Making the Most of a Fake Surveillance Camera
Why would anyone bother with a fake surveillance camera when there are real losses incurred due to vandalism and other malicious activity? The answer might seem obvious to many who would initially assume that the presence of a security camera is enough to deter most criminal behavior. Those who assume such rationale for installing a fake home surveillance camera are correct. It is a similar concept to installing lighting security to deter burglars. The important thing is that the camera is both obvious without revealing any tells that it is a dummy. There is a direct correlation between effectiveness of a fake surveillance cameras and how realistic it would appear to unassuming people.
There are a number of ways a camera can appear to be real when it is actually a fake. First of all, we do not want a something that looks like a cheap fake surveillance camera since that might make it detectable as a fake. Upon discovering that it is a fake, we can assume that criminals would be encouraged since the owner of the camera loses credibility. There is an assumption that someone using a fake camera probably is too cheap or ignorant to properly monitor and protect their property and therefore can easily be taken advantage off. The criminal will feel that they have such an imposter figured out and can get away with anything.
Many fake cameras do actually appear very much like a real camera and even act like one. Some have led lights that blink or turn on to indicate some recording activity is going on. Some use motion sensors to follow moving objects which work really well in scaring away unwanted strangers. The key is to keep it consistent with the rest of your security camera system if you have more than one camera.
Try mounting them the same way so that the fake cannot be detected. If it is an entire system of fakes, that is okay too. Simply install them exactly the same so it appears more legitimate. If you have a system of real cameras with visible cables, then make sure the fake has matching cables. Mount them the same way and try using the same housing if they are outdoor security cameras.
A combination of lighting security and fake video surveillance cameras will work wonders in many situations. Since lighting security works on the same principle of scaring away petty crime, adding some fake cameras into the mix will just up the ante that much more. Take that comparison into careful consideration, however. If what you are monitoring and protecting is not worth a real camera and lighting security is good enough, then fake security cameras are right for your situation. Otherwise, don’t gamble and hope that the fake camera is good enough. Usually, more valuable property will cost more to protect so don’t go cheap and use fake cameras when you really should be monitoring for real.
Maximizing Effectiveness of Fake Security Cameras
A system of outdoor security cameras can really be used to your advantage for marginal costs by selectively installing fake security cameras throughout your property. This is to take advantage of the idea that there are security cameras in the area and anyone with malicious intent will be on the lookout for a camera. They will try to perform their unruly activity somewhere where they believe is not under surveillance. Adding fake security cameras to your system will make people believe that more areas are being monitored than there really are.
Managing Risks
Of course, keep in mind that only low traffic areas or places where you do not have high vulnerabilities are candidates for fake cameras. You do not want to install a fake camera over something valuable that you cannot afford to have stolen or damaged. Ideally the current security cameras in the system are already monitoring high risk areas and the fake cameras are just extra. That is the premise of selective installation of fake cameras.
Another word of warning is not to use too many fake cameras because that increases the chances of it being discovered and the fallout could be worse than not have the fake surveillance cameras at all. In the mind of the offender, the integrity of your security system has been compromised and there is no respect for real cameras. They will think that it is fake just like the others and go on damaging or stealing things. So the question becomes how to make the fake security cameras appear real enough that no one would assume or question the validity of your monitoring system?
Fake Appearance
In a system of real cameras we want all cameras to appear real. This means that they look like real outdoor cameras built tough to withstand some physical stress. There are cheap flimsy plastic fake security cameras for sale that look like toys and will not make the cut. It might be enough to scare the cashier from taking money out of the register but a sophisticated burglar will know right away if the camera is too small or cheap looking.
The appearance is everything with a fake camera so if the current system has visible cameras, then it is a good idea to put up fake cameras in very visible places such as on a wall. If there are visible wires coming out of the camera, then make sure the fake camera has the same type of wires exposed. This should rarely be the case with outdoor security cameras in many situations because exposed wires are a very vulnerable weak point in the system.
Fake Security Camera with LED and Motion Sensors
Get a camera that matches the model of your real cameras. This means that if your real cameras have an LED light when powered on, you will want a fake security camera with LED lights that match your real live security cameras. If you use fixed position cameras, then you can get away with fixed fake cameras. Otherwise you will want a camera that matches the movement of your real camera. There are fake security cameras that have motion sensors to either turn on an LED or even follow the moving object. This can seem very real and scare most intruders.
Just make sure the fake security cameras look and act like the real cameras and install them in areas where the risk does not warrant the cost of buying and maintaining a real camera.
Limitations of an Outdoor Wireless Security Camera
When it comes to installing an outdoor security camera, planning the layout and route of the wires can be a daunting task of its own. Outdoor wireless security cameras offer the benefit of being free from cables that tether the camera to the rest of the network and recording or monitoring components. Outdoor wireless security cameras relieve a number of problems and possible weak points posed by exposed cables while the camera itself is built strong enough to withstand harsh conditions. But that doesn’t mean that wireless security cameras do not have limitations. Range and network security are important attributes associated with wireless cameras that must be addressed.
