Technical plus

Cable
The cable should be individually screened to reduce the possibility of electrical interference and should be of a high
quality, able to be used outdoors in all weathers.
Normally these cables can carry the 12v power for the camera as well as the video and audio signals which makes them a
lot easier to distribute around your garden.
The connectors for video and audio are normally RCA plugs, white for audio and yellow for video, power is connected via
an inline plug & socket style dc power connector normally a 2.1mm connector.
Whilst these cables can be lengthened by the use of extension cables it is much better to use one length with no breaks
reducing the risk of the loss of signal quality, if you must use an extension make sure that the connector is well protected from
the weather by using self amalging tape and a waterproof box.

Alternative cable
Cables can also be bought with a 5 pin din plug connector, personally I do not recommend them as they tend to break
connection and can be very hard to get re-connected.

CMOS camera
CMOS sensors are not as good quality as the newer CCD sensors but are more than adequate for most purposes and in
general are cheaper than CCD cameras.

CCD camera
CCD cameras are much better quality than CMOS, producing clearer pictures with better colour especially at lower light
levels.

Medium cam
My medium size camera was bought very cheaply in a sale and is a reasonable quality for a CMOS sensor cam, its only
problem is the DIN connector which does tend to lose connection at times. I shall probably replace the connector on the
camera and cable in the spring so as to ensure a good connection.

Large cam
The large I use has 24 LED's and has a very good night vision, it is rated as weatherproof to IP 66 which is an excellent rating
for an outside use camera.

Lens
All of cameras I use are known as board cameras and use the same type of lens which are replaceable in order to be able
to focus at different distances, obviously a nest box camera needs a different focal length to one used to overlook a garden
at night looking for nocturnal visitors.

Masonry drill bit
In order to get the cables out to the where the cameras it is very likely that you will need to drill through the walls of your
house. Use a good quality power drill preferably with a hammer option and buy a quality masonry bit, the cheap ones tend
to wear out very quickly and you will have to buy another one.

Power Supplies
The power supplies are normally supplied with the camera and as such should always remain with that camera, as the
cameras will vary with the amount of current that they draw.

Fixings
Where possible use cable clips to clip the cable out of the way.

Camera protection
However waterproof the manufacturer says the camera is, it is wise to add some protection from the worst of the weather,
even if it is only a plastic shield to deflect heavy rain and to stop snow from laying directly on the case of the camera. Two of
my cameras have been out in the garden for over twelve months with just a stiff plastic shield for protection from some
torrential downpours and lots of snow this winter and last.

Cable protection
I have to protect my cables from attack by squirrels, they have on more than one occasion bitten right through the cable. I
have used a variety of protection ranging from lengths of copper pipe to old pump hose from a garden pond at a previous
house.

LED's
Infra red Led's are built into many cameras nowadays and allow the cameras to film during darkness. The light is invisible to
humans, birds & animals so they are not aware.

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