Class 6 Assignment - Critique/Compliment An Indoor Camera Install

All the  cameras I looked at over the past few days appeared professionally installed and there was not much to complain about the workmanship.  However, I came across this photo of a camera in a concrete warehouse in Gaza, posted by the Australian ABC. The photo shows exposed vulnerable wiring, excessive amounts of wire and insecure mounting on a piece of wood from a pallet tied to a metal post with an old bit of string. It looks like they didn’t even use a saw to cut the wood to size.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-31/security-camera-in-a-gaza-concrete-warehouse/7669850

This indoor surveillance camera was installed properly with the correct hardware and no exposed wire. It was installed in a visible area not within reach to be tampered with.

This camera can easily be defeated by pulling the cable out of the camera or the power supply.  If the concrete ceiling was to difficult to access, an appropriate NEMA enclosure and conduit would have done the trick.

I can't find any poor installations, but here is a typical installation in our equipment room, where the camera is directly bolted to an exposed truss. Beam clamps weren't used, for whatever reason.

This is a sample of a parking garage we are looking to upgrade the cameras in. The existing camera is mounted directly to the building steel, there are numerous zip ties on the cables above, and the blob of silicon to seal the unit looks inconsistent and possibly not water resistant. 

Found this gem earlier today. This camera has exposed cables running a great distance with numerous zip ties along the way! Although the cabling is somewhat out of reach, this install was less than ideal.

I haven't used Axis cameras in a while, but I found this interesting ceiling mount that uses the drop ceiling metal frame. Everything is hidden and looks good.

Warren H.

Based on where the camera is, overall looks fine.

This is from SCW website https://www.security-camera-warehouse.com/installer-accounts/ , where the cables are exposed. I am not sure if the box device mounted on the edge of the ceiling is air conditioner or a sound speaker. If it is a conditioner then the cables are exposed to sway with the air current coming out of the box.  

This indoor install seems to break all the rules.

Poor mounting, wires exposed, installed too low to the ground (in harms way) and generally a mess.

Actually just a staging area, setting up cameras before install.

This install looks better, no exposed wires, securely mounted with furring strips as backer, area above is non plenum.

Also camera is located in room with light from window shining on subject and not into the lens causing  back light issue.

Camera is not secured to anything and could fall.

port and Network cable  exposed and rack is not locked .

Lens still has factory plastic lens protector LOL

Axis P3717-PLE we just recently installed - multi-sensor.

Camera is mounted flush with the ceiling tile. No exposed wires. Not reachable from floor, so unable to be tampered with. 

This camera looks like a good install except for the fact and this is just a pet peeve with me is that the manufacture's name is installed upside down, so the tech. did not take the time before mounting the base plate in order for the logo to be correct

I've done something just as worse unfortunately.  Actually, my installer took shortcut.  I didn't correct his mistake or told him to correct it.  Left many holes trying to get screw to hold it in the tile with no furring strips or any other support. 

This camera is in an auto shop garage. Installed to be somewhat covert and as close to the ceiling as possible. 

Dome camera at Fed Ex office store.

Install seems fine.  Unable to determine how it is supported ( not my work ).

Personal indoor install.
I feel like it's a good enough job with nothing to complain about.

Found this interesting use case for vehicle camera install. 

Vehicle Video Cameras

According to the image description on the website, the camera is installed on a prison transport bus. However the end user requested to leave the cable exposed for some reason. I'm thinking it may be for ease of maintenance or to help visually inspect if the cable has been tempered with. 

Time and time again we run into installs where only drywall screws were used on ceiling tiles. These simply will not hold on such light material. We have been using 1/8" toggle bolts with no problems but I do like the idea of wooden furring strips as shown on video for an alternative.

The image won't let me rotate but this picture is actually the camera mounted to the ceiling. Our older technicians had a habit of installing a wires exposed. Apparently the customer didn't like where originally placed the camera so he had him move it with the wire stretched out like you see in the picture.

One of the installs I did that I was pretty proud of. Getting the conduit bend to be parallel to the wall was no easy challenge but I'm glad I took the time to do it. The install ended up looking pretty nice!

We weren't required to use conduit, but they didn't want the cable to show. Wrapping it in black corrugated pipe did the trick here and I think we made it look pretty good. 

Although, with it being a school gym, we soon realized that camera cages are a necessity. Kids aim at these things with basketballs and anything else.

The below camera is monitoring an exterior door.  I would prefer to move camera away from the light and fire exit sign closer to the door.   The lighting probably is impacting the field of view and servicing the camera would impact the fire exit sign. 

This is a photo of one of our indoor deployments, where we didn't even bother to run the wire through the conduit. It's fine for indoor, I guess - but proper outdoor installation would definitely have fished the wire through the conduit above it (and used conduit in between to connect the other camera next to it too).

Here is a camera that is on the ceiling in the lobby outside my office.  The nice thing about it is that it really blends into the environment.  The network cable is hidden in the corner well, but it should really be better protected as it is possible that vandal could damage it. However it is a 10' ceiling so its fairly unlikely that this would happen. The cable was attached to the wall by one of my colleagues using a  hot glue gun.  Probably not the best option to secure a network cable to a surface, but it does help hide it well.  

Here's a shot of my partner in crime working some pipe. It's -15 Celsius out btw...

The reason we went this route, was because we could not simply go through the walls. the access from floor to floor was full.

One of those, building is made, then 50 years of remodeling stuff on top of stuff etc

Clean installation except for the cracked tile, I wonder if it was the installer, Owner probably wonders too. As much as I like the symmetry of having the camera centered on the tile I also appreciate mounting on the drop ceiling framework and feeding the pigtail around the tile without cutting the tile.

A simple clean install. The location was chosen to see all foot traffic in the hallway and access to the offices. 

Found this online:

Cables are exposed, easy to disconnect. It looks like it had a mini-whip and they cut off the connections that they weren't using and although the camera probably still works, they didn't wrap the cut ends or better yet, box the whip.  Finally, on the left side it looks like it might be at the top of a doorway or a window, which makes me believe, that this camera can be easily moved without standing on a ladder...probably should have been a dome.

I would say that this camera could be placed a little further back on the tile, but otherwise it looks good. The angle covers the exit door as well as the length of the corridor.

This interior dome camera installation was properly completed. There is no wire displayed, the camera is stable and not hanging. It is almost not noticeable. Very good job. 

Not a permanent install, but it does the job of monitoring systems.

Wires exposed and not supported. Area needs to be organized. Though camera is mounted secure and up out of the way.

Exposed cable doesn't appear to be weather proof.