Mounting 5231 box or not?

[MacFun]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Here is an old thread discussing the matter:

Waterproofing cameras?

i have just installed several IPC 2331 / 5231 cameras with junction box P137 outdoor. Some of the cameras have a little notch cut out in the mounting frame where the cord would meet the ceiling ( if mounted without junction box). Do you seal this hole? It looks like there is no danger seeing...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[samplenhold]

I think so. The trim ring just hold the cam in place. I you do not use a box, then you drill a hole into, say the soffit, connect the cam to the ethernet, and shove the wire into the soffit. Then screw the trim ring containing the cam to the soffit.

If you use a watertight box, the camera wire passes through a grommet in the faceplate of the box. The ethernet comes into the box however you do it and connect to cam wire. The trim ring and cam get screwed onto the box faceplate and the faceplate is secured to the box. In some instances, the faceplate is first secured to the box, and then you attach the trim ring holding the cam.

The cam is the ball and is water tight. The trim ring just holds it in place.

 

[samplenhold]

The answers to that thread make no sense. The cam is the ball and is watertight. There are ample ways for water to get between the trim ring and the cam, like all around the fit between the cam and the trim ring. Why would you address the notch? There is no gasket between the trim ring and the cam or between the trim ring and the box faceplate.

 

[MacFun]

If you use a watertight box, the camera wire passes through a grommet in the faceplate of the box. The ethernet comes into the box however you do it and connect to cam wire. The trim ring and cam get screwed onto the box faceplate and the faceplate is secured to the box. In some instances, the faceplate is first secured to the box, and then you attach the trim...

Okay, referring to a turret cam manual, I’ll use the precise Dahua terms. What I was calling a trim ring, they call a Pedestal. And the cover around the eyeball with the security Allen type screw is called the Enclosure.

https://us.dahuasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/A22BJ63_Users-Manual_20180110.pdf

So, the pedestal connects to the water tight box but does not make a water tight seal because of the hole.... the eyeball camera sits in the 4 fingers of the pedestal, not water tight. The housing goes over the eyeball and itself is not water tight either. As a matter of fact it looks like water can get into the housing easily but cannot easily escape. So, it seems like a crappy design beyond the great optics, what am I missing here? The water tight box makes it less likely to get the wires wet at the connection and allows a smaller hole for the soffit protrusion and allows the removal and reinstalling of compatible cameras without messing with drywall style anchors. So, I see some benefit of the box, it’s just I see water drowning the eyeball with no real drain opportunity. I guess the hole in the pedestal is not a big deal since far larger holes allow water to go behind the eyeball itself. Let me know your thoughts, thanks!

 

[samplenhold]

You are way overanalyzing this. Water between the cam and the pedestal is not important. Water between the housing and the cam is not important. You could take the cam (eyeball part only) and hose it down. The water will not invade the cam. You could place the wire from the cam into the box through the rubber grommet and hose it down, it will not make a difference. The water will not get to anything important.

You are worried about water sitting between two painted metal parts. Look at it this way: water runs down hill. If you mount the box on a soffit, it is hanging upside down. So is the cam. Any water that some how finds it's way between the cam and the pedestal (like you decide to hose it down) will flow right back out through the space between the housing and the cam. If you mount it on a wall, the same thing will happen. It is not just going to sit there and some how find it's way into the cam or the box. Water will not pass through metal. There is no seal between the pedestal and the faceplate of the box.

It is actually a smart design as there is no way/place for the water to pool and potentially rust the screws.

I have had several cams mounted from boxes from hardiplank covered beams and on the side of my house in full exposure to rain for about two years. No issues.

 

[sebastiantombs]

I'm mildly OCD and block the notch in the base as well as the gap at the top of the ball with Duct Seal, but only to keep the wasps and other critters out.