Skate Park Surveillance Systems & Security Cameras
With the growth popularity of inline skating and skate boarding, skate parks have become extremely popular for city and county municipalities to install them inside of parks. City planners should consider a skate park surveillance system with security cameras when planning and budgeting for skate park projects. You do not have to search far to find cases of vandalism and unwanted graffiti in skate parks. A professional surveillance system with security cameras can help deter such activity as well as help prosecute against it in the unfortunate event that it occurs. A skate park surveillance system can also help document any injuries that occur in the park through video capture and help with any frivilous lawsuit attempts. The city of Grand Haven skate park is one example of a park that has already installed a surveillance system to monitor activity within their park.
Pre-construction is the ideal time to plan for your system so the cabling can be installed during construction of the park. This makes running cable underground much easier However, security cameras can also be installed into existing parks. Surveillance systems used for skate parks and other outdoor park type installations typicall consist of four to sixteen outdoor weatherproof security cameras. The cameras can be CCTV cameras (closed circuit television) or IP cameras. The cameras can be mounted to poles in and around the skate park or to other structures where the cameras can be mounted about ten to sixteen feet high. The digital recorder is the device that records the video to a hard drive so that it can be played back later. Typically the recorder is located in a nearby office or community center. If there is not an office located close to the park making it impossible to wire the cameras to the recorder, wireless equipment can be used to transmit the signal distances up to a 3 miles away. RG59 or RG6 cable is used to connect each security camera to the digital video recorder. A power supply box can be used to power all of the cameras. The power supply box can be located near the DVR as long as the cabes do not have to be run longer than 300-400 feet. If that is not possible the cameras need to be power closer to where they are mounted. The above image shows some typical equipment used in an outdoor surveillance application such as a skate park.
About the Author
This article written by Mike Haldas from CCTV Camera Pros. CCTV Camera Pros specializes in home, business, and government surveillance systems. Mike has over 13 years experience in the security and IT industry as hardware and software engineer and is available to help plan small and large scale applications such as skate park security camera systems. Please call 1-888-849-2288 or visit www.cctvcamerapros.com for additional information or to reach Mike or another surveillance engineer that can help you.
Geovision Surveillance System
A Geovision surveillance system is an excellent choice for a business or home surveillance system. The basic requirements for both home and business systems are very much the same and Geovision does a great job at meeting them. In fact many homeowner / small business owners are buying the same type of system to manage both their home security and to keep an eye on their businesses from within the office or remote locations.
Geovision surveillance systems use a Windows Vista or XP based computer to create a complete multi-camera security system that is simple to manage and monitor on site or remotely over the Internet. Geovision supports many different types of cameras with varying features and capabilities. Whether you are looking to install some inexpensive stationary dome cameras or a set up a sophisticated hybrid surveillance system with a mix of different types of IP security cameras, PTZ cameras and high resolution CCTV cameras, a Geovision system is the best choice in many cases.
CCTV Camera Pros offers complete Geovision surveillance systems at affordable prices that are suitable for both your home and/or business surveillance needs. We feel confident that these versatile and powerful surveillance systems are an affordable and reliable choice.
Geovision System Features
Intelligent Recording & Playback
- Privacy Mask Protection
- Advanced Motion Detection
- Scene Change Detection
- Pre-Recording Using HDD
- Advanced Round-The-Clock Recording
- Instant Playback
- Time Merge From Different Clips
- POS Point of Sale Integration
Flexible Record Confgurations
- Choice of recording at 15, 30, 60, 120, 240 and 480 frames per second
- Recording trigger by motion detection, alarm and schedule, and 24/7 around the clock recording
- Adjustable recording quality and frame rate for each camera
- Pre-motion and post-motion recording
Remote Surveillance – DVR Viewer
- Live Video & Audio via IE Browser
- Remote Search & Playback Support
- 3G Mobile Phone Support (3GPP)
- SSL Encrypt Connection Support
- Monitor Multiple Systems with Center V2
Notifications & Alerts
- E-mail notification with attached video images on motion detection and alarm
- E-mail notification on video lost or I/O error
- Directs PTZ dome to a preset location on motion and alarm activation
- SMS alerts available in Main System, Center V2 and Vital Sign Monitor
- Alarms on objects that pass between predefined regions
If you would like help in designing a Geovision surveillance system for your home, business, or government facility, please call CCTV Camera Pros at 888-849-2288 or visit CCTV Camera Pros website.
