IP surveillance camera Installation for small industrial complex

IP surveillance camera Installation for small industrial complex 

As someone that is in the industry, I get this question on a Weekly basis. “Do I need IP or Analog cameras for my Company / Small Scale Industry?”  The answer to this question is quite simple, “How important is your stuff & Property?” There is one major truth about IP cameras that some people find hard to swallow and I am going to be very blunt about it, “Yes, they are more expensive”. Budget is another factor to consider. Small business owners often have to make budget their primary concern and want a quality camera that is easy to install, accessible on mobile, and hassle-free. Quite often selecting the best video surveillance camera is all about the best option within a limited budget.
End-users should look at the total cost of ownership, including warranties and cybersecurity protection. To achieve more cost efficiencies, end users will want an intelligent system, and again, this requires video analytics.

They are more expensive BUT the Cost vs. Price analysis shows that they are in essence less expensive when considering what you actually get with the IP camera solution.  So what do you get, Clarity is the huge one. With the right IP camera you can catch such great detail that you can not only see and describe who is walking up to the door, but the camera system can recognize the face, store it, and give you the exact time the person walked up to the door. While the camera system is doing this it also has the capability to catch the make, model and license plate of the car s/he drove up in. And if that wasn’t enough, the camera system can count the number of people that walk up to the door, pull into the drive way, or even walk by the house. And believe it or not, the system will even send you an email if someone walks up to the door after hours. The system can alert you if the UPS man walks up and leaves a package, or it can alert you if you have something on the porch and it suddenly walks off.

Can you get this type of clarity with an analog camera system?  Maybe?  On a clear day? The honest answer: probably not. Can you get these extra features like facial detection with an analog camera system? That answers easy, NO.
 
So now I ask the same question that I asked above, “How important is your stuff or property?”  or the real question is “How important is your safety?”.
 
Cybersecurity, encryption, and infrared imagery are also growing trends that are currently driving the selection of video surveillance cameras, especially for government and other critical infrastructure customers.
These facilities often prioritize cybersecurity, so procurement officers look for a system that meets regulatory requirements, is secure, and highly reliable — one that protects the data from the camera to monitoring.
Location and threat type factor into the decision as well. Even the best outdoor security camera system won't be effective if installed indoors. Thermal cameras can detect potential intruders at a distance of up to 15 miles, providing an extra margin of response time. Explosion-proof cameras, commonly used in hazardous industries, are hardened with protective housing.
Another factor end users need to consider is installing a completely new system or adding to an existing one. With a new build, they have a blank canvas to work with that can be customized to match the end user's needs rather than retrofit new equipment to an existing system.
 
The most critical factor in selecting the best video surveillance camera is to understand its ultimate purpose — the problems it's required to solve and what it's expected to provide in the way of detection, identification, and data-mining capability. Pain points such as 24/7 monitoring of the premises and compliance requirements set by the enterprise business policies all need to be considered during the selection process.
 
Determining the number of areas of interest, how much of them to cover, and how close they are to each other is the next step. These parameters will determine the types of cameras required and how many. For example, you can achieve adequate coverage of an area using multiple fixed cameras or with just a few pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras.
 
Risk assessment should be performed to ensure the design of the system results in an installation that adequately addresses the threats and reduces the security risks. In order to identify the level(s) of security required (and potentially therefore the grading of the elements of the system), an assessment of the factors which are likely to come into play is required. In very global terms, from a security perspective these elements are typically considered as:
Threat (Who): The threat will typically be defined as the persons or events to be protected against. Threats will vary greatly in termsof objectives, determination, capability, resourcefulness,
Vulnerability (What / Where): The vulnerability will typically be the areas of concern that require protection. The level of vulnerability will be defined by numerous factors such as desirability of the objects in the area, ease of access, operational hours of the environment, exposure / secluded nature of the area.
Risk (What if?): Risk is effectively the consequence of a successful or attempted intrusion or event. These risks can be wide and varied and not immediately obvious. Risks and impact levels of each identified risk will typically vary depending on the nature of site. Risks can include:

1.   Immediate Financial Loss: Immediate value of items lost.

2.   Ongoing Financial Loss: Increased insurance premiums, time to return to profit.

3.   Personal Safety: Injuries to staff and / or members of public involved in violent incident.

4.   Stress Related Issues: Reduced staff morale, loss of staff due to safety concerns.

5.   Non-financial loss: May include loss of intellectual property, company data or similar.

Typically security systems cannot change the identified threat or alter the risk, but well deployed security measures significantly reduce the vulnerability. This in turn helps to reduce the likelihood of risks occurring.

