Proebstel Neighborhood Association

Home Surveillance

A Few Tips

There are lots of new options on the market for home surveillance. Digital technology has brought a lot features we didn’t have before. It’s a good idea to explore them all and find a system that fits you’re needs and budget. Don’t attempt to wire or rewire anything unless you know what you’re doing. If you’re not sure contact someone with some experience. Read and follow all the instructions with any equipment. You and you’re family’s safety is the reason for all of this to start with. Here are a few tips that has helped me keep an eye on things over the years.
A color camera with the time and date displayed is best for surveillance. I’ve had reasonably good luck using camcorders I found in pawnshops for $100 dollars or less. Most pawnshops will exchange it for another one if there is a problem and you get it back soon after you purchased it. The record part doesn’t have to work as long as the camera puts out a signal you can patch into a VCR. Having a zoom also gives you the option of wide angle or close up.
The camera needs to be in a location where you can see the faces of people in vehicles and get a vehicle license number if they pull in or out of your driveway.
If your camera is going to be outside it will need to be inside of a housing. You can use your imagination and what’s available. I’ve put them inside of a number of different plastic containers. Those were only for temporary use.
I’ve built several different housings out of light plywood with a door on the back for access. In the front drill or saw out a hole where the camera lens will be and glue a small piece of clear plastic out of a small picture frame on the inside of the housing. On the outside it needs something over the top of the hole that sticks out at least 1 inch to keep rain drops from landing on the window. I’ve had good luck using a piece of 3-inch plastic pipe and gluing it over the hole. Squirrels and birds stop by and stick their head in sometimes and spiders will build a web in it but not that often. Once I found a mouse was living in the box and another time some ants were moving in. All things to consider when building it. All cameras have a hole threaded into the bottom so it can be mounted onto a tripod. It’s a good idea to drill a small hole through the bottom of the box so you can secure the camera in the box. You will want to have the camera on manual focus. The little plastic window seems to confuse the auto focus at night. After you get it positioned where you want it it’s a good idea to put some instructions or a diagram of the controls on a piece of paper and tape it to inside of the door. After it’s inside the box you can’t see the labels on the controls so if you need to return later to make an adjustment (daylight savings time) you can see which button does what without having to remove the camera. The camera can be a considerable distance from the VCRs and still have a good signal.

Audio (sound) is important for a list of reasons. Some camcorders will not record audio from a line going out. Some of them you can fool by cutting the tape in a cassette and putting it in the camcorder. Even if you have audio from the camera it may not be as effective inside a housing unless it has a jack for an external microphone. I installed a separate audio system from the camera in a different location. I used an old video camera that no longer has a picture but still records sound. I installed it in a separate location and ran the line into the “Audio In” connection on the VCRs. If the audio is receiving stray radio signals you will need to use a shielded cable for it.

Recent technology has brought us a lot more affordable options for security cameras. Many of the newer camcorders have features that make it difficult to use them for security. There are some small black and white, wide angle security cameras with night vision that are very affordable. You might consider using one until you have a chance to shop around. They do not display the time and date. You can always use it later to cover your good camera.

T-160 VHS videocassette tapes will record for 8 hours and 6 to 10 minutes depending on the brand. With 2 VCRs you can set the timer on the second VCR to start recording about 6 to 10 minutes before the tape runs out on the first one giving you 16 hours of recording time. I always keep the tapes at least a week before recording over them.
If you are home and something happens that you want to see. It’s a good idea to start another tape recording in the second VCR before you stop and rewind the first one. That way if something else happens while you’re reviewing the first tape you will still have a record of it on the second tape. You can also use the second VCR to copy incidents that happen with your personal VCR you use for watching movies. Yes you need 3 VCRs 2 for the surveillance system and one for you. Once again I’ve had reasonably good luck finding deals in the pawnshops. You can get a “Y” connection to split the signal from the camera to the VCRs at just about anyplace that sells electronics.
It’s a good idea to copy incidents that happen to a file tape. Sometimes while rewinding tapes over a number of times reviewing it the tape will tangle and wrinkle. If a copy gets wrinkled its not a loss, you still have the original.
Having more than one camera out is a good idea. They don’t all have to be recording all the time. You can build your system as you go.


Motion detectors are very valuable and important. It’s a good idea to have a couple of them covering your camera that will activate light and sound. Motion detectors with a “test mode” will activate in test mode for 5 seconds day or night. I have several that I removed the light sockets and installed an AC plug so I can plug a radio into it. You can also use a doorbell or a buzzer. (Doorbells and buzzers operate on 12 volts so you will need a transformer). Don’t try to rewire anything unless you know what you’re doing. You can buy an AC socket that screws into where the light bulb goes. Then you can plug a radio or something that makes a sound into the AC socket. When they are set up outside and the sound activates inside your home they work great for letting you know that something is out there. Often it’s an animal or if the wind is blowing tree branches moving will activate it. Still you will know if something is out there and have an opportunity to call 911 if you see that it’s an intruder. With the sound activating inside the intruder outside doesn’t know that you’ve been alerted to they’re presence.
If you’re not home or asleep and want to know if the motion detector has been activated an old electric clock with a second hand works great. Tie it in with the light or sound line and set it at 12. When you return the hands on the clock will have moved for the duration of time the motion detector was active.
It’s a good idea to always leave things a certain way. That way when you return and find something is different you know that someone has been there. Another idea is to leave a dime or a quarter on the floor right in front of the door like it fell out of your pocket while digging for you’re keys. If it’s gone that means someone has been there. If it was at the back door that means someone was checking doors and windows.
An intruder installing a surveillance device on you will not want you to know that they have been there. Why would someone do that? One reason is to get information about you and what you’re doing. Cordless and cell phones can be intercepted with a scanner or another device on the same frequency. Some of the newer digital equipment is reasonably safe but I wouldn’t count on it. Listening in to you’re conversation is a way for someone to find out when you’re not going to be home. If you have a remote garage door opener changing the frequency on it is a good idea.
These are some of the things I’ve picked up over the years I hope they can assist in making you’re home more secure. Last but not least always call 911 and let law enforcement handle a situation. They have the training the resources and the authority to take care of it properly.