Hi, I just found this site. I will be exploring the posts and surfing some of the links...in the meantime I am asking for basic advice on what kind of equipment the experts recommend.

I am looking for a residential video system for exterior use; I don't think I need anything for total darkness but must be very good in low light, as most "problems" occur during 1am and 6am. Basically I've had some lawn jobs, someone drive through my fence, etc. I would like to monitor the front exterior of the house w/1 or (probably) 2 cameras, range of 25-75 feet.

I guess I'm resigned to a VCR-based system as I'd like to stick under US$200 if possible.

Can someone please recommend a good setup to look into? Are there systems that will pipe 2 camera inputs to 1 VCR? I don't think I can get into a PC-based system or a DVR based on my budget. Also, the smaller the camera the better, although they don't have to be "hidden" cameras.

Thanks for any advice!

P.S. I am in Illinois, USA

I don't know about keeping it under $200 but if you use a home style consumer vcr you'll still need a Quad to view the cameras. Here is some starting ideas for you.

Cameras:
http://www.at-fairfax.com/Camera/Infrared.htm

Quads:
http://www.at-fairfax.com/QuadSwitcher/QuadSwitch.htm

You could use a switcher instead to save money but you then will only see one camera at a time.

Uhm, you should really be looking to spend closer to $500 for a "cheap" solution to your problem.

I appreciate the feedback. If I can keep this to 1 camera and add some flexibility to the budget, does this change the recommendation? Is an IR camera necessary? What about a single Kalatel ball camera BC-450? Seems like that might be a good fit.