 

These services are provided in different environments, such as swimming pools, fitness areas, dining halls, common areas and individual rooms. Each area has its own potential risks; for instance, guests can slip and fall near the swimming pool area if not properly maintained or they may get injured in the fitness area. Some of the most common causes of injury in these places are:

1.   Physical Attacks: Although the premises of hotel and hospitality providers are considered safe, in some crowded and low budget hotels, criminals may attack guests for their money. In these situations, the presence of outdoor surveillance cameras acts as an evidence against those criminals.

2.   Slips: Usually, the flooring is not similar in all areas of the premises. The guests being new generally do not pay much attention towards the uneven flooring and so they may slip and fall. Moreover, cracked flooring, worn-out carpets and wet floors are some of the major causes of slip and fall accidents.

3.   Broken Furniture: In order to save money, some hotels do in-house repair of furniture that broke down due to overuse. Because of its age and some guests’ weight, the furniture may collapse and injure the guests.

It is important to consider the level of detail required in an image so that it matches the need of the user. This should be discussed with the client. The practical effect of this is that a camera may need to have a wider or narrower field of view so that the necessary amount of detail can be seen and that in some circumstances more cameras may be needed, either to increase the area covered with the same detail or to allow for different levels of detail to be seen from the same view.
 
Whether the different levels of detail can be achieved using a single PTZ or single camera of high resolution is a matter that should be agreed.
 
A lens is a transparent optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the transmitted light and to form images. A simple lens consists of a single optical element. A compound lens is an array of simple lenses (elements) with a common axis; the use of multiple elements allows more optical aberrations to be corrected than is possible with a single element. Lenses are typically made of glass or transparent plastic.

The measure of the fine detail that can be seen in an image. For analog systems this is typically measured in Television Lines or TVL. Higher TVL rating, the higher the resolution. Same way megapixel (MP) like 1.3mp, 2mp, 4mp, 8mp etc.
 
Resolution-horizontal
The amount of resolvable detail in the horizontal direction in a picture. It is usually expressed as the number of distinct vertical lines, alternately black and white, which can be seen in a distance equal to picture height.

Resolution-horizontal - vertical
The amount of resolvable detail in the vertical direction in a picture. It is usually expressed as the number of distinct horizontal lines, alternately black and white, which can theoretically be seen in a picture.
 
Detection, Recognition and Identification (DRI) in video surveillance is very important terms to get image details. DRI ranges, expressed in meters, km (or miles), can be found in the specification table of infrared camera brochures.
The terms “Detection”, “Recognition” and “Identification” were defined as follow:

·        Detection: ability to distinguish an object from the background

·        Recognition: ability to classify the object class (animal, human, vehicle,  …)

·        Identification: ability to describe the object in details (a man with a hat, a Jeep …)

As a best practice, do not assume the camera resolution is everything in regards to image quality. For a camera to operate in a day-night environment, (the absence of light is zero lux), the night mode must be sensitive to the infrared spectrum. It is highly recommended to conduct tests or pilot installations before buying large quantities of any model of camera.

Considering Small Scale industry owner agreed to install PTZ cameras & as per below drawing want to execute this project.

Considering Product Make is under NDAA Compliant IP Surveillance Cameras

BOQ of this Projects are

SL NO	Item Description	Qty
1	Supply of 1080p Resolution IP IR Outdoor PTZ Camera 4.6mm-165mm Vari focal Lens, 36X optical Zoom, 1/2.8" SONY Starvis Back-illuminated CMOS Sensor. IR 120Mtr and True Day/Night.	2Nos
2	Supply of 04CH Embedded Linux NVR with upto 6TB SATA Port; H.265; 1nos HDMI out, 1Nos USB.	1Nos
3	Supply of 2 TB Surveillance Hard Disk for NVR	1Nos
4	Supply of 04 PORT Network Switch for IP  Surveillance Camera	2Nos
5	Supply of 2C 1.5sqmm Armour Copper FRLS Cable.	90Mtr
6	Supply of 20mm PVC Conduit/ PVC Casing with accessories	30Mtr
7	Supply of CAT6 Cable to connect IP Camera to switch
8	Supply of 2U Rack for Network Switch.	1Nos
9	Supply of 9Mtr PTZ Camera MS Pole Powder Coated without Junction Box arrangement for One PTZ camera installation.	1Nos
10	Supply of Junction Box, Welded body construction in CRCA MS sheets. Size: 600mm(W) x 200mm(D) x 450mm(H). Single hinged front door in 2mm thk with lock and foamed in place gasketing. Powder coating shade RAL 7035. For One Antenna injector, Camera Power Supply & Switch etc.	1Nos
11	Supply of 867Mbps 5G High Power Outdoor PTP Antenna for Two Camera	2Nos
12	Supply of 32” Surveillance Monitor for Viewing two PTZ camera	1Nos
13	Supply of CCTV Signage (We Checked Video Footage Every day)	2Nos
14	Installation, Testing, Commissioning & Handover including all documentation, arrangement, Transportation, Lodging Fooding.	1 Lot

