Choosing A Home Security Camera

With rising crime rates everywhere, more and more families are opting for home security cameras. If you are one of those families, you will want to know how to choose the home security camera that is right for you. There are many options to choose from on the market today, such as indoor and outdoor systems, so you will want to do a bit of homework to make the right choice. There are simple home security systems as well as the systems with advanced features with high picture quality and digital recording.

There are home security cameras for everyone no matter what your budget is. Perhaps you are not having any problems at your house but someone in your neighborhood has had problems. You might not want to invest a great deal into a security system so the fake cameras might be a good deal for you. Sometimes, just seeing a camera (real or not) will keep burglars away for fear that it is a real camera. There are many models available that look like the real thing and can be used for indoor or outdoor use. There are many stores who use this method to help steer potential thieves away.

Web cams are also a cheap home security system as you can hook it right up to your home computer, they come with software that enables your computer to become a motion detector and it will record when motion is detected. They can also play an alert sound when motion is detected, so if you are in another part of the house, this will alert you to movement elsewhere. You can get a web camera for as little as $10 and there are free software packages on the Internet to help you turn it into a home security system.

For other indoor security options, you can use a nanny cam to keep an eye on your kids while you are away or to keep a watchful eye on your nanny. You can also get a classic security camera that you can use with your computer and a TV tuner. This offers a much better quality picture then the regular web cam. Finding the right home security camera is relatively easy and inexpensive, if you know what you are looking for. So no matter what your budget is, your can be sure to find a home security camera that will work for you.

Nicky Clark writes for Security Camera Space a website packed with advice about security cameras.

Home Security-More Do It Yourself Home Security

In my article "Home Security-Low Cost Alarms That Work" we talked about the effectiveness of low cost alarms to protect your most valuable asset-your home-without sending you to the poor house. There was a Consumers Union study in 2002 that found that barking dogs and alarm systems are the most effective ways to keep intruders out of your home.

In a recent Colorado Springs Gazette article, David Husted crime prevention officer of the Falcon Division of the Colorado Springs Police department was quoted as saying "The sound of a big dog barking is a really good deterrent, too." Asked if he'd spend money on an alarm or a dog "I don't know, I may just go with the dog, if it's got a really good bark."

In the time it takes you to read the next four small paragraphs two more burglaries will occur in the United States. Remember this: property crime occurs every 3 seconds, a home burglary every 15 seconds.

When a burglar goes looking for his next victim he "cases" the neighborhood and individual homes looking for weaknesses. How your home looks to him will send a signal if he feels he can be successful or not. If he sees to many potential problems with your house why would he bother when there are so many others to choose from?

Here are some additional inexpensive ways to help prevent home burglaries and provide the best home security for your most valued possession-your home.

Motion Activated Spotlights These are easy to install, relatively inexpensive lighting systems activated by motion detectors. One of the things burglars don't like is LIGHT.

Signs For an Alarm Company Burglars do their homework. When they break into a place it is usually with some degree of planning. If they see a sign in a yard that the property is protected by an alarm system EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE they are much less likely to target the home.

Neighborhood Watch Program Signs Again for the reasons listed above, burglars will think twice about invading a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood. If you don't have a Neighborhood Watch Program set up-start one. Your local police department will be glad to help get one going. Check out www.usaonwatch.org for more specifics.

Dummy Surveillance Cameras Dummy surveillance cameras have a proven track record in reducing burglaries for a fraction of the cost of their "real" brothers. Most dummy cameras look like the real thing with flashing red LED and warning signs that the property is being monitored by CCTV.

NRA Stickers Place an NRA sticker so it can be seen from the road in a conspicuous place-high on your living room window, on your mailbox, or on the bumper of a car parked in the driveway. This sends a signal to a potential burglar that an occupant of the home may be armed.

The key here is to "advertise" to potential burglars that your home will not be their next target. By using these low cost home security devices and following these home security tips you will help prevent a burglary at your home. Home security alarm systems are effective but for most people they are too expensive.

If you think crime can only happen to the other guy you are wrong. The "other guy" is thinking the same thing and YOU are that "other guy". There is a reason why they call it self defense. You have to protect yourself, your family, your home and business!!

Jack Krohn started Security Solutions to help people protect themselves, their families, their home and businesses from crime. He offers a wide variety of unique, hard to find self defense, and home security and professional high tech surveillance products at HTTP://WWW.AAA-SAFETYFIRST.COM/VOICEALERT.HTM AND HTTP://WWW.AAA-SAFETYFIRST.COM/ELECTRONICWATCHDOG.HTM

5 Easy Things You Can Do To Improve Home Security Right Now

Oftentimes when thinking about improving home security, many people start immediately focusing on electronic devices like security systems, alarms, cameras, and so forth. And to be sure, all of those products have a role to play in a high quality home security plan. But actually there are some very simple things that anyone can do to raise the security level in and around their home with very little cost and effort. And here is our list of 5 things that can help make your home more secure right away:

1. If you happen to be one of those folks who likes to leave a key to the front door of your house hidden under your doormat, or over the door frame, or within easy reach of your front door, you are just inviting a home break-in and making it easy for the burglar. Experienced burglars know that lots of people hide the key to the front door in close proximity to the door to make it more convenient for them to get in when they forget their key for some reason. So they just check around the front door area and can often come up with easy entry into your home in a very short period of time by doing so. Its not a good idea to hide your key outside at all therefore, but if you must, at least hide it a good distance away from the front door where no one would think to look.

2. One of the other most common ways that burglars can gain easy access to your home is through an open or unlocked window. This just makes it way too easy for them. So if you happen to be one of those folks who loves to have your windows open, at least install safety locks that will only allow them to be open part of the way and not enough for someone to be able to climb through. And when you are away from the house, it's best to have the windows shut and locked at all times.

3. Just drive down almost any street and you will find houses that have trees and large shrubs up next to the house where someone could hide. That is a bad safety strategy, and it would be good for you to go outside and look at your home from the standpoint of an intruder. How easy is it to get close to your home without being seen? Can someone gain access to upper floors of the home by climbing a nearby tree? If you spot possible hiding places close to the house, do whatever is necessary to eliminate that danger. Prevention is your best protection in this area.

4. Many home intrusions take place at night simply because darkness helps conceal suspicious behavior. So bright lights are an intruder's worst enemy. In view of that, some well-placed motion detection lights can do wonders for your home security. They are cheap and simple to install, and can be very effective in preventing break-ins.

5. If you have nice possessions, like an expensive car, keep it in the garage. Try to do as little as possible to attract attention to any pricey posserssions that you may have. Burglars would rather invest their time and energy in homes that promise a good payday as opposed to those where they can't really tell much about what is inside. So keep windows covered so that it is hard to see inside, and use shades at night to keep others from looking inside your home to see what valuables are there.

All of these ideas are very simple and easy to implement, but together they can raise your home security level right away.

Jim Johnson writes on many consumer related topics including home security. You can find out more about home security by visiting our Home Security Review website