IPC-Color4K-T180 Water intrusion

[Bal]

I was debating between the Hik and Empiretech versions of the 180 camera for a few overview positions.

I’ve seen several postings of water being found in the Empiretech versions and was seeing if any users or installers have this issue? These will be installed in high hard to reach locations so maintenance would be an issue.

Yes I am aware of the aspect ratio difference on the stream.

Appreciate any feedback.

 

[wittaj]

We are not seeing it.

I suspect it was operator error and they took something apart or didn't completely seal the SD card door properly.

Mine are completely exposed and no issues.

@Ri22o has had 4 ON TOP of his roof completely uncovered and naked to the elements as skycams for almost 2 years and no issues.

Thread 'I put together a sky/roof rig with (4) 180* Color4K cams...'

Oct 20, 2023

I decided I wanted to see ALL of the things...

After some posts on here about weather and watching the sky, and wishing I would have had my own, better footage when a meteorite came down a few months ago..., I figured I would put together my own sky cam rig. And, because I can't just do things to do things, I thought it wouldn't be a horrible idea to also have some cams on the roof for complete overwatch. I realize they won't be great at night and are only 3.6mm, but it is what it is. Worst case they get angled up and I have more coverage of the sky.

Parts list:...

• Ri22o
• Replies: 41
• Forum: Installation Pics

• 
• 

And of course its 4K/X counterpart has survived a flood:

 

[Tinman]

I just installed one on my shop and last night we had a wind driven thunderstorm (about .40) and had no issues. I used the PFB203W Wall Mount. I am very happy with the camera, and it works very well with just my 7w led bulb and streetlights. I do not use the white lights on camera.

 

[tigerwillow1]

No water issues yet with my T180. It's been up for about a year, totally unprotected.

 

[Ri22o]

We are not seeing it.

I suspect it was operator error and they took something apart or didn't completely seal the SD card door properly.

Mine are completely exposed and no issues.

@Ri22o has had 4 ON TOP of his roof completely uncovered and naked to the elements as skycams for almost 2 years and no issues.


View attachment 217738

Thread 'I put together a sky/roof rig with (4) 180* Color4K cams...'

Oct 20, 2023

I decided I wanted to see ALL of the things...

After some posts on here about weather and watching the sky, and wishing I would have had my own, better footage when a meteorite came down a few months ago..., I figured I would put together my own sky cam rig. And, because I can't just do things to do things, I thought it wouldn't be a horrible idea to also have some cams on the roof for complete overwatch. I realize they won't be great at night and are only 3.6mm, but it is what it is. Worst case they get angled up and I have more coverage of the sky.

Parts list:...

• Ri22o
• Replies: 41
• Forum: Installation Pics

• 
• 

And of course its 4K/X counterpart has survived a flood:

Yep, no issues with any of them and they see ALL the weather. I am more concerned with the junction box than I am with the cameras.

 

[Bal]

Thank you for the feedback!

 

[Keizer]

Mine has been up for awhile and working great! And I live in rainy, windy WA state.

 

[WSCam]

Huh... strangest thing with my IPC-Color4K-T180 ... it's been fine for however long since I got it (1.5 years maybe), out on a fence post in the elements. Well, yesterday I was pressure washing some vehicles nearby and thought "hey, I'll give it a little spritz to get rid of the cobwebs". I mean, it was just a spray from 10+ feet away. But sonofagun if one of the 2 lenses didn't immediately get condensation inside.

I just got done fussing with it out there. What I did was to remove the SD Card cover and blow in some compressed air. That defogged it, and the weird thing is that as I was basically inflating the inside of it, the water found it's way out the same way it went in which was through the lens gasket (the same lens that had fogged up). Little drips of water were squeezing out of that area.

So, now I know - don't spray water on it. IPsomethingsomething doesn't seem to apply here if that lens gasket allowed some moisture in. Admittedly, I shouldn't do that anyway, and it was a hot day so the insides were probably hot, spraying it could have cooled it down and created a pressure differential which "slurp" sucked the moisture right in.

