How to Hook Up a Dome Camera

Multiple infrared LEDs allow for nighttime visibility without added illumination.

Dome security cameras can be hooked up individually or in batches. They commonly come in packs, such as packs of four, and are ceiling-mounted indoors to provide day and night visibility of entire rooms. Multiple infrared LEDs allow for nighttime visibility without added illumination. Seventy-five-ohm coaxial cable often is used to connect the cameras to a monitor or recoding device, such as a digital video recorder designed for security cameras.

Things You'll Need

• 75-ohm coax

Instructions

1. Survey the area where you will be installing the camera and check for magnetic fields, such as in-ceiling loudspeakers. Magnetic fields will cause distortion in cameras that aren't shielded. Avoid areas where the camera is pointing at strong light, such as near a window.

2. Connect one end of the cable by removing the cover from the dome camera and threading the cable through the dome cover grommet. Connect the cable to the jack labeled "Video Out" or something similar. Install the camera by screwing it to the ceiling.

3. Connect the other end of the cable directly to the video monitor's "Video In" or to one of the inputs on the back of the DVR. Connect the power supply cable from the camera to a nearby power outlet.

4. Connect any additional cameras the same way. The coaxial cable "home-runs" to the DVR, which means each camera has a cable that runs to the DVR, and the cameras don't connect to each other. Add as many cameras as you have input jacks on the DVR, often four, eight or in some cases 16. Connect each camera to a nearby power outlet.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget that if you buy cameras marketed as "wireless," you still need to provide power. "Wireless" only refers to the video signal transmission.

References

• Q-See: Indoor Dome Professional 3.6 MM Color Sony CCD 420TVL Camera: 30-Foot Night Vision Manual