Infrared Security Camera
The BIPRO-540L4 infrared security camera from CCTV Camera Pros is an excellent choice for a mid-range night vision camera for home, business, and government surveillance installations. The camera features a 4mm fixed lens which gives you a wide angle view of your subject area. The 36 infrared LEDs are rated at 100 feet and the weatherproof housing make it an excellent choice for outdoor surveillance applications.
The body of this infrared camera feature an adjustable hood to protect the camera lens from direct sunlight. The tri-axis mount allows installers to adjust this camera to angle angle after being mounted to a wall or celining. The cable through body and bracket design completely conceal the cable for a neat and secure installation.
Infrared Security Camera Features
- Weatherproof Silver Body Good for Indoor & Outdoor Surveillance
- 540 Lines of resolution
- 36 infrared LEDs see up to 100 feet
- 1/3″ Sony CCD (Super HAD Day/NIght)
- 4mm lens
- 0.0 Lux Infrared Night Vision
- Cable Through Body & Bracket Design
- DCPower supply included
CCTV Camera Pros offers this camera for sale on their website at www.cctvcamerapros.com for $199.99. Please click on the above image or click on the following link to visit their website for more details or to purchase the BIPRO-540L4 infrared security camera.
Choosing the Best IP Camera Software
IP camera software, also known as network camera software and NVR software, allows you to record surveillance video from IP security cameras to a central computer / server over an IP network. Choosing the best IP camera software for your specific surveillance application can be challenging if you do not know the options that are available to you.
Having the latest IP /Network Security Cameras is only as powerful as the software you choose for interface with remote viewing, recording and remote control functions of your cameras. What good are the most powerful camera capabilities without a simple interface for access, monitoring and recording functions that YOU are actually capable of navigating through?
CCTV Camera Pros supplies NUUO IP Camera Software that can be installed on a Windows Vista or Windows XP computer and basically turns the computer into a network video recorder. Our opinion is that the NUUO NVR system is the best on the market. It has the latest features and the largest number of IP cameras brands and models are supported. The NUUO NVR software is designed with a user-friendly interface with the consumer / end user perspective in mind, so it is very easy to use.
The NUUO IP Camera Software features the following:
- View and monitor up to 64 channels from IP cameras, Network Cameras, & mega-pixel cameras
- Start with as small as a 4 camera license and grow up to 64 cameras over time
- Easy to use GUI Graphic User Interface
- Easy to manage smart Recording Schedule
- Dual monitor Real-Time display and Playback with HD quality at 30 frames per second
- “Smart Guard system” with 6 kinds of video analytics and 6 kinds of instant response
- Intelligent search for easy locating of recorded events
- Recording modes: Continuous, Event, Motion, Scheduled, Manually, w/ Audio, Auto Recycle
- Video Analytics: General motion, Missing Object, Foreign Object, Camera Occlusion, Loose Focus, Signal Lost.
- Real-Time A/V multi-events viewer and filter
- MPEG4 / MJPEG Video Compressions supported
- 2 way audio support
- Video Quality Enhancement Tools
- 1280 X 1024 or above recording resolution (mega-pixel IP cameras are supported)
- Centrally manage cameras from multiple locations
- Integrate with wireless network systems
IP Camera Software Setup Video
The following video demonstrates how simple it is to connect an IP camera system using the NUUO camera software that CCTV Camera Pros supplies.
If you would like help in designing an IP security camera system or choosing the best IP camera software for your home, business, or government facility, please call CCTV Camera Pros at 888-849-2288 or visit CCTV Camera Pros website.
Choosing the Best Hidden Security Camera
When considering the purchase of hidden security camera (also known as covert security cameras and spy cameras), a number of options and alternatives are available. There are very small cameras that may be completely concealed and there are also covert cameras that are built into inconspicuous decoy housings. These include fake fire sprinklers, dummy smoke detectors, mock motion detectors, hats, pens, watches, neckties, and nearly anywhere else imaginable. “Nanny Cams” can be found in stuffed teddy bears and other simulated children’s toys. Many of these cameras use motion-sensor technology so that recording is activated whenever movement occurs in the secured area. This practical function is something you may have to spend a little more money on when purchasing a covert spy camera, but it will certainly be worth it when you find out you don’t have to sift through the ashes of constant, insignificant dead video footage.
