Subscriber Discussion

How To Mount A Dome On A Sloped Surface?

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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Need to mount some domes on a sloped soffit and need an idea where to buy, or how to make, a wedge block to mount the camera parallel with the ground.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Feb 19, 2016

Or use Turret (eyeball) cameras and no wedge needed.

(2)
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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

I'm not sure how that's going to fix the issue? Can a turret aim above parallel to the ground?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Feb 19, 2016

Oh, that angle. A picture is worth a dozen posts. I have that at my house and I wall mounted turrets under the eaves.

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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Imagine the camera needs to be mounted where the arrow for the vent strip is. There is a downspout and a wall mounted light fixture that precludes us from mounting on the wall. We have to place it on the soffit.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I would think that the 3-degrees of freedom from the gimbal would allow the focal plane to be parallel to the ground while the base would still be flush.

But obviously you are saying that's not the case, or am I misunderstanding?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Feb 19, 2016

Maybe something like this? Ball Mount Swivel Bracket

(1)
EK
Eli Kahn
Feb 29, 2016

Did a job like this recently, just used the hikvision turrets ds2cd2332/(5). They have 3 axis mounting and I was able to see an ideal wide view at 2.8mm. However I did get some blinds pots outward maybe 15/20 feet away but my PTZ is picking that up. It doesn't look bad either cause the camera gives the (attached directly to the house) kind of look. Get the 2332 models if you need technical support and plan on updating or the 2335 models if you don't mind Chinese lettering and don't plan on needing tech support or updating the camera.

EK
Eli Kahn
Feb 29, 2016

Did a job like this recently, just used the hikvision turrets ds2cd2332/(5). They have 3 axis mounting and I was able to see an ideal wide view at 2.8mm. However I did get some blinds pots outward maybe 15/20 feet away but my PTZ is picking that up. It doesn't look bad either cause the camera gives the (attached directly to the house) kind of look. Get the 2332 models if you need technical support and plan on updating or the 2335 models if you don't mind Chinese lettering and don't plan on needing tech support or updating the camera.

EK
Eli Kahn
Feb 29, 2016

Did a job like this recently, just used the hikvision turrets ds2cd2332/(5). They have 3 axis mounting and I was able to see an ideal wide view at 2.8mm. However I did get some blinds pots outward maybe 15/20 feet away but my PTZ is picking that up. It doesn't look bad either cause the camera gives the (attached directly to the house) kind of look. Get the 2332 models if you need technical support and plan on updating or the 2335 models if you don't mind Chinese lettering and don't plan on needing tech support or updating the camera.

FM
Forrest Magers
Feb 22, 2016
IPVMU Certified

If you need a piece of untreated wood I may be able to help.

I live in the NW and near a mill that rough cuts several types of lumber.

They mill larch aka tamarack,cedar and white pine.

If you need a piece let me know what type you need and provide an address and I will send it to You.

Forrest Magers

U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Are the domes purchased already?

What type of gimbal do they have?

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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

They have not been purchased, but we were trying to use the Dahua IPC-HDBW4421E-AS which is a three axis dome. The issue is that the soffit slopes upwards towards the house, meaning that we can get a really good shot of the ground under the eaves, but the camera base needs to be mounted parallel to the ground.

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Brandon Knutson
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I noticed that Hikvision has angled bases for their domes. I've never used one though.

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Brian Rhodes
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Disclaimer: I think like a trunkslammer sometimes.

What about a swing bracket? ie:

They sell them at big box home improvement stores to hang garden hose reels or pneumatic tool hoses from.

They would make up the angle of the soffit and give you a parallel with-the-ground mounting surface.

Heck, you might be able to just bend up a stamped sheet metal bracket used in roofing.

U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Ethan says:

This third axis allows for corrections if the camera is not mounted level with the horizon. Most commonly this is used to adjust domes mounted to sloped ceilings for proper angle.

Dome Camera Install Guide

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Ethan Ace
Feb 19, 2016

He's trying to mount a dome under the eave looking out, i.e., perpendicular to the roofline. Not down the length of the eave. It's not a matter of leveling, it's a matter of the camera simply not being able to angle that far.

(1)
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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Yes, you are correct Ethan. My only solution I could come up with is to take a 6"x6" and chop off a small block at the matching angle to create a wedge. Issue there is that I can't seem to find a 6"x6" that isn't pressure treated so it can be painted to match his soffit.

U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 19, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Thanks, that makes sense.  Obviously my sarcasm detection let me down when reading:

...we can get a really good shot of the ground below the eaves...

While I'm on a roll, let me ask would the corner mount bracket for that camera work if you were just to flange one side down to be the same angle, only negative, of the other one? 

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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 19, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

I'm not sure I like the idea of the open void that will expose the wire using a corner bracket, but thanks for pointing that out. I just wish the downspout and light fixture weren't occupying the entire wall next to the garage door.

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Brian Karas
Feb 19, 2016
Pelican Zero

For what you're describing I'd probably just knock a few brackets together out of Azek. Easy to work with, won't rot, you can get exactly what you need pretty cheap.

AT
Andrew Thomas
Feb 22, 2016

I assume the underside of the eave is covered?

how about a simple wooden "L" long enough to protect the wire.
perhaps the eave covering is available in 3/4" stock. Glued & screwed. painted to match if necessary. End-Caps are optional.

simpleton

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Campbell Chang
Feb 22, 2016

Get one of the wall mount brackets, affix to eave, mount camera on bracket and point.

CW
Chase Whitten
Feb 29, 2016

Thinking out loud, what about using one of the Dahua wall mounts and just having the camera at an angle?

PFB200W

PFB203W

PFB200W

(1)
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Jon Dillabaugh
Feb 29, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Chase, that is the best solution so far. I just hope the client can live with the aesthetics.

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Campbell Chang
Mar 01, 2016

That's what I was trying to get at with my reply, you just included drawings :)

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Campbell Chang
Mar 01, 2016

Dupe post

U
Undisclosed #2
Mar 01, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Jon, how far out does the camera need to see, 50, 100 ft, more?

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Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 01, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

50' should suffice. Maybe as little as 35'.

U
Undisclosed #2
Mar 03, 2016
IPVMU Certified

What about a sloped camera? Dahua also has a 4MP wedge.

Not sure if it can compensate enough for the down tilt, maybe with the right lens? Aesthetically, it would be pretty clean, I'd think.

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Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 03, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

That dome style does nothing to solve this issue alone. In fact, that style of some usually has a fixed lens, and has less range of motion for aiming the camera. But, all of that is ignoring the fact that the camera needs to see above itself.

To make this easier to imagine, forget that the soffit is sloped. Imagine its parallel to the ground. The soffit is a mere 7' off the ground, where the camera is to be mounted. My client wants to observe an object 35' away from the camera at a height of 15'.

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