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Sometimes you need to see something in less than desirable lighting conditions. Are IR lighting systems the way to go? What costs are involved? IS it safe??? These questions and more will be answered in the coming months with our development of lowlux.com. Keep an eye out for this info and more.   Feel Free to use the info provided here to assist you in deciding what equipment will work best for you. CCTV INFORMATION C or CS Mount? Most modern cameras and lenses are generally CS mount rather than C mount. With CS mount cameras both types of lenses can be used but the C mount lens requires a 5mm ring to be fitted between the camera and lens to achieve a focused image. (Also, without this ring you may damage your ccd chip) With C mount cameras it is not possible to use CS mount lenses as it is not physically possible to mount the lens close enough to the CCD to achieve a focused image. The image above was borrowed from the Good people who make the brand of lenses. By clicking on the image, you will be taken to our lens page. Common Terms used in CCTV Many thanks to "CableMan" and other contributers for the information contained within. CCTV Glossary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z This had to be broken down because of its complete nature. We hope you find this helpful. EMAX FINANCIAL SERVICES our preferred financial vendor, has great Equipment Leasing Programs for your commercial customers. Application only $5K-$75k or more! 24-60 months to pay. Call 917-673-4371 Or click on the EMAX logo. Here are a few basic systems to jump-start your plans..   Rod Gasson's VCR Q&A Rod Gasson has had his nose in tens of thousands of VCRs. He has given us permission to use some of his posts and answers to help you diagnose your VCR maladies. This will be updated occasionally with new posts and questions answered. Video Problems?  Q:   I have checked all of my connections, and I know my camera is working fine. I keep getting an intermittent "tear" at the top of my monitor. I am using RG-6 Cable and the camera is 600 feet away from the monitor Could the distance be too great?  A:     No. RG-6 Coax is suitable for ranges much greater than that. What you are probably experiencing is what is known as a "ground loop," which will usually occur when the power sources for your monitor, and camera have different earth ground locations. There may be a potential voltage difference between the earth ground each power source uses, and the difference (or fault) is trying to equalize through your coax shielding. Try providing the power for the camera from the same power source as the monitor or switching equipment to correct this problem. If this is impractical, there are isolation devices available to eliminate the interference caused by these types of problems. (something we also carry) FIBER OPTICS.. No Doubt about it, Fiber optics is (going to be) the standard for quality video reproduction in the immediate future and now. recent improvements in the technology of fiber optics has made some amazing things happen. The protective layers for the fibers are much improved, and the fibers themselves have better refractive characteristics. I cant tell you how impressed I am with the durability of the fiber optic line typically found today. On a job our technicians performed recently, we were unable to avoid "man-handling" our fiber cable. Through some pretty hard turns and a medium-to-long run, we were sure we would have a problem with the integrity of the core. Lets just say this.. "Happiness is a perfect picture." Don't be bashful about using fiber for your installations. Take a couple of things into consideration:  1. Are you ever planning an expansion of your cctv system? Could it happen??  2. How long is the longest run coming back to your switching system. Over 800'?  3. Are power sources going to be centrally located?  4. Are you concerned about cost?  you never know.. Business could be good, your security requirements may be mandated to be larger and more comprehensive. You may get bored with only 756 cameras at your disposal...  Any of these reasons will require laying out more lines to get the picture from there to here. Fiber is so easy to expand nowadays. There are real-time video fiber mux units which will transmit up to 128 video feeds over one fiber... ONE ( with data for PTZs too). Expansion is always possible by allowing just a couple extra fibers in your pull. Coax is as inexpensive as ever, yet if you wanted to move 50 more video feeds just 1000' it still requires the man power to move it, plant it, not to mention the buying of it.   Long distances kill the video signal. You lose resolution, there is more exposure to outside interference.. etc.... Fiber is only susceptible to radiation.. we all hope that isn't a worry for most operations. Yes there is good quality coax that can provide you with a good signal at extreme lengths, but the cost for that begins to be a bit.   Ground loop problems (between the camera and the switching units or monitors) with data and video signal interference due to ground faults are eliminated with fiber.   Cost is most definitely a concern. a multimode fiber itself costs roughly the same as a good quality coax. The real increase in cost is in the equipment transmitting and receiving the signal. Depending on the number of video signals you wish to send on a single fiber, it can be quite expensive up front. The benefits are reduced man hours on installs and troubleshooting. Picture quality over greater distances are incredibly better. For outside camera applications there is no electrical way for a lightning strike to travel back and damage equipment. Submit your Questions, or if you have some advice please feel free to let us know. And, keep watching this page for more info Thank you