Technology always finds a way to make life easier for us. You can use a surveillance Camera to monitor those activities that go on in and around your home, even in your absence.

Placing security cameras in homes can secure properties to a large extent. Even when intruders manage to break in, footage of the crime scene can be taken from the cameras and the perpetrators identified and brought to book.

But there have been arguments about the use of Trail cameras. Some believe they aren’t a good option for home security.

In this post, you’ll find information about trail cameras to make an informed decision.

What is a Trail Camera?

The trail camera is also called a game camera. As the name implies, a trail camera is used by hunters to monitor the activities of animals in the wild. The camera is mounted on a tree where animals can’t get close or notice it.

Trail camera camouflaged effect makes them impossible to detect. It blends with the surrounding environment.

Hunters or researchers use trail cameras to keep an eye on the activities that go on in the forest or jungle. They also don’t have to be present to set or position the camera.

Are Trail Cameras Good For Home Security?

Yes, they are. That’s the straightforward answer.

There are also different trail cameras out there with varying quality. When buying one, consider that.

You can use trail cameras for home security, the same way they are used in the wild. These cameras can be configured to capture intruders’ activities, the way they capture that of animals in the wild.

How Do Trail Cameras Work?

To have a sound knowledge of how trail cameras work will help you understand how useful they can be for home security use. It will also enable you to decide the best way to use them.

However, they function the same way they come built to perform when mounted in the wild. When an object passes by, there’s a motion sensor that alerts the camera to take a picture or record a video.

The images taken are always time-stamped to let you know when the intruder (when used for home security) or wild animals (when used in the wild) came to the area under surveillance.

Again, trail cameras come in different quality and possess several features. Most of them have features that enable you to send videos or images to your mobile device in real-time.

Having a trail camera that sends videos or photos of intruders to your mobile device in real-time can provide a high level of home security. You can call the cops on intruders before they get away, even though you were not around the property when the theft took place.

On the other hand, trail cameras are not configured to sense the presence and capture wildlife alone.

What makes trail cameras useful for home security is that the motion sensor can sense any moving object, whether animal or human and stimulate the trail camera to capture it.

Things To Consider Before You Buy A Trail Camera For Your Home Security Needs

The feature a trail camera possesses determines how effective it would be when used for home security.

If you want a trail camera that can do a proper job ensuring adequate surveillance for your property, below are some of the key features to keep an eye out for when buying your trail cameras.

• Cellular capacity
• No glow feature
• HD – High Definition
• Videos
• Motion sensor range

Let’s explain what each option implies and what makes them equally important.

• Cellular Capacity

The essence of mounting a security camera in a home is to provide surveillance to a property. That any trail camera can do.

But if you’re someone that isn’t always around, a trail camera will cellular capacity would make proper sense. You can configure such a camera to send you real-time videos and images of whatever it captures.

• No Glow Feature

If a trail camera is marked “no glow,” it, therefore, means that it can capture the image and video of any trespasser, without being detected.

These types of cameras use infrared flash to capture images or record videos. It can also capture images in low or no light environments.

No glow trail cameras are a wise choice for home security, mainly where the owner isn’t always around.

The led emitters of no glow trail cameras emit infrared lights at above the 940-nanometers spectrum. So trespassers won’t detect a hidden trail camera, because the human eyes cannot identify the 940-nanometer range of light.

However, if the primary purpose of buying a no-glow trail camera is for home security and to capture wildlife activities, consider the light spectrum at which the infrared light travels.

Keep in mind that many species of animals can detect the 900+ spectrum light.

• HD

Picture quality is essential when choosing a home security camera. You should be able to recognize a trespasser’s face without any hassle.

HD refers to a high-definition video. It relates to the quality of the image captured at night. However, it’s advisable to choose a camera of at least 720p. You’ll get more explicit pictures of trespassers with such cameras, even at night time.

• Video Option

Note that not trail cameras can video. Some only take pictures, and that’s it. But these are more affordable.

There are trail cameras that video and take pictures of moving objects detected. The ones that can record videos can give you 10 to 90 seconds of recording.

You can also get cameras with video and audio features. With such a camera, you can capture the sound made by the intruders, not just their faces.

So is the picture-only trail camera a wise choice for home security? Not at all! It’s better to get the camera that offers both. Whatever wasn’t picked up clearly by via picture would be recorded as a video.

• Motion Sensor Range

This entails the distance at which the camera can detect an object’s presence and capture its image or record a short video. The presence of an object triggers the motion sensor.

Motion sensor range differs from one trail camera to another. Have that in mind when buying your trail camera.

How Can I Hide My Trail Camera For Home Security?

If you don’t hide your trail cams property, they could get found and destroyed. Trespassers know the cams will blow their identity. So they will do everything possible to take them down.

Below are simple strategies to effectively hide a trail camera.

Step 1 – Bury the camera in household objects

There are numerous places and household objects to hide your trail cams inside your home. You can use bookshelves, tissue boxes, hanging portraits, and more. Remember, the primary goal for hiding home security cams is to ensure strangers won’t detect them.

Step 2 – Hide in trees around the house

If there’re trees close to your property, then that’s a fantastic place to hide your trail cams. Tie the cams to a firm branch or tack them to the tree trunk. This will keep them firmly in place.

Step 3 – Consider the distance

Your cams’ motion sensor range is significant. When you mount your trail cams out of range, they won’t be able to detect objects.

Step 4 – Hide in outdoor lights

Outdoor lights will not only line your driveway, but they will also illuminate your property. This makes them a great spot to hide trail cams.

How Far Away Will A Trail Camera Take Pictures?

The straightforward answer is 100 to 120 feet, but other distance variables determine how far a trail camera can take pictures.

Below are factors that determine the quality of long-distance trail camera pictures.

• Motion sensor range
• Focal length
• IR sensor range
• Trigger speed

The motion sensor range detects infrared waves produced by heat from objects such as animals, people, or vehicles. The camera is activated once a heat change is detected. So the distance at which a trail camera can detect heat change is the distance at which it can take pictures or record videos.

The focal length is the distance between the center of a lens and its focus. If a trail camera has a longer focal length, its magnification would be higher and angle view narrow. The reverse is the case if the focal length is shorter.

The trigger speed also matters. It’s the speed at which the trail camera can take pictures while the object is still in position. A fast-moving object may likely appear blank on a trail camera with slow trigger speed.

How High Should You Mount A Trail Camera?

How you mount a trail camera would determine its field of view. One of the essential things to consider when installing such a camera is the height. If you mount it too low, the field of view will be limited.

The best way to mount your trail camera is head high. Then have it angled down a bit to increase the field of view.

The Difference Between Game Camera And Trail Camera

The trail camera and game camera is the same. The idea for making the game camera (trail camera) is to keep tabs on wild animals secretly when one is not present in the woods.

People are not only using trail cameras for tracking activities of animals in the wild. They have learned to use it for home security purposes, and it’s delivering the much-needed result.

Conclusion

So we have come to the end of this post. But just a quick reminder; you can use trail cameras for home security, provided the camera has a good range on it, considering the coverage distance. A trail camera ideal for home security should also deliver quality pictures and video, irrespective of where you have it mounted.