Driveway Security Cameras

Security Camera Tips and Benefits for Protecting Your Driveway

The use of Security Cameras at a private residence is becoming much more common. While not a new concept, recent advances in technology, the lowering of the cost of camera hardware, and the increased need for security in many areas have spurred this trend to record levels over the last year.

If you are new to the concept of using security cameras in order to keep an eye on your home or your driveway then we should  review some of the basic benefits and options that you may want to consider.

The first thing to consider is, obviously, what's in your driveway. Why, for example, would you want to watch your driveway in live time from inside your home or even in live time while on vacation? Is the need serious enough to justify the cost of a professional grade security system? Then, consider whether or not you would have the need to keep a recorded copy of the driveway activity. Also worth thinking about is the benefit of having the security system notify you via text message, phone call, or e-mail should there be activity in your driveway during any special time for which you have chosen to monitor and receive alerts for.

Many people simply want to keep an eye on their driveway because it contains some very expensive items. For example some people may park their RV in their driveway during the off season, and others may have a work truck or vehicle parked there with valuable tools. Other times you simply want to know who's come over or pulled into your driveway while you were out.

Continues: Driveway Security Cameras

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Gas Station Security Camera Thoughts

Security Cameras at Gas Stations is not a new concept but it is one that should be touched on and brought up to speed with the economic times of today.

Most gas stations across the country have been using one form or another of security cameras for years. Many stations still have their original taped-based security system while others still use just a monitor with no recording device at all. If you are using tape based our not recording at all, you need to upgrade as soon as possible.

Here is some good news for upgradingThe wire that the CCTV security cameras are most likely using is a common coax cable still used today. This allows a great deal of the old infrastructure and sometimes the cameras themselves to be easily incorporated into a new PC Based DVR security system.

Security Cameras Save you Money Not Cost you Money
A security camera system at a gas station can be a great way to cut down on merchandise shrinkage from both staff and customers, and it can also be a great deterrent and aid in the prevention and prosecution of drive-offs.


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Gas Station Security Camera Systems

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Ohio to Link Security Cameras

The Controlling Board, a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers, approved $235,000 for a Homeland Security project that links cameras throughout Oho.

Ohio's Camera Integration Project to link and monitor thousands of security cameras in Ohio is underway. The project will be modeled after one that has operated in Alabama since 2006. Alabama's system, called Virtual Alabama, came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Thousands of cameras that monitor roads, schools and private businesses will be used in an effort to provide more eyes for first responders in emergencies.

Ohio's Camera Integration Project will be accessible by police, firefighters and other 'authorized officials.' The integration will include government-operated systems watching highways, public buildings and airports, and the private security cameras at businesses, shopping malls, office complexes and other major facilities. Privately help companies will not be required to join.

Video from the cameras will not be continually monitored, recorded or stored rather they will be used as a resource during emergencies.

Looking for protection for your business? Ask a Security Camera Pro

Real-time Security Cameras in the NYC Subway

Since their very creation, subways have been dangerous places. The large underground train stations became breeding grounds for crime, a weigh station for the homeless, and more recently, an ideal target for terrorists. Security cameras have been in place in subways for many years, but these cameras were only useful for seeing what took place after the fact. As frightening as this all is, subways are still an extremely useful form of transportation used by thousands of people a day, and because of their consistent popularity, New York has decided to install real-time security cameras in their subway systems. With these cameras in place the New York Police Department hopes to stop crime before it starts.

While over 3,000 security cameras monitor the whole of the New York subway, only cameras from the three main stations broadcast in real-time. The Grand Central, Time Square, and Pennsylvania stations are the main hubs of the subway and therefore have the most traffic. Because of their size and importance to the subway system these are also the three stations that are the biggest targets to terrorists. The hope is that the knowledge that the authorities are always watching will eliminate the temptation to commit crimes.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly states that "Around the world, we've seen subway and rail lines attacked. In London, in Madrid, in Moscow, in Mumbai," Kelly said. "Having access to these MTA cameras gives us another crucial tool with which to protect New York's transit system."

The cameras are connected to the police station via a high-bandwith fiber optic network. Once broadcast to the police station, the real-time images are displayed on computer screens and can be used to analyze images with tools like license plate readers and environmental sensors. The goal is to eventually have 3,000 real-time cameras up and running. There are currently 1,159 functional cameras. The cost for these cameras is a whopping $200 million dollars, paid for with grants from Homeland Security. Mayor Michael Bloomberg assures the city that these costs are necessary, and that technology is the only way to continue making the city safer.

Eventually New York hopes to mimic the London subway's "Ring of Steel" security camera network, which has more than 12,000 cameras up and running. London security officials say they plan to add even more cameras, enough to record the face of every person who enters the subway. With the recent arrest of a Colorado man who planned to bomb three New York subway stations, the camera system couldn't come at a better time for New York.

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How to connectorize a RG59 cable with a BNC end

Security Camera Expert, Josh Van Cleave, shows how to properly connectorize an RG59 with a BNC end. Josh has over 10 years in the security camera industry and nearly 20 years in computer networking.

Proper connection to the cable is very important. The benefit of being able to properly connectorize cables is lower cost and easier installs. The cables Josh is making are water tight and will last for many years.

In the video you find out how to use a compression tool, wire stripper and techniques to get a good, watertight connection, first time every time!

The connector Josh is using is the FCONN RG59 BNC male universal compression fitting. You can buy a 5-Pack for $18.00 here: RG59 BNC - 5 PACK COMPRESSION

For more information and videos, go to the CCTV Learning Center at Camera Security Now.

