinhole lens camera and a camera with a
conventional lens.
No discussion
about cameras can be complete without addressing the issue of focus. When we
talk to callers in our Tech Support department about cameras, the question
of what will be in focus frequently comes up. All the cameras with a fixed
lens will have a large depth of field. This basically means that everything
from 12 inches to infinity will be in focus. Point the camera at the moon,
and it will be in focus. If the camera is pointed at your nose from
arms-length, it too will be in focus.
Where's the
Audio?
If you look
through our Cameras Index page, you will notice that most cameras don't have
a built-in microphone. The trend in the industry has been to eliminate the
microphone in cameras.
Over the last
few years, United States federal laws have been amended or interpreted by
the courts to put limitations on audio 'eavesdropping' devices. It seems
that while you can justifiably point a camera at your front door and see who
is at the door, the camera's microphone may pickup surrounding sounds. Those
people producing the sounds may not be aware that they are being monitored
or recorded. One of our suppliers reported that they were 'visited' by
representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice over this issue. After
this event, they immediately discontinued all cameras with audio. We do have
a few models with audio still for sale.
Video
surveillance cameras can be an effective way to monitor and record the
activities on your property. Whenever using these devices, be sure to use
good judgment on its placement. Never use a camera in a place where there is
an expectation of privacy. If you have questions on our cameras, email our
Tech Support staff with your questions or browse the camera pages on our
website:
Let's Talk About Resolution
The resolution of CCTV system is usually
measured by TV lines in the field. The vertical TV lines has maximum 350 TV
lines in 525-line NTSC system and is not variable. But the horizontal TV
lines, which is used as the parameter of picture quality, vary depending on
the quality of camera, lens, transmission and monitor.
Camera Resolution
The industry of CCD video camera sensor uses pixels (picture elements) as
its quality parameter. Medium resolution of B/W camera in EIA system is 510
horizontal pixels by 492 vertical pixels and is equivalent to 380 TV lines.
High resolution is 768(H) x 492(V) pixels and equivalent to 570 TV lines.
Color camera's medium resolution means 330TV lines and high resolution needs
more than 460 TV lines.
Monitor Resolution
The monitors in NTSC system have 525 vertical scanning lines regardless of
their size. The horizontal 700 TV lines of B/W monitors represents medium
level and more than 900 TV lines means high resolution in EIA system. The
color monitor's horizontal resolution of 300 TV lines means medium quality
and that of more than 450 TV lines means high resolution.
To maximize the system's resolution, it is recommended to choose a monitor
which has better resolution than that of the camera.
What is infrared?
Infrared is a technology to add light to an area that is invisible to the
naked eye that a camera can see.
This is done via infrared leds (light emitting diodes). We have a wide variety
of infrared cameras that can see in very dark areas.
Can the human eye see the infrared leds?
Yes and no.
Some infrared leds are invisible and some leds emit a slight red glow. If the
leds are invisible to the naked eye, it will be stated in the product's
description as invisible leds.
Are infrared leds invisible? Will someone see them at night?
No. Almost but not 100% invisible. Most pedestrians and passerbys will never
know you have infrared led surveillance cameras.
We offer a 940nm led in our 56 and 104 led cameras. These 940nm leds are
virtually invisible. They are only offered in two cameras.
The 850nm leds are much more common and actually put out more light per led
than the 940nm. This is what is in the vast majority of our infrared cameras.
The 850nm leds put out a slight reddish or pinkish glow if you stare right
straight into the camera in the dark. You won't see the leds at a glance, you
have to look for the glow.
What's the difference between 850nm and 940nm infrared LEDs?
940nm infrared LEDs are virtually invisible to the naked eye. These LEDs
produce no light that the naked human eye can see. The light from these LEDs
can, however, be picked up by infrared cameras. These cameras may vary between
930 and 950nm.
The 850nm infrared LEDs have a very slight reddish glow to the LEDs
themselves. The fact that they do have a very small amount of light that the
human eye can see means they will illuminate better. A 850nm LED will
illuminate two to three more than a 940nm LED. Operating voltage, amperage and
manufacture also play vital roles in the brightness of and LED. This is how
our 48LED and 28LED (850nm) cameras can illuminate as well or better than our
104LED (940nm) camera.
If a camera has 940nm infrared LEDs it will be labelled as such in the
description.
