CCTV Installation Rules of Thumb

Camera Positioning

-To reduce reflections, always position the camera/lens as forward as possible inside the housing.

-Always position fixed cameras below the horizon to eliminate sunlight glare.

-Always be aware of true east and west when designing outdoor camera systems. If cameras are facing east or west, there is a good chance you will see unwanted glare from these directions. Proper placement of cameras in relation to east and west is critical to a properly designed CCTV surveillance system.

Dome Types

-The use of tinted domes will reduce the available light to the camera. Typically, a normal tinting will reduce the light by a factor of 1 f-stop. This is equivalent to dividing the available light by 2.

-The use of mirrored domes will greatly reduce the available light to the camera. Typically a mirrored dome will reduce the light by a factor of 2 f-stops or more. This is equivalent to dividing the available light by 4.

PTZ Cameras vs. Fixed

-If a guard is available 24/7 to monitor, PTZ cameras are a practical solution.

-If searching “after the fact” is the norm, then PTZ cameras are not as practical as fixed with the proper field of view.

Megapixel vs. Analog Cameras

-Digital pan/tilt/zoom is very popular among security directors when searching for video after an incident has occurred. Megapixel cameras will give you the ability to perform digital pan/tilt and zoom features when searching for video. Megapixel camera will give you better resolution than analog cameras, but will require more hard drive capacity for storage.

Video Motion Detectors

-REMEMBER: If you can’t see it, you can’t detect it.

-Use the correct camera/lens for the desired field of view

Wiring runs with fixed mounts

-Many mounts now have accommodations for running the wiring inside the mounts and exiting just below the cameras. Make sure you utilize this feature if your mount has it to improve the aesthetics of the installation.

Should IP cameras be UL Listed?

Occasionally, customers ask me about "Underwriters Laboratories"-listed IP cameras (devices tested and approved by the nonprofit product safety organization). They wonder whether or not a non-UL-listed IP camera can cause a life-safety issue during any life-threatening emergency. All IP cameras should be powered up using a UL-listed power supply, whether a POE switch or a power injector. I am not sure if you can even find a non-UL-listed POE switch and injector, so for all practical purposes, it should be a non-issue. Since all Power Over Ethernet IP cameras lack their own power supplies, they wouldn't be listed with UL. If someone has a good reason to use a non-UL-listed camera, I would love to hear it.