Subscriber Discussion

Cameras Near Ocean / Salt Water - Recommendations?

SM
Stanley Mezewski
Jul 11, 2017

Our condo association is considering installing cameras to monitor the parking lot, swimming pool and lobby areas.  This is a harsh environment, with salt spray from the ocean.  We have internet cabling but no network.  This is a small condo building with only 26 condos.  What products would be appropriate for such an environment?

MB
Michael Blumenson
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

We have used both Mobotix and Axis products in the Caribbean (on a peninsula with salt spray) for the last ten years.  Both brands have held up very well.  Access Control is a whole other story.  I would love to hear from integrators on what brands they use to battle corrosion in locks and other door hardware.  

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Brian Rhodes
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I've noticed that too - mechanical locks, hinges, and strikes often look like rusty junk after just a few years of exposure.

I spoke with a Medeco dealer (ie: locksmith in a van) at Texas' gulf coast a few weeks ago.  He told me that his company has not found a lock manufacturer that is not vulnerable.

He mentioned that his company's Medeco lines hold up the best because they are brass and stainless (non-corrosive) machined, but then again - he was a dealer.  

 

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Craig Mc Cluskey
Jul 11, 2017

I have some Abloy padlocks I got for my semi trailer. The lock body is a heavily chromed solid block of steel. The hasp is heavily chromed, too. Information is available on them at Abloy's padlock page. They also have a technical brocure available.

MB
Michael Blumenson
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

So happens we are moving over to all Medeco cores and keys for this customer.  Wonder what they use at sea on cruise and other ships for exterior door locks. 

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Brian Rhodes
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

In general, you might consider spending on more aggressive maintenance/cleaning and premature replacement of inexpensive standard devices than placing exotic corrosive rated cameras.

Near-weekly wipe downs, glass/dome cleaning, and touch up repainting is often helpful. Rust blooms, organic gunk, and salt fog make near-ocean video surveillance tough.

 

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geert Huisman
Jul 11, 2017

Stanley,

 

we have the same issues on our island. we have used RVS housings from videofied, but the best experience we had are just the standard IP66 or IP68 mini domes which are made fro poly carbonate. just double check if the fasteners are RVS. that is important.

choose a camera of which you can order the bubble separate if needed. beside this monthly at least wash the cameras with fresh water and grease the fasteners. Pricing of camera's are so low that you can invest in very expensive housings you will probably replace the camera's in a earlier stage.

beside this use outdoor rated cat 5e or 6 cable and install those in conduits for best results.

Good luck and if you need any help feel free to contact me

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Brian Rhodes
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Hello Geert: Thanks for the comment.  One question - what does 'RVS' denote?  Is that a material or coating?

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geert Huisman
Jul 11, 2017

Brian My fault, RVS is dutch for stainless steel.. my apologies, so RVS + stainless steel

 

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JE
Jim Elder
Jul 11, 2017
IPVMU Certified

What about Dot Works D series. I think what you may be looking for is a housing that is certified  ASTM Salt Spray certification G85.

UE
Undisclosed End User #1
Jul 17, 2017

Stanley

I work for a company with over 300 cameras on the ocean and launch pads to space. With the other companies out here also I see a mixture of just Avigilon, Axis, and Pelco cameras and they all are holding up great with little, to no maintenance. As far as access control equipment you should keep all of your controllers inside an environmentally controlled room and run your cable from there directly to each device with no splicing above the door. As far as hardware goes try and use electrified exit devices with vertical rods or mortise locks and for your key cylinder like a Best or Schlage with an SFIC just use some graphite once a month and you should not have any issues. 

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MB
Mark Bottomley
Jul 17, 2017

Being near the ocean, are you also subject to hurricanes/high winds/ Panasonic has a PTZ model with optional IR LEDs designed for that type of use. Depends on the actual deployment location. I've seen the demo, but haven't encountered a location requiring it yet in our prisons.

https://security.panasonic.com/products/wv-sud638/

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Mark Jones
Jul 17, 2017

Back in the day, when in the Navy, we used Nitrogen filled cameras with excellent results.  In the private sector, I continued to use them when right on the coastline.  There are a few brands, AXIS is one, that does provide that.  The theory is the camera housing is pressure filled with nitrogen and the salty sea air cannot enter the housing.  It actually does work.  It will all but eliminate the salty moisture causing problems with the internal electronics.  Extremely good, regular maintenance will help with the exterior of the housing and also with door hardware.  Perform you maintenance quarterly and it will help cut down on the corrosion.  It will not eliminate it, but it will extend the life of your hardware.  

