Building your own CCTV video surveillance system
We’ll start with the cameras. Draw a simple floor plan of your home or business and decide where you want to place the cameras. This will also help you determine how many cameras you need. If all the cameras are in the same building and close to each other (within 300 feet), you will need a DVR to record and process the camera feeds. However, if you’re going to be placing cameras in different buildings and more than 300 feet apart, you’ll want to consider two or more DVRs. These DVRs can be networked into your system with any computer network port. A camera should be viewing entry doors, out-of-view areas, and perhaps exterior entry or escape areas, to name a few. Putting cameras in every bedroom or storage closet will be a waste of resources. Cameras should miss rooms or areas where there is something valuable to steal or where a problem like a water leak or damage would be disastrous. Currently, there are stand-alone DVRs or security DVRs that will control 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32 cameras. Anticipate any future growth needs, but if a 4-camera system meets your needs, you don’t need a 16-camera DVR.
Let me discuss the size of Standalone DVR or Security DVR. Many people determine after purchasing a system that they need more cameras. A good rule of thumb to use when buying a DVR is that you are only using 75% capacity. Buy a 4 channel DVR if you need three cameras or an 8 channel DVR if you are going to use 6 cameras. Under normal circumstances, a wired DVR and camera system should stay within 150-300ft of each other, which means with two cameras in different directions you can cover 300-600ft. A low power wireless system works great up to 1,500 feet, while a high power transmitter will work comfortably from 3,000 to 6,000 feet from the DVR. If you are using a different building with walls and distance is a factor with cabling or reception, consider two DVRs and they can be connected to any computer port on your network. Another factor is the DVR’s power supply. Having a second DVR on a different electrical circuit or network can increase security in case the thief cuts the wires or cuts the power. If your situation requires more space between the cameras and the DVR, talk to your provider and there are things like changing the cable that can increase the distance. Although most systems advertise longer distances, I am being conservative as the type of cable and the composition of the walls make a big difference in the reception range of the wired or wireless camera.
When purchasing your cameras, you should purchase weatherproof cameras for outdoor use, even if they are placed under an eaves or driveway roof. Day and night cameras work well in lighted areas, but in total darkness you’ll need an infrared security camera. The downside of an infrared camera is that you can see the LEDs at night. For covert cameras, the smaller bullet camera or dome camera is a good option and is usually not noticed by passersby. In areas where you want camera visibility to deter crime, use professional CCTV cameras located in outdoor enclosures. These professional cameras have a variety of features including auto gain, auto iris, and backlight compensation. You can also get a wide angle or zoom lens that can be controlled remotely through your DVR.
The decision to buy a wired or wireless system depends on four basic points:
- Cost – A wired system is less expensive than a wireless system.
- Reliability: A wired system is more reliable than a wireless system.
- Ease of installation: It is easier and faster to install a wireless system.
- Flexibility – It is difficult to change camera positions or locations with a wired system.
If you find that you need a mix of wired and wireless cameras, then you can mix wired and wireless cameras with your DVR. However, if you really just need one camera, consider a hidden camera or hidden DVR camera, sometimes called a nanny cam. These hidden cameras are built into common objects found in the home or business. These cameras can be integrated into exit signs, clocks, mirrors, radios or air fresheners. Most of the objects used are fully operational. Also, a hidden camera with internal DVR can be easily moved anywhere and simply plugged in to work.
Connectivity is our next goal. Do you want to set up a surveillance center in your business or just store the video on the DVR for later viewing? You can also send your video information over the Internet and view it on your laptop, PDA, or smartphone. Today we discovered that putting a DVR card in your computer to save money, instead of buying a stand-alone DVR, is not always the best idea. When you use your computer as a DVR, it is susceptible to hacking or a virus and you must run your computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You should also run a separate external hard drive to record the video. The security DVR is required to convert the video signals to digital date so that you can view or record this data. When you use your video surveillance system to view your facility, but don’t have a need to record any video, you can use a USB DVR that converts video signals into digital data to go to your computer, monitor, or Internet modem. The USB DVR does not have a hard drive. The last option to go from video recording to viewing video data is the IP camera. The IP camera has its own separate IP address and can be connected directly to your computer, monitor or modem for the Internet. Again, the IP camera does not have a hard drive, but it does not require a separate DVR.
In conclusion, determine the number and location of the cameras. Determine how you want to view the video signal and whether you need to record it for later viewing. Then check out the complete systems available and if they meet your needs, they may save you money with the complete video surveillance system compared to buying individual components. Finally, video surveillance systems are basically a DIY project and you can save a lot of money instead of paying someone to install the system.