Wireless Range
The first limitation is the range of the wireless signal. The distance between a camera receiver can be installed from the signal transmitter depends on many factors. The signal strength is determined by the power of the transmitter but a good receiver is also important. A typical receiver will need to be within the range of the transmitter’s signal but a booster on the receiving end could allow the camera to connect with a transmitter even when the signal is low. The reverse could also remedy the problem where a booster is used to improve the signal put out by the transmitter.
The wireless signals use a particular radio frequency which can be blocked by objections. To achieve optimal range there needs to be a clear path between transmitter and receiver but this is rarely the case and we would be so lucky if there is ever such a situation. Normally, objects will hinder the signal strength and limit range depending on the material of the object. Thick walls and metal objects are the most detrimental to a wireless signal.
Sometimes even weather can affect the range of the signal. This is something that requires a little more consideration because it might go unnoticed until a storm hits and high winds affect the radio waves from traveling properly. With due diligence and careful research these anomalies can be prevented.
Outdoor Power Source
Most wireless security cameras are not completely free from wires. The wireless part only applies to the transmitting of video data and there is still a need to be connected to a power source. Remember that this is an outdoor camera where unprotected components such as any power source connection could be damaged which would render the camera useless. It is also much harder to find a power outlet outdoors because building codes do not require a standard of accessible power sources.
One way around this if there are no outlets nearby is using an outdoor wireless security camera with a battery pack. This means that the battery levels must be monitored and the battery must be replaced or recharged regularly. The frequency of battery maintenance depends on battery capacity and the security camera’s power consumption. Another solution is using solar powered cameras or solar powered battery packs. In either case there is a battery that is recharged with solar power so that the battery pack does not have to be tended to.
If there are cables running from the battery pack to the camera or a power outlet or any other power source, it is important to remember that unprotected cables leave your security camera vulnerable. Protect them with cable casings or by running them inside a wall or ceiling.
Network Security
With any wireless network, the issue of access security is always prominent consideration. In an unsecured network any wireless device could connect to the network and access data being transmitted between your security camera and the rest of the security system. To prevent this there are different encryption and authorization systems. Using some security standard is important to protecting your entire network from unauthorized access.
Outdoor wireless security cameras really make the best use of wireless technology since it allows the owner to install a camera and monitor activity anywhere within a radius of the wireless signal.
Best Uses of Outdoor Security Camera Housing
Outdoor security cameras are usually placed in very physically demanding environments. The security camera will probably need protection from elements such as rain, extreme hot or cold, dust, corrosive substances, vibrations and vandalism. If the outdoor security cameras you employ are not built to handle the specific environmental challenges you put them in, the easiest and cheapest solution is to provide a separate enclosure to protect your investment. Other options are designing built-in special-purpose camera enclosures, and/or using intelligent algorithms that can detect and alert you of a change in the cameras’ operating conditions.
In most cases, housing enclosures for your outdoor security cameras are required. Camera housings come in different sizes and qualities and with different features. For controllable cameras, dome camera housings are available and fixed camera housings for fixed position cameras. The camera housings will be composed of either metal or plastic.
Several key considerations have to be made when selecting camera housings. For fixed cameras you have to choose between side or slide openings. Dome camera housings come in clear or smoked bubble form. Of course mounting of the housing is something to consider as well as cable management including power supply, level of vandal resistance, and special features like temperature control systems. If you have wireless outdoor security cameras in metal housing, an external antenna is usually included. A wireless security camera placed inside a plastic housing will work without the need of an external antenna.
Extreme temperatures cold and heat will be the main threats to your security camera along with water and dust. Some camera housings come with heaters or fans for cameras used in high heat or extreme low temperatures. For water and dust, higher rated housing units are carefully sealed and where acids may be involved, there are stainless steel housings available.
The level of protection your camera housing enclosure provides is often indicated by classifications set by such standards as IP, which stands for Ingress Progression and is a worldwide standard. If the camera is to be used in a potentially explosive environment, IECEx is the global certification and ATEX is the European certification that you should be focused on.
While a camera or housing can never guarantee 100 percent protection, the design, mounting, placement and use of intelligent video alarms can greatly reduce the chances of your outdoor security camera being destroyed as well as the amount of damage suffered.
Outdoor Security Camera W/ Night Vision
Practical and commercially available night vision security cameras use Image Enhancement or Image Intensification technology. It is built with a special lens that can detect light at a slightly higher frequency than thermal-infrared. When light hits an object, it emits a thermal frequency which is how true thermal-infrared works. Thermal-infrared is great for complete darkness while Image Enhancement picks up more reflective higher frequency than thermal-infrared. In short, light photons are converted to electrodes, amplified, and converted back to photons to display a visible image on your camera screen or monitor.
