Surveillance Cameras on Light Poles Tutorial

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Mar 18, 2013

A growing trend makes putting surveillance cameras on the most logical choice in parking lots - light poles - very problematic. Increasingly, power is switched on, and more importantly off, via a centralized source. While this may be great for conservation it creates havoc for security cameras that need to run continuously. In this note, we explain what switch power is, why it is a growing trend and what solutions are available.

Switched Power Defined

In high-voltage applications, switched power refers to energizing or de-energizing entire circuits at main electrical distribution panel. Rather than individually turning off lights or outlets with breakers / switches, an entire area is designed to have power cut off at one central spot.

* ******* ***** ***** ******* ************ ******* ** *** **** logical ****** ** ******* **** - ***** ***** - **** problematic. ************, ***** ** ******** **, *** **** *********** ***, via * *********** ******. ***** **** *** ** ***** *** conservation ** ******* ***** *** ******** ******* **** **** ** run ************. ** **** ****, ** ******* **** ****** ***** is, *** ** ** * ******* ***** *** **** ********* are *********.

Switched ***** *******

** ****-******* ************, ******** ***** ****** ** ********** ** **-********** entire ******** ** **** ********** ************ *****. ****** **** ************ turning *** ****** ** ******* **** ******** / ********, ** entire **** ** ******** ** **** ***** *** *** ** one ******* ****.

[***************]

Why ******** *****?

***** *********** ******** ***** **** ********* ** *** * *** practice, ** *** ****** ****** ******** ** * ****** ** electrical ************ ** '***** *********'. ******** *********** ** ********** *** building ********* ******** *********** ********* ******** **** ***** ** ****** on/off ** *** ***** ** ***, *** *** ** *** the ******* ** ***********. *******,****** ********** ******(****), ********** ***** (************ ********), *** ***** ************* (****** ********** to **** ****** ***) **** ****** ********* ** ******* *** distribution ******** *** *********. *********, ******** ***** ******** *** ************* switched ** ** *** ** *****,***** ****, *********** ******.

Where ** ** *****?

**** * *** **********, ******** ***** *** ** **** ** any ********** *******. ***** ***** ******* **** **** **** **** of ****** ********** (**:******* *******),*** ************* ***** ******** ***** ** ******** ********** ********* ************ ******* and ****** (**: ********* ****** *****), *** ***** ******** ******** used ** ***** ***********, ********* ********, *** ******* *********.

*******: ******* ******** ***** ** **** ** ****** *****, *** is ********* ***** ** ********* ***** ** ***** **** ************ occupancy **** ****, *******, ** *********** ****. *******, ********** ** available *****, ***** *** **** ****** ** ****** ******** ** inexpensive ******** *** ******* ****** *** *******.

********: ******** ***** ** ********** ***** ********, **** ***** *********** outdoor **********. ********* ******** ******* **** **** **** ** ******* allows ******** ********** ** ******** ********** ***, *** *** **** been ***** ** * **** ******** ** ***** ********** ** ******. ******* ******* **** **** *:

"****** **** *** ******* *** ******** ** ********** **** * photocell ** ******* ******* ** ********* ******* ********* (*** ********* parking) ** ******** ** *** ***** **** ****** ** ********* controls."

**** ********** *********** ** ********** ********* *** ************, ******* *** vast ********* ******* ********* *** ***** **** ** *** ***** support *********** ******** *********** / *** *****. *** ****** ** that ******** ***** ** **** ******* *** ******** ***********, ** noted ** ****** ***** *********** ***********.

Parking **** ********** ***********

****** ******* **** *** ******* ** ***** ***** **** *** ideal *** ******** *******, *** ***** **** **** *********** ********* a ******** ** *** ****** ****. **** ***** ******** ******* to ******* *** ***** ********** *********** *** ************ *********. ***** poles **** ** **** **** ** *** ****** *** ********* installation ****** ********, ****** *** *** ***** ****** - ** interrupted ***** ******.

**** **** ******* ******** **** ***** ******* ******** ***********, **** ***** ** **** ********* ****** ********* ********* - leaving **** **** ** **** ***** *******, **********, *** **-** equipment ***** '****'. **** **** ******* ********** ****** **** **********, many *********** *** ********* *** ******* ********* *******. ** *** following *******, ** ******* **** ****** ******* ** ******* **** unswitched ***** ** ******* ****:

Switched ***** *********

********** ***** ****: *** **** ****** ****** ******** ** ********** ** *********** ******(*** ** *** **********) ** ** ***** ***** ************ ***** altogether. ** ** * ****** ********* ** ********* **** "*** electrical ********* *** ********* ** *****", *** ***** *** **********/********* defines ***** ************, *** ******** ********** ** ********** ** *** customer *** ***** ***********.

