camera pole

[jack in oz 0]

I have a Samsung box camera I intend to fit to my garage to monitor my driveway. It will be installed in an aluminium housing. My preference is to mount the housing to a TV antenna bracket bolted to the brick wall of the garage. This would allow me to mount the camera anywhere between 3m and 4.2m above the driveway. Here is the style of bracket I'm talking about:

 

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3200&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1016#4

 

I will need to make an adaptor of some sort to fix the housing to the pole. I have a metal lathe, so that shouldn't be too difficult. I would run the Cat5 down the centre of the pole and thru the wall.

 

I would appreciate any feedback on the pros and cons of this type of camera mount.

[jack in oz 0]

I've taken a couple of pics which I hope will help.

 

Plan A is to bolt the antenna bracket to the wall next to the alarm box in the photo. The camera will be pointed up the driveway towards where I took the photos from. My concern with this type of bracket is that they aren't very sturdy. They are certainly strong enough to support the weight of the camera, but I don't know how much it will sway in the wind.

 

Plan B is to cut a hole in the metal roof and use a thicker pole (say 32mm galvanised steel pipe) with a dektite flashing. The pole can then be secured to the timber trusses at two points which would be very rigid. One problem with this plan is if I ever want to move (or remove) the camera, I'm left with a hole in my garage roof that has to be sealed somehow.

 

Over to you.

Edited March 15, 2012 by Guest

[jack in oz 0]

Hmmm, 34 views and no responses yet. I assume most of you guys don't mount cameras on poles then?

 

So, how DO you mount cameras on low buildings and keep them high enough to be safe from being deliberately damaged? I could easily mount the camera on a wall bracket, but it would be reasonably easy for a burglar to reach up and tear the camera off the wall. Should I be worried about that possibility? Anyone coming down the driveway has already been recorded on the DVR anyway, so maybe it's not an issue?

[shockwave199 0]

You could consider installing vandal resistant dome cameras directly to your walls. That way it's low enough to have a chance at ID'ing someone from their face, as opposed to the top of their head from up on a pole. A dome mounted directly to your wall is very unlikely to be ripped down, and they can bash the hell out of them and the dome won't break. I wouldn't install cameras up on poles, in general. At least not the way you're thinking about. Even a mild wind will get the camera wobbling and such. The extra work just doing the install of a pole- I wouldn't do it. You have nice finishes to your structures. Low profile domes installed where you need them will work better for you I think- and look better too. Good luck.

[jack in oz 0]

Thanks shockwave. I tend to agree. I can't envisage any way of mounting a box camera without it detracting from the look of the place. I might save the box cameras I have for the sides of the house that aren't visible from the driveway.

 

If I buy a dome camera, would it be OK to mount it where I've drawn the red circle in the photo below?

[cctvmann 0]

Thanks shockwave. I tend to agree. I can't envisage any way of mounting a box camera without it detracting from the look of the place. I might save the box cameras I have for the sides of the house that aren't visible from the driveway.

 

If I buy a dome camera, would it be OK to mount it where I've drawn the red circle in the photo below?

heres another suggestion why no install a camera tower say 4/5 meter on the ground over where the boat trailer is say behind that. that would look better than drilling your brick work, place a speed dome on that tower and you have the best of both world, especially if you painted the tower black so it didnt stand out.

something similar to this maybe? obvously in your area of residence tho

http://www.bromsgrovecctv.co.uk/acatalog/WT-FMT4.jpg this is a company in the uk cause that where i live but where ever you live you should get a tower from a local supplier to you.

[Soundy 1]

Thanks shockwave. I tend to agree. I can't envisage any way of mounting a box camera without it detracting from the look of the place.

Moreso than the alarm box?

 

If I buy a dome camera, would it be OK to mount it where I've drawn the red circle in the photo below?

Sure can. I've installed plenty of CNB VCM-24VFs on walls like this. Punch a hole through for the wire, mount the back-box over the hole using Tapcon screws and a silicone bead to seal it to the wall, make the connections inside the back-box, mount the camera, aim and focus, and close it all up

 

heres another suggestion why no install a camera tower say 4/5 meter on the ground over where the boat trailer is say behind that.

