Home surveillance help

B&W is adequate, but color is really a whole lot better for making sense of what you're seeing. The tradeoff is that most color cams need more light than their B&W counterparts and they are more expensive. I find it worth it because there's so much more "information" available to the brain in a color photograph. Everything tends to be more of a jumble in black and white. Still, if all you want to see is the face of whomever's at the door, B&W is acceptable.

I use weatherproof bulletcams (mostly weatherproof, that is - put silicone sealant on the wire lead-outs and the back seal to be sure!). If there's not much light back there, I would use one of the newer cams that have their own IR illumination. The only caveat I can think of is making sure that you are able to wipe off the spider webs that always seem to form on IR cameras. The IR light attracts insects and wherever their are insects, spiders are soon to follow. I've tried everything I can think of to inhibit them, but every few months the backyard IR cam turns into a Tholian web and I have to open the window and lean out and clear the cobwebs. Put the cameras where you can reach them without killing yourself!

There are a number of ways to do this. First, there's a very simple "scanner" device that switches to each camera in sequence for a preset number of seconds. The next would be the same sequencer, but with alarm inputs that allow you to specify which camera you want to view at a specific moment. The third type of device is called a "quad processor" that splits your screen into four different quarter panes, each showing a separate image. These units are often equipped with alarm inputs that enable you to switch from the quad view to any specific camera output that you want to see full-screen. They are usually the most expensive of the multi-camera options.

These devices are for cameras with a normal video output (i.e. you could plug them into the "video in" jack of your VCR). I am not sure what's available for the cameras that you've specified.

I started with a simple 8 camera sequencer with variable dwell time and the manual ability to switch cameras in and out of the "loop" but that gets old pretty quickly. Invariably a sequenced camera switches away from the camera you want at exactly the wrong moment. Now I use a sequencer that can switch manually, but can also switch electronically to whatever camera channel whose alarm contacts are closed.

-- Bobby G.

Another way that's easy to get your cameras to unused TV channels is to get a 4 channel modulator.

This allows 4 inputs modulated to 4 channels. Requires at a minimum of 9 free channels available, but with satellite you are fine. When modulating you do not use the channel above or below a modulated channel to minimize noise and interference.

Have you tried using a good outdoor insect killer. I have used one here that has keep bugs away for the three months it cliams. Keep the spraying up and you wont need to clean, just spray instead

Mick

Brett Griff> Another way that's easy to get your cameras to unused TV channels is to get