CST Surveillance Systems Installation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When designing camera placement to eliminate blind spots in a parking lot, which camera type provides the widest area coverage with a single unit?
- Fixed lens bullet camera at 2.8mm focal length
- PTZ camera configured with auto-tour preset positions
- 360-degree fisheye camera mounted at the center of the lot (Correct answer)
- Dual-sensor multi-directional camera mounted at a corner
Correct answer: 360-degree fisheye camera mounted at the center of the lot
A 360-degree fisheye camera mounted at the center of a parking lot can capture the entire surrounding area in a single wide-angle view, minimizing blind spots.
Question 2: During installation of a network video recorder (NVR), what is the correct procedure when adding cameras to ensure the system clock is accurate?
- Manually set each camera's time independently using the camera's web interface
- Synchronize all cameras and the NVR to an NTP server to ensure consistent timestamps (Correct answer)
- Use the factory default time settings on all cameras to avoid conflicts
- Set the NVR time manually and rely on cameras to sync via ONVIF protocol automatically
Correct answer: Synchronize all cameras and the NVR to an NTP server to ensure consistent timestamps
Synchronizing all devices to an NTP server ensures consistent, accurate timestamps across all cameras and the NVR, which is critical for forensic video review.
Question 3: A security director requests cameras with license plate capture capability at a parking garage entrance. What lens specification is most critical for this application?
- Wide dynamic range (WDR) sensor to handle varying light conditions
- Long focal length lens (12mm or greater) to narrow the field of view and capture plate detail (Correct answer)
- Fish-eye lens to capture the widest possible view of approaching vehicles
- Short 2.8mm lens to capture both the vehicle and surrounding area
Correct answer: Long focal length lens (12mm or greater) to narrow the field of view and capture plate detail
License plate capture requires a narrow field of view achieved with a longer focal length lens to capture enough pixel density on the plate for character recognition.
Question 4: What is the recommended minimum lux rating for an IP camera to be installed in an area with only emergency lighting (approximately 0.5 lux)?
- A camera rated for 1.0 lux minimum illumination
- A camera rated for 0.1 lux or lower minimum illumination (Correct answer)
- Any standard camera with IR LEDs regardless of lux rating
- A camera rated for 2.0 lux with a wide aperture lens
Correct answer: A camera rated for 0.1 lux or lower minimum illumination
To capture usable images in 0.5 lux conditions, the camera must have a minimum illumination rating below the ambient light level, such as 0.1 lux.
Question 5: When pulling cable through conduit during a surveillance installation, what is the maximum fill ratio recommended to prevent cable damage and overheating?
- 25% of the conduit's cross-sectional area for one cable, 40% for multiple cables (Correct answer)
- 75% fill is acceptable for low-voltage surveillance cables in any conduit
- 50% fill for a single cable and 60% for multiple cables in all conduit types
- No fill limit applies to low-voltage data cables in conduit
Correct answer: 25% of the conduit's cross-sectional area for one cable, 40% for multiple cables
NEC guidelines recommend no more than 25% fill for a single cable and 40% fill for multiple cables to allow for heat dissipation and ease of future cable pulls.
Question 6: A technician is tasked with installing a PTZ camera on a pole mount in a parking lot. What factor must be considered first before beginning the installation?
- Verifying the pole has a pre-drilled hole for cable entry
- Calculating the pole's load-bearing capacity to support camera weight and wind load (Correct answer)
- Ensuring the pole is painted a neutral color to reduce camera visibility
- Confirming the camera has built-in storage to operate independently
Correct answer: Calculating the pole's load-bearing capacity to support camera weight and wind load
Pole-mounted cameras, especially PTZs, exert significant wind load forces, so the pole must be rated to support the combined weight and dynamic wind forces to prevent failure.
Question 7: When installing cameras in a facility that processes cardholder data, which compliance framework governs physical security requirements including surveillance system placement?
- HIPAA Security Rule (45 CFR Part 164)
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) (Correct answer)
- NIST SP 800-53 Moderate Baseline
- SOC 2 Type II Availability Criteria
Correct answer: PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
PCI DSS includes physical security requirements, including monitoring of card data environments with surveillance cameras to protect cardholder data.
CST Surveillance Systems Installation 3
When designing camera placement to eliminate blind spots in a parking lot, which camera type provides the widest area coverage with a single unit?