Installing Wired Cameras

[KryziK]

Hello!

I'm setting up some wired cameras for the first time (to replace some Arlo wireless cameras that are total garbage). I've poked around here and other places for best practices, and I just wanted to get a final plan in place for the new cameras.

I'm considering either some Unifi G3-PRO's, or maybe some Amcrest UltraHD 4K bullet cameras. Which camera I choose isn't necessarily important.

Anyways, my current cameras are installed into the side of the house (see picture). Because they're 100% wireless, this isn't a problem. However, I'm worried that I wont easily be able to do the same thing with a wired camera (I assume that there's some brick behind this part). With this in mind, I was planning on mounting them to the soffit.

The picture here shows my current setup, and what the soffit looks like. Basically, 2 cameras are on the same face of the house, pointed in such a way that they overlap a little bit. I'm not sure if this is the configuration I want to keep with the new cameras, but it shouldn't matter much. I'm open to suggestions, but my primary question is:

What is the best way to mount a (likely heavy) bullet camera to the soffit? The angled nature of my roof makes it quite hard to see what's behind the soffit from within the attic; I don't know if there's a gap and plywood, or just empty space, etc. Also, if you look closely enough, there are some nails in the soffit, so I don't know how easy it would be to install from outside of the house. From some research, it looks like it's best to nail in a 2x4 in the attic and then attach the camera into that 2x4, through the soffit?

I want to make the smallest possible footprint in the soffit/siding as possible, considering I don't want to have to patch up a large hole if I choose to move, for example.

Any help is appreciated! If the answer really depends on what's behind the soffit, then I can try to get up in the attic and selfie stick some pictures.

 

[SouthernYankee]

welcome to the forum.
Please read the cliff notes and other items in the wiki. the wiki is in the blue bar at he pot of the page.

Read, study, plan before spending money.... plan, plan, plan.

I would recommend Dahua (starlight) , Hikvision (dark fighter) or IPCT (renamed hikvision) cameras only. If you plan on getting night images.

Are you trying to see what happend or who did it. If it is who did it your cameras are way to high, Test it with your current cameras, have a friend put on a hoodie, sun glasses , baseball cap, walk you to the front door, have your wife identify them. If not easily done then the cameras are way to high.

Do not use bullet cameras use turret cameras.

 

[mat200]

Hello!

I'm setting up some wired cameras for the first time (to replace some Arlo wireless cameras that are total garbage). I've poked around here and other places for best practices, and I just wanted to get a final plan in place for the new cameras.
...

Welcome @KryziK

If you're planing to mount that high, I would get varifocal cameras and aim them to capture suspect further away from the camera. You want to get a good angle on a suspect who maybe wearing a cap and hoodie. If you hope to get good ID images of suspects under those cameras, that will only happen if they decide to look up at the cameras.

Check the forum out for others who have brick on their homes to see what they've been doing.

 

[KryziK]

welcome to the forum.
Please read the cliff notes and other items in the wiki. the wiki is in the blue bar at he pot of the page.

Read, study, plan before spending money.... plan, plan, plan.

I would recommend Dahua (starlight) , Hikvision (dark fighter) or IPCT (renamed hikvision) cameras only. If you plan on getting night images.

Are you trying to see what happend or who did it. If it is who did it your cameras are way to high, Test it with your current cameras, have a friend put on a hoodie, sun glasses , baseball cap, walk you to the front door, have your wife identify them. If not easily done then the cameras are way to high.

Do not use bullet cameras use turret cameras.

Thanks for your reply. However maybe you've misunderstood. I'm just looking for advice on the installation in my soffit. The cameras, features, and configuring night vision aren't a problem.

Welcome @KryziK

If you're planing to mount that high, I would get varifocal cameras and aim them to capture suspect further away from the camera. You want to get a good angle on a suspect who maybe wearing a cap and hoodie. If you hope to get good ID images of suspects under those cameras, that will only happen if they decide to look up at the cameras.

Check the forum out for others who have brick on their homes to see what they've been doing.

Thanks!

Not sure how high the pictures make the soffit look, but it's a single story, probably around 8 feet. Especially if someone walks up to the door, it's out of reach horizontally, but vertically probably 6 feet. I'll search around on the forum, but I see no good reason for them to be any lower than they are, or else they might be reachable without a ladder.

 

[TonyR]

Here ya go: Mounting to Soffit with no backing?

Regarding brick, I'd only drill the mortar and put in expanding anchors for screws BUT......I'd avoid that and use the vertical board as they are now.

I understand you stated "....The cameras, features, and configuring night vision aren't a problem" but if I were you I'd reconsider the decision to use bullet cameras and not turret style.

Why not mount the new cams on the appropriate box (to protect the cam's pigtail and allow only a 3/8" hole in the soffit for the un-terminated CAT-5e/6) and mount right where the old cams are now? Just use outdoor rated cable if any is exposed, jamb the box and cam up as high as it will fit on that vertical and screw it down? The cable would be short and would go directly into the soffit and into the attic. If cable comes into side of box just use a drip loop in the cable going into the box with a gland-style screw connector, then seal with silicone sealant.

 

[KryziK]

Here ya go: Mounting to Soffit with no backing?

Regarding brick, I'd only drill the mortar and put in expanding anchors for screws BUT......I'd avoid that and use the vertical board as they are now.

I understand you stated "....The cameras, features, and configuring night vision aren't a problem" but if I were you I'd reconsider the decision to use bullet cameras and not turret style.

Why not mount the new cams on the appropriate box (to protect the cam's pigtail and allow only a 3/8" hole in the soffit for the un-terminated CAT-5e/6) and mount right where the old cams are now? Just use outdoor rated cable if any is exposed, jamb the box and cam up as high as it will fit on that vertical and screw it down? The cable would be short and would go directly into the soffit and into the attic. If cable comes into side of box just use a drip loop in the cable going into the box with a gland-style screw connector, then seal with silicone sealant.

This is actually a pretty good idea that I didn't think of. I kind of tossed out the idea of a box because I didn't want it to be heavier and make the camera stick out so far, but likely it wont be an issue attached to the vertical board and not the soffit.

Then the cable coming out of the box and into the house just needs a hole in the soffit? Or would there be a way to get it tucked in the edge of the soffit without damaging the cable?

 

[TonyR]

Then the cable coming out of the box and into the house just needs a hole in the soffit? Or would there be a way to get it tucked in the edge of the soffit without damaging the cable?

Looks like the horizontal soffit and narrow trim is vinyl, so you may be able to lift the house-side soffit, notch it will a rotating 3/8" drill bit, lay in the cable and let it back down, put notch in trim that aligns up with the notch in the soffit. The notches would be so the vinyl soffit lays flat on the trim, kind of like if you've ever notched suspended, acoustic ceiling tiles to get them to lay back down flat on the T-bar.

==OR==

DO THIS FIRST:
Since it's not easy (and oftentimes ill-advised) to offer advice on something unseen, you might be able to just drill vertically right thru the trim and thru the soffit at the same time, close to the brick. I'd go up and check it out, lift the vinyl soffit, eyeball it to see what will work.