So where do you start? Whether you are building a new surveillance system or adding some hidden cameras
to your existing system, the following checklist of camera options / functions should be considered:
- Camera Type
- Compatibility
- Capability
- Cost
I refer to these four criteria for choosing hidden / covert spy cameras as the “4 C’s”. Think about them when you are shopping around for covert cameras to build a new surveillance system or upgrade your existing business or home surveillance system.
By following this simple 4 C’s Guide, you can decide on the hidden security camera that is right for you.
Hidden Camera Type
As stated in the introduction, there is a wide variety of covert camera types to choose from.
Think about the actions you are trying to capture and whom you are watching. Is it your employees or customers? Is it your babysitter or your children? This will help determine if you want a constant video feed or a more sophisticated motion detection device. It also will narrow down the placement of your cameras and the type of decoy bodies you should consider.
Camera Compatibility
Make sure the cameras are compatible with your existing surveillance system or other components you plan to use in a new surveillance system. Do you require IP cameras or wired Ethernet types? Will you need a more powerful video card in your computer monitor? Also check your DVR’s minimum requirements and limits.
Camera Capability
The capability of your camera depends on various factors. Do you need a wide angle of view or strong zoom power? Perhaps you require infrared cameras for night vision and low light areas of your home or business. Do you need high resolution for focusing on small, far away objects or to distinguish text?
Camera Cost
This is a constant factor in any purchase decision, especially in these trying economic times. Prices range from cheap, pen cameras at $40.00 each to powerful covert cameras within clever decoy body styles upwards of $259.00 each.
If you are interested in learning more about covert & hidden security cameras, please visit the CCTV Camera Pros website. You can jump directly to the product pages by clicking on the above images of the different camera types.
BNC Video Baluns for Cat-5
BNC Video Baluns - $13.99 per pair
BNC video baluns allow a CCTV installer to use a twisted pair wire to run video to CCTV cameras. A pair from a cat-5 cable can be used. Other common wires and cables used with CCTV baluns are 18AWG, 20 AWG, 22 AWG and CAT-3.
Video baluns are very handy to use when a building is pre-wired with CAT-5. This connector allows you to leverage the existing cable that is already there. Many CCTV installers prefer using twisted pair instead of coax cable because it is cheaper and more flexible.
Passive video baluns (no power required) can typically be used to run CCTV video over cat-5 for a distance up to 1200 feet without video signal loss or interference.
The BNC baluns that appear in the image on the left are available from CCTV Camera Pros. Click here to view these and other CCTV video baluns available from CCTV Camera Pros.
BNC to VGA Converter
BNC to VGA Converter - $64.99
A BNC to VGA converter is typically used in surveillance installations to enable the use of inexpensive VGA computer monitors to connect to DVRs and security cameras that have BNC video output. The BNC to VGA converter pictured on the left has three different video inputs, labels 2, 3, and 4. The input types are BNC, S-Video, and VGA. The output, labeled (1), is VGA which is connected to a VGA computer monitor. This converter can have three different video inputs connected at the same time. The user can select which video input is used at any given time.
The BNC to VGA converter on this page is available from CCTV Camera Pros for $64.99 at the time of this writing. For more information on this product or to purchase it, please visit the CCTV Camera Pros BNC to VGA converter page.
PTZ Network Camera – Pan Tilt IP Camera
The IP-V96112 PTZ network camera, also known as a pan tilt IP camera, is an excellent choice for IP surveillance applications. This PTZ camera supports dual-codec video compression: MJPEG & MPEG4. This camera connects to a wired Ethernet port to provide high-quality remote video and audio. An optional power over Ethernet POE kit can be added so that you can use a single cat-5 cable to run both power and video to the camera. The pan, tilt, and zoom functions that can be controlled through the Internet using Internet Explorer or by the included wireless remote control that is included. This network PTZ camera is compatible with network camera software.
PTZ Network Camera Video Demo
Please view the following sample surveillance video to see the power and quality of the IP-V6112 camera. The video uses the PTZ functions of the camera to demonstrate the viewing capability and quality of this camera. We are sure you will be as impresses as we were when we reviewed this product.
For more information or to purchase this product, please contact CCTV Camera Pros by visiting their website or calling 888-849-2288.
What is the best surveillance camera?
IR Security Camera
With so many options on the market, people often wonder what is the best surveillance camera. The only correct answer is that the best camera really depends on your specific surveillance needs. There are many things to consider when planning a surveillance system. It is a good idea to consult with a knowledgeable equipment supplier that will also provide a high level of support before and after your purchase. A good equipment supplier should be able to help you assess what is needed. It is also a good idea to make a list and answer some basic questions when deciding which security camera is best for you.
