CCTV Bullet Camera

Installing CCTV Bullet Cameras

Important reading before you make your purchase

Is the CCTV Bullet camera to be located indoors or outdoors? If outdoors then you need to ensure that it is appropriate for the environmental conditions that are likely to be encountered such as rain, snow, sun-glare, low light etc.

Outdoor CCTV bullet cameras should either be classed as weather resistant or mounted in a special enclosure to provide protection.

All Bullet outdoor cameras are weather resistant and the cable entry points are sealed. The leads are of sufficient length to enable connections to be made inside the building.

CCTV Camera Light Levels

Choosing the right CCTV Bullet camera based on the amount of available light is very important for an effective security system. An ordinary cctv camera will not give very good pictures in low light conditions although the monochrome will perform better than colour at night.

For low light conditions can include:

• B&W cameras with built in IR illumination
• Colour Day / Night cameras
• Use of additional security lighting
• Use of a separate IR illuminator in conjunction with a monochrome camera. When using IR cctv cameras ensure that the range of the illuminators is adequate for your needs.

Light levels are usually measured in lux and although full daylight can be around 10,000 lux, dusk can be as low as 1-10 lux, complete darkness is 0 lux and side street lighting can also be less than 1 lux . The closer a camera is rated to 0 lux the better its performance in low light levels.

Day Night Cameras

B&W bullet cameras generally provide much better image quality than colour ones at lower light levels. They are also usually cheaper than colour ones of equivalent specification.

Color bullet cameras require the availability of good lighting and will generally provide better recognition capability.

Day Night bullet cameras provide the best of both worlds in an external environment. They operate as color cameras during the day (or in good light conditions) and automatically change to B&W when the light levels drop. All CCS-Imports Day Night cameras are supplied with built-in Infra-red which enable the cameras to see in darkness.

Wired Cameras or Wireless

Wireless CCTV Bullet cameras are easier to install. There is no cabling to run from the camera to the receiver and they are ideal for temporary applications, rapid deployment or where running cable is not desirable.

The Bullet cameras do however require a power source and whilst most will have the capability to be powered by batteries these do not have a very long life - a matter of hours in some cases. Wherever possible the cameras should be powered by the mains.

Typical range for wireless CCTV camera systems is 100m free-space but this can reduce significantly to around 22 meters in a small household environment.

In some cases there is also the potential for interference when using wireless systems.

Visible Deterrence or Covert / Discreet Monitoring

For visible deterrence the use of larger cameras housed in traditional enclosures are ideal.

For covert or discreet applications CCS imports can supply cameras that are:

• Very small and can be installed in covert locations, or
• In enclosures designed to disguise the presence of a camera.

Many of the cameras manufactured by Yoko International are both stylish and discreet in the design of their enclosures and this makes them very suitable for domestic applications.

Bullet camera with Audio

If the ability to monitor or record sound is important then the CCTV Bullet cameras needs to have a built-in microphone. This enables one-way audio monitoring.

Camera Viewing Quality

The resolution, size and type of a CCTV camera sensor will influence the quality of the viewable image.

Resolution – This is expressed as the number of television lines tvl that the camera is capable of producing. The higher the tvl value the greater the resolution and hence the quality of the images. A typical entry-level camera will be around 300 tvl with higher resolution cameras having a value of 540+ tvl.

Size – A larger image sensor will give a better image definition than a smaller sensor. For example, a 1/3” image sensor will produce a better image than a 1/4 ” sensor.

Type – There are 2 types of image sensor. CMOS sensors are mass-produced and used in entry-level cameras to provide cost savings. CCD sensors are used in professional CCTV cameras and provide a higher quality image.

It is important to remember that the quality of the video recorder also influences the quality of the CCTV footage. For example, if you use a high-resolution camera but a low-resolution recorder then the CCTV footage that is captured will still be of low resolution.

Single Bullet Camera or Multiple Bullet Camera Systems

Do you need to protect and view a single area or multiple areas? If you are likely to require protection of additional areas at a future date then consider buying a system that can be expanded as and when required.

CCS has a range of products that will allow you to connect and use up to 4, 8 or even 16 cameras. These include:

Standalone DVR - Use of digital video recorders allows single or multi-camera systems to be viewed and / or recorded simultaneously.

Ccs supplies a range of 4, 8 and 16 channel DVRs allowing you to install a very comprehensive cctv system.

PC-Based Systems - These make use of a PCI card that is fitted inside your computer. They will allow connection of upto 4, 8 or 16 cameras and help turn your existing PC into a sophisticated cctv system.