Have you ever had to guess on a test? There is that gut wrenching moment when you have no idea which answer is right because you spent 20 minutes solving for x, thought the answer was 43, and all four of the choices are less than five. Since math builds on itself, you could have gone wrong anywhere in that last 20 minutes, adding instead of subtracting or removing a negative sign. You’re stressed and under a time constraint. If you are anything like me at this point, you pick C and move on out of pure frustration.
Everyday, whether in math, at work, or on the road, we face stress. However, we learn to cope with it. For example, my way of coping with my stress in math was to study English and never take math ever again. It has worked perfectly.
LVT Units are also subjected to stress. Obviously, they aren’t faced with solving for x. Instead, they face stresses due to the natural environment (math is anything but natural). This includes high winds, rain, snow, extreme temperature differences, and more. Furthermore, other stressors, like salt from snow plows or dirt, can accumulate on the units and have to be cleaned off.
Once deployed, our units are constantly assaulted by the elements. The good news is we build them to last. We have tested, adjusted, rebuilt, and tested again to make sure our units can withstand whatever mother nature can throw at them—or even when she actually throws them. In fact, we had a 150-mph tornado pick up a unit and toss it across a parking lot. Even though the unit was banged up and on its side, it was still live and recording. While we recommend stowing LVT Units when high winds (anything over 60 mph) are anticipated in your area, we have tested our units in high winds to make sure they can function in harsh conditions.
Security is something that simply cannot go offline every time it rains. It is just too important. Once our units are deployed, they have to function properly. That’s why we put them through multiple tests and make sure they measure up to our standards.
Ingress Protection Code
Ingress Protection or IP Code is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It classifies and rates the amount of protection from the mechanical casings and electrical enclosures against intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water.
The code has two parts. The first designates the level of protection from solid particles and foreign objects. The second part describes the level of protection from water. Each part is assigned a number that rates its level of protection—zero is no protection and the higher the number, the greater the protection. The first numeral indicates the rating against solids and the second numeral indicates protection against water.
Every LVT Unit has an IP rating of at least 54. The Live Units and the battery boxes are rated separately. Some of our mounting structures that are tied into direct power (wall mounts, pole mounts, and tripod mounts) are rated even higher and have an IP rating of 66.
Our standard IP rating of at least 54 means that the units are dust-protected and are protected against splashing water. Everything from the Live Unit to the battery box is sealed from the top so the units will not fill up with water or other particles. Some parts, like the gaskets, are even sealed from direct UV light. However, in the event that water does make it past the seals, the Live Unit and battery box have drains in the bottom so everything will drain out instead of pooling inside the housing.
We hold ourselves to a high standard because we know security is important. We want our product to be reliable and to stand up to stress better than I did against math. Since units cannot adapt once they are deployed, we work hard to prepare them to withstand extreme temperatures, precipitation, winds, and more. So no matter where you place a LVT Unit—whether it is at a remote jobsite hours away from maintenance technicians, a landfill with drastic temperature changes, or on a street corner that is covered in snow for months at a time—they are prepared to withstand environmental stressors that would otherwise affect your security.
