Getting Started: Three Questions

[zoster 0]

I'd like to eventually buy a really reliable, high-quality security camera system but, before I do and in the meantime, I would like to get a fairly inexpensive system for my house that will be easy to install and provide 4 to 8 camera coverage of a few areas of my yard at night. I have already invested in an alarm system for the house. I'm looking to spend around $300-$400 and, for that kind of money, I'm not expecting to be able to recognize faces or number plates. A party in the neighborhood has been causing problems for me by burglarizing me and vandalizing my property every few days/nights. So, the goal right now is to get an inexpensive system installed and then eventually replace it with a much better system after I've done enough research to know what I want and install it myself.

 

So here are three questions that I have right now:

 

1.) Can you recommend a decent, inexpensive system that I can pick up online at a vendor like Amazon.com that would include the DVR and 4 to 8 cameras? I haven't got any experience in the installation of these things so easy installation would be a big help. The outdoor areas I would be covering would be lighted on a scale from adequate (say, mall parking lot level) to very good and distances would range from 20 to 60 feet. Internet capability would be very nice.

 

2.) I would like to have two or three of the cameras viewing through windows, at least initially before I install them properly outside. Since these type packages usually come with exterior IR lighted cameras, would this type of camera be able to capture images through a pane of glass or would I have to get a camera without the IR diodes?

 

3.) How reliable are wireless camera systems? I ask because I've heard that interference can interrupt camera transmission sometimes, and one of the individuals involved here is a ham radio operators so I assume they might try that tactic.

 

Any help here will naturally be really appreciated. And thanks in advance for any suggestions, guys.

 

Zoster

[zoster 0]

This is bump on this post. Can any of you guys out there wanna give me a little help on this? I'd really appreciate it.