Your Guide To A Successful CCTV System Installation
In the past it was thought that a CCTV system was just for large business security applications. Most people would never think that they would install one at their small business or even at their home. Over the years the prices have come down and the products have gotten easier to install. Today it seems like everyone is installing a CCTV system! There is no doubt that business owners and home owners feel that they need more than just a standard burglar alarm. If you have ever been robbed than you know that in most cases the police never even find the criminals! This is why having a criminal caught on tape may be the best defense for monitoring your home or business, and catching a criminal.
Over the past 5 years CCTV systems and their components have gotten easier and easier to install. The technology has become not only better, but also easier to manage and understand. Today you can buy a CCTV system and have it up and running in just a few hours. They key is for you to understand the components and how they all work together. At the end of the day your real goal is to have a system that is reliable, durable, and provides the highest quality surveillance video.
The heart of a security camera system is the CCTV DVR or the Digital Video Recorder. The security DVR is a lot like the DVR we use every day to record our favorite shows on the television, except the security DVR is recording the video that the cameras are capturing. So after the video is captured you can go to the DVR and watch not only live video but also video that was recorded in the past. You have the ability to punch in a time and date in the past, and then the DVR will instantly bring up that video. Each security camera that you install will be wired directly into the DVR. Each camera will have its own video channel to attach to the DVR. Most DVR's come in 4, 8, and 16 camera configurations so it is important to plan for the future. There is really no way to expand the channels on a DVR so really put some thought into how many cameras you will want the recorder to support today and in the future. The DVR is simple to install and always comes with the software you need pre-loaded on the hard drive. There are many bells and whistles but they are not anything that you cannot understand by reading the manual. In general a DVR is ready to go to work right out of the box!
The security cameras are the next vital component of a CCTV system. Not all security cameras are made the same so this is where you may have to put in your time in researching products. Security cameras come in different forms for use in different applications. There are cameras available for the indoors, and the outdoors. There are cameras with better lenses, and better features. There are cameras in different housings to support different mounting options or different environmental conditions. So this is where you need to understand the areas you are trying to secure so you can choose the best camera type to support for your needs. Although the most popular security camera types today are dome and bullet types, there are numerous other types available to support your requirements.
The final piece of the pie is your accessories. Most people use a RG59 and 18/2 Siamese cable to wire for their cameras. A Siamese cable gets its name because it is essentially two different cables types put together to make one easy to install cable. In the CCTV world the Siamese cable includes an RG59 for video, and an 18-2 multi-conductor cable for power. So the RG59 will connect to the DVR and the security camera via on board BNC connections. This is how the video is streamed back the recorder. So you will need to terminate male BNC connectors on the ends of your RG59 coaxial cable to create these connections. The male BNC connector that you install on the coaxial cable will connect directly to the female BNC channels on the back of the DVR and the female BNC plug coming out of the back of the camera. The 18-2 component of the Siamese CCTV cable will also plug into the power receptacle of the camera while on the opposite side it will plug into a power supply. The power supply will send the voltage over the 18-2 cable so the camera can power up. Security cameras come in 12VDC, 24VAC, and dual voltage types so it important to always choose the power supply that is going to provide the voltage type your cameras require. Also, some cameras need more power than others so it is also important to read the specifications of your cameras and understand their power requirements. If the camera does not get the power it needs it simply will not capture video. In fact it will never even turn on!
To put it all together your basic components of a CCTV system include a security DVR, your cameras, Siamese CCTV Cable, a camera power supply, BNC connectors, a coax cable stripper, and a BNC termination tools. At the end of the day installing a compete surveillance system is pretty basic. You can install a complete system at your home or business in about day. Most components are plug and play, so the installation is really easy enough for anyone to do. If you are not the handy man or do-it-yourselfer type you always have the option of calling a local security professional and they can provide you a quote for the hardware and installation. Or you can take it on yourself!
Adding a surveillance system to your home or business may be the best decision you ever make. Plus your employees and family members will thank you for it! In these times everyone wants to feel safer!
In these tough economic times every one has security on their mind. Many home owners and business owners do not realize that for a small investment they can heavily increase the security measures at any location. This means you can rest assure knowing your most valuable assets are being watched. Just installing a single dome camera at an entrance can make a big difference. Installing a CCTV system may be the best decision you ever made!