Violent crime is unfortunately part of everyday life today. Surveillance cameras can warn you before you are put into a life threatening situation. If you have young children surveillance cameras allow you to keep an eye on them even when you are in another room. Are your baby sitters really doing a good job or are they neglecting, or even worse, abusing your children while you are away? Surveillance cameras and a VCR can give you a valuable record of what is going on while you are not there. Video recordings can also be very valuable in identifying and apprehending thieves and vandals. The prevention or resolution of one crime through the use of this equipment may be enough to pay for this equipment many times over. Install this equipment to protect your home, family, or business now before it is too late. All equipment here is discounted significantly off list price.

Video Camera Specifications

The two main specifications to look for with surveillance video cameras are the light sensitivity rating and the lines of resolution. The resolution of a camera is a measurement of the horizontal lines it outputs. Most standard TVs and VCRs have a resolution of fewer than 300 lines but video monitors can have as many as 800 lines resolution. Higher resolution makes it easier to distinguish fine details and recognize people at a distance. The amount of light required to obtain a reasonable image is called the lux rating. 1 lux is approximately the light from one candle measured from one meter. All the video cameras here will provide reasonable images from standard room lighting. If very dimly lit rooms need to be monitored use video cameras with under 1-lux ratings.

Installation: All the video cameras here (unless otherwise stated) output standard baseband video signals that can be viewed on monitors, televisions with video in jacks, or modulated onto an unused television or cable channel using any of our modulators. Standard VCRs can be used to record up to eight hours or use our time lapse VCRs for a legal time stamped recordings of up to 960 hours (40 days) on one ordinary VHS tape. If you have more than one camera use the quad screen splitter to view/record all four cameras simultaneously or use the sequencers to view up to eight cameras in turn.

Cable: For short runs under 200 feet, RG6 coax cable can carry the video signal between the camera and the monitor. For distances over 200 feet, use RG59 coax cable. Although it's rarely used for "broadband" cable TV service any longer, it's still the ideal cable to carry low-frequency baseband video signals for your camera up to 1500 feet. Twisted pair cable may also be installed with the use of a Video Baluns on each end. If you don't want to make your own cable, we have cable extension kits for many of our cameras.

Easily extend camera cables with this extension kit. Don't waste time soldering or crimping together your own cables or voiding the warranty by splicing in your own wires. Most cameras we carry only have a few feet of cable coming off the camera. This kit includes extensions for the power and the video signals. A coupler cable is included just in case the camera's output cable is the wrong gender! You may also need a BNC to RCA Adapter (7809RB1) to change the camera's video output connector from a BNC fitting to an RCA output. Now, it's easier than ever to mount your new camera just about anywhere you would like. Maximum distance with these cables extension kits is about 300 feet, beyond that you'll need thicker cable (RG-59) for the video signal and (18 awg) power, use # 8529D CCTV Combo Cable.

Coax Cable Type Guide

For baseband video transmission - Copper braided RG59 coax cable should be used. (Aluminum braid cable used for transmitting RF TV and cable signals will give inferior signal transmission and will distort the video signal over longer runs). Copper braid RG59 can be used for cable runs up to 1,500 ft.

For short cable connections use pre-made RCA video patch cables. Two conductor, 22-gauge shielded cable can also be used in short runs up to about 40 ft, but expect to see some signal degradation, especially if there are interference sources present.

NOTE: RCA & F connectors shown indicate the most commonly used connector types. Some video cameras come equipped with RCA jacks others may only provide bare wire outputs and will require you to add ends to make the connections shown above.

Need Specialized CCTV Equipment?

If you have a specialized video surveillance requirement not covered by the products on our web site, call or email us. We can special order pan/tilt/zoom systems, infrared total darkness illuminators, multiplexers, covert cameras in a variety of disguises and more.