Re: Outdoor camera connections.

["E DAWSON" <edawson@xxxxxxxx>]

"Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6179f59e-cef2-46d0-b314-988b1aba81a6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have an installation of outdoor cameras on a brick building coming up.
It's a nice looking building and I'd like some ideas for mounting the
cameras and find out how you-all are terminating the camera connections. On
other jobs that I've done I've used treated wood either screwed or masonary
nailed to the cement block and used a weather proof 4X4 plastic box for the
connections. All mounted to a smooth cement brick surface. Really commercial
and not necessary to be "pretty".

This next job has colored unevenly textured bricks which is going to be hard
to attach a board to evenly and a anyway ...... a piece of treated wood and
a grey plastic box isn't going to look too good on the front of this nice
building.
I'll be using bullet cameras and the connection leads are only about a foot
long. I presently use compression fittings for the wires going into the box
and caulk the wire hole through the wall. I'll be using baluns so I need the
box.

Any suggestions?

Hi,

I am thinking perhaps outside the "box" here, or should I say inside. You
say that the connection leads are about a foot long, and based upon this you
want to use a box on the outside of this very nice building to hide your
baluns and connectors.

If it was me, I would get some 2'-3' power extenders for the 12v or 24v lead
from the camera; that should get you thru the wall into someplace more
suitable for your final connectors.

For the video lead, do the same thing by making or buying a video extender
cable. Again, that gets you thru the wall. Of course, I am assuming that
this takes you into some kind of ceiling or something. If not, you could
still put a box inside a building...usually looks better than outside the
front of a building.

Now all you will need to do is to drill a hole about 3/4" to 1" thru the
wall and pass the wires thru. The flange on a bullet camera should easily
cover the hole that you drilled. Also, you should be able to find a spot
that is smooth enough for the flange. Now all you will see on the outside is
the camera...much prettier.

A video connector is just a hair under 5/8". I can get the cables thru on a
3/4" hole by first taping the video connector to the thin wire of the power
lead. Basically, you are staggering your actual connectors so that they are
offset to each other, the power and video connectors are never lined up
together. Pretend that you have a shorter power lead from the camera than
the video lead and I think you will get the picture.

I usually find a "T" in the grout joint between bricks to drill thru much
softer cement than bricks. That is the place that the biggest hole can be
drilled much more easily. Bring some aspirin for your shoulder if you drill
thru the brick without a hammer drill. I attempted to do that a while ago.
The hole had to be in a specific spot because of this particular building. I
gave up after 20 minutes of fruitless drilling 16' up in a ladder. Home
Depoed it the next morning with the "Holenator", makes brick feel like Swiss
cheese instead.

Hope this helps you.