Need advise installing Cam pan v3 on my garage

[alfredojahn]

I enter my garage from the back alley. I’ve been thinking of adding a Cam Pan V3 to the back of my garage. I’m planning to add an outlet to either the left or right of the flood lights above the garage door. I assume if I’m only using the outlet for the camera, I shouln’t need a separate circuit for that single outlet. I’m going to tap into the wires that feed the flood light. Any comments related to that would be appreciated.

I’m not sure if I should mount the camera to the far left side or the far right side of the garage or in the middle right above the flood lights. Thoughts? (see arrows in my wide shot). See pics.

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, etc. By the way, that flood has a motion detector on it.

Thanks.

[fmills1d]

Above the floodlight would be ideal if you have the room to clear the floodlight. Measure that space carefully. My pan v3 is mounted upside down and measures about 6 inches including mounting bracket for clearance. But I do not have a floodlight involved. Definitely not next to the floodlight which would interfere with the camera optics and detections. Could be issues above also depending on if mounted in an up or down position. I would probably recommend an up position based on what I see and if it will fit. You also will want to set waypoints and turn on motion tagging. Placement of the outlet is optional.

Good luck with your project.

[StevenA]

I would mount the camera on the right side. With a fence on the right should deter trespassing on the right side of your garage. A camera on the right side could be aimed to look toward the left where you have a space between your garage and your neighbor’s house.

[dave27]

As far as mounting options, obviously that’s mostly a matter of preference and what you want to capture. Keep in mind that the cameras detect motion a bit better when it moves left to right, so one of the angles might be better for that. However with the non PIR cams (v3 isn’t PIR) it doesn’t seem to matter that much, I have plenty that capture motion straight on no problem.

Rather than putting an outdoor outlet, you might want to consider mounting it near one corner of the garage door and just running the flat cable through there, that’s how I have one of mine. As long as the door doesn’t close super tight (and probably has weather strip to cushion it anyway) it should be fine that way. Also the option of drilling a small hole, just enough to fit the micro USB connector, and plugging it inside, then you don’t have to worry about a big weather proof setup in such a visible location.

The only spot I wouldn’t recommend mounting it is to the left or right of the flood light as there would be glare probably, but I believe you’re using those boxes to denote where the outlet would be?

If you do go with the outdoor outlet, you could mount it right above the floodlight with a short piece of conduit directly to the floodlight box, I’m assuming it has a knockout on top. Would help hide it a bit.

Obviously your floodlight would need constant power, which based on the fact that it is a motion sensor and I’m guessing has a dusk to dawn sensor in it, it probably does. But if it is on a switch, might want to put a cover or label on the switch so nobody turns it off accidentally. Along those same lines, not sure how familiar you are with electrical, but depending how it is wired there may be hot wires in there with a “switch loop” to the switch, or it may be direct fed from the switch. The latter is easy, you just have the normal 2 wires. The former you need to determine the always on pair and use that. But that also eliminates the switch issue if that’s the case, since you have a constant power source.

I have one mounted on the right side of the garage door, since my truck is on the left, and my back yard is on the right. It is a Panv3 so if you walk up my driveway it follows you into the backyard and can see where you go from there, and will also follow you around my truck (or even into the garage to a certain extent if the door is open.

[StevenA]

On a side note, I had a driveway crack about the size of yours. I used backer rod filler and Slab from Sascho. Very happy with the results.

https://www.sashco.com/products/slab/

Here is a before picture.

Here is a picture from today.

[alfredojahn]

@StevenA

On a side note, I had a driveway crack about the size of yours. I used backer rod filler and Slab from Sascho. Very happy with the results.
https://www.sashco.com/products/slab/

Thanks for the tip. I will check that out!

[alfredojahn]

@fmills1d

Above the floodlight would be ideal if you have the room to clear the floodlight. Measure that space carefully. My pan v3 is mounted upside down and measures about 6 inches including mounting bracket for clearance.

I just measured from the ceiling section to the top of the floodlight motion sensor, and it is 9-1/2". Can I actually attach the mount to that part and mount the camera upside down? Here are some pics.

and

[dave27]

All the mounts are very flexible and the cams have a setting for “invert image” so you can mount them upside down. Just can’t do sideways. You could mount it to the top, or any of those trim pieces, or the wall, all should work, as long as the cam has clearance over the light to see what you want it to see. You can use some double sided tape to temporarily put it places and make sure it sees what you want it to before permanently mounting.

When mounted upside down they should be better protected from rain than normal but in that spot should not be an issue.

[Crease]

@alfredojahn

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, etc.

If you’ll entertain a question, then I’m surprised no one else has asked: Why do you want a Cam Pan v3 and not a Cam Floodlight model for this application? I’ve read your other topic where you expressed a wish for 2.5K resolution in a Cam Pan, and if you’re not considering putting a Cam Pan v3 on a corner where it could potentially give you ~270° of lateral view, then I’m not sure why you wouldn’t just go for something like Cam Floodlight Pro, which would give you 2.5K and almost 180° laterally on the field of view.

I realize it’s a significantly more expensive product, but it also seems like a much more straightforward installation and wouldn’t require running additional wires or potentially installing another junction box or outlet, so I guess maybe it comes to a question of what your time and potential hassle are worth.

Note that I’m not at all saying you’re wrong for choosing a Cam Pan v3. Sometimes projects like this are worth it just for the fun and the personal satisfaction that comes from completion, and that’s totally valid in my book. I also really like my Cam Pan v3s, even though one of them has been causing me some grief recently with a microSD recording issue, and apparently I’m not alone in experiencing that, so a potential bug (which I would expect Wyze to remediate at some point, but then I try to be optimistic) with that product might be something else to factor into the decision.

