DIY kits are easy to use if you are familiar with putting up security gadgets around your property. However, one small installation mishap and you risk jeopardizing all the security arrangements in your home.
You will need to get it right so that you can beef up your home security properly.
This article is an easy guide to set you on the correct path.
1. Determine the Locations of Your Cameras
If you do not have a clear plan on where to locate your camera, then take time inspecting your property. Take an aerial photo or draw on a piece of paper the layout of your property. Be sure to mark all the areas that you want to cover. Next, you will need to decide areas where you will position each camera. Remember to check the range of the camera so that you do not waste coverage with unnecessary overlapping.
When you indicate the position of your camera, you must consider the purpose of its location so that you get the correct height. If the camera is for facial activity, you must place it ideally to capture tall and short people, wheelchair height, and any other relevant variations.
If the camera is for license capture, then it must be strategically located for vehicular traffic. Capturing general activity will require the camera to cover a broader space, thus giving a more comprehensive view.
When you are satisfied with the camera locations, the next step is to measure the distances to the building, this way, you will have the lengths of wire you will need.
2. Wire and Cable entrances
There are many different ways of pulling your cables and wires to the building. Choose what serves you best, and start with a spool from each camera. Unravel the cords and stretch them until they reach the point of entry to your building. Each camera will require a separate reel, but they should all converge at a general admission.
Drill the ingress point into your wall or ceiling. Use a fiberglass rod to push the wires up into your roof. It is safer to suspend your cabling from the surfaces so that they do not get snagged or rubbed up against other objects.
When you pull the cables into your ceiling, always pull in a little extra more so that you do not experience any wire tension and you are sure that there is some slack for future work.
3. Connection
The correct connecting of your cables is a crucial step. You can solder, press or use whichever method you are comfortable with, and attach the ends of your cables to your connectors. Join the power wire to the power supply and make sure that there is accurate termination. Measure to confirm that the resistance on your cable with the connector terminates appropriately. Doing this will indicate that you have set up your crimps and wires correctly. Also, remember that, with a correct installation process, your connector will withstand a firm tug without coming loose.
4. Power Up and Adjust the View
Switch on the power supply of the cameras that you have connected. With the test monitor, check each camera to see their area of coverage. Make any adjustments so that the field of view is not shooting off into the clouds, or staring right into a rhododendron bush, or out of focus.
The beauty of security cameras is that you can make most of the focus adjustments from your home or office. What you need to ascertain at this stage is that they are facing the right direction so that you can finalize securing the mountings and rotation. You will be in a ludicrous position if a branch, wall, or other obstruction, block a camera’s ability to turn.
5. Hook Your Cameras To Your Recording and Monitoring Devices
Cross your fingers, hope that your entire camera network will hook up, and be visible to your recording machines and monitors. Be ready to repeat a process in case one or two cameras do not register.
After any troubleshooting endeavors, your surveillance network of cameras should be in good working condition, and only a few adjustments may be required once you have been using them for a while.
Final Thoughts
No one installation has a guarantee that it will go without a hitch. You have to get an attitude that every time you need to make a correction or adjustment; you have come away with the knowledge of what went wrong and don’t repeat that blunder.
Installation of surveillance cameras is serious business. Your decisions have a direct impact on the safety of your loved ones and your property. You can also opt for the modern, wireless surveillance cameras.
