CCTV's - Closed Circuit TeleVision – or should that be Catches Criminals, Thieves, and Villains – are a must for a secure home.

The modern cctv’s come in all shapes and sizes from large, waterproof, cameras for external use, down to mini ‘spy’ cameras for covert use inside the home. They can produce high quality pictures in either black and white or high definition color, and are also available with night vision capabilities.

As the technology has advanced, the cost of these surveillance cameras has decreased – even computer video cams costing a few dollars can be used effectively in home security installations.

As with all types of security installations, careful planning is needed to decide on a number of factors:

1.What is your budget? 2.Decide what type of system is to be installed. 3.What equipment is required? 4.Where will the equipment be sited?

Budget – It is vital to decide on a budget so that you know the limits of your spend. It is no good starting to buy equipment and then later finding out that you’ve run out of money, resulting in reduced levels of security. Believe me, it is more important to have a cheap (but reliable) complete CCTV security system, than an incomplete system even if this system has cost mega $$$$$.

What type of system – Do you go for a wired or wireless system?; do you use a dedicated VCR system or one that is connected to a computer? Color? B & W? Night vision? These aren’t questions that can easily be answered in such a short article. By preference, I would always choose (unless circumstances dictate otherwise) a wireless system (for ease of connectivity, and concealment). Color is best as long it gives a good resolution. Cameras with dual capacity for both normal and night vision are ideal, but are that much more expensive. Find a good established store – either bricks and mortar store or online store – who will give good advice, and stick with them. I would also recommend using a computer program to deal with the image capture. Home security cctv programs are now extremely sophisticated. Do an internet search – almost all come with a limited demo. Try them out. They should be able to cope with multiple cameras. They should have motion detection. They will then only record video footage when motion is detected, thereby saving disk space. With the right program, they will then upload the pictures to a website (which they can usually provide) – and the program will email or phone you to warn you that motion has been detected. You can then log on to the website and see live images. You can be anywhere in the world. Amazing!

What equipment is required – this has been covered above. Again, discuss your requirements with the store.

Where will the equipment be sited – Again planning is the key. Externally, all possible entry points should be covered. The security camera should be as high up as possible, and with wires – if any – hidden. (I have a security camera hidden in a birdbox, high up in a tree in my back garden covering the back and side of my house!) Internally, I use high definition wireless spy cameras, which are high up and hidden as much as possible. Ideally each CCTV should cover each entry point and as much as the room as possible, but where limited by budget, place them in rooms that need the most security. Finally, the Computer or VCR should be as secure and protected as possible.

Remember that Security Cameras are just a part of home protection, and should be used along with other devices such as security alarms and lights.