Hi All,
I am looking for opinions on wireless secutity cameras. I want ot mount one on my house/garage and be able to view it on my TV. Is that possible? What is the range when hooked-up like I want it? Do they use batteries, if so, how long does the battery last?
Any other info is appreciated.
TIA
Hank
On Feb 26, 6:50=A0am, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
I've used the analog cameras for years, but now I'm switching to IP cameras. The IP cameras attach to your network hub (by plug or wireless) and get their power and send a/v all over simple and cheap cat5 cable, or wireless. Then you use your computeer to view/listen/ record, etc. or take the computer video to a regular TV. I like IP distribution over analog, picture quality is MUCH better, multiplexing multiple cameras on the screen is a snap, recording to hard drive, etc. For the analog cameras you can modulate their outputs onto unused cable channels then watch it on any TV in the house just by switching to that channel, you would need an RF modulator to do this (but I still prefer IP distribution over my LAN). Good RF modulators are not cheap, and finding unused cable channels on your in-home video wiring is getting harder. Or you can go directly into the video-in on one set with an analog camera. Wired cameras are best as there is no battery, you can power it by injecting DC onto the coax or by running video cable that has power and video, wired IP cameras use cat5. Many cameras also offer audio. Batteries dont last very long in my experience with any wireless camera, especially in winter. If you mount the camera high, changing batteries is an ordeal. The quality of the lens and size of the ccd will determine picture quality, if you want the camera to be useful at all at night then you will need an infrared illuminator that can throw the distance you need to cover, again more argument to not use batteries and IR illuminators draw even more current. IOW cheap analog cameras are a waste of money and quality horrendous. Wireless range is usually 150 feet max with wireless, wireless analog cameras are also not secure especially if all your neighbors are also using your frequencies, they can easily tune in your cameras.
I would check out Fry's electronics and see the IP cameras and just feed them to your home computer network (be it wired or wi-fi).
Some are 200 feet and some are 400 feet. More than one camera requires a scanner which can plug into your tv video jack. I bought a little color TV for 60 bucks to view the cameras. A 'REAL" security monitor is 200 bucks and black and white at that. Sam's club has several security camera kits.
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