Wireless internet CCTV cameras are more than just CCTV
cameras. These cameras allow you to see your property from anywhere, over the
internet. More than this, they can be used to alert you not only to
movement within the camera view, but also to emergencies like fire and flood as
this article explains.
Most internet CCTV cameras have the ability to raise the
alarm when motion is detected within the camera’s field of vision, giving you
the chance to log in over the internet and see what’s going on. However,
many of the good quality cameras can raise the alarm when other events happen
in the vicinity. They do this by “listening” for signals that are sent
from sensors when conditions change, for example in those extreme cases when
there is a fire or flood, and by sending text messages or email alerts when
such signals are received.
The type of sensor you use will depend on the type of event
you want to protect against. You could buy a heat sensor and set it to
trigger when the temperature exceeds a certain level. This could be used
to detect a room becoming too hot, a freezer breaking down or a refrigerator
getting too warm inside, for example. You would use a moisture sensor to
protect against flood. This could be placed in a basement or near a
washing machine. Normal industry-standard sensors will work with all good
makes of camera, but you should check the trigger voltage and wattage of each
to make sure. In all cases the sensor will send a change in voltage to
the camera so that it can take action, as the next section explains.
To attach sensors to your camera, it needs to have a
so-called digital input port. Most of the reputable makes of internet
CCTV camera have one. Two wires are attached to connectors that make up
the physical exterior of the port, and these wires run to the sensor. The
camera is programmed to recognize a change in voltage at its input port caused
by a signal from the sensor, and to act upon it immediately. Typically it
will send you an email and also an instant SMS text message to your mobile
phone or as many mobile phones as you choose. You can then log in over
the internet to see what is going on, and if necessary call the emergency services,
all within seconds of your sensor detecting a problem. Of course, it
takes some technical work to get your camera working in this way, and you will
need external service providers to handle things like sending SMS text
messages. If you don’t like the thought of setting this up yourself, I
always advise getting a pre-configured camera and monitoring service from an
internet CCTV provider.
Using wireless internet CCTV cameras in this way really
broadens their role. Seeing your home from wherever you are is just the
start. Attaching sensors and programming the cameras to act upon their
alerts turns your camera into an all-round automated property monitoring system
that keeps you informed about any problem in your property, within seconds of
that problem arising.