The details that your night vision camera picks up can be enhanced with what is known as infrared illumination or infrared LEDs. It’s the technique of flooding an area with reflective infrared light. Very similar to shinning a light so you can see better, it shines infrared light so the camera can ‘see’ better. In fact, despite popular perception of blurry red-green blobs, the image quality is actually very detailed and clear. The only compromise when you choose to use a night vision security camera is color. It will show up as shades of green. Most devices were manufactured this way because our eyes can detect more shades of green than any other phosphorus color.
For commercial use, the range of outdoor night vision cameras will serve well. In optimal conditions you can typically get anywhere from 30 to 300 meters depending on the quality of the camera.
When picking out a night vision security camera, you will notice two main specs to focus on. The Lux rating, also known as the minimum illumination rating, is the minimum amount of light needed for the camera to pick up something. The closer the camera’s Lux rating is to zero, the less light the camera needs to ‘see’. Some security cameras have a minimum illuminations rating of 0 meaning it can perform just fine in complete darkness. There are color day/night cameras that switch to black and white or phosphorus green when lighting conditions hits the minimum illumination requirement.
There is also this notion of generations of night vision cameras. This refers to the advancement of the technology used for detection. Gen 0 was used about fifty years ago and was nothing more than an infrared spotlight with a receiver. The technology advanced through Gen 1, 2, 3, and 4. Don’t go buying a cheap Gen 1 camera. With today’s technology the performance is going to be crap.
Power options are similar to any other outdoor security camera: adapters for wall socket, battery pack options, and other creative power source adaptations you electrocuted yourself to invent.
Pros and Cons of a Wireless Security Camera System
A wireless security camera works much the same way as any wireless device. There is a transmitter and a receiver that will usually come together in a package. Most wireless cameras come with built in transmitters which sends the video signal to the receiver that is connected to a security monitor, some recording system, or whatever monitoring system that may be set up in more complex security systems.
The upside to a wireless camera system is great if you can make the little details work. Its great not having to deal with extra video cables, we live in a world of cables galore as it is with all this technology. Wireless cameras are also much more covert which works when you don’t need people to be aware they are being monitored. Such as babysitters, or leisure activities like parties and get-togethers.
But wireless on almost all cameras only means wireless video transmitting. Cameras still need to be powered by a cable, unless you want to save the environment at the same time and go solar. Unless you go solar, the camera will be powered by an AC plug or a battery pack. Most battery packs can’t be mounted with the camera so you still have a cable from the battery stored somewhere nearby. Don’t forget the transmitter, if not built into the camera, would need to be powered as well. If the transmitter is not built in with the camera there would be a video cable connecting the camera to the transmitter.
Another downside is the limit number of frequencies. Most wireless security cameras are limited to four frequencies per range meaning the maximum number of cameras in your system is limited to four. That number can be expanded by buying wireless camera systems that are on different ranges. Commercially common ranges are 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz; combining the two will allow up to eight cameras in one system.
As with your cell phone, or any wireless device, thick walls or metal objects will severely hinder the signal strength and range of your wireless transmission. Keep this in mind when planning your security camera system.
If you already have a wired camera, you can buy transmitters and receivers separate from the camera and turn your camera to a wireless. The camera will hook up to the transmitter instead of your monitoring/recording system and that in turn will be connected to a receiver. Remember to buy a transmitter and receiver together as they will ‘talk’ to each other much more reliably.
Intro To Network Security Cameras
Network security camera is basically a camera that is connected to the internet and allows for remote monitoring from anywhere with an internet connection. It’s a popular option for many home uses. It’s similar to the TV commercial of office workers gathered around a cubicle watching a co-worker’s dog through the web cam at home. Until the fat, hairy husband walks into the scene in his underwear for a little comic relief. The only difference is the purpose changes from killing office productivity to a more serious security reason such as catching the baby sitter mistreat your children.
When you buy a network security camera system, it comes with a camera, a recording device to store the video, and the required wires too connect everything. You will need a router and computer to manage communication between the different devices. In this case, the biggest variability is your video quality. It’s another case of the quality of the system is only as good as the weakest link. Choose your components carefully so you don’t waste a high quality device by connecting it to low quality counterparts. The same rules apply when it comes to picking the right camera. In short, outdoor security cameras will definitely require some level of durability while indoors you need to determine the scope and distance of the object/area you are monitoring.
It’s also possible to turn your regular security camera system into a network camera by installing the appropriate hardware. This depends on your current hardware and setup but typically it boils down to a receiver with an Ethernet capabilities. Talk to a supplier about the system you current own and whether the network receiver will fit into your set up.
