You can learn a lot from those TV nature documentaries. I have - about human vision, for example. I have learned that as human beings we are completely unable to see anything in the ultraviolet or infrared range. In order to see with the naked eye, some amount of regular daylight is needed, unlike some other species. But the good news is that we human beings have access to technology that allows us to make up for our own natural limitations. And a good example of this type of technology are infrared security cameras. Infrared security cameras, unlike our own eyes, can detect images in the environment using light in the infrared wavelength spectrum. And what makes infrared security cameras very useful for home security is that with them, we can monitor areas with absolutely no visible light (what the professionals call a Lux 0.0 environment). Business and industry have been big users of infrared security cameras for years - with them they can monitor a darkened warehouse or bank vault area after business hours, when the lights may be turned out. In the home, we can use infrared security cameras as well: perhaps in the downstairs living room, or a darkened external garage area or long driveway outdoors. They are ideal tools to detect the presence of all sorts of intruders -- even stray animals such as deer, stray dogs and even rodents. The really nifty thing about infrared security cameras is that they can be located in the darkest of environments, yet still provide a camera image. And this is certainly bad news for the professional thief, who typically seeks out darkened rooms and homes for a break-in. They assume that the darkness will make it impossible for them to be detected. But infrared security cameras will catch them every time! One thing any good infrared security camera has is an 'auto-scan' function. When a camera is set to auto-scan, it will repeatedly move back-and-forth over the same area automatically. Now, if the area that you need to monitor is too big for the field of vision of one camera, simply install several, and let each one sweep across a pre-defined territory. In this way if you have a very long driveway, or building entrance, you can effectively monitor every part of it. Infrared security cameras do not rely on light from things like a light bulb, or the light of the moon or sun. Instead, they generate their own light. Some models shine a beam of infrared light from the camera unit itself - like a James Bond high-tech flashlight. Other infrared camera models use a separate light source to illuminate an area (you can't see that light, of course). When the light is operational it shines in the area to be illuminated, and the infrared camera uses that light to capture images. Now don't confuse infrared security cameras with 'low light' cameras. These low light types simply have the capability to function with very little daylight - but they do need some daylight, even if it's very small amounts of it. One weakness of infrared security cameras is that they cannot illuminate a large area - they function best when you set them up to monitor a small place. If you need to monitor a large area - like a large building lobby - then you will need to install several of them, each covering a small section. Finally, some models incorporate a dual-function feature, which allows them to switch from a regular camera to an infrared camera when the lighting conditions are bad.
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You can learn a lot from those TV nature documentaries. I have - about human vision, for example. I have learned that as human beings we are completely unable to see anything in the ultraviolet or infrared range. In order to see with the naked eye, some amount of regular daylight is needed, unlike some other species.
Author: Jennifer Metcalfe discusses home security, video surveillance and home security systems Learn more abouthome security camera systems by stopping by his site. Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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