 

Then you're back to the problem of the camera looking down on people's heads rather than seeing their faces.

 

place a speed dome on that tower and you have the best of both world

 

Except for the standard problem with speed domes, which is that they still only see whatever they're pointed at, and don't really give you any benefit unless there's a live operator controlling them.

[Soundy 1]

Here's a VCM-24VF, painted black and surface-mounted:

 

[jack in oz 0]

cctvman,

Thanks for the feedback. I saw similar poles to the one you linked during my initial googling, but I found they are very expensive.

 

Soundy,

True, the alarm box is pretty obvious, but I guess you WANT an alarm box to be obvious. No need to make matters any worse.

 

The photo of the black dome you posted doesn't show up for me. I just get a little blue square with a question mark in it. I'm glad to hear you have done plenty of wall mounted domes. Just to confirm tho, do domes maintain their weatherproof rating when mounted on walls? As you can see, there are no eaves on the garage to protect the camera. Or are some models rated for vertical mount and others not?

 

I found a CNB dealer in Oz that has a monalisa dome: http://www.bgwt.com.au/index.php?id=55

And also this vandal proof model: http://www.bgwt.com.au/assets/files/VBT-24_5_Z10F.pdf

 

Waiting to hear back on prices. Are either of those models OK?

 

There's also this samsung on ebay oz: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Samsung-SCC-931TP-Digital-Colour-Dome-Anti-Vandal-Dome-Camera-/400270965325?pt=AU_Security_Equipment&hash=item5d32023a4d#ht_10486wt_1075

 

1 Lux seems pretty poor though.

 

EDIT: price of CNB vandal-proof dome model VCB25-VF is OZ$203 or USD215. How does that compare to where you are?

[Soundy 1]

The photo of the black dome you posted doesn't show up for me. I just get a little blue square with a question mark in it. I'm glad to hear you have done plenty of wall mounted domes. Just to confirm tho, do domes maintain their weatherproof rating when mounted on walls? As you can see, there are no eaves on the garage to protect the camera. Or are some models rated for vertical mount and others not?

Sorry, fixed the link for you... I have one where it's mounted to a black tile wall too, but I'll have to find the picture of it...

 

Yes, the ones I'm talking about are still weatherproof. IP ratings, at least of IP65 and up (the CNBs are IP66) mean they have to withstand direct water spray (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code#Liquid_ingress_protection).

 

I found a CNB dealer in Oz that has a monalisa dome: http://www.bgwt.com.au/index.php?id=55

And also this vandal proof model: http://www.bgwt.com.au/assets/files/VBT-24_5_Z10F.pdf

 

Waiting to hear back on prices. Are either of those models OK?

 

The first one, I don't see any indication that it's an outdoor-rated dome. The picture looks like it's designed to flush-mount in a board or tile ceiling. The second one doesn't say anything about outdoor use or an IP rating either, and it's not a Monalisa model (plus, it's only a 1/4" CCD).

 

This is what I'm talking about: http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1073

 

The VCB models aren't Monalisa either (the Monalisa chip is what helps give these cameras their excellent low-light performance).

[jack in oz 0]

Thanks Soundy,

I can see the pic now. It looks good in black.

 

I wasn't aware that the monalisa was the chip-set. The camera you linked to has much better specs thah the one I linked. And it's cheaper. Pity it's NTSC. I'll see if I can source a PAL one from the UK.

[Soundy 1]

If I follow CNB's naming schemes, the version you'd want for PAL would be VCM-25VF.

 

The V indicates Vandal dome, the M indicates the Monalisa model. Here's CNB's page on the 24VF: http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1073

[jack in oz 0]

You are correct, that part number is the PAL version. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available in any English speaking country.

 

No problem, I have a saved search for a used dome on EBay. I can also get a new Samsung (at a price ) if EBay doesn't turn up anything.

[camera-newbie 0]

This is what I'm talking about: http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1073

 

The VCB models aren't Monalisa either (the Monalisa chip is what helps give these cameras their excellent low-light performance).

 

I was hoping I might try one of these guys out possibly.. Still doing my research..