Custom Stealth Camera Installation

CamFan

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This is an design/build/install I completed back in early 2017, been working flawlessly since.

It's a driveway camera install, inside a brick-mailbox, looking back along a driveway. The requirement was to be stealth. Main concern that a low camera would be vulnerable to being blocked or vandalized, as the mailbox is not that tall and camera is about 4ft off the ground.

Not wanting a super-wide angle lens (capture license plates), the angle of the mailbox and the location of a vehicle and a tree presented a difficult challenge. The camera had to be mounted at a 35 degree angle from the mailbox. Other challenges, the mailbox was located about 450 ft from the house, in an location that gets full California sun and extreme summer temps well over 110 deg F.

The camera chosen was a Hik 2032 with an 8mm lens. Luckily the mailbox hadn't been built, so I spec'd out a outdoor rated access panel to be installed.

Once I figured the 8mm FOV cone, I was able to design a flange that had minimal opening for the camera.

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Internally, the the camera body and front end had to be re-designed, keeping everything properly sealed and maintaining same thermal performance. The front end holds the glass in place, with oring seals, and achieved the desired angle.
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Glass I used was much better quality and coating than the stock camera. To keep it stealth, the IR LEDs were disabled, removed. IR illumination is being provided elsewhere.

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Body replacement was professionally 3d printed from nylon, reusing the hardware and seals from the Hik body.

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Here is the camera assembled.

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Here it is installed. Foliage is a bit overgrown, but doesn't hinder the ability to get license plates.

Cropped image from the camera
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aesterling

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Wow, that’s impressive! I’d love to see a wider shot of the mailbox to understand the placement. It could be the side of a house from that tight shot :) Very nice work!
 

saltwater

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Very nice indeed. I'm hoping to do the same thing, my house is currently under construction but I have laid 3 cables, buried underground, that will eventually make their way to a letterbox. I still have to think of a stealthy type of letterbox setup.
 

CamFan

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Any recommendations on a small replacement camera for this install? It needs to be small, bullet shaped, and looking for better nighttime visibility.
 
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