Rainbow in the dock

Rainbow CCTV’s 8.5-85mm varifocal lenses have been installed for long-range observation at Marine Terminals in Dublin Port.

The units are being used at the “lift on/lift off” container section of the docks complex at Dublin Bay.  They are assisting the client, Marine Terminals Limited, to comply with the increasingly rigorous homeland security requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), created after the September 11th attacks.

The aims of the legislation are to monitor the flow of freight vessels effectively, combat smuggling and minimise terrorist threats to port facilities.

Dublin docks, the largest in Ireland at 1,300 acres, are situated at the mouth of the River Liffey. The port caters for all shipping modes.  A new river berth for containers was completed in 2004 and there has recently been significant landscaping work along the port's northern shore.  The ferry terminals are the busiest in Ireland with 18 sailings daily to the UK and the continent.

The project consultant is Mr Des Carrick of converge.ie, formerly managing director of NTSC.  He said: “The lenses were chosen for this project because they not only give high resolution images but bring a flexibility to the application.  Rainbow gave us the quality we wanted at a price that was attractive.”

Following the success of the Dublin installation, Marine Terminals asked converge.ie to provide a similar solution for their sister terminal operated by Coastal Container Line at Victoria Terminal 3, in the Port of Belfast and this has just been completed.

Converge.ie combines CCTV distribution with systems-based solutions on major infrastructure projects.  The company is closely involved with the training of the end-user’s engineers on all its installations.

About the lenses

With a focal length of 8.5-85mm these lenses are more correctly referred to as ‘vari-zoom.’ Rainbow vari-zooms give zoom lens performance while offering cost benefits over traditional zoom lenses.

The 1/2” model used on this application is direct drive with an F1.6~F360 iris and built-in ND spot filter.  It is also compatible with 1/3” and 1/4” cameras. The lens accommodates varying light levels as well as offering added depth and width through the focal length variant.