The majority of outdoor cameras being sold today are battery powered. A few are powered via mains connections. When Wyze released their first outdoor camera there was a vocal contingent of users that wanted a mains powered camera option.
The Wyze V3 is I believe IP65 rated for waterproofing. See the handy dandy chart attached.
Any mains powered outside device is a compromise but I am hard pressed to find a camera to compare it to as an example. Most outdoor cameras that do allow mains power to be used also require an additional purchase of an outdoor rated power supply.
You’ve misconstrued my issue. I agree that if you submit for UL (versus UR) at a component level, you’ll get approved as UL will, and rightly so, not approve UR until the Application is considered.
Now, in reality, I know of many that use the v2 outside, have no issues and if it dies, it dies. The difference is that in the v2 case, the end user makes a decision to deviate from design intent, and from documented instruction.
In the case of a v3 shipping with a brick that isn’t outdoor rated, yet marketing materials and documentation indicates its approval for outdoor use. You and most here understand that a brick plugged into mains, has the potential to injure, maim, or kill. Do you believe that the consumer isn’t going to make some bad calls in common sense, assume the package says good for outdoor use, and looks at the length of power cord, the included brick, and ipso facto fried user.
I had to certify that my use of components was in conformance with UL, VDE, CSA, etc.
I’ve seen the result of a 120 burn across body, it’s not pretty.
How they could have handled:
Include an exterior brick, ship with the brick clearly bagged and tagged as only for indoor use.
Warning labels, reminders at each packing level.
My objections were passed you, at the comments that clearly want to call me cheap as I claim that including an interior brick misleads the special among us.
The real point of frustration for me was the contention that camera is being advertised as indoor/outdoor and yet to use it in an outdoor environment safely (UL/CSA/TUV/VDE) requires the consumer to recognize that they should not use the plug in the box, and buy the exterior rated, or route from an indoor plug to power the Cam.
What decisions would drive the factory to not ship an outdoor cam with an outdoor rated power brick? Bad ones at best.
Your point on POE is actually the correct design decision choice, but they appear to want the claims, the price point, and an accessory sale to make up what, per the ama is a slim margin at best.
On the flip side anyone planning on using them indoors or already have weatherproof housings on all external outlets would probably prefer the lower price.
“Poorly planned” is harsh. A company can’t plan product debuts based on when someone might order another product. The Outdoor Cam is unique, cordless, with a very long-lasting battery. It can be placed almost anywhere, even in the weather. I like mine a lot.
The only issue I have with this is that the only casualties with this will be unsuspecting users, most people that understand base electrical safety should know not to expose the indoor only brick to a hazardous environment. Then I’m reminded that they still have to put warning labels on hair dryers to not plug in and use while in the bath.
So, does it mean that someone or their property will be injured, nope.
I can tell you about the lam research employee that thought it would be ok to bypass a light curtain, and three other sensors, as they wanted to see what an industrial laser would do to a hot dog, and lost more than lunch.
My firm was a systems design and integrator based in Fremont, and I was responsible for final design approvals. Our focus as a systems house was process control and power distribution systems.
I worked with connectors and systems ranging in power from .1 pitch micro power connectors up to 50kv line shunts, but most applications were semi-conductor process centric or assembly line related (we were down the street from Tesla after buying the GM/Toyota plant.
I’m not saying that engineering teams made a lot of errors, but the number did surprise me. Simple concepts were overlooked, derating (lowering the standard approval rating on a connector due to actual end use) overlooked based on enclosure being either a multi-tap multi-source temperature derating and my favorite, assuming a dc load application would carry the same rating as an ac load application.
My point is that I know a safety issue, and this one has that potential. If the factory handles the packaging, includes appropriate warnings, etc, they may get a pass. If the decision results in loss, damage, or death and the user was using the provided brick, its a game ender for a startup.
Bottom line, there is implied use of the contained products, and thats just an unforced error awaiting a jury.
I would not be surprised if there are cases where users are knowingly or unknowingly misusing the indoor adapter outside. As long as they have the proper disclaimers I see no issue with the way things are now. Pretty much any product can be misused in a way that could be dangerous regardless of how many warnings or disclaimers you slap on it. Going back to the tire analogy, most cars are sold with all season tires which are not safe in the winter depending on the climate of your region. This is pretty widely known for those that live in colder areas but every year people still get in accidents using all seasons when they lose traction on snow or ice, some probably die as well. I don’t believe the car or tire manufacturers are held accountable for these accidents.
As a matter of fact, I just installed an outdoor PTZ camera panning our yard, and it came packaged with a flat USB 7 ft cord ending in an interior 5vtoAC plug. Nice camera which suited our purposes so I simply ordered a short outdoor ext. cord and joined them in an extension cord weather-proof cover and was done and happy. Really felt no resentment as the camera was decent and reasonably priced for fifty bucks, so I assume no industry standard is breached by what comes with this $20 Wyze gem, for which I am amazed and grateful.
The issue is implied suitability, and the litigious climate we deal with, especially in the United States. If common sense were just that, we wouldn’t have as many issues, then the issue in the US of not requiring a three prong grounded plug on all external devices. Yes, there are other countries, but our residential plugs not requiring a ground contributes to a large percentage of electrical deaths.
The advertising could have simply and clearly state the camera is IP67 and if you need an outdoor rated power supply, they are available.
Instead of removing confusion, the website, shows the camera undergoing an over the top water hose down, again no mentions of the exterior power supply required, not even an asterisked footnote. If the engineering team has only dealt with the USB 5v delivery, and not the 120v safety issue, the legal team should have flagged it.
Its an unforced, POTENTIAL, error that seems a foolish hill to die on.
Marketing and sales potential clearly factors above consumer misuse and safety issues. It would have been better to simply not included a power brick or best call, include the outdoor rated power supply.
Theres a chasm or difference, one is a use contrary to design, intent, and approval’s the other is use per manufacturer assertion, and failure to provide a safe power supply for the stated intent of the product.
That’s a chasm the a legal team will drive at every turn in the event of damages. If costs, and margin are their only concern, they’d have been far better to provide no brick, reality is almost every user is going to have them lying around.
I wish I had read your more detailed elaboration before replying, as I agree you make a good point. I apologize for misreading your original comment - I took it as a complaint that for twenty bucks they should have thrown in a weatherproof plug and thick rubberized extension cord. Now I get it - you are solely addressing the risk to careless buyers and the potential liability to Wyze, not necessarily arguing that your recommended enhancements should have been thrown in for the same $19.99!
Sorry - my criticism was misplaced.
Thanks, nope, pricing or a freebie is definitely not what I was responding to, in fact, if anything, the price is too low, and the factory could be leaving money on the table.
Second, it’s a usb 5v device, and as we have seen, v2’s have been used outside for years.
This was a CYA only, even a quick heads up to make a sticker that reminds the end user, case dismissed type deal.
Again, Haven’t seen the delivered Consumer packaging. Its a heads up that if you claim a use case, be sure that no litigious BS is created, and cover all bases. The reality is your going to have to be a real moron to misuse this.