Information to show you that you can Do-it-yourself and install it like a pro.

Are You Covering Your Assets?

A wise man once told me that with anything that you do you always need to C.Y.A.(cover your assets). Lets face it, if we did not have things that other people wanted, we would not need to protect them. A great way to protect your assets is to either have someone watch your possessions twenty four hours a day, which is extremely costly, or invest in a security surveillance system.

This is part one of a three-part series to help you answer a few questions that you may have about protecting your property, investments, or classified information. In part one we will go over what types of cameras to use, where to place the cameras for maximum coverage, and how you should connect the cameras to your video management system. Part two will touch base on what type of video management system that you should be using and how much storage that you will be needing. Third and final segment will go over video analytics and viewing the videos.


Camera Selection

Security cameras are the eyes of a video surveillance system. Cameras should be deployed in critical areas to capture relevant video. There are two basic principles of placement. First, there are the use of chokepoints. Chokepoints are areas where people or vehicles must pass to enter a certain area. Examples include doorways, hallways and driveways.This is a very inexpensive way of recording who has entered your facility.
Second is covering the assets. These are the specific objects that need coverage, i.e. safes, cars on a car lot or merchandise in a store. The asset is defined relative to the needs of the organization. You will then need to prioritize what your assets are and choose the location of the cameras. Now we can take a look at three of the main characteristics of camera types.

Fixed or PTZ: Cameras can be fixed to only look at one specific view or be movable through the use of panning, tilting and zooming (i.e., moving left and right, up and down, closer and further away). Most cameras used in surveillance are fixed. PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom) cameras are generally used to cover wide fields of views and should be used only if you expect to actively use the cameras on a daily basis. The reason fixed cameras are used so often is that they are a conservative choice over the PTZ's due to higher prices. Fixed cameras can run $200-$500 and PTZ cameras are upwards of $2000.

Thermal,Infrared, and Color: In video surveillance a black and white image makes sense when lighting is very low . In those conditions, infrared cameras produce black and white images. Infrared cameras require special lamps (infrared illuminators) that produce clear image in the dark. Only silhouettes are produced with thermal cameras and are used in areas with little or no light .In daytime and well lit areas color cameras are a well planned choice.

 IP or Analog: The largest trend in video surveillance today is the move from analog cameras to IP cameras. While all surveillance cameras are digitized to view and record on computers, only IP cameras digitize the video inside the camera. Even though most infrared and thermal cameras are still only available as analog cameras, you can only use megapixel resolution in IP cameras.

Most organizations mix and match of their types of cameras . For instance, an organization may use infrared fixed analog cameras around a perimeter with an analog PTZ overlooking the parking lot. On the inside, they may have a fixed megapixel camera covering the warehouse and a number of fixed IP cameras covering the entrance and hallways. The monitoring, playback, and system configurations can all be maintained by the IE browser without hassles.


Connections


Cameras are connected to video management systems for the purpose of recording and managing access to video. There are two main characteristics to decide on for connecting your system

Analog and IP: Video can be transmitted over your computer network (IP) or it can be sent as analog video. Most video feeds are sent using analog but retooling to IP transmission is rapidly increasing. Both IP cameras and analog cameras can be transmitted over your computer network. IP cameras can connect directly to an computer network and analog cameras cannot. However installing encoders to transmit analog feeds over IP is a effective way to keep costs down by not having to replace the entire system. Encoders will have an input for analog video feed and output it in a digital transmission stream so that it can be transmitted over an IP network..

Wired or Wireless: Video can be sent over cables or though the air, whether you are using IP or analog video. Generally, the most cost effective and least troublesome way is wired, being more reliable with less of a headache for the administrators of the system. However, wireless is a great option for transmitting video where running wires can be quite difficult in certain areas such as playgrounds,remote buildings and off site areas which you want to survey.

There will be two more segments to come on surveillance cameras and accessories. If you have any needs for surveillance equipment in the meantime, please contact www.camerasecuritynow.com. And remember to always Cover Your Assets.

Security Camera Footage May Help Police Catch Stabbing Suspect

Last month we talked about the benefits of parking lot security cameras. Now it looks like police in Leesburg, Virginia are learning that for themselves. Earlier this week the Leesburg Police Department released parking lot security camera footage of an SUV, and they're hoping the video will lead to the arrest of a suspected attacker.

Between May 24 and August 2, five men were killed and 11 injured in the Flint, Michigan area; one was injured in Toledo, Ohio; and three were injured in Leesburg. Police believe all of these attacks were related due to the descriptions of the suspect, the vehicle he was driving, and patterns related to the actual crime.

The suspect is said to be a tall, white man with a muscular build. He asks the victims for directions or help with his car before attacking them. The video, which was shot in a mall parking lot in Leesburg, shows the potential suspect driving a dark green Chevrolet Blazer.

All but two of the victims were black men and they were walking alone, usually at night or in the early morning hours. Six of the attacks were committed between 12:15 AM and 6:00 AM on Mondays, while six of the attacks happened between 5:45 AM and 6:15 AM between Thursday and Sunday.

So far, police have put together a list of potential suspects. According to the Associated Press, Genesee County, Michigan prosecutor David Leyton said 469 tips have been received. The tips have been shared between all law enforcement agencies involved with the investigation, including the FBI. The investigation is being managed by Michigan State Police.

Take a look at the video below to see the potential suspect's car caught on camera:



Check out this related story: Virginia Security Cameras