Buyers Guide For Baby Monitor Technology (Part 1)
by:
Sarah CookeBaby monitors are a relatively new invention yet they have quickly become an essential part of any parent’s baby equipment.
There are now many types available and this article summarizes the technology available and what a buyer should look for.
Baby Monitor Buyers Guide
What is a baby monitor & why do I need one?
It might seem like an obvious question these days, but baby monitors are a relatively new innovation. At the most basic
level they give the parent freedom from keeping a constant vigil at their baby's bedside (cot-side or Moses basket-side!).
A baby monitor normally consists of a transmitter and a receiver unit. The transmitter is placed near the baby and the
parent keeps the receiver unit. This way the parent can hear instantly if their baby needs reassurance while doing other
things around the house - or maybe catching up on some well needed rest!
Baby Monitor Types
Baby monitors now fall into three main categories. There are the traditional audio baby monitors. These alert the parent if
the baby starts to cry or seems restless or uncomfortable. Audio/visual baby monitors take this a step further by letting
the parent see and hear their baby. These consist of a camera unit with a microphone and a receiver unit with a TV screen
and speaker.
Lastly, there are sensor baby monitors (also called respiratory baby monitors). These offer peace of mind by immediately
alerting the parent if their baby's breathing becomes significantly uneven or even stops completely.
Audio Baby Monitors
Audio baby monitors fall into two further types: analogue and digital. Analogue baby monitors traditionally were subject to
lots of interference from other household items that gave off a wireless signal. While this still can be true of cheaper
analogue monitors, today most have more than one channel enabling you to select one that is interference free and
incorporate technology that lessens outside interferences such as the Philips Cordless Babysitter.
To guarantee an interference transmission and reception you will need a digital baby monitor. Remember that a baby monitor
is essentially a radio transmitter and receiver and digital radio (should you have one!) is superior to normal radio
reception. The higher-end digital baby monitors use something called DECT technology. This technology came from digital
walkabout phones and stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology.
DECT monitors will select a channel automatically from 120 channels and often encrypt the channels to stop any
eavesdropping. Because of this technology these monitors are normally more expensive, but (like the Philips Digital Baby
Monitor and the BT Digital Monitors) they guarantee interference free transmission and often come with several useful extra
features:
Audio baby monitors - things to look for:
•Number of channels
•Rechargeable parent unit
•Belt clip for portable convenience
•Light display on the parent that shows noise level even if the sound is turned down.
•Low battery indicator
•Night light on baby unit
•Two-way transmission - so you can talk to your baby from the parent unit.
•Temperature gauge - remember the ideal nursery temperature is around 18C (65F)
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Labels: BABY BOY NAMES, Baby Center, BABY FOOTPRINT, BABY IMPRINT, Baby Monitor Technology, Cute Babies, Funny Babies, Infant Toddler, New Baby
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