Mailbox Camera

[TRLcam]

Great setup. What camera is that? Do you have any stats on power consumption etc for the camera, fan and link? Do have an problem with the battery running too low and the camera cutting out during a rainy week?

Wow, nice. I wish this all came in a kit for those of us who want to do something like this but do not have thesetup? set.
What was your all-in parts cost for the setup?

The camera is a Dahua IPC-HFW5231E-Z12. I did not measure the power consumption. The 100 watt panel keeps up fine in the summer even on cloudy days. But, I added another 100 watt panel to get it through the short days and long nights of winter.

As far as cost goes, this was built using leftover or salvaged parts from other projects. So my out of pocket expense was minimal.

 

[mat200]

I'm looking for ideas and suggestions.

My goal is to have a POE camera mounted externally to my wood 4x4 mailbox post which sits next to the street, the house is 125ft from the street. The camera should be seen as innocuous and ignored by anyone looking at it. I should be able to route the cable through the post in order to hide the cable and limit tampering. The quality of the camera should be high enough so license plates are legible.

Correction: The post is 6x6

@DanPOE check out what TRLcam did here...

 

[TRLcam]

The mailbox camera has been out there for a little over a year and it finally captured a drive-by mailbox opener.



The camera snaps a still image every second and on a larger screen I can read the license plate and see the vehicle make logo on the grill.

 

[IReallyLikePizza2]

Isn't messing with someone's mailbox a SERIOUS crime?

 

[TRLcam]

Only if you get caught.

I emailed this video to the local sheriff's office. They called me about an hour later and said they were going to investigate.

Isn't messing with someone's mailbox a SERIOUS crime?

 

[brianegge]

The camera snaps a still image every second and on a larger screen I can read the license plate and see the vehicle make logo on the grill.

I'm not sure which camera you have, but you may want to adjust your night settings. Switching to color isn't helping anyone, and you can tamp down the headlights so they don't wash our the picture. There are some suggestions in the LPR forum. Just park your car at night in the same spot and adjust your camera's night profile.

 

[TRLcam]

I'm not sure which camera you have, but you may want to adjust your night settings. Switching to color isn't helping anyone, and you can tamp down the headlights so they don't wash our the picture. There are some suggestions in the LPR forum. Just park your car at night in the same spot and adjust your camera's night profile.

This camera has "issues" and will be replaced in a few weeks. Settings seem to change on their own and I am constantly resetting. I'll play with the lighting with the new camera.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Try a physical reset of the camera, onboard reset button, then a couple of software defaults once it's back on line. Use Internet Explorer to make any adjustments. Edge, Chrome, Firefox or any of the chrome based browsers don't seem to work well with a lot of Dahua cameras.

 

[Flintstone61]

Settings seeming to change on their own.......like Focus and day/ night stuff? or worse than that?
You might be seeing the day/ night focus change thing people talk about.
if thats the issue than try aiming it down for less sky and more asphalt.
1/1000 shutter setting for nighttime with IR will deglare the headlights.

 

[Flintstone61]

Maybe you can make a magnetic tracking device race out from the weeds and jump on the Frame....

 

[IReallyLikePizza2]

Airtag launcher?

 

[TRLcam]

Try a physical reset of the camera, onboard reset button, then a couple of software defaults once it's back on line. Use Internet Explorer to make any adjustments. Edge, Chrome, Firefox or any of the chrome based browsers don't seem to work well with a lot of Dahua cameras.

I have been through the reset procedure a few times. The settings still change on their own. It's an older camera and just needs to be replaced.

 

[TRLcam]

Airtag launcher?

An airtag launcher would work, but a RPG would make for a better YouTube video.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Are you using IE for the browser though? It's still baked in to Win10. Just type "explorer" into the search box and bingo.

 

[TRLcam]

Another mailbox checker. At 11:29 PM.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Look like he's three sheets to the wind, too.

 

[Snapper30]

Any news to report from the NOV incident?

 

[TRLcam]

Nothing that I know of. It would be nice if they called but I would be surprised if they did. I sent them the latest clip.

 

[redpoint5]

Next project, video guided artillery.

 

[TonyR]

Next project, video guided artillery.

Or a small package with a glitter/stink/red dye bomb!

Hmmm. I wonder if the dye packs that banks throw in the cash bag when robbed are easy to come by?

P.S. - I detest thieves!