Mounting above a light

[kolbasz]

Still need to pull set up my test mount, but before wasting time pulling a wire, is a camera over a light bad? I thought I saw a post on this before but was having issues locating it.

my plan is to mount at the corner of the garage, covering the driveway, but there is naturally a light at the end of the garage.

my hope is the light does what it’s supposed to and provides light for color night images. But still thought to just ask as I know I would not be the first to attempt this.

 

[wittaj]

It really is light and field of view dependent and why we say to test day and night.

The light could mess with the exposure and ruin the whole field of view. It could cause a glare. It could attract bugs flying around all the time. It could end up blocking part of the field of view, etc.

 

[Mike A.]

Depends on camera/light/angles, etc. To be sure, test it first. Get a long 100' (or whatever) patch cord and rig it up there temporarily, That said, that one looks to me like it probably would be OK.

 

[TonyR]

If you absolutely must install over that light fixture, I'd try with a test jig first, mount directly over the light, high as possible under the soffit and away from that downspout (IR or visible light bounceback).
Even then you'll likely have to extend the length and width of the top of that light fixture with metal or thick plastic, paint it black, etc.....way to much effort, IMO, considering the likely negatives cited by @wittaj

 

[kolbasz]

Got it. Time to build a test rig as it is the only way to know for sure.

one other thing. I’ve never gone digging in a soffit like this. Is there anything to worry about up there?

 

[bp2008]

As long as the camera lens is entirely within the shadow of the light, it should not cause any glare.

 

[wittaj]

Got it. Time to build a test rig as it is the only way to know for sure.

one other thing. I’ve never gone digging in a soffit like this. Is there anything to worry about up there?

Have you gone in the attic to look around?

Some soffits aid in air circulation and you can see daylight coming up from the soffit and those are usually pretty easy. Some house construction the soffits are "fake" and are added to the house and are decorative and would result in then having to go thru wood to get into the attic, which for some construction could be difficult.

 

[kolbasz]

Have you gone in the attic to look around?

Some soffits aid in air circulation and you can see daylight coming up from the soffit and those are usually pretty easy. Some house construction the soffits are "fake" and are added to the house and are decorative and would result in then having to go thru wood to get into the attic, which for some construction could be difficult.

Yes. I can see daylight. See it all the time. Use the attic space for storage, so have space up there.

 

[TonyR]

Yes. I can see daylight. See it all the time. Use the attic space for storage, so have space up there.

Not sure where you're located but where I'm at it's 92F at 2 PM CT, likely at least 100+ in the attic.
If it were me, I'd shoot for checking it out starting about 7 AM, might be tolerable until 11 AM.
But since you've been storing stuff up there you already know.

 

[bp2008]

Yes. I can see daylight. See it all the time. Use the attic space for storage, so have space up there.

That is great. I wish my attic was more useful. The only entrance is 10-12 feet above the garage floor. No stairs or ladder built in. No floorboards up there, but lots of blown-in insulation covering most of the horizontal beams so you have to dig a lot with your toe to be sure where it is safe to step. The roof slopes down to nothing at every edge of the house, making it hard to go near any exterior wall, and I am 90% sure the soffits are all sealed off from the attic space by solid wood anyway.

 

[TonyR]

That is great. I wish my attic was more useful. The only entrance is 10-12 feet above the garage floor. No stairs or ladder built in. No floorboards up there, but lots of blown-in insulation covering most of the horizontal beams so you have to dig a lot with your toe to be sure where it is safe to step. The roof slopes down to nothing at every edge of the house, making it hard to go near any exterior wall, and I am 90% sure the soffits are all sealed off from the attic space by solid wood anyway.

View attachment 131285

Man, makes me wheeze and cough just lookin' at that...whew!

 

[Mike A.]

Mine is about like that too but ~70 years old. Pain in the ass to do any wiring/cabling. Have to be near prone to get to the edges and pretty much nothing really goes directly to the outside. Usually try to find a joint/gap/existing electrical in the wood to try to push something through to give me a reference marker. Then figure out what and how I'm going to drill through at whatever angle. Once outside there's no soffit so have to figure out how to route the cable behind siding, in gaps/inside corners/etc., to get it where I need it without it looking like crap. Hate it! lol Fortunately, I'm done with most of that now.

 

[bigredfish]

You should be fine.

My coach lights have 1200 lumen bulbs and no problems.



The one bit of glare you see on the East image is from another motion security light

And Yes, I used southern engineering on the cable. Cameras being just 6 inches from the soffit, I cheated.

 

[TonyR]

You should be fine.

My coach lights have 1200 lumen bulbs and no problems.

View attachment 131307 View attachment 131308 View attachment 131310 View attachment 131309

The one bit of glare you see on the East image is from another motion security light

And Yes, I used southern engineering on the cable. Cameras being just 6 inches from the soffit, I cheated.

Hey bigredfish, look at the 2 lizards on your neighbor's downspout !
Green anoles?

 

[bigredfish]

We got so many lizards you wouldnt believe. They scatter every time you walk out the door. Mostly brown ones but yeah green ones too. The cats always have something to play with

 

[kolbasz]

That is great. I wish my attic was more useful. The only entrance is 10-12 feet above the garage floor. No stairs or ladder built in. No floorboards up there, but lots of blown-in insulation covering most of the horizontal beams so you have to dig a lot with your toe to be sure where it is safe to step. The roof slopes down to nothing at every edge of the house, making it hard to go near any exterior wall, and I am 90% sure the soffits are all sealed off from the attic space by solid wood anyway.

View attachment 131285

Yikes. Your attic looks no bueno.
Mine shrinks to nothing at the edge, but other than that it’s just the heat and my own crap that get in my way

 

[kolbasz]

You should be fine.

My coach lights have 1200 lumen bulbs and no problems.

View attachment 131307 View attachment 131308 View attachment 131310 View attachment 131309

The one bit of glare you see on the East image is from another motion security light

And Yes, I used southern engineering on the cable. Cameras being just 6 inches from the soffit, I cheated.

Looks good. This is precisely what I was after.
About the only difference, I might be slightly closer to the light and using a 5442.

what cameras are those and if I may, why did you go with those. I’m still green in this space and currently my first camera was a 5442 and now my second is too, so I’m curious to when I should mix it up.

seems picture 4 was bw, is that on purpose or did the camera not flip. Or is it just looking like that on my phone.

 

[kolbasz]

We got so many lizards you wouldnt believe. They scatter every time you walk out the door. Mostly brown ones but yeah green ones too. The cats always have something to play with

Was just in fla. brown ones were everywhere, especially in the evening.

 

[bigredfish]

West camera was a Color 4K-X and East camera was a 5442 NI. No IR, the B&W image was simply set to B&W.
The NI model is much more light sensitive than the standard 5442 ASE, but you lose onboard IR.

 

[TonyR]

Was just in fla. brown ones were everywhere, especially in the evening.

The green anoles turn brown at will to help disguise themselves...we have here in AL as well, plus blue-tailed skinks and fence swifts.