On the higher end, there are all-inclusive systems you would purchase to secure your property if it measures in the acres, are a high profile much hated global politician, or a famous musician whose fan base consists of hemophiliac tweens. They come full service with monitoring centers of the supporting security company and usually really nice cameras you see in movies. With pan-zoom features, sectored monitoring, and all that fancy stuff.
In 2007 a luxury suite owner at the Staples Center decided to hire a San Diego based provider of IP-based video security camera systems to install a network video camera outside the suite. Because of the quality of the camera, it brings the money laden fans much closer to the action and even into the huddles of teams. Now that’s creative use of security equipment why didn’t he think of spying on the opposing team. Oh yeah, that’s in the rules somewhere.
DIY $10 Motion Sensing Security Camera
Sometimes you wonder what happens in and around your house when you’re not home. I want to show you how I set up a motion sensing security camera using a webcam and your PC. This is a hobby level surveillance system which I used to prove the uninvited traffic through my outdoor property is more than a mild case of paranoia. I’ve used it as an outdoor camera as well as indoors. But if you do decide to set up your itty bitty security camera outdoors, don’t hold me accountable for damages that are guaranteed to happen to your ten dollar webcam.
Indoors, it’s great for unwelcomed family members coming over using your stuff. Or if you just want to catch squirrels stealing food from the birdfeed (through your window, otherwise it becomes an extremely vulnerable and probably be destroyed). Whatever you can imagine and your webcam can reach, you can capture. By the way, you can always get USB extensions if you want a further reach. Let’s get to it.
Firstly, if it’s not already, install your webcam as normal. Download and install Dorgem. It’s free and should be easy to install. Launch Dorgem and select your webcam from the “Camera Selection” drop-down list. Click “Preview” to see what the camera will see and adjust the camera as needed. Click “Source” and adjust the brightness until you’re happy. Click “Options” and check “Use motion detection” and click “OK”.
Now click “Store settings” and choose “File” and click “OK”. Give it a name, make sure “Enable” is checked, and set “Interval” to 1 or 2 seconds or a higher number if there’s a lot of traffic in the area you’re monitoring. Now click the “…” next to “Filename” and point it to where you want to save the pictures. Use %g to give your filenames a timestamp and %G to give it a year stamp. For example I call mine, “balcony-%G%g”. So the images will be saved as “balcony-20090306165001.jpg” which is
balcony – the current year – the current month, day, hour, minute and second. Click “OK”, click “close” and now is time to play with it a little to test the setup. Walk around in front of the camera and adjust as needed. There you have it, a motion sensing security camera for about ten dollars.
How To Buy A Camera For Outdoor Security
Installing an outdoor security camera is the most efficient outdoor security system and a smart move if you have anything that might be a target of petty crime. The cost to purchase and install a security camera is a much more intelligent choice than the wage sucking, smack talking beef head you would hire to patrol your premise. Not to mention the headache. Of course you could stand out there yourself like you have nothing better to do all day. There are a few things to consider when buying a security camera.
The first thing most people consider when they buy anything is the amount of dollars to spend. Security camera systems can range from ten dollars to thousands of dollars. I say ten because theoretically you can put together something yourself, such as my simple homemade setup with a cheap 10 dollar webcam. You can buy just a camera to hook up to your medium of choice, or buy an all inclusive fancy pants system with sound recording, joystick controller, monitoring systems and feed recorder not unlike the kind they have in control rooms in movies, although those seem too easy to break into.
The area you want to monitor and physical limitations is your next concern. Where you mount the outdoor camera should be determined by two factors. What area do you want the camera to capture and what is supporting the physical mounting of the camera. Try this field of view calculator offered by our good friends at CCTV Security Camera Systems. Ideally you can point the security camera precisely where you need to; unfortunately you need to consider where to plug the power cable as well as the video cable. Some cameras are battery powered for incredible convenience. I’ve even seen solar powered cameras . Wireless security cameras are highly recommended. You’ll have to spend a little more but with today’s technology it’s just as easy to find one you can afford. Get creative and your options are almost limitless.
Lighting of the area, especially since most people want to monitor night scenes, will affect how much security your camera will provide. You can choose from night vision, to built-in lighting, or external motion sensing lights or just put a lamp or pretty up the area with some landscape lighting to keep the area lit (which is a deterrent in its own right).
Be sure to check that the durability is designed for the outdoor conditions where it will be used. There are cameras that have built in fans for hot weather and heaters for extremely cold places. Make sure your camera tough enough to handle things like rain, hail, snow, wind, debris and even possible animals depending on where it’s mounted. Will people be able to tamper with it? If it’s behind a fence you might be okay, otherwise make sure you account for the people factor. You can purchase external housing to protect, heat or cool, sometimes even power your camera.
It’s in our nature to feel uncomfortable with the unknown. And when it’s property or anything of value to you, an outdoor security camera works wonders as a deterrent and insurance if you ever have to bring the violators to justice.