IR Illumination Considerations

Key Mounting Considerations

Be cautious when positioning and directing your cameras to avoid including the mounting surface in the camera's field of view. In complete darkness, IR illuminators emit intense light that can overexpose surfaces near the camera. Since cameras use light averaging, this bright foreground causes distant areas to darken, potentially obscuring intruders from view.

Best Practice: Aim the camera away from the mounting surface entirely.

Detection Range vs. Illumination Range

Important distance considerations:

• Effective IR illumination range in total darkness: approximately 35 feet
• Maximum PIR trigger distance for a single person: up to 50 feet (when mounted horizontally)

This means cameras could be triggered beyond the range where intruders are actually visible, resulting in activation without captured imagery.

Mounting Recommendations

For sites without artificial lighting: Mount cameras with a slight (10-degree) downward tilt. This ensures the PIR motion detector triggers within the effective IR illumination range, enabling dispatchers to see intruders in darkness and verify crimes in progress.

For sites with nighttime artificial lighting: Mount cameras parallel to the ground to maximize detection range and coverage.