Lift for installing CCTV cameras and antennas

Cameras, antennas, radio links and sensors at height are installed from a cherry picker (aerial work platform, MEWP). Inside a hall you use an electric scissor lift of 7.7–14.3 m or a narrow vertical mast lift; on a façade, a pole or at roof level you use an articulating boom lift of 15–26 m, whose platform goes over ramps, canopies and parked cars. The installer has both hands free, tools and cables in the platform, and the mounting point at chest height, so the work goes several times faster than from a ladder and without the risk of a fall. Below: which type suits which job, how to calculate height and outreach, and how to plan the rent.

Which lift for cameras, antennas and sensors?

• Electric scissor lift — 7.7–14.3 m, for halls, warehouses, shops and garages: ceiling cameras, Wi-Fi access points, detectors, cable trunking. Quiet, emission-free, on non-marking tyres; the platform holds two people and a cable drum. The smallest models are 0.76–0.81 m wide and pass through doorways (narrow 8–10 m lift).
• Self-propelled vertical mast lift — for one person, for narrow aisles between racking and cluttered interiors where a scissor lift will not fit.
• Electric articulating boom lift — 15 m working height, horizontal outreach 7.6–8.9 m (Manitou 150 AET2, 150 AETJ-C, Haulotte HA15 IP): façades and building corners from a hard-surfaced yard, hall interiors above production lines; the JLG M600JP reaches 20.4 m.
• Diesel articulating boom lift 4×4 — 16–26 m and higher, for grass, gravel and building sites: cameras on poles and floodlight masts, antennas and radio links at the top of walls, CCTV for car parks, storage yards and photovoltaic farms. The 16 m models (Manitou 160 ATJ, JLG 450AJ SII, Haulotte HA16 PX) have a horizontal outreach of 7.5–9.2 m, the 20 m ones (Genie Z-60/34, Haulotte HA20 PX) 11–13.5 m.

How do you calculate height and outreach?

The working height of a lift is the height of the platform floor plus about 2 m of arm reach. For mounting a camera or antenna, however, it is more comfortable to work at chest height, so a margin is added to the height of the mounting point:

• camera or sensor at 6 m: an 8 m lift,
• camera under the roof of a hall at 10 m: a 12 m lift,
• antenna at the top of a 14 m wall: a 16 m articulating boom lift,
• mast or antenna above the parapet of a building of 4 to 6 storeys: a 20–26 m articulating boom lift.

With an articulating boom lift you should also check the horizontal outreach: the distance from the centre of the machine to the wall, measured over the obstacle (ramp, planting, parking bay). Full outreach is available only at part of the height; the reach chart shows this. You will find more about selection in the article how to choose the working height.

How do you organise an installation from a lift?

• Order of points — a route along the wall or aisle without going back; brackets, junction boxes and lengths of cable prepared on the ground.
• Platform capacity — the platform of an articulating boom lift usually carries 200–270 kg, which means two people with tools; the platform of an electric scissor lift 227–565 kg. Cable drums and heavier items count towards the capacity.
• Ground — an electric scissor lift needs a level, hard floor; on grass and unsurfaced ground only a 4×4 machine will do. The machine weight (from 1.5 t for a scissor lift to 4–17 t for an articulating boom lift) is compared with the load capacity of the floor or of a garage deck (how much does a lift weigh).
• Power lines — near poles and on the plot boundary you keep a safe distance from overhead lines; work near them is agreed with the network operator.
• Wind — outdoors the wind speed limit from the machine manual applies; large antennas and boards act like a sail and are not attached to the platform guardrails.
• Qualifications — an operator with a UDT certificate; crews without one take the machine with an operator.

For how long should you rent, and what should the enquiry include?

A few cameras or a single antenna usually take one day; a complete CCTV system for a hall or housing estate takes from a few days to two weeks. In the enquiry it is enough to give: the height of the highest mounting point, the distance from the parking position to the wall, the type of ground (floor, paving, grass), the width of gates and passages, and the date. We will choose the model, arrange delivery and collect it after the work. How it works step by step is described in the article how to rent a lift.

Frequently asked questions

Which lift should I use to install CCTV cameras?

In a hall, warehouse or shop, ceiling-mounted cameras are installed from an electric scissor lift (in our fleet 7.7–14.3 m working height) or from a narrow vertical mast lift that fits between racking. On a façade, pole or building corner you need an articulating boom lift: an electric 15 m model on a hard-surfaced yard, or a diesel 4×4 model of 16–26 m on grass, gravel and building sites. The boom takes the platform over a loading ramp, canopy or parked cars.

How high should the lift be for a camera or antenna on a façade?

Working height is calculated as the height of the mounting point plus a margin: the platform should stand so that the installer works at chest height rather than overhead. A camera at 6 m needs an 8 m lift, one at 10 m needs a 12 m lift, and an antenna at the top of a 14 m wall needs a 16 m articulating boom lift. With an articulating boom, horizontal outreach matters just as much: the distance from the parking position to the wall, measured over any obstacle.

Can I use a lift to work on an antenna mast on a roof?

Yes, if the platform can reach the mast from ground level. A 20–26 m articulating boom lift reaches over the parapet of a building of 4 to 6 storeys and lets you replace an antenna, bracket or cable without climbing onto the roof. We do not stand a lift on the roof itself unless the designer confirms the load capacity of the structure. Heavy aerials must not be lifted in the platform beyond its capacity (230 kg including people and tools).

For how many days should I rent a lift for a CCTV installation?

A few cameras on one building usually take 1 day of work from the lift. A whole system of a dozen to several dozen points with cabling in trunking takes from a few days to two weeks, and the lower daily rate for longer rentals then applies. Preparation shortens the job: cable routes and brackets ready on the ground, and the order of points planned so that the machine travels along the wall without going back.

Does a CCTV installer need a UDT licence to operate a lift?

Yes. A self-propelled scissor lift, articulating boom lift or mast lift is a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), and it must be operated by a person holding a qualification certificate from the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT) for the relevant type of platform (for a mast lift, check the correct category with UDT). Installation companies without the qualification rent the machine with an operator or send an employee on a course. In the platform a safety harness with a lanyard attached to the anchor point is mandatory.