5 Little Changes That Will Make a Big Difference With Your Business Security Systems

Are you seeing spots?

“In the majority of the complaints by customers for a reduction in video quality, a dirty CCTV camera lens is the culprit. Cleaning the camera lens is vital in maintaining the image and video output clarity.”

As basic as it sounds, IP security camera lens cleaning is often an overlooked source of maintenance. Many of us clean our eyeglasses daily, though your surveillance systems can typically go a month without the need for cleaning. Pollen season may be more so.

A microfiber cloth, a can of compressed air, and a lens cleaner solution are all you’ll need to get the job done.

The compressed air is for initially blowing debris off the lens. And while you’re at it, remove any cobwebs, bird nests, or other debris around the camera.

Next, wipe the lens with a dry microfiber cloth. Resist the urge to spray cleaner directly on the lens.

The final step is to spray a small amount of lens cleaner directly onto the microfiber cloth--not the lens. Then gently wipe the lens to remove all smudges.

You’re done!

Don’t blind your cameras

Sufficient lighting is key to capturing quality security system imagery. Too much light is highly detrimental.

You may be blinding your cameras, both indoor and out, by subjecting them to excessive glare.

Indoors, do you have high-wattage bulbs conflicting with the field of view of your cameras? A good example would be those used in overhead track lighting. Like mini spotlights they often direct intense beams, enough to impair your IP security cameras.

The same is true of tabletop lamps with bare bulbs and often when combined with glass-topped furnishings. It is possible to reduce glare by using shaded lamps where surveillance systems are in use.

If images from your CCTV video feed appear washed-out and human features indistinguishable despite areas being well lit, likely, the subject zones are too well lit. Consider reducing overall bulb wattage or using bulbs that offer multiple settings.

Outdoors, your exterior lighting, your neighbors’, the street lighting, or oncoming vehicle headlights are possible culprits for compromising the effectiveness of your home or business security system. Since many of those variables, including those beautiful sunrises and sunsets, are beyond your control, you’ll have to get creative.

A nighttime site walk before installation could eliminate many future headaches. Without firsthand knowledge of existing sources of night glare, you’re bound to get hit with a barrage.

Begin by experimenting with slight changes of camera angles. You might be surprised how a simple adjustment can reduce glare. The same is true of camera height. Your camera locations may offer either up or down positioning options. And if that doesn’t work, relocating cameras is another possibility.

The angle may be your solution

We already hit on camera angle as a potential solution to reduce glare. However, the angle is often the source of its own set of issues.

If your security system has gaps in its coverage, that’s an angle problem. If your security system has too much area overlap, that’s an angle problem. The good news is that both conditions are simple to fix. It may take a bit of trial-and-error adjustment but the difficulty is easily overcome.

The ideal is to maximize the overall angle of coverage your surveillance system should provide, the coverage for which you paid.

If structures or landscaping around your home or business have changed drastically, it may be time to consider the purchase of CCTV cameras offering wider angles of view. Anytime your level of exposure changes, camera angles need reevaluating.

Location, location, location

Hey, if it’s a mantra central to the real estate industry, why shouldn’t it apply to your property? We’re talking about camera location. It makes all the difference between efficient video acquisition or meaningless footage.

If your security system hasn’t been installed, now is the time to get proactive. Dig out your floorplans, hell, sketch them on the back of an old envelope. Anything! Just get your building layout in the hands of a surveillance system design professional. SCW has a bunch of them ready to create a super-efficient IP security camera placement plan for you.

Is your system already in place, but not up to par? We can take a look at that as well.

Existing camera placements don’t have to be permanent. Relocation is a real possibility. The solution might be the addition of an occasional alternate camera model such as a PTZ to pair with an array of current bullet cameras.

Oftentimes a simple height adjustment can make all the difference, as previously mentioned. Don’t allow a flawed surveillance system to dictate a poor yield. There always remains flexibility.

Limit camera views to the area of interest

“A common mistake is to include “interesting areas” in the FOV, versus “areas of interest.”’

A high-traffic area may not be an actual threat, but if a CCTV camera’s field of view is set to cover it, the security software is engaged to monitor and assess for possible incidents. Every movement in the background, whether roads, sidewalks, etc., become part of the system’s consideration.

Limiting coverage to the confines of your perimeter will accomplish your business security objectives. By taking care to avoid all but the areas of interest, your surveillance system will function at an optimal level.
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