I'm leaving the sd card cover off for now... once the moisture cleared up I put the cover back on but it condensed again so there was probably still some moisture inside. Leaving the cover off, I figure it'll equalize, and it's another warm day. If needed I can get a vacuum up to that slot and go from blow to suck. Get that humid air out of there.

So, if you do experience condensation, I guess one possible quick fix would be doing that, remove the sd card cover, blow air in there and maybe it'll work itself back out the same way it got in. I was using a battery powered duster, but if I were feeling more gung ho I could have used my air compressor and dialed in whatever PSI seemed reasonable without getting too nuts. Blowing 150 PSI inside there, I'd be afraid I'd jar something else loose or blow those lenses right out.

 

[bigredfish]

Great observation and I'll bet many dont think abut it.

If you open that hatch for the SD card on ANY day (except maybe a few weeks in february) in Florida for 30 seconds, I assure you enough humidity will be introduced to get condensation given the right temp change. No hose needed!

 

[TonyR]

So, now I know - don't spray water on it. IPsomethingsomething doesn't seem to apply here if that lens gasket allowed some moisture in. Admittedly, I shouldn't do that anyway, and it was a hot day so the insides were probably hot, spraying it could have cooled it down and created a pressure differential which "slurp" sucked the moisture right in.

Yep, I call it "Thermal Differential Cycling" for lack of finding much written up to describe it.

Also, I'd avoid using any compressed air, either from a compressor or a can, as it has loads of moisture in it....that's why many air compressors for moisture- sensitive tools and most used by airbrush artists have moisture traps. As the compressed air leaves the tank, travels in the hose and exits the orifice it expands, cools rapidly and significantly, causing the water to condense from vapor into liquid. So unless you have a functioning, 100% efficient inline moisture trap on your air line, I wouldn't use air from a compresssor.

* Thermal Differential Cycling : the device heats up during day, air inside expands, cools off at night and contracts, drawing in damp outside air, condenses, travels to low point, is trapped and won't escape during warm up cycle, just continues to collect inside at low points.​

-TonyR 2020​

 

[bigredfish]

I feel like Tony is my 8th grade science teacher reincarnated.

 

[TonyR]

I feel like Tony is my 8th grade science teacher reincarnated.

Right now I feel like that too...not intellectually but physically!

 

[bigredfish]

I meant that in the most honorable way. He was a cool guy.

I recall he pulled me aside one day after class and said “bigredfish, you’re a smart kid. You ace tests without studying, but in most of your classes you’re a B student. You know why that is?
Because you don’t give a shit about most of the subjects. You only get A’s in the ones that challenge you, I get it.
Try and pretend the other subjects are interesting and you’ll get through this easier”

 

[TonyR]

I meant that in the most honorable way.

And I took it that way.

 

[WSCam]

What made me think of it was on a rear diff on cars/trucks. You're driving around and your rear diff heats up, the oil in there gets hot. No biggie, there's a breather valve that lets the pressure equalize. It's what happens if the breather clogs, or worse gets stuck open. You drive through a puddle or something and that pressure diff will suck water right into your diff (or alternately if it plugs up the pressure will squeeze oil out the hubs... gotta go somewhere).

That hot/cold differential can be a bear.

FYI, my air compressor does have a moisture trap, but my little battery air blower doesn't (mostly used to dust off keyboards or blow dust bunnies out of the fans).

I have to say, so far so good. It's been close to 24 hours since I tried to dehumidify, and it's holding. Whatever extra moisture I put in there by blowing, it was far less than the water I got in there by spraying. Maybe it also helped that the air that comes out of the battery blower is hot, thanks to the batteries, fan, etc running hot. Probably around 90F or so... if it were colder like the air from a compressor tank, I can see how it'd be more likely to create even more condensation issues I suppose.

I think these cameras have a desiccant pack in there? I haven't opened this one, but others I've had to work on had the packet of magic beads. Maybe the hotter air I blew in helped dry that out too, for all I know. I'll go with that explanation.