Yesterday I talked a lot about lights, how to place them, and what to think about when placing them. Today, let’s talk about cameras and what they are good for. First of all, cameras are not really going to make you safe. I’ve been in banks where the tellers think they have all the security they need because of the dozens of cameras around (banks put cameras in more to ensure their employees aren’t stealing than anything else). The cameras will help you as a deterrent a little bit. All banks have cameras and they still get robbed. Cameras are really good for spotting and recording people.
I don’t know the technical side of camera systems, I’ve only consulted on what kind of cameras need to go where, and then, on how they should be used, so you’ll have to check on what the camera systems actually do because I don’t have any easy suggestions on them.
With cameras, we think field of view, meaning what it can see. Most cameras will have a spec on an angle that it can see. Look up what that angle is and what the manufacturer says it should be used for. Some cameras will be great for low light, some for bright light, some all around, some for near, and some for far. The location you want the camera will tell you what type you need. A one-size-fits all never really works for everything, but it’s a good way to start.
First, think of a way to monitor your camera system. Are you going to have stations around the house that can look at the camera feeds, or are you going to use your laptop, home computer, tablet, or even your smart phone? Then you can start figuring out what stuff you need. WiFi is all the rage right now and it seems like it would be the easiest thing to set up (no wires to run, and chances are you already have a WiFi network set up in your house).
Then, start looking at placing the cameras. Think of places people will try to come into your house and think of how and where you placed your lights already. Most security companies will tell you put one at your front door, one to monitor the front of your house and one to monitor the back. I like putting them at the corners of your house so you can look down the entire side of the house and see if anyone is trying to get it. It gives you less cameras and more vision. Now, look at anything that would block the camera’s view. Consider cutting down plants that block the view. It is probably not a good idea to have big bushes growing against your house anyways.
This is a simple diagram of half the houses on my block. See how each camera can see one side of the house and it can see the other cameras. That way you can always check remotely if your camera is still there. Sooner or later one of them will not work, and it could be physical or electronic. At least you can look to see if it’s still there. And it limits the simplest blind spot for any camera, standing under it.
You can make the cameras huge so they act as a deterrent or small so they are hard to see. The advantages and disadvantages of each pretty much make them even, so I would go with what your neighborhood is like. If everyone has cameras, it’s a good idea to have them visible, if you are the only one with cameras in the area, it’s a good idea to make them invisible.
Set up the cameras and play with them for a while to make sure you know how to use them and what they can see. Now you can add motion lights or other alarms or sensors so you can know when to monitor the cameras.
Inside cameras can be limited to the hallway or entrance to the outside of your safe room with a way to monitor it from inside your safe room. If you put anything else in the house it’s almost just for fun.
Lastly, determine whether you want to record the video or not. It complicates things greatly, but gives you a record of things that happen for law enforcement (or when your kids try to sneak in).
Stay Safe,
Ben