*******, **** **** *** ***** *** *******. ** ****** ****** it ** ******* ****.

**** *** *** **** ****** ********* ********** **********:

******* ** **********: *** **** ** **** ****** ******* ******* ** *** distances ********. ** ********* ******** ** ********** ********* ** *** existing ************ ******, ********* ** *** ***** **** **** *** camera ********.

  • *********: *** **** ** ******* ***** ******* ** * ****** can ****** ****, ******* $** *** $*** *** ****. ** average *** ** *** **** *** ***** ******* $*,*** - $22,500.
  • *******: ** **** *****, ******** ******* **** ********** ***** *** additional ***** ****** *** ** *********. *** **** ** **** option ** ******* ** *** **** ** *** ***** - ranging ******* $* - $** *** ****. ** ******* *** can ***** ******* $*** - $*,***.

*******, **** **** ****** *** **** ********* ** ** *** customer, *** **** ** ******* ***** ******** ** ****** ********* is ***** ***** ** **********, *** ********* *** ****/*********** ******* of **-** *********. ***** ********* ***** **** ****** *** ******** maintenance *** *********** ** ****** *********.

********** *** *****: ***** ***** ****** ******* ****** ***** **** ***** *** appear ** ** * ****** ********, ** ** *** ***********. Consumer-grade *** **** *** ***** ************ *** ****** ********** *** lightpole ***, *** ********* *** *** ******** **** ****** ******* capacity *** **** **** * *** ***** ** *********. **** cut **** ******, ***** ***** ***** *********** ********* ***** ** the ****** ***** ********* **** **** ** ******* *****, *** this ****** ***** *** ** * *********** **********. ********, ***** units *** *** ******** ** ** ******* **** ***** *** and ********* ***** *****.

***** *****/ ********* ***: ******* **** *** ********* ************ ******** ** ***** ************ equipment. *********, ***** ********* ***** **** *** ******* ******** *********** to *** ******** ******* **** - ***** ***** *** ****** of ********* *** **** ***** *****. *** **** ****** **** be ********** ***** ** ******* ** ***** ******.

***** **** ********* ******* ******** ****** ************ ******* ******* ****** **** ************, *** ******* **** ****** reporting *** **** ** ****** *************. **** ***** ******* *******, no ********** ** ******** ***** ******* ** ********. *** ******** of ***** *******, *** *** ******* **:

  • ******** ***********: * "***********" ***** ***** ***, **** ** ********* **** between $*,*** *** $*,*** *** ******.
  • ***** ******: * *********** ****, (*** ******** *** ******* ********) ********* imbedded ***** ******, **** ** ********* **** *******: $*,*** ** $10,000 *** ****.

*******-***** *** *****:***** ***** *********** ****** ***** *** ***** **** *****, *** operate **** ********* ****** ******** *****. ****** ***** ****, ***** units ******* *** *** ** * ****-**** *********** (********* ********* by * ******** ***********). **** ***** *******, ***** *** **** feature ***** ********** *** ********* ********, *** *** ******** ** be ********* **** ** ******** *********. *** **** ******* ***:

  • ********* ***: ** ********* ********* ********** ******* ******** *** ********* *****, including ******* *** ******/****** **** ******* ********. *** *** **** costs ******* $*,*** - $*,*** *** ******.

****** ***** ***** **** ****** ** **** ** ******** ** available, *** ***** *** *********** ** ********* ******* *** ** switched ***** ********* ******** ******** **** **** ******* *******.

********* ******** *********:***** ** ***** ** * **********, ******** ** ***** ******* on ******** ********* ****** **** ***** ** ** ******. *******, this ***** *********** ***** ********** ** ********** **** ******* *** FoV, *** ***** ********** ******* *** **** ********** *******.

**********

***** ******* *** * ***-$*,*** ******** ** ******** ***** ** parking ****, ******* ************ ****** ********, **** **** * ********* problem. ******** ********** ********* *****, *** ***** ******* *** ******, they ********* *** ********** '******* ****** ******' - **** ****** camera *** **** **** ***** *** ****** ** *******.

***** ******** ***** ** ****** *********, *** ********** ******* *** design, ****** ******** ****** *******, *** ******** **** ** ******* around ** *** *** ************ ****** ****** *** ** **********.

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