Questions to ask to find the best surveillance camera
- Do I need indoor or outdoor security cameras?
- Does the area that I am installing the security camera have any lighting?
- Do I need the cameras to see in the dark using infrared?
- How will I mount the cameras?
- What type of body style will look best for my installation?
- Does the body color of the camera matter to me?
- How far away from the area I am monitoring will the camera be mounted?
- What type of lens will I need?
Outdoor Camera
Indoor vs. Outdoor Surveillance Cameras
Outdoor security cameras are enclosed in weatherproof housings. The weatherproof casing / housings are typically made of metal. The lenses of outdoor cameras are enclosed behind a glass or plastic cover to protect the lens from outdoor elements. All of the cabling and and pieces of the camera that can be opened are sealed with rubber grommets and rings.
Indoor Dome
In contrast, many times indoor security cameras are made of plastic or if they are made of metal, the casing is not weatherproof rated. Because they do not need to be water-tight, the openings are not sealed with rubber like most outdoor cameras. Dome and bullet style cameras are very popular for both indoor & outdoor applications. Usually indoor cameras cost a little less than a comparable outdoor model because of the saved expense of not needing the weatherproof casing.
Infrared Surveillance Cameras
Infrared Security Camera
Infrared surveillance cameras are used in situations where there is very little or no light and you still need to record video. IR cameras have a light sensor in them so that when the camera senses the light level to be below a certain level, the camera turns to night mode and the infrared illuminators come on. Infrared cameras at this point turn to black and white even if they record color during the day. Infrared surveillance cameras come in both indoor and outdoor models. The main thing to consider when trying to choose the best infrared surveillance camera is how far do you need to see in complete darkness. IR cameras have a rating that let’s consumers know how far they can see in the dark. The range is quite broad starting at about 20 feet for entry level infrared cameras and going all the way up to 300 feet for high end commercial grade IR surveillance cameras.
Different Surveillance Camera Body Styles
Bullet Camera
It is very common for consumers that are not familiar with security cameras to think that the body style of the camera affects the angle of view that it produces. Because of the round shape of dome cameras, many people thing that a dome camera will give a wide view than a bullet style camera. This is simply not true. It is the type of lens that is inside of the camera that determines how wide or narrow the field of view will be. A done style and bullet style camera, while having a totally different body shape, can have the exact same lens inside of their housing and therefor give the exact same picture angle and quality.
Camera Lens
Types of Security Camera Lenses
Most consumers need to consider two things when choosing the best security camera lens.
- How far from the subject area is the camera going to be mounted?
- Do I want to use a fixed or varifocal lens to accomplish the view that I would like to capture?
A varifocal lens can be adjusted to change the field of view to be more narrow or broad, and also more zoomed in or zoomed out. Varifocal lenses usually have two adjustment controls on them, one to adjust the field of view and one to adjust the focus. You can see these two adjustment controls in the above lens image. A fixed lens does not allow the field of view to be adjusted and is typically pre-focused so no adjustments are needed. It is a good idea to refer to a security camera lens chart to help determine which lens is best for you.
About the Author
This article written by Mike Haldas from CCTV Camera Pros. CCTV Camera Pros specializes in home, business, and government surveillance systems. Mike has over 13 years experience in the security and IT industry as hardware and software engineer. Please call 1-888-849-2288 or visit www.cctvcamerapros.com for additional information on choosing the best surveillance camera for you needs.
Video Surveillance System – 4 Camera
Video Surveillance System
The following video surveillance system consists:
- 4 Weatherproof IR Security Cameras
- 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder
- 4 100 Foot BNC camera cables
- 4 Camera power supplies
- Optional 19″ or 22″ CCTV monitor
This system is featured from CCTV Camera Pros. Although CCTV Camera Pros advertises this system as a home surveillance system, it can also be used for commercial applications such as retail stores, churches, gas stations, and just about any commercial surveillance application you can think of.
This surveillance system also includes remote DVR viewer software that allows a business or homeowner to view their cameras remotely over the Internet. Below are some sample images taken using the remote viewing software. Please note that the quality of these images degraded as a result of screen capturing them and converting them to files that can be posted on this web page:
Retail Store Surveillance System
Home Surveillance System
If you are interested in learning more about video surveillance systems, please visit the CCTV Camera Pros website. You can jump directly to the product page for this system by clicking on the above image of the system.