Selection notes from the desk.
How to size, specify and check CCTV before the order goes out. Written from spec sheets, not from marketing decks.
Channel count, camera placement and PoE budget decide whether a 4-channel kit is enough or you need 16. A practical sizing walk-through with the numbers.
3 min read2026-10-22How much disk does a CCTV system need?Work out CCTV disk size from channel count, resolution, bitrate and retention. Includes a bitrate table and why H.265 saves less than the brochure claims.
3 min read2026-10-22Seven parameters that decide whether a plate camera worksPlate width in pixels, capture distance, shutter, illumination, angle, trigger and back-end. The numbers that separate a working LPR install from a camera that films smudges.
3 min read2026-10-22Explosion-proof cameras: zones, markings and what to specifyZone, gas group, temperature class and IP rating decide whether a camera belongs on a tank farm. How to read the Ex marking and what to put in the enquiry.
3 min read2026-10-22Solar and 4G cameras: planning a site with no power and no cablePanel size, battery autonomy, 4G data budget and placement mistakes. The four numbers to fix before ordering a solar camera for a site without mains power.
3 min readStuck on a number?
Send the site type, the channel count and the distance, and the answer comes with the data sheet attached.