CCTV camera installation
Fit IP, PTZ, ANPR, thermal and wireless cameras and get them live on the customer's recorder.
Overview
An OPS Secure system is a recorder (NVR for IP cameras, DVR for analogue ones) with cameras connected to it. IP cameras take power and data over CAT6 from the NVR's PoE ports (8 ports, 120 W budget) or a PoE switch cabled to the NVR. Wireless cameras and doorbells need a powered NVR on site and Wi-Fi in range. A camera is only 'online' when it has a path, power, a free channel and no fault. Jobs check for cameras online on a recorder near the site.
Jobs this covers
cctv_install, cctv_ptz, cctv_anpr, cctv_thermal, cctv_doorbell, cctv_upgrade, cctv_access, cctv_poe — certificate: CCTV installer (required)
The equipment — what everything does
IP cameras (bullet, dome, turret, fisheye)
Record video over the network, powered by PoE.
In game: /towers → OPS Secure → 'IP cameras (PoE)'. Cable to the NVR or a PoE switch.
PTZ / ANPR / thermal
Pan-tilt-zoom with 30× zoom; number-plate reading; heat detection. They draw more PoE.
In game: /towers → OPS Secure → 'Specialist cameras'.
Wireless camera & video doorbell
Need a socket (wireless camera) or nothing (doorbell), a powered NVR on site and Wi-Fi in range.
In game: /towers → OPS Secure → 'Wireless & doorbells'.
PoE switch
Adds PoE ports when the NVR's are full, up to its own budget.
In game: Cable the switch to the NVR, and the cameras to the switch.
CAT6
Data and power to each IP camera.
In game: 'Pull CAT6 from the nearest box', crimp both ends onto camera and NVR/switch.
Tools & PPE
Ladder
Reaches walls, ceilings and pole steps. Place it at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground.
Cordless drill & fixings
Drills walls for cable entry and fixes brackets, cameras and boxes with the right plugs and screws.
RJ45 crimper & cable tester
Fits RJ45 plugs onto CAT6 and proves all eight cores are connected in the right order.
Engineer laptop & console cable
Configures routers, NVRs and servers, runs speed tests and opens OPS Hub.
Hi-vis vest & hard hat PPE
Makes you visible to traffic and protects your head from falling objects and low beams.
Fall-arrest harness PPE
Clipped to a pole or anchor point, it stops a fall when you work above 2 m.
Safety glasses PPE
Protect your eyes from fibre shards, drilling dust and laser light.
Standalone servers: tools are in your van (OPS Work → My van & tools). Items servers: collect them — and the job’s parts — at an OPS depot.
Step by step
Walk the site with the customer: entrances, tills, car park. Avoid pointing at neighbours' windows.
Use the ladder and place each camera from the OPS Secure menu, aimed at the area to cover.
Pull CAT6 from the box to each camera and back to the NVR or PoE switch.
Crimp both ends and terminate them onto the camera and the NVR/switch.
[E] at the NVR → system: each camera should say 'ok'. 'No PoE' means the budget is full; 'No channel' means the NVR is full.
Watch each camera from the NVR or monitor and check the view.
Press Check on the job.
Health & safety
Working at height
Risk: A fall from a ladder or pole can cause serious injury.
Control: Use a ladder at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground with three points of contact. Above 2 m on a pole, clip on your harness.
Privacy
Risk: Cameras that film neighbours or public areas unfairly break privacy law.
Control: Point cameras at the customer's own property and put up 'CCTV in operation' signs.
Electricity
Risk: Mains voltage can give a fatal shock and cause burns.
Control: Never open powered kit. Isolate and prove dead with a voltage tester before touching terminals.
In game you confirm these in a risk assessment before starting. Skipping them on risky work can cause a fall or a shock — and it’s logged as a safety incident.
When it’s not done correctly
More PoE cameras than the NVR budget
Extra cameras show 'No PoE' and stay offline. Add a PoE switch.
Analogue camera cabled to an NVR (or IP to a DVR)
'Wrong recorder' — that camera never comes online.
Wireless camera with no Wi-Fi in range
'No Wi-Fi' — it can't reach the recorder.
Recorder with no socket within 3 m
The whole system is unpowered: nothing records.
Cameras fitted before accepting
They don't count — the check needs cameras added after acceptance.