How to Get More Business with IR Perimeter Lighting
The Benefits of IR Cameras
For many, many years, infrared (IR) surveillance cameras have been used by military, law enforcement, and large corporations as a means of protection. As IR security cameras become more affordable, they are becoming more popular.
All cameras, especially surveillance cameras, work best with proper illumination. However, the big bright lights needed for surveillance cameras to work, don’t exactly lend themselves to the discretion desired for security cameras. The lights give away their location, leaving them potentially susceptible to destruction by intruders. Instead, to record discreetly at night or in poorly lit areas, IR cameras are put to work.
Infrared security cameras use infrared LED (light-emitting diode) lights located on the outside of the camera lens, which cannot be registered by the human eye, but rather capture the recorded images in areas with little to no visible light. While we perceive the area as being dark, the camera will register the light, measure the heat emitted from objects in the focus range of the camera, and record clear black and white images.
Infrared light also provides better illumination in foggy conditions than traditional visible lighting, making IR cameras a better choice for areas with a lot of mist or pollution. Infrared even reduces glare from passing headlights or street lights so nothing can hinder the camera’s surveillance footage. And finally, another benefit of IR cameras is that they use IR LED lights, which last longer than typical light bulbs and use much less energy.
Understanding IR Cameras with Perimeter IR Lighting
The Truth About Most Perimeter IR Lighting
As mentioned earlier, IR technology is on the rise for security defense. Many are selling IR cameras, but what many don’t realize is this: Most IR light can only reach about 80 to 100 feet; while a camera lens may be able to see further, say 200 feet, the IR light limits what the camera can record. This results in the need for more of these IR cameras, which drives up the cost.
Imagine this: You have an IR security camera installed in the corner of a lot. During the day, it can see angle of about 70 degrees in width and 200 feet directly in front of it—along the fence line. But when night falls, the IR light reduces the camera’s surveillance area to 100 feet down the fence line and a 40-degree angle—the rest becomes washed out.
CAST Perimeter Lighting’s Infrared Does It Better
What makes CAST Perimeter’s Infrared Night Owl™ lights different is that our lights are field tunable to enhance night vision camera images specific to the site and camera. Each individual Night Owl light is synced with the iris of the camera to prevent washouts and provide only clear camera optics day or night.
What makes the Night Owl even more groundbreaking is its ability to switch between IR and traditional visible light. It is the only fence-mounted IR solution that can be integrated with sophisticated monitoring systems to activate the white light on event triggers. This means that once the IR surveillance system detects motion, it switches to regular lights that flood the area and the camera turns to full color as opposed to black and white imaging. This helps in critical ways: Firstly, the triggered light acts as a deterrent—intruder is startled and will now potentially flea the scene. Secondly, the camera’s color imaging is now capturing better footage which can be used to identify the intruder and use it against him or her in a court case.
The Night Owl’s advantages make it the ideal perimeter IR lighting system for airport perimeters, military settings, marinas and ports, critical infrastructure such as power grids, reservoirs, and data centers, and energy providers for power plants and substations as well as commercial, municipal, and residential settings.
CAST Perimeter IR Lighting: The Clear Winner
When you need to record crisp surveillance footage day and night, IR cameras are the clear choice—pun intended. But now you know that not all IR cameras are not made equal. It is important that your investment be as effective and economical as possible to keep your assets, employees—and your budget—safe.
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