Surveillance Questions
How does a hidden camera work?
Can a hidden camera record audio?
What's the difference between wireless and wired cameras?
What's the range on a hidden wireless camera?
How many wireless cameras can I have in one place?
Can a cordless phone interfere with the signal from wireless cameras?
What is a 2.4 GHz wireless frequency?
Are these transmitters approved by the FCC?
What is CCD?
What's a Quad?
Will a Quad allow recording from four cameras simultaneously?
Do receivers work through thick walls?
Do plug and play connections require additional cabling to run a signal back to a TV or VCR?
What's the difference between a VCR and a DVR?
How many hours can be recorded on a DVR?
Do I need a specialized VCR?
What's a DVR card?
What's a Plug and Play connection camera?
How many cameras can be hooked to one TV?
Will cameras record, or is a VCR needed?
How long will a nine volt battery power the camera?
What temperatures are safe for these cameras?
At what voltage does a camera operate?
What is a varifocal lens?
What is a fixed lens?
Surveillance Terms & Definitions
Surveillance Questions
How does a hidden camera work?
A hidden camera is a small board camera built into an everyday item. These cameras can be used either wireless or wired. Wireless cameras transmit their signal to a receiver wired to a DVR or VCR. Wired cameras are connected directly to one of these devices.
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Can a hidden camera record audio?
Federal law in the United States prohibits use of surreptitious audio recording. Recording audio with a hidden camera is one use that qualifies under this definition. Cameras that can be considered hidden in this case include pinhole board cameras, and all other hidden or covert cameras. Only law enforcement agencies may use audio in a hidden or board camera.
Title 18, Section 2512
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What's the difference between wireless and wired cameras?
Wired cameras use a video cable running between the camera and a viewing or recording device like a monitor, VCR, or DVR. A wireless camera, on the other hand, uses a built-in transmitter to send a video signal to a receiver. This receiver is connected to one of the above viewing or recording devices.
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What's the range on a hidden wireless camera?
Standard hidden wireless cameras have a transmission range of up to a thousand feet. Higher powered versions of these cameras can transmit up to two thousand feet.
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How many wireless cameras can I have in one place?
You may keep up to four wireless cameras in a single location. You can choose to use four receivers to view all cameras at the same time, or use a single receiver to switch between cameras. A single receiver only allows you to view one camera a t a time. If you wish to install multiple wireless cameras in the same place, it's important to order them all at the same time so that they can be placed on different channels.
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Can a cordless phone interfere with the signal from wireless cameras?
It depends on the frequency of the camera and the phone. A cordless phone operating on a frequency of 2.4 GHz can cause interference with cameras operating on that same frequency. However, interference is usually minimal, and generally only occurs when the phone is located between the receiver and the camera.
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What is a 2.4 GHz wireless frequency?
A frequency is used to transmit data or signals. 2.4 GHz refers to the specific frequency used by our transmitters to send video to the receiver. All of our wireless cameras operate on this frequency, with ranges between two hundred feet and seven hundred feet, depending on environmental conditions. All units have been FCC approved.
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Are these transmitters approved by the FCC?
All transmitters used in our wireless systems are both FCC and Industry Canada certified.
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What is CCD?
CCD is a small silicon chip which receives light and is able to change it into variations in voltage to make up an image. It's used in professional cameras due to having a very high resolution and the ability to record even when there's not much light. CCD is usually measured in inches. 1/3" CCD is the standard. These chips are more expensive, but are useful in cameras which need to record in areas which are nearly dark.
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What's a Quad?
A Quad is capable of splitting your monitor into four separate sections. This allows you to view four different cameras at the same time.
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Will a Quad allow recording from four cameras simultaneously?
A Quad will permit you to record from all four devices at the same time. You may also choose to record using a switching monitor; however, only the camera being displayed at the time will be recorded.
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Do receivers work through thick walls?
As long as there's not a lot of metal embedded in the wall, a receiver will work through walls as thick as two feet.
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Do plug and play connections require additional cabling to run a signal back to a TV or VCR?
You will need to buy the appropriate length of cable. Options include CA-25, CA-50, and CA-100.
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What's the difference between a VCR and a DVR?
A DVR is a Digital Video Recorder, which records high resolution images to a hard disk drive, or HDD. This means you don't have to deal with maintaining VHS tapes. Images stored digitally won't degrade over time the way a VHS might. A DVR also offers search capabilities that can save you a lot of time. You can choose different parameters, such as date, time, or camera, to help you find the right file. You can also access a DVR from any location using the Internet.
