What do I need to do for a proper install?

freddyq

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Hi all,

I'm about to finalise my camera and NVR kit so turning attention to the install. I've already got CAT6 cables running from inside my house to the outside, coming out at locations close to where the cameras will eventually go.

Along with the Dahua cameras I will also buy wall mounts and from what I've read on this forum, the wall mount should provide rainwater protection to the RJ45 connection to the camera. I will also seal around the outside edge of the mount to be extra sure.

The only other thing I can think of that I need to do is protect any lengths of cable which are running along the house to the camera locations and also have some clips to run the cable along/up the walls.

Have I missed anything else? What is the best method of cable protection which isn't too ugly or obvious to look at?

TIA!
 

freddyq

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Yep I read through the installation tools and accessories and am comfortable with everything in there. The only thing I don't have is the cameras yet plus stuff like cable protection, hooks etc. which I mentioned in my original post.
 

Olivier

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I started my installation by running clips to secure 1/2 PVC conduits. The conduits are grey, so it will match right under the roof and will protect the wires. I figured that I can fit 4 cat6 cables in each 1/2 conduit, which enough for me if i run them on both side (giving me 4 cams on each site of house).
 

bababouy

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cameras7.jpg

If you want to protect the cables and you want them to last, run your cables in conduit. Keep it high under your overhang and paint it if it sticks out to much. Make sure you put a clamp at least every 3' to keep the pipe from sagging and pulling apart.
 

freddyq

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Thanks @bababouy. My challenge is that unlike your setup, one of my cameras which will cover the front of the house is going to be placed about half way up the house on the far right as you look from the front. But when I had the cables run I didn't know exactly where the camera would go so the cable comes out half way up the house but in the centre. So effectively I'll need to run the cable across the front of the house from the centre to the far right where the camera will need to go. If there is no alternative to conduit then that's what I'll have to use but try and find a colour which matches the bricks or just paint it. Alternatively, I could place the camera in the centre where the cable is coming out of the house but I'll need to experiment if that provides sufficient coverage of the drive.

Out of interest, what are the two boxes? One right behind the camera and the other above the nearest window.
 

bababouy

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The large one that the bullet is mounted to houses several wires. I was originally going to put two more cameras in this location, so I ran three wires here. The smaller box houses another cable that ends just short of the large box, so in this location I ran 4 cables total. I was also planning to add a PIR below the small box because we had our camper parked on this side of the house. This is a pic of that side of the yard, about two days after hurricane Irma last year. The landscaping changed a bit by the time we were done cleaning things up, so I didn't need as many cameras as first planned.


truckpicafterirma (2).jpg
 

freddyq

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Gotcha. I will also likely have extra cable after I've run it to the camera location so I'll need to use one of those boxes. What are they called?
 

freddyq

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I still need to buy the wall mount for the Dahua camera right? Would the wall mount fix on top of the junction box or would the junction box go near the csemra?
 

bababouy

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I like to use the PVC boxes to mount the cameras to. If you are going to mount more than one camera to the box, you can use a bigger box like a 4x4x4, 6x6x4 or an 8x8x4. The larger box in the first pic is a 8x8x4.cameras6.jpg cameras4.jpg
 

freddyq

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So I do still need the wall mount for the camera I'm going to buy? Just that I'd mount that on the junction box instead of the wall and fix the junction box to the wall?
 

bababouy

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You can use either, but no reason for both. The pvc box acts a junction box because it houses your connections much like a junction box. If your cables are going to come out of the house and your camera will go on the outside, use the wall mount. If you need to run conduit along the wall or under the eve to the position where you want the camera to be mounted, you can use pvc box. The reason for the pvc box is, you can create a seal with no exposed wires, if you ran conduit to a wall mount, you would have an open conduit with a bit of exposed cable running into a wall mount.
 

freddyq

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You can use either, but no reason for both. The pvc box acts a junction box because it houses your connections much like a junction box. If your cables are going to come out of the house and your camera will go on the outside, use the wall mount. If you need to run conduit along the wall or under the eve to the position where you want the camera to be mounted, you can use pvc box. The reason for the pvc box is, you can create a seal with no exposed wires, if you ran conduit to a wall mount, you would have an open conduit with a bit of exposed cable running into a wall mount.
OK this makes sense because I'll be running the cable along the wall to the camera location. So the way I see it, the cable runs to the camera location/junction box in a conduit. I then roll up all the extra cable into the junction box and the junction box will have a hole for me to feed the end of the cable out of the junction box and into the camera which I fix to the junction box. Is that about right? If so, how do I secure the camera to the junction box?
 

bababouy

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I like to drill a hole with a step bit for the cable. You will need a big enough hole for the jack. You will also drill a hole in the side of the box for the threaded conduit fitting. Make sure to tighten it on the inside with one of these. Screw the camera right to the side of the box or the cover. Use short screws so they don't damage the wires inside.
 

freddyq

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Screw the camera right to the side of the box or the cover.
Thanks. I think that makes sense. So the camera has some holes I can use to fix it to the junction box? Or do I need to drill them myself?
 

freddyq

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Can any UK-based people here recommend trunking/conduit they've used to travel ethernet cable outdoors along the wall and a junction box to store cable/mount the camera? Where was this bought from? Ideally, the trunking would be paintable so I can try and blend it in to the walls...
 
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