I need ideas, on where to install a camera at the entrance
- Thread starter tibimakai
- Start date
Like this one a lot. The ridiculously low cost of the bird house makes it a no-brainer. Painting it to match your exterior decor raises the WAF considerably.
Sybertiger
Known around here
So...what's the deal? You have enemies or someone hates garbage cans on the curb or Don Quixote lives in your 'hood?
windguy
Getting comfortable
I agree. I'm in for two of these. Tibimakai did a fantastic job in engineering this solution. I plan to pole mount these and will need to figure out how to incorporate some type of junction box to make the cable connection.
Had to look up what "WAF" meant, like I have to do for most urban lingo these days, but true (assuming you meant Wife Acceptance Factor). I asked my wife about her thoughts on painting them and she instantly said house colors, the body to match the wall color and the roof to match the trim. No point in countering that suggestion even though a natural stain finish and varnish top coat comes to mind. We'll see.
I have no idea what was the deal, but I have him on four of my cameras, including the LPR one as well.
If it happens again, I will go to the police.
It is a very close circle, where I live and I don't recognize that car.
windguy
Getting comfortable
I think this guy was at Happy Hour too long plus you can see in the first image he's holding the phone to his ear with his left hand. Totally distracted, drunk and probably just a crappy driver to boot. We can add him to the Mr. Magoo driver's club.
On the left side there is a curve, he takes that turn, and he points exactly at my trash cans. Before he reaches them, slows down suddenly to almost a stop, and then he slams the gas pedal to the floor. My LPR did not even "see" the motion, it went through that fast.
Two of my trash cans, ended up in my neighbors driveway. The green one, has a ripped off cover. My neighbor is a policeman, when we told him about this incident, he was laughing.
Two of my trash cans, ended up in my neighbors driveway. The green one, has a ripped off cover. My neighbor is a policeman, when we told him about this incident, he was laughing.
Picked up my two birdhouses on the way home from work tonight. Used a box-cutter with a fresh sharp blade to start breaking the glue around the base plate. Once that was done, a 4-inch putty knife was gently tapped into the space with a hammer to break the rest of the glue apart. It took three rotations to get it completely free. I'm going to use an ESP32CAM module in mine, so I cut a 2.25-inch wide strip of 1/8 plywood and then cut that into two three-inch long strips. These received a drilled hole for the camera module to peek through, then got spray-painted flat black. They're drying right now. Wife wants to paint one, so if I don't destroy the first one installing the little camera module, she gets to paint the other one.
Nice. I'm glad that I have managed to inspire some of you.
My next project, that I'm working on, is to have like a IR beam, that reaches like a couple of hundreds of feet(two houses away), for my LPR camera.
Purchased some 5W LEDs, some LED drivers. I'm looking into some kind of flashlight, that has a big lens in front, something like 75-78 mm.
My next project, that I'm working on, is to have like a IR beam, that reaches like a couple of hundreds of feet(two houses away), for my LPR camera.
Purchased some 5W LEDs, some LED drivers. I'm looking into some kind of flashlight, that has a big lens in front, something like 75-78 mm.
windguy
Getting comfortable
Ha ha, you're making more progress than me. No fair
Please share some pics of your setup. Not familiar with that type of camera. Quick search shows it's a WiFi camera, yes?
Let your wife paint away or else you're doomed!
Even though these are a low cost birdhouse - Reg $5.49, you can download coupons or get coupon codes from Michael's website for 40% off, link below. Coupon savings may vary per store or day. I used two coupons, but the cashier had to ring them up separately. I'll end up spending more on the pole mounting setup than the cost of the birdhouse. Working on that design right now, but as with everything else, I'll over think it and it will take me forever to get done.
Very good point. I think I got 40% off both for about $3.70 each. Pictures coming as the paint dries and I can move things around.Even though these are a low cost birdhouse - Reg $5.49, you can download coupons or get coupon codes from Michael's website for 40% off, link below. Coupon savings may vary per store or day. I used two coupons, but the cashier had to ring them up separately. I'll end up spending more on the pole mounting setup than the cost of the birdhouse. Working on that design right now, but as with everything else, I'll over think it and it will take me forever to get done.
Details about using it in ESPHome are
I'm using an older Hikvision cube cam instead. I had an ancient DH-IPC-4233C Chinese turret laying around, but decided to trash it instead. I didn't feel like opening up the hole in the side of the birdhouse to make room for it. Besides, the cube cam can be PoE powered and hard wired.
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windguy
Getting comfortable
Finally (after seven months) got one of two birdhouse cams up and running. This T5442 6.0m cam is the approach to the entry area covering the driveway pad. Last one is painted and ready to go for the entry area but I've been using the T5442 3.6m cam for monitoring the veggie garden for rats and don't want to give it up just yet.
Two birdhouse pics below and one snapshot of a real life test of someone leaving ad crap on the doormat.
Many thanks to @tibimakai for pioneering this design and offering design help.
Two birdhouse pics below and one snapshot of a real life test of someone leaving ad crap on the doormat.
Many thanks to @tibimakai for pioneering this design and offering design help.
Nice job. The hardest part is, to mount the camera at the right angle.
What did you use to open up the 'hole' for the camera lens? Jigsaw? If so, that's an awfully steady hand you've got.
windguy
Getting comfortable
Thanks!
Yes, getting the right camera angle take some effort. I tested so many times during the build process even right up until the final install steps.
The camera angle is a tradeoff of getting just the right sweet spot. The original cam location was hanging off the eaves in the corner, but that would have been a hat camera and not a face camera. Your birdhouse idea lets you get a nice low face shot without being too obvious. This solution is a lot more work but it's worth it.