An important factor to consider while shopping for a hidden camera is its transmission range. This refers to the maximum distance the hidden camera can send data to. The transmission range determines how wide apart your viewing device can be from the camera. Some hidden cameras transmit information to a viewing device that is miles away, while others can only send alerts when your phone is in close range.
What Affects a Camera’s Transmission Range?
A spy camera’s ability to transmit is dependent on a range of factors.
*Type of camera ( wired or wireless)
*Cable in a wired camera
*Internet connectivity
*Medium to be traversed during the transmission
Wired Versus Wireless Models
A hidden camera can either be wired or wireless. Wireless spy cameras are usually connected by cable to a recording or viewing device. The video cable runs from the camera to your recording or viewing device. Such devices include; a TV, VCRs, network video recorders (NVR), digital video recorders (DVR), memory cards, or other data storage mediums.
On the other hand, wireless hidden cameras do not use video cables. They have an in-built transmitter that does the work of the video cable. You don’t have to connect it to your viewing device through a cable wire. They can transmit a video signal to a receiver within a small radius. All you have to do is simply plug the camera output into the transmitter which then sends the signal wirelessly to the receiver. If your mobile phone or viewing device is connected to your home WiFi, the transmitter sends the video signal to the receiver or wireless router. The images can then be viewed or recorded on your mobile phone.
Most wireless hidden cameras and WiFi cameras can transmit up to 300 feet in line of sight. Longer transmission distances can be achieved by using higher-powered transmitters or high-gain antennas. Typical digital wireless cameras are priced slightly higher than wired cameras. But their set-up and maintenance are more cost-effective when compared to wired cameras. You don’t need to pay for cable wires and other camera accessories which reduces installation time and cost.
Wireless Camera Transmission
A standard wireless hidden camera can transmit as far as 1000 feet. Its high-powered variety could even reach as far as about 2000 feet.
In an open field (with a line of sight), a typical hidden wireless camera can transmit 250 to 500 feet. In a closed environment like inside a building, the wireless camera range is usually between 100 to 165 feet. The range is varied and depends on the type of building materials and objects the wireless signal must pass through before it reaches the receiver. Cubicle walls, drywall, glass, and windows do not affect the strength of wireless transmissions. On the other hand, brick, concrete floors, and walls can degrade signal strength. Trees that are in the line of sight of the wireless camera and receiver may also negatively affect signal strength.
Another factor that can affect signal strength is if there are other competing signals with the same transmission frequency within the location. Typical examples are signals from routers or cordless phones. You should try to avoid placing cameras or receivers near sources of competing signals. Create a space between wireless receivers to avoid signal interference.
Wireless cameras have a remote access feature that can be activated through a mobile app. This app can send push notifications to connected devices. Once you receive the mobile alert on your device, you can open the app to access the features. You can choose to either watch live, record clips, take snapshots, and even replay files from previous recordings, all inside the mobile app. However, to use a wireless hidden camera effectively, you must have a strong internet connection.
Wired Camera Transmission
The maximum distance at which a camera cable can be run depends on the model of the cable and camera. You would have to consider the voltage(24vac or 12vdc) and ampere requirements. With the advent of newer HD cameras, you can transmit video up to 1500 feet. With the RG6 cable, you can run a transmission of up to 2000 ft. However, using a standard RG59 or RG6 Siamese cable you can only transmit power up to about 250 ft due to voltage drop. This is to say that if your camera is farther than 250 ft, it will need to be powered separately from a nearby source. Further distances can only work if you’re using PoE extenders.
Regular POE IP security cameras can get signals using a pure copper wire within 300 ft. 250 feet max to be precise. This is because the wire cannot always be guaranteed to be unadulterated copper. Cables you would often find on the market are either copper-clad aluminum (CCA) or copper-clad steel (CCS) wire. CCA and CCS wires have lesser performance than the pure copper variety, and will thus shorten your transmission range.
Medium to be Traversed During Transmission
As earlier stated, cubicle walls, drywall, glass, and windows do not affect the strength of wireless transmissions. But brick, concrete floors, and walls can degrade signal strength. Signals can pass through 2ft thick walls as long as there isn’t an excessive amount of metal in the wall. Signals that have to pass through wet or damp materials (e.g. shrubs and trees) may be significantly degraded.
You must also take into consideration possible interference from wireless routers. Wireless hidden cameras do not prevent wireless routers from working effectively. However, signal collisions between them may negatively affect the speed of Internet traffic from the router. It may also reduce the range of the router and the camera frame rate. In most cases, these effects are not noticeable. They don’t affect security settings and cause loss of data sent from the router.
If the speed of your wireless network or the frame rate of your camera is noticeably impacted, move the router, camera, and receivers as far apart as possible. If this issue persists, you can turn off auto-channel scanning on your router. Also, try locking your router onto a single channel.
Also note that the stronger your signal strength is, the higher your video frame rate, and vice versa. Always ensure that there is a clear line of sight between the camera and the receiver. Try as much as possible to limit the number of obstructions (e.g. walls, tree branches, etc.) between the camera and the receiver. Wireless range extender accessories are readily available to help boost the range of your wireless signal.