IDK....I have six outside pole mounted cameras that are directly exposed to the elements 24/7 and no issues so far after several years. I used sealing gaskets and some caulk where appropriate but that's it.In a nutshell, because many so-called "waterproof" claims of connectors, cameras and junction boxes are bullshit and sealants in themselves are not necessarily the ultimate solution.
I agree, I've had duct seal in outdoor junction box's for 10yrs, that the duct seal is still fine and doing it's job.
But then it's possible and very likely that you have the knack or have some know-how....trust me, there are many out there that have neither and couldn't pour pee out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel...hence, bad installs.IDK....I have six outside pole mounted cameras that are directly exposed to the elements 24/7 and no issues so far after several years. I used sealing gaskets and some caulk where appropriate but that's it.
I had been arguing that point with myself, this time around. A couple of years ago I added 3 outdoor receptacles + one security light to my house (with wiring routed into the boxes via PVC pipe, which is beside the point). For the junction boxes I recall drilling a tiny 1/16" or 1/8" hole in the bottom for potential water drainage. But I had also sealed the top side of the security light + junction box with outdoor, clear caulk.
First. I wanted to thank everyone for their good suggestions and input. That got me thinking about the "hole in the box" problem. I'm a hardcore engineer and hence I am over-analyzing this situation
I've been putting a lot of mental effort into the outdoor setup so that I don't have to return to it anytime soon for repairs or water infiltration.
BTW, that post you linked references something I also did in a link at the bottom of my post #6 above, which is using a non-gassing silicone sealant in specific areas of the camera, particularly when caulking the camera's pigtail entrance into the camera.
Most engineers are guilty of doing that.....First. I wanted to thank everyone for their good suggestions and input. That got me thinking about the "hole in the box" problem. I'm a hardcore engineer and hence I am over-analyzing this situation
Second, the problem is that I am not using a dome camera with a sealed base but rather some EmpireTech T5442T-ZE and TM-AS-S3 models which have an open base. That leaves the large hole in the box open to the outside unless I come up with a way to adequately seal it.
Third, I have 5+ boxes to play with and hence I can try using (1) duct seal, (2) caulking and (3) Alaska Country's interesting suggestion of the "NM/SE clamp connector" + 1/4 inch ID vinyl tubing (that is something I should have thought of myself!). I think all 3 suggestions are equally good. I have yet to mount the cameras but was awaiting all of this feedback before pulling the trigger.
However, I was concerned that the duct seal might fail in the harsh outdoor environment, as two cameras will be south and south-west facing and hence can experience -30C to +30C temp swings throughout the year.
.
diy.stackexchange.com
I did mine the same way except I went through the left side rear instead of underneath. I also used gray flex conduit so the wire is not exposed at all.
Most of us don't update camera firmware and new models don't come out very frequently as of late, at least not enough that many of us don't have the urge to replace. We may supplement adding a new camera that comes out to our existing system, but the last few new models I got didn't replace an existing cam. YMMV
