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NovaVMS Manual

Install a ceiling-mount camera

Use this procedure for indoor dome and fisheye cameras. Most are PoE (802.3af) per supported hardware. The mount type determines which variant of step 4–8 you run.

What you will need

  • The dome or fisheye camera plus its included ceiling bracket and trim.
  • Cat6 UTP, solid-core, as per network requirements.
  • RJ45 connectors and cable meter.
  • 6 mm masonry bit (solid ceiling) or 4 mm wood bit (grid support wire).
  • Fibreglass bracket (1.5 mm plate, 200 × 200 mm) if installing in a drop-ceiling tile.
  • Torque driver set to 0.6 N·m (bracket) and 1.2 N·m (camera body).
  • Cable ties and J-hooks for plenum runs.
  • Ladder rated for the working height, with a spotter.

Procedure

  1. Confirm the ceiling type. Drop ceiling (2 × 2 ft or 600 × 600 mm tile grid) uses the bracket variant; solid slab uses the direct-mount variant.
  1. Mark the camera centre. Distance from each wall 1.5 m minimum to avoid blind spots. For fisheye, centre of room preferred.
  1. Run Cat6 to the ceiling position. Keep 450 mm service loop at the camera end. For plenum runs, use plenum-rated cable (CMP); avoid cable ties that kink the jacket tighter than 25 mm radius.

Drop-ceiling variant

  1. Lift the target tile out. Place the fibreglass bracket across the grid members above where the tile sat. Centre it on the mark. The bracket spans two grid rails and rests on them; it does not bear on the tile.
  1. Cut a 100 mm hole in the tile under the bracket centre. Use a hole saw; deburr the edge.

  1. Feed the Cat6 through the bracket hole and the tile hole. Replace the tile.

  2. Attach the camera bracket to the fibreglass plate from below. Torque 0.6 N·m — the plate deforms if over-tightened.

Solid-ceiling variant

  1. Drill the cable entry. 14 mm through-hole at the mark. For a concrete slab, use a hammer drill with a 14 mm masonry bit. For a plasterboard ceiling with accessible attic, drill only as far as the back of the board.
  1. Drill the bracket anchor holes. 6 mm × 40 mm for concrete; 4 mm pilot into joists for wood.

  1. Drop the Cat6 through the entry hole. Verify 450 mm of service loop remains below the ceiling.

  2. Mount the bracket. 6 mm × 40 mm sleeve anchors flush. Torque bracket screws to 0.6 N·m.

Both variants continue

  1. Test the cable run with a cable meter. Expect end-to-end continuity on all 4 pairs, no splits, no shorts.
  1. Terminate the camera end with T568B. Seat the RJ45 in the camera. Wrap the connector in the weatherproof boot only if the camera is near a vapour-prone area (commercial kitchen, swimming pool). Indoor offices do not need the boot.
  1. Attach the camera body to the bracket. Torque the retaining ring or screws to 1.2 N·m.

  1. Apply PoE at the switch. Confirm the negotiated class matches the camera’s spec.

  2. Set orientation. Dome: rotate the lens-gimbal so the sensor tilt matches the scene. Fisheye: verify sensor-up or sensor-down per the manufacturer’s mark; reversing this flips the dewarped view. Lock the gimbal set-screw at 0.6 N·m.

  1. Fit the trim ring. Seat it level; do not force it if the bracket is misaligned.

Variations

  • Fisheye sensor-up (ceiling inverted). Some fisheye models mount sensor-up for a skylight view of a plaza. Verify the firmware has an invert toggle before committing.
  • Condensation risk. Indoor cameras near loading docks and commercial kitchens see daily dew. Add a breather gland even on indoor models; the gland has a hydrophobic membrane.
  • Pendant mount. For high ceilings (5 m+) use the vendor’s pendant kit. Pole length in 300 mm increments. Torque pendant thread to 2.4 N·m.

If this didn’t work

  • If the camera’s dewarped view looks inverted, see step 12 and flip the sensor orientation.
  • If PoE drops under load, see PoE brownout.
  • If the drop-ceiling tile sags under the bracket, the bracket is bearing on the tile rather than the grid rails. Reposition.