 Note: Civil work in customer Scope. UPS power arrangement is in Customer Scope.

Display screens may be desk or wall mounted with consideration given to the ergonomics of the operator. The display screens should be installed to minimise the effect of lighting, particularly sunlight, which can adversely affect the viewing experience. Wall or ceiling mounted display screens should be mounted using suitable brackets in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Consideration should be given to the positioning of such screens to ensure they are above head height or not in a position where people may bang their head on them.
Your guest needs to be aware that they are entering hotel area that is being monitored by CCTV surveillance equipment. Signs should be placed so that they are clearly visible and legible. The size of the sign will vary according to the circumstances of its location.

Incident Response

Locally agreed procedures should detail the action to be taken in the event of an incident. These procedures should conform to those laid out as below:
• Action to be taken
• Who should respond?
• The timescale for response
• The times at which observation should take place
• The criteria for a successful response
• CCTV operators should maintain a record of all incidents in the appropriate incident log.

The overall indicator of successful response to incidents is that the CCTV scheme fulfils its objectives, i.e.:
• Restoration of tranquility
• Dispersal or control of the situation
• Prevention or minimization of injury and damage
• Reduction of crime and disorder, to improve safety and reassure the guest
• Identification of a suspect
• Gathering relevant information to assist in the subsequent apprehension of offenders
• Apprehension of a suspect with evidence
• Guest safety through effective evacuation
• Traffic flow restored
 
Our CCTV projects are intended to reduce cases of theft and misconduct in the organisation premises. Like any other project, our CCTV projects will involve a degree of cost to the client, in terms of the cost of the installation, maintenance as well the impact it will have on personal privacy within the precincts of the organisation/ business premises.

SSA Integrate  will carry out a detailed survey of the area under surveillance and armed with experience in the field of public / social control techniques is proposing to install/ deploy CCTV and/ or alarm surveillance system that will make it possible to have a real time total visibility of the Areas under surveillance.

CCTV can be effective in reducing or preventing crime if it is part of a broader crime prevention and community safety strategy, as such, it should not be implemented as the only means of addressing crime in public places.

DRI in Video Surveillance

DRI in Video Surveillance

Wish you a very happy new year 2018. In today’s competitive environment, having new customers constantly is one of the keys of success. To make professional quotes with proper sketches, realistic test objects, 3D images, mock ups etc, which leave a lasting impression on your clients.

When you are answering queries related to your product, you can quickly glance through the details while your client is on call.

DRI stands for Detection, Recognition and Identification in video surveillance. DRI ranges, expressed in meters, km (or miles), can be found in the specification table of infrared camera brochures. In order to select the right sensor meeting the application requirements, these DRI ranges have to be, first, perfectly defined, but also assessed with regards to globally adopted industrial standards.

DRI Definition

The terms “Detection”, “Recognition” and “Identification” were defined as follow:

• Detection: ability to distinguish an object from the background
• Recognition: ability to classify the object class (animal, human, vehicle, boat …)
• Identification: ability to describe the object in details (a man with a hat, a deer, a Jeep …)

The following pictures illustrate these definitions:

    Left image: Detection – At several kms, 2 targets are detected out of the background 

    Center image: Recognition - a human is walking along the fence 

    Right image: Identification – 2 males with trousers and jackets are identified – one is smoking.

We detect an object when it enters the field of view. Detection means we are aware that an object (or person) now exists where previously it was not seen. Usually, this is due to movement of the object into the field of view of the surveillance camera. Detection simply means we are aware of the object, but have too little details to recognize or identify the object.

As the object moves closer, we may recognize the object from characteristics previously encountered. For example, aircraft recognition is taught to military ground troops and airmen. All aircraft have wings, engines, a fuselage, and tail assembly. They differ in size, shape, number, and position to each other. A particular model of aircraft can be recognized by recalling these characteristics from pictures, drawings or past detailed observations.