What are the minimum computer
specifications for running a DVR system on my PC?
This Section is Under Construction
Each card we sell has its own minimum system
requirements
Our Dico 30 frames per second card
PII
233, 64MB RAM, 5GB HDD, Network Card/Modem
Our 60 frames per second card
Our 120 frames per second card
Our USB DVR adaptor
Our USB 2.0 adaptor
What is a Dedicated PC?
A Dedicated PC, is a PC that is not
used for any other purpose. A DVR PC constantly needs access to all of
the PC's resources. Because of this, operation of any other programs,
surfing the internet, or any other activity aside from running the DVR
program, can cause poor performance, failure to record video properly,
or system failure.
What is the difference between
a CMOS and a CCD Camera?
To put it simply, the difference is
in the quality of the image sensor.
A CMOS camera has a less-expensive
image sensor. The other benefits of CMOS are size, and low-power
consumption. Most CMOS cameras can even be operated for several hours on
a single 9-volt battery! The low-power consumption comes at a price
however. CMOS cameras have a lower resolution and less color quality
than the CCD cameras.
However, the CCD Cameras are much more sensitive
to power fluctuations, due to the fact that the CCD Sensors have 4
integrated processors compared to the one processor found on a CMOS
sensor. CCD cameras usually have much better picture quality, resolution
and color balance. The drawback of a CCD camera is high-power
consumption and sensitivity to minute voltage changes It is highly
recommended to use a AVS battery backup unit for the CCD Camera Power
adapters and DVR PC.
How should I place my cameras
in order to ensure I catch video that will capture the most relevant
shots?
While this is a very broad question,
here are some tips at placing your cameras...
Camera Placement
Tips:
Never angle a camera to look straight down.
A camera that is pointed straight
down, will only catch the top of a perpetrators head. The camera will
most likely miss many of the distinguishing characteristics that can
be used to identify a person later if necessary.
Always make sure to have a camera facing all entrances
It is a fact, that the best time to
catch the facial features of an individual is during their entrance
into the building, whether it is your home or your business. Other
cameras can catch the act of someone stealing, however, without the
critical entry-shot you may not be able to identify the individual
Never allow direct sunlight to touch the lens of the camera
Regardless of which cameras you use,
make sure that the cameras are never mounted in such a way, that
sunlight will directly shine into the lens. This will cause the Image
sensor to discolor and fail. Direct sunlight will also immediately
void any warranty.
Mount
I/R Cameras within 20 ft. of subject being viewed
I/R Bulbs emit an invisible light
spectrum that will illuminate a subject even in complete
darkness...however, the light will only project out 20-40 ft. to
illuminate the target
Always plug cameras
into a surge suppressor or Battery Back-up unit
Cameras are extremely sensitive to
voltage changes and can fail prematurely. Voltage changes will also
void the cameras warranty. Plug the power adaptors into a power bar
with surge protection.
Select a lens that
will provide no wider of a field of view than is needed.
The wider the field of view, the
smaller objects in the camera will appear. Visit our eBay Store lens selection
page to help you select the appropriate lens for your application.
I don't see any 12-16
camera kits...are they available?
YES, simply add together
any 2, 4 or 8 camera systems in order to build a 10, 12, 14, 16, 18,
20, or 24 camera system.
What is the benefit of a
DVR system as opposed to a traditional time-lapse VCR CCTV (Closed
Circuit Television) system?
A DVR
(computer-based) system gives several benefits over a standard VCR-based
system.
First and foremost, the DVR takes the majority of human error
out of the equation. With a traditional system, a staff member or person
in charge of the security system would have to remember and be present
at the same time each day, to change the tape in the VCR. Commonly, due
to unforeseen circumstances, or neglect or even simply the fact that a
tape is currently being reviewed, the tapes in a traditional system do
not get changed or are not always recording (due to the limitation of a
VCR). Without a tape in the system, it cannot record, and therefore,
anything that would happen at your home or business would not be
recorded!
A surveillance system is in place to constantly monitor, and
keep record of all occurrences. If there are gaping holes in the actual
recorded time, then this leaves great chances that important
information, such as cars entering or leaving the gas station, or
customers walking out of your store with items they did not pay for, or
an employee reaching in their pocket would not be on the tape.
