Rooftop Camera ?

ThomasPI

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Anyone ever mount a cam up on their roof top with any success? In looking at a few pics of various PTZ cameras, I came up with what is probably a dumb idea but what the hell. Our new house sits on the bay, well directly across the street. In measuring, the top of my roof is about 25'above the roadway and if I were to mount cam on a parapet type mount on a tripod mount that was say 5 or maybe 6' max, I'd get a decent view of the bay. Pic is taken from a drone at 29' above the ground level. This is Perdido Bay in Perdido Key FL. We are doing all of the prewire during the build so another set of wires is not a big deal. More likely more trouble than it's worth but hell, doesn't cost anything to ask. No idea what i'd put up there, just kind of tossing this out there for some input.

29'view2.jpg
 

Broachoski

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Go for it! I do not think it is a bad idea at all as I have considered a similar setup on my property to watch deer and cattle.
 

Bigred

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I'm thinking of the same thing. However, I realize I will have to periodically clean the lens, so I'm hesitant about mounting a camera in a hard to reach area. Have you considered this problem?
 

ThomasPI

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I'm thinking of the same thing. However, I realize I will have to periodically clean the lens, so I'm hesitant about mounting a camera in a hard to reach area. Have you considered this problem?
Sure have but in the military the taught me “where there is a will there is a way”. I reviewed my house plan again and so as to avoid outing bolts thru my roof I’d mount at about 20’ which means I need a longer mount, say 9’ and that poses a new issue. We shall see, the roof deck will be spray foamed so no holes in the roof. I’d lean towards a telescopic mast, think TV broadcast news vans onsite with a news crew.
 
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area651

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personally I think this is an awesome idea. Look on Dahaua's page and they have videos of them showing cameras doing exactly this.

cant find the video I was thinking of but this one shows some of it.
 

ThomasPI

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Pretty much would be a weather cam and we’ve got a hip roof that I really don’t want to penetrate. Getting the camera to the right height poses a big issue.
 

looney2ns

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Pretty much would be a weather cam and we’ve got a hip roof that I really don’t want to penetrate. Getting the camera to the right height poses a big issue.
What will the roofing material it's self be? What will the decking be? What will the roof pitch be?

I've had something mounted on my roofs since I was a kid, and still do today. Tv antennas, Cb Antennas, Short wave radio, Police scanner antennas, Web cams, Weather station equipment, etc.
I've never had a issue with any signs of leakage when properly installed.

If you use pitch pads under the feet, and then roofing cement on top of the heads of the lag bolts, I've never had an issue.
You would want to be sure to have the builder install extra blocking under the decking, secured to the rafters, anywhere a cam may be placed.

And yes, the lens will need periodic cleaning.

hinged towers, telescoping tv towers, telescoping antenna poles, eve mounts. Keep in mind, unless you guy it well, you will get some picture shake anytime you zoom in, even in realtivly light wind conditions. So you need a good solid pole to mounting it on, or it will need guy wires.
For giggles, I'd throw a TV antenna up there as well.20170324_164413.jpg Roof.jpg
My current roof mounts.
 

ThomasPI

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Thanks, roof is Certainteed 50 years shingles and roof is a 6/12 pitch hip roof. That mount looks solid, I can prolly get a roofer to install for me “off the clock” and I can supply everything. Just need to figure out how to run Cat6 without causing issues. I’d think a 6’ mount would be plenty. Now I’m thinking 45X Zoom, y’all are costing me money lol.
 

looney2ns

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6/12 pitch isn't too steep to get up to the cam.

Thinking out loud.
Talk to your electrician about using 2.5" to 3" rigid metal conduit.
Mounted in attic securely. Extending through roof, with a proper flashing boot.
Mount cam to conduit.
Run needed cables from attic through the conduit to a weatherhead or such on top of conduit.
Out to jucntion box for camera.
Cables protected, and easy to replace or add too if ever needed.
Pole and cam properly grounded to earth as required.
@ThomasPI
 
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