CCTV Planning: It’s All About The Little Things

There are many important factors to consider when purchasing a CCTV camera system – camera type, shape, lens, cables, DVR, etc.  Some smaller but important items often get overlooked during the planning stages.  Here are some key things to keep in mind that can help improve and prolong your investment.

1. When choosing a cable, if you decide to go with RG59 Siamese cable, keep in mind that if you are going to have outdoor cameras, it may be a benefit to go with compression connectors. Compression connectors have the ability to create a weather tight seal around the cable to prevent erosion and possible failure of the cable and connectors.
2. Always be looking forward; as your business expands so will your surveillance system . When building your system and looking at a 4 or an 8 channel system, the cost of replacing the system at a later date can be 50-75% higher than initially going with the next upgraded model. Keep in mind that PC build DVRs, though more expensive than Linux-based DVRs, can be expanded at a lower cost than some standalone DVRs. This can also be used when deciding on power supply units and other items.
3. Signage can be a very helpful tool in improving your surveillance system.  The more obstacles and notices you can deliver to a thief or intruder, the higher the possibility they’ll take their foul deeds elsewhere.

Weather the Storm

There are several things to take into account when you are planning the installation of a CCTV system. We have talked about the design of a system before and being sure we take into consideration all factors before we invest in a system. However, there is one thing that I think we overlooked in that previous article that came to light over the past couple of weeks. It came to light when I was discussing with one of my customers that lives in a traditionally warm climate, even in the winter. His problem? They were having unusually cold weather for the area and he had several cameras that went down. The problem was when they were planning their system, they were looking for it to perform under “normal” conditions. Well, he now had conditions that were not “normal” and his customer was paying the price.

When planning a system and making decisions for outdoor cameras, take into account the worst conditions that the cameras may have to perform under. If you do this, you will not have the problem described above. There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to make sure the bullet or dome camera you choose has a rating to meet the worst possible conditions that could arise. Another choice, which is my choice, is to use a box camera with a weatherproof housing with a built in heater and blower. Not only do you get the flexibility that comes with a box camera and being able to choose the lens that meets your needs, but for about $30 dollars, you can weather almost any storm.