There is a readily available product called Corrosion X; spray it on a rag and wipe down all of your metal surfaces frequently.  WD-40 can be used.  Something with silicon in it can be used, just don't spray it on.  Put it on the rag and wipe it on.  Good luck. 

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Scott Napier
Jul 17, 2017

Based on the previous question from today, these guys seem to have stuff that is quite robust and made for the ocean.  No clue if the brand is legit, but this stuff seems pretty hearty to me. 

 

https://www.tkhsecurity.com/support-files/product-collateral/product-line-cards/989-explore-atex-iecex-certified-cameras-plc/file

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Undisclosed #2
Jul 17, 2017

Regarding cameras, we've used Pelco pressurized domes in the past and Axis Q-series now. If not PTZs then just standard Axis weatherized options. 

 

For access control, Precision makes a weatherized finish on their panic that is specifically meant to hold up to to salt air. It's called the 626W. 

 

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MK
Michael Kassal
Jul 17, 2017

Axis.

we have installed axis cams directly on beaches over water with direct exposure........the seals in axis equipment keeps them working.....for years......would not trust anything else.

 

MA
Michael Amaro, P.E., PSP, CPTED
Jul 17, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Videotec offers some housings for cameras for corrosive environments.  You can use whatever camera and put it in the housing.  Ive never personally used them, but have heard good things 

http://www.videotec.com/cat/en/products//fixed-cameras-and-housings/stainless-steel-housings

MK
Michael Kassal
Jul 17, 2017

Yes, but for our application of hiding the cameras by custom painting many housing a camo brown with texture......a bullet housing would never be an acceptable look on a 30mil high end home (stands out too much)......axis just makes a housing that has the seals to keep the little bugs out and salt air out....without breaking the bank using nitrogen or stainless bomb proof enclosures.....

 

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Jul 18, 2017

We use a lot of Mobotix for these situations.  They are self-contained, excellent designed products that require near-zero maintenance.  We have almost 100 right along the Pacific coast and have not had any issues.  Lots of salt-water air, dense fog and constant moisture.  Several years ago we had Pelco PTZ outdoor-rated cameras and within 6-months, the internal circuit boards were going green with corrosion.  We moved to nitrogen filled PTZ domes and that solved that issue but for all the fixed locations, Mobotix has been superior.  A word of warning:  The Mobotix cameras are not just a simple plug-n-go camera.  They have layers of complexity that allow for lots of configuration settings that to someone not willing to invest some time to learn may become frustrating.  Best recommendation would be to find a trained & experienced integrator/Mobotix Partner.

We also have several along a lake in upstate Minnesota where over the past few winters, we have seen prolonged periods of -20 deg F, icicles hanging from everything and the images/camera were flawless.

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Frank Pisciotta
Jul 24, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I believe VideoTEC has some housings suited to this environment

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Mike Monsive
Jul 24, 2017

Stanley,

One thing that has not been mentioned here is price.  There are high grade stainless steel housings that can be filled with nitrogen gas specifically made for harsh saltwater environments.  These obviously have a hefty price tag, and as such are typically only utilized by oil/gas or government entities that are less concerned with price.  Everything on an island or near salt water is going to have to be replaced at a much higher interval than areas not so close to the salt air.  Most of the equipment today has housings made of either powder coated aluminum or plastic.  We have found the powder coated aluminum cameras to hold up better than the plastic housings in harsh areas.  It is best to use a sealed camera whenever possible that doesn't require the technician to disassemble for installation.  Further, most of the quality cameras today have at least a 3 year manufacturer's warranty.    

Even more critical is the installation itself.  We typically utilize direct burial cat 5 cabling for harsh areas even when run in conduit.  This cable is gel filled an helps create a moisture barrier to protect the thin 24 gauge copper cable and will outlast traditional cat 5 cable while only adding a very minimal cost.  It is equally as important to utilize high grade stainless hardware for every aspect of the installation.  Recently we witnessed a "low bid", extremely harsh environment, port project where the first cameras that were installed were literally falling off the poles before the last cameras were installed on the project.  This was attributed to not utilizing stainless steel hardware.  Further we silicone all conduits, back boxes, and camera cable entry points to create a moisture barrier.  For the best success we utilize a camera specific back-box for this purpose to try and keep as much harsh air from entering the camera as possible.  As you are probably already aware by living there, maintenance starts immediately after installation.  We sell our clients a "island" maintenance agreement that has several clean and adjust service intervals a year due to the salt water buildup on the glass.  This ensures that the cameras always have a good clean image.   

We have found great success in these harsh environments, at our own facilities and our clients, with the Avigilon Bullet Series of cameras.  As you can see from the picture below the camera is completely sealed and has a back box to make all the connections.  

 

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