VIAAS Support

Camera Mounting

Mounting VIAAS Camera 1.1™ with the included mounting hardware is fast and easy in most situations. This discussion focuses only on the physical elements of hanging the camera, not getting it connected.

First, figure out where you will mount the camera. Consider what the camera will look like and how people will react to it, how easy the installation will be, where you will get connectivity and power, and how well the camera will function to provide you with the images you want. Be sure to read the framing discussion. A key point - it is REALLY easy to mount cameras on drop ceilings with acoustic tiles, so use it if you can.

Once you have picked a location, get your equipment ready. The steps from here vary a little between drop ceiling install and screwmount.

Drop Ceilings

For drop ceilings, you use the "scissor mount" to attach the camera to one of the drop ceiling rails. You do not need any tools, though a large pair of pliers (channel lock type) can be useful.

While on the ground, assemble the camera mount. In most situations, one long extender and one short extender work well. Attach the extenders to the scissor mount and attach the mount head to the other end. Screw everything together firmly by hand - you do not want any of these connections turning when you attach the camera later, but also don't break anything. DO NOT ATTACH THE CAMERA NOW. Open the scissor mount complete (so the flanges are as far apart as possible). Finally, pick the rail you will mount to - it is better to have the rail largely in line with the direction of the camera aim. Now you are ready to go up the ladder.

Attach the scissor mount to the rail. It works well to rock the mount slightly in one direction and work one side over the rail, then rock it flat and close the mount. The channel lock pliers come in handy for closing the mount. If it is really tight, you can use a flat screwdriver to open the flanges a little. Now go to attaching the camera

Screwmount

To mount the camera on a solid wall or ceiling, use the screw mount base. If you are installing into dry wall or plaster, you can use the included screws and inserts and you will need a drill with a 1/4" or 6mm bit, a pencil, and a phillips head screwdriver. If you are installing into a different material, use appropriate screws and attachment techniques. In any case, you will follow these steps - mark the mount points using the base, drill for the screws/inserts, attach the base, attach the mount to the base, attach the camera.

With the base and a pencil, climb up and mark the mounting holes, then drill. Push in the inserts till flush, then attach the base with the screws.

Assemble the rest of the mount before you attach it to the base. Pick your extenders - for ceiling mount one long and one short work well - and screw them together with the camera head. Now attach the assembled mount to the base. Make sure everything is fairly tight, you do not want any of these joints twisting as you finish the install. Now go to attaching the camera

Attaching the Camera

The final step is attaching the camera. Before you go up, decide if you want to use Bandwidth Shaping and install the MicroSD Card. Now climb up and install the camera. Loosen the set knob so the camera screw moves freely. Turn the head itself till the slot is parallel to the direction of the camera aim, as you will need to tilt the camera. To attach the camera, aim it about where you want, push it onto the screw and turn the screw, holding the camera in place. Keep going till it is tight. Now make sure the camera can tilt (align the slot with direction of the camera) tilt the camera to about the right angle, and tighten up the set knob. Plug in your Power-Over-Ethernet and you are done.