I just think in your case I’d at least consider a Cam Floodlight option (Wyze has three, if you want to stay within their ecosystem) for the updated illumination and ease of installation. Depending on my need/timeline, I might even be checking the Wyze Shop for refurbished units and/or set up some camelcamelcamel price watches on Amazon, because they do occasionally go on sale.

[dave27]

I just noticed you said Pan v3, I was thinking regular v3.

In that case I don’t think above the floodlight is ideal, it will block the viewable area and also reflect IR lights when they’re on and probably cause it to get confused.

If you want to be able to see if someone walks down the side of the garage, then putting it out on that corner might make sense, will cover both the driveway and that side. If not then I don’t think it matters a whole lot, just place it where it would be able to see someone messing with your car and any other spots of interest, and maybe walking into your garage (which one of the corners would probably do better than centered).

[alfredojahn]

@dave27

All the mounts are very flexible and the cams have a setting for “invert image” so you can mount them upside down. Just can’t do sideways. You could mount it to the top, or any of those trim pieces, or the wall, all should work, as long as the cam has clearance over the light to see what you want it to see. You can use some double sided tape to temporarily put it places and make sure it sees what you want it to before permanently mounting.

When mounted upside down they should be better protected from rain than normal but in that spot should not be an issue.

Can the L-mount be turned around so that the camera is mounted up higher than the example in this picture?

I also found this 3rd party mount on Ebay
EBay 3rd party mount

[Crease]

@alfredojahn

Can the L-mount be turned around so that the camera is mounted up higher than the example in this picture?

It’s illustrated as being inverted in the mounting guide, but I guess that’s the “old” version.

[dave27]

There are two versions of the mount. Both can be mounted either way but the newer one is more limited on how you can run the cable (though drilling a hole would be possible). On both of mine, I’ve mounted it so the portion mounted to the wall is the other way from that picture, just so it is hidden behind the camera.

That image though shows a total lack of a drip loop, there should be at least a small bit that is down lower than the base of the cam. Even though that is under an eave, if a drop of water hits the cable, it will run right into the camera’s electronics.

[Crease]

@dave27

Even though that is under an eave, if a drop of water hits the cable, it will run right into the camera’s electronics.

This seems like another reason to consider going with a Cam Floodlight.

[dave27]

I have both versions, either can be mounted either way, but the newer one doesn’t allow the cable to run “through” the mount without drilling a hole. Not a huge deal but I like the older mount better.

[alfredojahn]

@dave27

On both of mine, I’ve mounted it so the portion mounted to the wall is the other way from that picture, just so it is hidden behind the camera.

That makes perfect sense

That image though shows a total lack of a drip loop, there should be at least a small bit that is down lower than the base of the cam. Even though that is under an eave, if a drop of water hits the cable, it will run right into the camera’s electronics.

Good catch.

[alfredojahn]

I’m beginning to reconsider the camera placement. StevenA suggested over by the fence side of the garage, pointing it so it can see the section to the left of the garage between the garage and the neighbor’s house.

Does the Cam Pan have the same wide angle that the Cam V4 has? I have a Cam V4 looking over my back yard and it really has a nice wide angle view. Here’s an example.

If the Cam Pan V3 has a similar wide angle, I should be able to see a lot behind the garage. I will play around with the location once I get it and get the outlet installed. Thanks for all the help, everyone!

[CatHome]

I agree with the idea of replacing your current floodlight camera with the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro
I have two, one facing my backyard, the other, my frontyard. I replaced the two existing floodlights that looked much like what you have above your garage.

I can’t speak for this other version that might work for you (I like the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro, because, IMO, the camera is more discreet that this one): Wyze Cam Floodlight v2

[alfredojahn]

@CatHome

I agree with the idea of replacing your current floodlight camera with the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro
I have two, one facing my backyard, the other, my frontyard. I replaced the two existing floodlights that looked much like what you have above your garage.

I can’t speak for this other version that might work for you (I like the Wze Cam Floodlight Pro, because, IMO, the camera is more discreet that this one): Wyze Cam Floodlight v2

LOL. I was just watching the YouTube installation of the Wyze Cam Floodlight V2. Do you think the V2 is good enough? That “pro” looks a little overkill and more expensive. Of course, not having to pay an electrician to install a power outlet could be put towards the “pro” model. Are the cameras similar? Are the motion sensors similar? They look a lot different.

UPDATE: I just googled v2 vs pro and I think the PRO is the way to go. Just these features alone convinced me: 2.5K QHD, 2.4 & 5 GHz WiFi (love using 5GHz), and 180° wide-angle vs 160° wide-angle. I figure it will cost me at least the cost of the PRO to pay an electician to install the new outlet.

[Crease]

@alfredojahn

Does the Cam Pan have the same wide angle that the Cam V4 has?

Did you check the product pages for Cam Pan v3 and Cam v4? The “Tech Specs” section on each provides a fair amount of detail. That’s also true for other product pages if you want to compare Cam Floodlight products.

I like the view you’re getting from your Cam v4!

In addition to the Cam Floodlight Pro and Cam Floodlight v2, I’d potentially consider Cam Floodlight v1, because that gives you the option to add another Cam v3 if you want to increase your coverage around a corner, for instance. (Since it’s an additional camera powered by an extra USB port on the Floodlight, I don’t know that it has to be a Cam v3, and I’d probably look at a Cam Floodlight v1 + Cam OG combination, because then you’d have Cam OG’s spotlight, too.)

@alfredojahn

Are the cameras similar?

The Help Center has a comparison chart.

Looks like you’ve already updated with a potential decision for Cam Floodlight Pro, though. I think that’s the right call if you just want a single-camera replacement.