Dahua Imou 12v PoE options

[gardar]

Hello everyone.

I'm facing a challenge with the outdoor installation of some Dahua consumer Imou cameras, and I'm looking for advice or experiences you might share.

- The cameras come with a pigtail that includes an RJ45 Ethernet connector and a 12V barrel plug connector.
- They are also supplied with a standard indoor 12V AC adapter.

When mounting these cameras outdoors, the AC adapter needs to be placed indoors or within a large waterproof housing. Additionally, while the RJ45 connector has a waterproof cover, the barrel plug does not.





These cameras are obviously not in the same league as the professional Dahua cameras, but for cheap consumer cameras they are pretty good, with that being said I find this flaw to perhaps be their most limiting factor.

I would prefer to power these cameras via PoE. I've found some splitters on AliExpress and eBay that claim to split 48V PoE into a 12V barrel plug and RJ45, which should fit the camera's pigtail.

Example:

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005004072830818.html

Anyone have experience with these and found a waterproof version for the 12V barrel plug?
Something like this perhaps:



I also stumbled upon some PCB boards that could fit inside the camera to swap out the original pigtail. But I haven't found anyone who's done this as a DIY PoE 'upgrade.' Maybe they’re just for replacing parts on cameras that already had them?

https://aliexpress.com/item/4000876134549.html

Would love to hear if anyone has tried something similar or has any pointers!

(I hope it's ok to post Imou related questions in the Dahua subforum)

Thanks!

 

[TonyR]

I would go ahead with the POE-to-12VDC-splitter you linked and then use dielectric gel on the RJ-45's and the 12VDC barrel connector then weatherproof all 3 connection junctions with self-vulcanizing rubber tape and quality vinyl electrical tape as outlines in an excerpt below from the original post here:

So the best idea, IMO, is for you to waterproof that so-called "waterproof" connector on the pigtail or any Ethernet connection anywhere outdoors, even if the box is under a roof eave or the connection is inside the box. Here's my suggestion for future installs:

• Use dielectric grease on both the male RJ-45 and in the female where it connects.
• Wrap the entire junction with self-fusing rubber tape, don't be stingy, go past barrel connector and on out pigtail a couple of inches on both ends. This self-curing or self-fusing (vulcanizing) process is also employed by Coax Seal, self-sealing mastic pads....many names and labels for the same process.
• Over-wrap all that self-fusing rubber tape TIGHTLY with 3M 33+ or 88 vinyl electrical tape to aid and speed up the curing process but it will remain on.
• When possible, locate camera, its pigtail and junction box with connection out of direct weather. Direct rain and direct UV shorten the life of all devices, even the ones that are rated "for outdoor use."
• Caulk where pigtail enters camera generously with non-gassing, outdoor-rated silicone sealant.

 

[tigerwillow1]

These Imou cameras don't support POE???

 

[gardar]

I would go ahead with the POE-to-12VDC-splitter you linked and then use dielectric gel on the RJ-45's and the 12VDC barrel connector then weatherproof all 3 connection junctions with self-vulcanizing rubber tape and quality vinyl electrical tape as outlines in an excerpt below from the original post here:

So the best idea, IMO, is for you to waterproof that so-called "waterproof" connector on the pigtail or any Ethernet connection anywhere outdoors, even if the box is under a roof eave or the connection is inside the box. Here's my suggestion for future installs:

• Use dielectric grease on both the male RJ-45 and in the female where it connects.
• Wrap the entire junction with self-fusing rubber tape, don't be stingy, go past barrel connector and on out pigtail a couple of inches on both ends. This self-curing or self-fusing (vulcanizing) process is also employed by Coax Seal, self-sealing mastic pads....many names and labels for the same process.
• Over-wrap all that self-fusing rubber tape TIGHTLY with 3M 33+ or 88 vinyl electrical tape to aid and speed up the curing process but it will remain on.
• When possible, locate camera, its pigtail and junction box with connection out of direct weather. Direct rain and direct UV shorten the life of all devices, even the ones that are rated "for outdoor use."
• Caulk where pigtail enters camera generously with non-gassing, outdoor-rated silicone sealant.

Those are great points, thank you very much!
I was leaning towards the POE to 12v pigtail splitters as they seem to be the easiest route to go, I had thought about putting heat shrinks and silicone over the connectors but the dielectric grease is a great idea and so is the self fusing tapes.

With that being said, it is a bit tempting to try and fit one of those 12v poe pcb's inside the cameras, since there seems to be plenty of space for them in the base of the imou cruiser 2 cameras.






And there's also plenty of space to place something outside the housing.

These Imou cameras don't support POE???

Sadly not
Judging by google there is one discontinued PTZ camera they had that was poe and now they have some indoor camera that's poe, otherwise it's micro usb or 12v barrel connector.

 

[TonyR]

Since you think the 38mm x 38mm module (1.5" x 1.5") will fit, for the price of that POE module it wouldn't cost much to try, this is assuming the cam won't exceed the 15.4W rating of the POE module.