Tips To Setup Your Security Camera
By Christian M Gillman
To make sure you get your security camera setup quickly, lets go over the basic steps to getting it up and running in your surveillance system. This way you can avoid unnecessary hassles by following these tips and guidelines.
Unbox & Inspect It
When you first receive your security camera, it is a good idea to open it up and make sure all required parts and pieces are present.
Depending on what you ordered you may have had to order extra components separately. Whatever the case may be, you will need to make sure you have a power source (battery, power supply, etc...), a way to output your video (cable, wireless transmitter, etc.), and a lens (built-in, CS mount, board, etc...).
Other components may be necessary for the CCTV camera to fully function; items such as UTP cable for RS485 control or other equipment, but we are going to cover the basics. Now after you have determined you have these basic components we can begin to actually set the camera up.
Mount The Camera
Since there are quite literally thousands of mounting systems and configurations out there, it is impossible to discuss this in detail. A couple good rules of thumb however when mounting your security camera is to keep it in a hard to reach spot with minimal access. This way you can help prevent vandalism and tampering with your camera.
Setup Your Connections
Power Connections
The first connection you should setup is your lens, if it's not already built-in. Since there are a large variety of lenses and mounting systems out there, it will be up to you to make sure you get it attached to your camera properly.
Next you will need to locate the power source you want to run your camera off of. When you have done this you will need to determine how you will get that power to your cameras location. If you are using a battery pack, you can simply hook your power in wherever your camera may be; otherwise you will need to run a power cable to your location. As a precaution you will want to attempt to install your power cable out of easy reach as to avoid tampering or vandalism.
Video Output
After you have your power secured, you will then have to get your video output to whatever you may be using to monitor or record your footage. If you have to hard wire the video output; then it will be a wise choice to run it along the same path as your power cable.
On the other hand if you are using a wireless solution you will need to make sure that your transmitter and receiver are configured properly, and then you will have to run your video output from your receiver to your monitoring solution.
Additionally if you are using a wireless solution, you will want to make sure you have power at both your transmitter and receiver.
Adjust The Picture
Now that your cameras connections are setup, you can play with your picture settings such as adjusting your focus, adjusting your white balance, adjusting the exposure, and a variety of different settings depending on your configuration.
Christian M Gillman has worked in the surveillance industry for over 6 years. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, learn more about surveillance, and find great products at http://www.cu1.com
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