Identification is the process where sufficient details are available to uniquely discern a person or object that is previously unknown. Identification requires sufficient detail to accurately describe or recall the characteristics of the subject at a later time. For example, a mug shot (booking photograph) is taken following the arrest of a subject as a means of photographing (recording) sufficient details for later identification by a victim or witness. In video surveillance terms, sufficient detail is calibrated in pixels per foot of the area recorded by the camera.

DRI Ranges

“A picture is worth a thousand words” goes the old and equally wise saying. It is true that most human beings learn much quicker when aided by visuals rather than pure text as that is more in tune with the human psychology of learning.

So instead of remembering commands and functions you will easily remember that yellow color indicates areas where it is possible to recognize people, red color indicates areas suitable for people identification, green areas for detection and so forth.

To put this in perspective, sensors have a resolution of 640×480 which is over 300,000 pixels.
Human “detection” only requires 3.6 of those pixels and “identification” only requires 230 pixels, which is an extraordinarily small amount on the screen that can easily go unnoticed by the human eye. In fact, if this page were the size of your video feed, the area required for a human detection rating is about equivalent to a lowercase letter “i” in this text. The amount of detail visible at the detection, recognition and identification distances is not as high as one might expect, as can be seen in the chart below.

Another thing that is often not mentioned is that these ratings are based on what is termed “ideal conditions” which rarely happen in the real world. The average environmental application will get 25% less than the distance that the thermal camera is rated for and in extreme conditions can be less than 10% of the rated distance.

Based on SR-100 & SR-100P by FLIR the approximate DRI (Detection, Recognition and Identification) range for a vehicle and a human target is listed in Tables 1 & 2.

Lens	Detection	Recognition	Identification
100mm	4.4km	1.1km	580m

Table 1: DRI range for Vehicle with 2.3m critical dimension using a Thermal Security Camera with 38 micron pitch detector

Lens	Detection	Recognition	Identification
100mm	1.6km	400m	200m

Table 2: DRI range for Human Target using a Thermal Security Camera with 38 micron pitch detector

Assumptions:  50% probability of achieving objective at the specified distance given a   2-degree temperature difference and 0.85/km atmospheric attenuation factor.  Actual range may vary depending on camera setup, user experience, environmental conditions, and type of monitor or display used.

Each & every Camera has this DRI ranges, before preparing project oriented ppt, do confirm the ranges & show in a slide with sketch.

Artical publish at safe secure magazine January 2018 issue.

Warrior 2.0 26BF2 is a 1080P 2MP Fixed Lens Mini Bullet Camera

Detect: 100 ft
Recognize: 50 ft
Identify: 25 ft

Laser 2.0 - 26ZV-LIR is a 2MP (1080P) IP PTZ Camera with 33x Optical Zoom & Laser Infrared camera and Spotlight 2.0 - 26ZV-W is a 2MP (1080P) IP PTZ Camera with 22x Optical Zoom & Full Spectrum Light Camera

Detect: 950 ft
Recognize: 875 ft
Identify: 750 ft

Lookout 2.0 - 26ZV is a 2MP (1080P) IP PTZ Camera with 30x Optical Zoom Camera

Detect: 1000 ft
Recognize: 900 ft
Identify: 800 ft

Judge 8.0 - 26DV8 is a 4K (8MP - 4x1080P) Multi-Purpose Lens Dome Camera with Motorized Zoom and IK10 Camera and Gladiator 8.0 - 26BV8 is a 4K (8MP - 4x1080P) Multi-Purpose Lens Bullet Camera with Motorized Zoom and P-Iris Camera

Detect: up to 200 ft
Recognize: up to 150 ft
Identify: up to 100 ft

Deputy 4.0 - 26DF4 - 4MP (2x1080P) Fixed Wide Angle Lens Turret Dome Camera

Detect: 115 ft
Recognize: 50 ft
Identify: 35 ft

Archer 2.0 - 26BV2-L - 2MP Long Range, Low Light Bullet Camera with Motorized Zoom and Focus

Detect: up to 450 ft
Recognize: up to 350 ft
Identify: up to 300 ft

Warrior 4.0 - 26BF4 is a 4MP (2x1080P) Fixed Lens Mini Bullet Camera

Detect: 150 ft

Recognize: 75 ft
Identify: 50 ft

Designing of a CCTV System

Designing a CCTV System

Design Requirements

Before any camera, lens, cable or monitor is selected for a CCTV application, a designer must ask three basic questions:

What is the system's function — what is it being designed to accomplish, and will the system be integrated into other systems, i.e. access control system?

