Indoor Camera Housings: By Harry

Professionalism, Integrity, Skill, and Discretion. These are key attributes to being a successful technician. I have seen it all, and sometimes I wish I had not. When an old technician starts off with 'there was this one job,' that is always a good time to sit and listen. If someone actually remembers a particular installation or camera system years later, it has to be horrible, or funny. I am not going to go into any horrible details, but, there was this one job I worked on in the summer of '93. I remember it well. I loaded up the truck with the camera equipment, a dozen or so heavy duty outside camera housings, cable, and all the lenses I could find. I asked the boss what size ladders I would need.He smiled and said, 'None they are all indoor, within reach'. Well a job that didn't involve lugging a ladder around was fine with me. Our destination was a dairy farm. I was not prepared for what was asked of me next.

I am not a Dairy farmer. I knew they used machines, and cows. What else is there to know? Well let's just say that the camera system had to be rugged and waterproof. The cameras were to record the milking process. The cameras were mounted behind protective steel posts approximately 3 feet off of the ground. The housings were exposed to everything, stuff falling from above, below, and from the side. And so was I. Periodically through the day they were hosed off with water. And so was I. I have no doubt those cameras are still in use today, because there was no way I was ever going to go back to that place on a service call. As we drove off with the windows down, my bosslet me know that our next job was in a meat processing plant.

I have worked on many similar jobs since then. I know what questions to ask, and when to pack extra clothing. That experience opened my eyes to what cameras could endure, and installation practices to make even a dirty job professional. The environment a camera is going to be located in needs to be taken into consideration as well. Here are a few things to remember.

1. Weather resistant cameras are NOT water proof. If the camera might possibly ever come in contact with moisture put it in a housing.
2. Cameras not bolted down DO get stolen.
3. Bolted down cameras within reach DO get Vandalized.
4. Bolted down, vandal proof, weather proof cameras are only as secure as the exposed wire coming out of it. Secure 100% of the system.
5. Surge suppression will minimize total loss of the system in the event of high voltage.