CCTV Camera Housing
A CCTV Camera housing is an important factor when selecting a camera for a CCTV system. The housing will determine how easily or difficult it may be to mount the camera, hide the camera, and also may impact the location of your camera. There are many types of housings for CCTV cameras, and there are many cameras that are designed for specific applications, as I’ll discuss below. Some things to consider when you are looking at the housing for your camera:
- Will your camera be mounted indoor or outdoor?
- For outdoor cameras, what are the most extreme temperature variations that will be experienced?
- What is the size of the camera you are going to mount in the housing?
- Some housings have temperature control – will there be a power supply nearby?
- Do you want your camera to be hidden, or in view?
- What type of mounting options will your application require?
The first question is the most important, and should be answered immediately: will the CCTV camera housing have to withstand outdoor extremes of temperature and/or moisture?
CCTV Camera Housings for Exterior Use
An exterior camera will require mounting, lighting, power and enough field of view to be effective. While many will mount the camera where it is visible, sometimes it is useful to have a hidden camera. You will want to locate the camera where you can get a wide field of view. For night-time applications, you will want the area you are monitoring to be well-lit, or to have a camera capable of night vision. Mounting the camera high up, on a light pole or on the side or roof of a building gives effective coverage. Just make sure you have power available for the camera, as well as ability to access the camera for repairs and maintenance.
Temperature control is important because of several factors. The cost of the camera itself can be kept down if it does not have to withstand high temperature variations, and if it does not have to withstand moisture. Having a good camera housing, with moisture barriers and temperature control, can keep the total system cost lower than if you had to purchase cameras rated for extreme outdoor use.
Housings for outdoor CCTV cameras are available with built in heater and blower combination to regulate temperature in hot or cold weather. They automatically switch to the proper regulation method, and run on AC or DC power. These housings are large enough for most CCTV cameras used today.
Housings are rated by North American (NEMA) and International (IEC) standards bodies. For example, a housing with an IP56 rating can withstand moisture jetting from any direction, and is protected from dust and other very small particles.
For further details on both of these ranking systems, please refer to the following link http://www.canarysystems.com/nsupport/canary_an4.pdf.
CCTV Camera Housings for Interior Use
Interior cameras have to conform to different requirements than for exterior use. Interior cameras may have to be hidden or disguised, or at least be unobtrusive. When looking at the housing, you want to ensure that it’s easy to mount, and fits in with the decor of the room you are installing it in.
Dome-shaped enclosures are very common for interior use, you will find them in banks, casinos, office buildings and other places where there is a lot of public traffic. You can find them in all sizes, and they can be mounted on wall, ceiling or counter top. They offer a wide field of view, and are easy to adjust.
Disguised cameras are used when you want to monitor an area, but don’t want to cut an opening in a wall or ceiling. A camera housing for this situation may have to contain not only the camera, but also the power supply (batteries) and possibly a recording device, unless the camera is wirelessly connected to a remote monitoring station. These types of camera housings come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from stuffed toys to kleenex boxes and beyond.
Even indoors, you want a camera housing that keeps the temperature at a reasonable level, and allows humidity to escape, so that the lens does not fog.
These are the major considerations when selecting a CCTV camera housing. Your level of security can be enhanced or hampered by the performance of your cameras, so you want to use housings that will provide protection and long life, while making it easy to mount and maintain.