Video Monitor a Huge Help!

For the last six months, we have been using a video monitor to keep tabs on our precious girl. It was one we got on sale and is made by "Summer" and available at Target and other places. The great features we love is that it is a color camera and monitor, picks up on sound well and has the ability to see in the dark. It also has a built in thermometer and the monitor displays the temp in our daughter's room.

(I enhanced the picture in the monitor here for demonstration purposes.) We found, however, that we needed to have flexibility in where we mounted the camera so that as we changed our daughter's position, we could move the camera to stay in view of her face. That's the best way for us to tell if she was having a seizure. So, I utilized a $14 clamp-mounted desk lamp (sometimes called an architect's lamp) and modified it to hold the camera. The lamp arm clamps to our daughter's bed and gives us an adjustable arm to maneuver the camera position.

I had to remove the light socket and switch, shade and cord from the lamp so as to leave me just the arm and springs. Then using a scrap piece of plywood, I made a platform for the camera to mount on. It has a built in slot for a screw head on the bottom so I simply mounted a screw into the plywood and slid the camera base on. However, there is only one slot (designed for the base to hang on a wall) so I used a rubber band around the other side to keep the camera base from moving. The camera itself swivels and tilts on its base.

With the base secured to the lamp arm, we have a very positional camera. The monitor it transmits to is rechargeable and has a decent range on it. I have only seen trouble with the signal if I get to the complete opposite end of the house (1600 sqft home) or if it gets too close to my wireless router. Other than that, it has been great.

You can even add an extra camera and switch back and forth on the monitor. It has been worth the money for sure.