Who will manage the system and how?

Is the system new, or is it an upgrade (retrofit) of an existing system?

We will address each of these below.

1. System Function

2. System Management

3. Designing a CCTV System

System Function

Its depends some things like, "depending on the specific purpose of the CCTV system."Determining that purpose is a crucial component of the initial phase of designing any CCTV system.

There's a familiar saying among designers: Form follows function — that is, the form something takes is shaped by its purpose and usage. This form of a CCTV system —

the specific camera and lenses selected,

the mounts and enclosures,

the transmission mediums used,

the monitors, switching devices and recorders

 — all depends on the system's function. In the world of CCTV security systems, there are three basic functions, based upon what the customer wants to see:

detection (alert operator that something is happening)

recognition (allow operator to determine what is happening)

identification (show operator who is involved)

As you can see, there is a priority to these three functions. Detection is the least demanding, recognition is more demanding, and identification places the most demands on the system and the operators. It is not surprising, then, that the design criteria are similarly prioritized. In systems (or subsystems) with detection as the primary focus, there are low design criteria, that is, the demands on the equipment are not as great. Recognition is said to have medium design criteria.

Identification — seeing someone "up close and personal" — requires high design criteria.

System Function

Suppose a designer is planning a CCTV installation at a bank. Security personnel must be able to observe several areas, among them: the entrance, the lobby area, and the teller windows. At the entrance, operators simply want to know that someone is coming into the building (detection). For the purposes of this example, a camera with a fixed focal length lens viewable on a monitor is all that is needed (low design criteria). Once in the lobby area, the operators will want to determine where the subjects are, and what they are doing (recognition). A camera equipped with a remote positioning device and medium range zoom lens is required (medium designer criteria).

Finally, at the teller's windows, it is essential for security personnel to positively identify the subjects (identification). Here the requirement is for an overt, in plain view subsystem which includes a lens with high magnification, attached to a camera with remote control, carefully positioned to afford a uninterrupted view of the subject in even, adequate lighting (high design criteria).

(Note: the Federal Bank Security Act requires teller windows to have a fixed camera, in plain view that captures the teller and person at the teller window.)

In addition to the items presented in the example, the design criteria will evolve to include specifications for monitors. A small monochrome monitor may be sufficient for detection, but a large color monitor with good resolution may be the ideal for identification.

System Management

As a designer begins the task of planning a CCTV system, several policy and personnel issues come into play. Asking the right questions (and getting the right answers) as well as guiding the customer, will help identify the policies and personnel requirements for the system which, in turn, helps define system parameters.

These questions include:

Who will operate the system?

What are the criteria for controlling the system?

What are the recording criteria?

Why are they recordings being made?

How long will the recordings are archived?

What do you want to see and for what purpose?

What limitations do you have, legal and financial?

The answers to the above questions can ensure the recommended CCTV system meets important operating criteria for the customer.

Who will operate the system: Will the operators be direct company-hired personnel or contractor-supplied?

Historically, contractor personnel tend to change more often than company staff members. Experience suggests that company personnel — with greater longevity on the job — can generally handle more complexity in a system than contract workers.

The response to the first questions impacts on the answer to the second question: what are the criteria for controlling the system? CCTV system controls can be fully automatic (computer based operation with programmed sequencing of camera activity, etc.); completely operator-controlled (manual switching, directing outputs, etc.); or a combination of the two. The skill levels of operators may suggest the optimum level of automation for the system.

Now we shift to policy issues. What are the recording criteria? For example, is real time recording of event critical? How about time-lapse recording? Will video be multiplexed? Do you need a demultiplexer for individual camera viewing? If you signal is exposed to potential outside interception, do you want the signal to be recorded to be encoded and then decoded for playback control? Is there a requirement to store images on computer disk as well as video tape?

Why are the recordings being made? Are images being stored simply for administrative purposes — for use by company personnel only? Or will the stored images possibly be used as evidence in possibly litigation?

Finally, how long will the recordings are archived? Long term archiving suggests the need for a storage area which has environmental controls to preserve the tape (as well as space enough to contain the volume of tapes accumulated over the years). Answers to these questions will impact on the type of equipment selected and even the basic design of the system infrastructure.