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How many hours can be recorded on a DVR?
This is based on the hard drive size, how many cameras are being used, and how many frames per second the cameras are recording. A single camera recording in Real Time uses as much as a Gigabyte per day. This means that a sixteen camera system will use sixteen times that much space.
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Do I need a specialized VCR?
You can use your own VCR to record. However, you'll have to dedicate it to the task and use it to record all the time. Many VCRS can only record for ten hours at a time. However, we offer special machines that can record for as much as 1280 hours.
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What's a DVR card?
These cards allow you to convert your computer into a Digital Video Recorder. DVR cards are usually installed into the computer's PCI slots, and are bundled with software which allows users to display and record multiple cameras at the same time. This can be done at the site, or from a remote location.
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What's a Plug and Play connection camera?
This refers to using an RCA Video plug and the camera's power plug to provide a simple connection to a display or recording device - usually a VCR or TV. This is done by running the RCA or Aux cable to the VCR or TV's VIDEO IN port. The device must be set to the correct channel if the image is to be viewed, however.
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How many cameras can be hooked to one TV?
Most TVs have two inputs, meaning you can hook two devices to them. You can, in general, hook up as many cameras as you have inputs on the TV.
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Will cameras record, or is a VCR needed?
You'll need a DVR or VCR to record video.
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How long will a nine volt battery power the camera?
Cyber EYE and BD-127 cameras will run for five hours.
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What temperatures are safe for these cameras?
Black and white cameras can operate between -23C and + 50C (-10F and +122F)
Color cameras can operate between -23C and +40C (-10F and +104F)
Cameras can be safely stored between -30C and +70C (-22F and +158F)
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At what voltage does a camera operate?
Our cameras operate between nine volts (CMOS) and twelve volts. Twenty-four volt professional cameras are also available.
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What is a varifocal lens?
A varifocal lens allows you to vary the focal length of the lens. This is also called a zoom lens. Almost all examples of this kind of lens have an auto iris feature.
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What is a fixed lens?
These lenses cannot zoom or change their focal length. They allow more light to pass through the lens at a particular focal length than an adjustable lens will, however. In low light situations, this can be desirable.
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Surveillance Terms & Definitions
AGC
Standing for Automatic Gain Control, AGC refers to a kind of electronic system found in many devices. It controls the gain of the system to hep maintain correct performance over varied levels of input signal. It can also be an electronic circuit that attempts to maintain a video signal at a constant level (1volt peak-peak). This is useful for cameras operating in low light situations.
AI
Auto Iris refers to an electronic circuit that behaves as an iris on CCD cameras by shuttering the CCD sensor electronically. This can also be an automatic method by which the lens opening size is varied in response to scene illumination changes.
AWB
The Auto White Balance is a process used in video cameras to help retain true colors. This is electronically performed, based on the color of a white object in the image.
CCD
A Charged Couple Device is a kind of analog technology which has a slightly higher resolution than CMOS and functions better under low light conditions. CCD cameras also drain batteries somewhat more quickly than CMOS cameras, requiring them to use a 12v battery rather than a 9v. A CCD camera is also larger than a CMOS camera, and has a shorter battery life.
HAD CCD
A kind of CCD sensor. The acronym stands for Hole Accumulation Diode. These sensors have a layer designed to accumulate holes - in the electronic sense - and thus reduce the noise level.
S to N Ratio
A Signal to Noise Ratio refers to the ratio of noise power versus signal power, and is expressed in decibels (dB.) This can also refer to the amount of noise in a video signal, again represented in decibels. A high signal to noise ratio is most desirable.
BLC
Balance to Light Control is a method designed to help compensate for bright spots that may appear in an image. It's important to consider whether bright spots in a picture, like vehicle headlights, can make identification of the vehicle model or it registration impossible. Bright spots can also be a problem when needing to identify someone who's moving between bright daylight and artificial light, which can cause the subject to become an unidentifiable silhouette.
OSD
The On Screen Display is a method used to display setup information or instructions on a display monitor.
Resolution
A measurement of the camera's ability to reproduce a given image. A higher resolution indicates a better image quality.
LUX
This is a low light measurement required for a camera to function properly, including viewing and recording.
FPS - Stands for Frames Per Second - the number of still images shown per second, giving the illusion of motion. Thirty FPS is considered "Real Time Viewing." If you want playback to appear at normal speed, each camera should operate at 30 FPS or more.
IR
Infrared LEDs are a part of Day and Night cameras, allowing the camera to record images even in the dark.
Focal Length
The distance between the focal point of a lens and its surface.
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