How to choose a pan and tilt positioner?

In the pan tilt positioner market, there are many different options, so how do you choose a suitable model?

It is suggested to consider from five aspects: rotation speed, rotation angle, working voltage, load capacity, control , and environmental features.

1. Rotation Speed

Pan tilt unit with AC motors rotates at constant speed. For horizontal rotation, the speed is usually 4°/sec to 6°/sec. The vertical rotation speed is 3°/sec to 6°/sec.

DC stepper motors pan tilt unit rotates faster with variable speed and tracks the moving target more quickly. The maximum horizontal speed can reach 40-50°/second, and the vertical speed can reach 10-24°/second.

2. Rotation Angle

The installation of the load determines the rotation angle of the pan and tilt unit, especially the tilt angle. The load devices are commonly the camera housing, camera, and lens. The pan tilt unit can usually rotate 360° in pan direction without limits. Users can also set a rotation limit based on the requirement.

The vertical rotation angle of a top-mounted pan and tilt is usually +30° to -90°. A side-mounted pan tilt head can rotate vertically up to ±180°.

3. Working voltage

Pan tilt positioners work with 4 different powers: 24VDC, 24VAC, 220VAC or 12VDC.

Please uset the correct power supply, otherwise, the unit will burn out.

4. Load Capacity

Pan and tilt unit can load devices within it maximum load capacity. Choose the right pan tilt unit based on the total weight of the camera and its housing or other devices.

The load capacity of the pan tilt unit can range from 3kg to 120kg. Side-mounted unit can hold more weight than top-mounted unit. And the faster the rotation speed is, the less the load capacity will be.

5. Control

Pan tilt unit control has a few main factors including control protocol, address, baudrate and interface etc.

Control protocols are Pelco P or Pelco D protocol with optional communication baudrate from 2400~19200bps.

Address is from 1 to 255.

RS485, RS422 or RS232 interfaces are used for pan tilt control. And Ethernet RJ45 port is also available for pan tilt control with additionally built-in RS485 to Ethernet sever.

6. Environmental Features

Environment features include working temperature, working humidity and ingress protection level for dust and water resistance.

The temperature range of the pan tilt unit used in the general outdoor environment is -20℃ to +60℃. When the pan and tilt is used at a low temperature environment around -40℃, we will need to add an addtional heater inside.

The working humidity is generally 95% without condensation.

The ingress protection level for dust and water resistance should reach IP66 or above. The protection level reflects the sealing degree of the equipment, mainly referring to the intrusion of dust and liquid.