In the
case of a DVR System, it is always running, and always recording (if
configured properly). Even while you are reviewing the previously
recorded video, it still continues to record the data! This provides
a great advantage, as your employees, family members or customers may be
able to see, while you are reviewing a pre-recorded cassette in a
traditional system, and may take advantage of the momentary lapse in
security.
Why would I need a Surveillance
System?
Surveillance systems are used for many
purposes.
For businesses, a surveillance system
may be used for monitoring employees and productivity, safety of
employees, documenting customer visits, preventing fraud and theft, and
providing court documentation if theft were to occur.
For homes, a surveillance system may be
used for watching your children while you are at work or inside the
house, watching your pets (for extreme pet lovers), monitoring your home
while you are away on a trip, watching for delivery of packages, monitor
a philandering spouse, or making home videos of those times when you
just don't have a camera handy.
In the world today, the need for a CCTV
Surveillance System is increasing. Suspicious activity can be recorded
and reported immediately to the authorities. Cameras also help us catch
the perpetrator or save ourselves from embarrassment of false
accusations.
How do I select a Camera?
Selection of the best camera to suit
your needs should be based on where the camera is to be located, and the
light conditions of the location.
Dome Style Camera Usually used in an indoor business or home
environment. Usually the Dome cameras curved shell helps to
disguise what direction the camera is facing.
You might see these
cameras commonly in Apartment buildings, Retail Stores, Hallways,
Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, and many other applications
A Dome camera can be
mounted easily on the ceiling or the wall, and generally will
rotate 360° during installation. The cables for the camera are
generally fed through a small hole in the wall or ceiling, so no
wires are visible after installation.
Bullet-style Weatherproof Cameras
Usually used in an
indoor or outdoor business or home environment. The weatherproof
housing of this camera is excellent for most outdoor
installations to -30 degrees. For use in harsher climates, a CS
Mount camera with outdoor housing should be used
You might see
these cameras commonly in Apartment buildings, Retail Stores,
Hallways, Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, and many other
applications
Presently, the
majority of these bullet style cameras have IR illumination, for
use in pitch black night-time environments!
C or CS - Mount Cameras
These cameras can be
used in an indoor or outdoor environment (when outdoor enclosure
is used).
These are the most
common cameras for a professional installation, banks, jewelry
stores or an installation where lens changes may be necessary.
C and CS - Mount
cameras are often sold without lens, as each application will
require a slightly different lens in order to capture the desired
picture.
What if I don't see
the camera I want?
DuncansOnline is constantly expanding
our line of products. We are listing them as fast as we can on eBay.
Please check back to our eBay store often to discover our new products and review our older
ones.
Wired cameras have a video cable that runs
from the camera to the video input jack on your recording or viewing device.
Wireless cameras have a built-in transmitter that sends the video signal to
a receiver. The receiver connects to the video input jack on your recording
or viewing device.
The standard wireless cameras have a range
up to 700 feet, depending on the number and type of objects you are
transmitting through. The commercial grade transmitter has a 15 mile line of
sight range (1000-3000 foot indoor range). Line of sight means there is
nothing between the transmitter and receiver, for example building top to
building top.
The amount of recording time is dictated by
your recording device. A standard VCR can record for up to 10 hours if a
T-200 tape is used. We also offer long play recorders that will record for
24 to 960 hours on one tape.
Resolution measures the cameras ability to
reproduce an image. The higher the resolution, the better the picture
quality. Lux is the measure of light the camera requires to reproduce an
image. The lower the number the less light the camera requires to reproduce
an image.
Cordless phones that operate in the 900MHz
frequency will not cause interference with our wireless cameras. Cordless
phones that operate in the 2.4GHz frequency will cause interference with our
wireless cameras.
The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) system
records high resolution digital images to a hard disk drive (HDD) and
eliminates the requirement of maintaining VHS tapes. Since the video images
are stored digitally, the image quality will not degrade overtime, as would
a VHS tape when recorded over multiple times. The time saving intelligent
search capabilities of a DVR will enable the user to locate the desired
video clips via user defined parameters (camera, time, date, etc.) vs. Fast
Forward and Rewind functions of a VCR.
DVR Cards enable the user to convert their
computer into a Digital Video Recorder. The DVR Card(s) is typically
installed in an available PCI slot of a computer. DVR cards are bundled with
video surveillance software which allows the user to record and display
multiple cameras simultaneously from the camera site or a remote location.
