Hey guys, it's Tyler from Nelly's Security and in today's video we're going to be talking
all about IK ratings. How tough is your security camera? What is in IK rating? And what number
should you be looking for in your next camera? We're going to be talking about all of that
and more right now.
IK stands for... well, it doesn't really stand for anything. But it means "Impact Protection."
I guess IP rating was already taken? You can check out our previous video for more info
about that. IK ratings fall on a scale from 00 to 10, 00 being not protected from impact
at all and 10 being the highest amount of protection. So if a security camera has an
IK rating of 10, that means it is greatly protected from impact. We typically call these
vandal-resistant cameras. But there are a couple of misconceptions about IK ratings
that I want to clear up. First, it's important to understand that IK ratings pertain to enclosures.
So when we speak about a security camera's IK rating, we're actually just talking about
the IK rating of the acrylic dome. This means only vandal domes can have IK ratings. Other
kinds of security cameras, like bullets and turrets, typically do not have IK ratings
because they do not have any kind of enclosure that protects the camera from impact. This
doesn't mean bullet cameras and turret cameras are not durable or tough, because many times
they definitely are. This just means they cannot be given an IK rating. The second thing
I want to point out is that IK10 vandal-resistant dome security cameras are just that: vandal-resistant.
IK10 does not mean indestructible. It just means these cameras are going to be much harder
to destruct than your average security camera. Now let's talk about how IK ratings are determined.
In order for a security camera to be classified as vandal-resistant and placed on this IK
scale, it does have to pass a series of tests outlined by the IEC. Now these tests are very
controlled and given in laboratory settings. They involve dropping a heavy object onto
the camera from a given height. But instead of sitting here and droning on and on about
these tests, let's go perform a couple of tests of our own. Alright first we are going
to replicate the IEC test to determine the IK rating of this camera. As I stated before,
when done in real life this is a very controlled test, down to the temperature of the room.
This is very much not a controlled test. I'm using a paint bucket as a weight and I am
measuring distances with a fake plant. Alright, let's go ahead and get started.
So in order to get an IK10 rating, a security camera needs to be able to withstand 20 joules
of impact. Now a joule is just a fancy word for units of energy. So to see if this camera
is IK10 and can withstand 20 joules of impact, we are dropping a 10 pound object, which is
this bucket of paint, from a height of 15 inches, or about 1 and a half fake plant leaf
balls.
Well it looks like there is absolutely no damage done to this camera. So I would consider
this IK10. However, check out the bottom of this paint can. Yeah, I'd say this paint can
is not IK 10.
Now you might be saying to yourself, 20 joules of energy really doesn't sound like that much,
and this test didn't look very comprehensive. Well, like I said. IK10 does not mean indestructible.
However, 20 joules is just the threshold for a camera to be considered IK10. That doesn't
mean this is the only impact these cameras can take. So now let's perform our own Nelly's
test on this camera featuring everybody's favorite customer service manager, Kyle LaPach.
Nice.
Yeah.
Are you doing drop tests?
Sure.
What do we got?
It's a little scuffed. But not bad really. Looks pretty good.
Alright, and as you can see, I hit it a few good times and there's really no kind of crazy
scuffing going on. So yeah, you can take a 2x4 and hit this thing pretty good and you
can't beat that.
Well, now you know what an IK rating is, what an IK rating is not and how IK ratings are
determined. So what should you be looking for in a security camera when it comes to
the IK rating? Well, the answer is actually pretty simple, because the only time you would
even take the IK rating into consideration is when you are specifically looking for a
vandal-resistant camera. And there are a couple of different scenarios when this might be
the case. First, maybe you have to install your camera in a low, easily-accessible location.
The best practice when it comes to installing a security camera is to install it someplace
high up, out of reach. Someplace that's not going to be easily accessible. But sometimes
that's just not possible, so if you do have to install a security camera in a place that
it is easily accessible, you're definitely going to want to opt for a security camera
that has an IK rating of 10. These cameras have a couple of different benefits in this
situation. First, again, these are vandal-resistant. It's going to be difficult for someone to
come along and smash your camera open. But second, these cameras are also tamper-proof.
It's going to be hard for somebody to get under that dome and mess with your camera,
change the angle, or take out the sd card, or disconnect the connections. Another scenario
where you might need a vandal-resistant camera is if you are installing your security cameras
in a place where there is high risk for vandalism. Maybe it's just a high-crime area. Maybe there
is a lot of vandalism that takes place in the area. If you are at all concerned about
vandalism happening to your cameras, then you will definitely want an IK10 vandal-resistant
camera.
If you need vandal-resistant, you are not going to want to go with anything less than
IK10. So if you do find yourself in a situation where you need a vandal-reistant security
camera, be sure to look out for these cameras with these tough, durable, IK10 vandal-resistant
acrylic domes. To see all of our IK10 domes at Nelly's Security, go ahead and click the
link in the description below. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach
out to us, give us a call, send us an email, leave a comment down below. We are always
happy to help you out. Thank you guys so much for watching this video! If you enjoyed it,
be sure to like it, subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow us across social media, and
subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss another video. I will see you guys in the
next one!