Designing a CCTV System

New Construction or Retrofit:

Designing a CCTV system can be a lot like house construction. It is often easier to design and proceed with all new construction instead of integrating new components into existing systems. Whether the project is new construction or upgrading (retrofitting) an existing system, several fundamental issues must be addressed prior to the installation process. Answers to the following questions will provide valuable information:

Will other systems (e.g., access control) be integrated with the CCTV System?

What transmission mediums will be used?

What is the project budget? Has it been planned, committed and

Approved?

What are future system requirements regarding upgrades?

Will application requirements change in the future?

Each of these questions helps the designer to define a system that meets the customer’s needs for the present and the future.

Will the CCTV system be integrated with other systems? Will the CCTV system need to supply information regarding access control or other systems? What level of integration is required? If there is an existing CCTV system, are there component compatibility issues that must be addressed? What is the most efficient and cost-effective transmission medium for the system? If an existing CCTV system is being upgraded or supplemented, what is the existing transmission medium, and should the upgrade include changes to the existing transmission medium? What is the project budget? In a sense, the answer to this question can define many of the design elements for a CCTV project. There are obviously many ways to proceed while satisfying any budgetary restrictions. The basic options are to reduce the number of components (and therefore coverage) or use components with fewer capabilities or lower quality, e.g., monochrome cameras instead of color, or a camera with generally lower specs (resolution, sensitivity, S/N) as long as the component will still provide the performance required for the application. Also, how was the budget determined? Is it based on sound preliminary research or a "guesstimate?" Have the decision makers committed to it and has it been approved? Does the option exist to review the budget or is the designer locked into the approved amount?

Designing a New System

What are the requirements for future upgrades? As newer technologies become available, is the customer's expectation that these will be incorporated into the system design. Is there a planned migration path to accomplish this?

Related to this last question is another: will application requirements be changed in the future? Will enhanced functionality be required at a later date? That is, will the function of the CCTV surveillance system or the overall security system change in the future?

For example, is the company planning to expand its facilities locally or even remotely? Consider a commercial laboratory that is planning to move into new markets within the next five years. The new business will demand new levels of access control and CCTV coverage. Being aware of that future requirement can impact decisions regarding the current decision. Answers to all of the above questions sets a baseline for CCTV system design. These are primary issues. Secondary issues are the "nuts and bolts" aspects of system design, and careful attention to these primary questions will automatically define many of the hardware issues.

A carefully designed CCTV surveillance system will ensure:

1. adequate coverage
2. Extendability for future additions and enhancements.
3. Satisfied customers.

Installation Tools & Techniques

All cameras need to be powered and have a way to get the video signal back to the monitor and recorder. The most reliable way to achieve this is to "hardwire" your camera system. Some camera locations may require wireless transmission of the video signal but you should avoid using wireless if possible. Wireless is best suited for temporary surveillance applications.

Video/power cable can be purchase pre-made in specific lengths like 25m, 50m etc. It can also be purchased in bulk rolls of 500m or 1000m that can be made to custom lengths.

Although using pre made cables is perfectly acceptable there are drawbacks over making your own. With pre made cables, the connectors are already on the wire so you have to drill a larger hole to pull the wire through an opening.

You may also have excess wire to deal with. This is especially bad when it's on the monitor end. Making custom cables makes for a neater installation and costs less per foot/ meter.

If you decide to make your own cables you will need some specialized tools. One is a wire stripper, the other is a crimper. You will use these to prepare your cable for "BNC" connectors. Using these industry standard connectors will insure that your wiring is compatible with most cameras on the market. It also allows you to replace or upgrade your cameras at a later date with out having to rewire your system.

Most installations require that you hide your wiring as much as possible. You can do so by "fishing" the wire through your walls & ceilings. We first drill a 3/4 inch hole in the top wall plate as well as where you will be mounting the camera.

This size hole will allow you to use the pre-made cables or the custom made cables. We insert small flexible fiberglass rods into one hole and try to push it out the other end.

They come in 6' lengths and can be combined with other rods. This is especially helpful when pulling wire over long distances like a drop ceiling.

Once the rod is sticking out the other end, attach your video cable to it and pull the wire out until about 18" is sticking out. You'll have plenty of wire to work with.

Another type of wall fishing tool is called a fish tape. It is a long metal wire that is wrapping onto a spool. You simply pull out a small amount and feed it into your hole. Keep pulling and feeding it until you can attach your video cable to it.

Individual transformers or a power distribution panel can power you camera system. For neater installations especially for systems with more than 4 cameras use a power distribution panel. A power strip with 8 outlets fills up rather quickly when you also plug in the monitor, recorder and 4 transformers.