Outdoor Security Cameras, The Do’s and Don’t

Your cellular phone alert dings, and someone or maybe something like an animal is at your front door. Maybe you were expecting a package today. You have unfortunately purchased an online or over the counter security camera and as you swipe over the app, the only thing you see is a blurry image, bummer. Was it the image you were expecting, nice and sharp and clear. Something that will allow you to actually see the person that is in your domain or does the image look like some dust or something else is covering the lens.  Well, that’s going to be a problem.

Outdoor security cameras can be a great tool, an effective security shield you can utilize to control your environment, but that requires some specific considerations when making the purchase. Security cameras if properly manufactured allow a home or business owner to monitor their security surroundings and have immediate visual information on any occurring situation. But if you can’t recognize the mailman from an intruder, or worse, have a break-in and not be able to identify the subject, all is for naught.

Outdoor Security Cameras are a great, and effective tool for a comprehensive security system, so long as they are properly designed, manufactured, installed correctly and professionally monitored.

Purchasing Outdoor Security Cameras

Security cameras, that are used outdoors need to be manufactured for that specific application to be successful. You can’t just move any indoor webcam outside and stick it on your front door. Or purchase one of those, non-commercial grade camera’s that is incorporated in a doorbell and expect to see clear images. Sure, they can notify you that someone is on the prow or just broke into your home, but identify the subject clear enough to prosecute them, never. Additionally, you will want to see the whole image and depth-of-field only a commercial grade security camera can provide. Doorbell cameras have a very limited range so you will never know whether the intruder arrived on a bicycle on in a moving van. And, when it comes to the weather, these types of outdoor security cameras will have to be covered. They are limited in their design to be outdoors with features such as waterproofing.

So, if you’re considering outdoor security cameras what do youneed to know and understand.

At ESI, Emergency Systems Inc. we have been providing outdoor security cameras for all types of residential, commercial, governmental and industrial applications for years. We have written the book on providing protection understanding their specific function depending on the size, placement and desired need.

Placing Your Outdoor Security Cameras

Placement is a very critical issue for your camera and placing it somewhere where it will get shelter from the weather such as from wind, rain storms, and alike is important. The consideration for placing the camera correctly, is to ensure it isn’t tampered with by an intruder. The first step is to place the camera as high up as possible. That takes out most non-commercial grade cameras because their range is very short and limited in scope. You also don’t want anyone to be able to just reach up and grab it. Many professional-grade cameras are small enough that they can be installed and hidden.

Going Wireless is another problem

Having a professional install a security camera outdoors is the perfect time to go wireless. Any wires, connected to power or the internet can draw attention. Cutting wires is a simple and fast way to circumvent a security system.

Skip those wired systems and go wireless making your outdoor security cameras harder to detect and harder to hinder. 

Let ESI Smarten Up Your Defenses

If you follow ESI’s recommendation to go wireless, you’ll also need to take a few extra steps to ensure total security. Wireless cameras can fall prey to hackers. For Do-it-Yourselfers installing their camera and keeping the factory defaults is a big mistake. This leaves your cameras wide open to anyone with the hacking ability to acquire it.

ESI can also install a camera with tamper detection that lets you and the monitoring station know if something is going on with your cameras, sending an automatic alert to your phone, portal, and monitoring service simultaneously.

These cameras can detect if:

• The lens being covered by an object or paint
• Camera hit by an object, or even moved.
• When a camera loses power.
• That the focus is somehow obscured.

These are the things to think about when it comes to purchasing an outdoor security camera. At ESI, we are in our 40^th year, as a licensed security alarm company serving the needs of residential as well as commercial customers. We provide a full range of security alarm products and have the most advanced central monitoring station in North Florida, manned by highly trained security technicians. Give us a call at 904-388-3975 for a free, no-obligation consultation. It will be the best, most informative security conversation you will ever have.