Wyze Cam Window Mounts

[Wize_User]

The problem I had years ago when I started putting the cameras inside behind the window glass was the inside reflections captured by the camera; especially when dark outside and the lights on inside. This was even more of a problem when the camera needed to mount at an angle to the glass; instead of flush to it. So I had to jerry-rig my own solutions.

From what I can tell the official Wyze window mount and the 3rd party ones, which Amazon is flush with, aren’t usable if for mounting the cameras at an angle to the glass. It would be nice to see a larger unit that had either soft rubber or multi piece hard plastic that allows you to tilt the camera without blocking visibility; hence a larger opening needed when not flush.

Anyone have any prefab solutions for this problem.

[SlabSlayer]

You really need to take a look at posts from the Wyze Forum Master of Fabrication Solutions @victormaletic!

Tagging him here should give him a nudge to post in.

Click Here to see a list of his posts on Window Mounts

[Wize_User]

They’re all great, I’ve seen them.

Looking for something not DIY, ie 3D print. The problem with all the ones I’ve see is it works great for the specific purpose. But I would like something prefab AND with the ability to adjust the angle on a whim. There are various ways this could be done in a mass produced product but it doesn’t appear anyone is making one from what Wyze, 3rd party vendors and 3D print models.

It’s like the problem I have with Philips Hue switches. You should be able to just connect the switch wires to be always on and then have a Hue switch that like Philips currently offers but in a size that fits standard Decora plates. Otherwise tot have to buy expensive modules costing more than the regular switch or even the Hue bulbs that fit in the wall box and let you stil use your standard wall switch to control or ugly think 3D prints to use the cheap Hue switches.

There’s a need not being filled with these products; and the forums are always full of other people looking for the exact product. Which no one ever seem to make.

Ugh so annoying.

or using ugly cardboard and tape.

The

[victormaletic]

Hello @Wize_User
In that list of my posts dealing with window mounts, the one titled “Printing an Articulated Window Mount” is probably the one you are looking for. It is highly adjustable, it can be mounted on a window or a wall and its parts can be 3D printed.
After the parts are printed some assembly is required. Maybe a friend or work colleague could print the parts. Your local library may also have 3D printing available at little or no out-of-pocket cost.

For your information printing all of the parts will require:
35.5 meters of filament or 112.8 grams
2 hrs 33 min

Below is a link to the printed parts:

Ball Mount Parts

A couple hours of printer baby sitting, material, and 1 hour of print clean-up you could have done for maybe 40$

Victor

[Wize_User]

Thanks appreciated. But as mentioned initially I need something that doesn’t allow light from the room to bounce off the glass and into the CCD.

Something like the official Wyze window mount ($3.99) but with the ability to angle the camera and this a bigger opening to not click CCD is hen angled.

Attaching to the inside glass but blocking light reflections is what I’m trying to do.

[victormaletic]

Hello @Wize_User
You are right there does not exist the compact adjustable glare blocking unit you are looking for.
So far, the existing solutions to the glare issue are piece-meal approaches that are add-ons to avaliable window mounts. My approaches so far are also piece-meal. While writing this reply to you an idea has occured to me that may go a long way to poviding a more optimal unit.
Mean-while I would suggest some other piece-meal approaches as shown in the pictures below.

In this picture the camera is attached to the steel bracket magnetically and the bracket to the window with 3M VHB double sided tape. The camera can be live aimed as needed.

This picture is the inside room view of the camera in the above picture covered by the glare shield box. Two button magnets and three corner clips hold the box to the window allowing it be easily removed when access is needed to the camera.

In the picture below, the window box is difficult to discern. This is the reverse of what one sees when looking into a dark outside from inside a lighted room. I guess this could be called outside glare.

The camera’s attached steel bracket could be swapped with the printed articulated window mount discussed in the previous post. This is yet another piece-meal approach.

The next two pictures show the dramatic affect of no glare shield versus a glare shield.

The above approaches cut the room glare, maybe because the window is single pane. I suspect the glare reducing affects of the above approaches will not be as effective because glare light could bounce back-an-forth between the interfaces of the window pains.

In the case of double pain windows the only affective glare shild would be full black-out curtains, wherein the bottm, sides, and top openings of the curtain are light blocked.

Or just no lights on in the room.

I will work on implimenting my new idea. If it works out, I will post it.

Victor.

[WorldwideDave]

Those photos speak a thousand words as they say. can’t tell in that upper one that you are even pointing it outside the reflection of you in your lay-z-boy chair is so powerful.

The solution you built above is very big and bulky and not so pretty.
I’m finding it best to find a way to mount things you want to record outside…outside. So you have to drill a small hole and feed the USB through and caulk the hole - no big deal.

[victormaletic]

Hello @WorldwideDave and others.

Eversince the Wyze V1 camera came out several years ago issues with aimng the cameras through windows to the dark outside from lighted inside rooms arose. The following pictures cronical how the black box on the window came to be in the developement of glare reducing approaches.

The picture below is of an early cardboard sq tube glare shield using a free library printed attachment collar. A spreadsheet was made avaliable to generate the patteren shape dimentions required for any combination of horizontal and vertical aim angle values. There were also sq wood tube shields that could be cut to the aim angles with a table or chop saw. These are very good at blocking glare from poluting the camera’s field of view. On the downside, aim angles beyound 30° left or right of straight ahead introduced field of view restrictions.

In the picture below the attempt to reduce field of fiew restrictiond resulted in the sq pyramid kite style of camera holder glare blocker. The intricate geometry was handled with a spreadsheet that provided the pattern shape based on input values of the horizntal and vertical aim angles needed at its intended location.

The picture below illistrates a library 3D printed version of the sq tube glare shield with a V3 loaded in it. In this light shield and the previos ones shown the camera’s base is removed to provide a lighter more compact form. The brim around the sq tube provides some glare blocking for narrowly spaced double paned windows, and tape area for its attachment to a window. An anchor that helps keep the cord tidy is also shown.

This is my 3D printed version of the paper one shown 2 pictures above. This was my first 3D printer and I inadvertently picked the wrong color reel. On the positive side this color would definately show up in any field of view restrictions.

The picture below is the camera’s field of view through the orange glare blocker.
, shown directly above Not a hint of orange around the image’s perimeter. Hence no view restrictions.

I went back to the sq tube type in the picture below and modified it to accommodate the full section of the V3. This version did not require the removal of the camera’s base prior to loading in the camera. It has the same field of view restrictions at aim angles larger than 25° as the previous ones shown. It is fairly clean and compact looking, especially if a cord anchor was attached below it.

All of the 3D-printed camera holders/glare shields above are fixed-aim angle devices. To modify a horizontal aim angle another holder would need to be printed or an adaptor device added to it to alter the camera’s aim angle. The next three pictures below show an adaptor used. Not only does the riser alter the aim angle of the attached device, it reduces the camera’s view restriction. These adaptors are available from 0° to 10° in 1° intervals.

All of the 3D printed fixed angle devices described above required providing links to hundreds of separate STL files, one for each combination of horizontal and vertical aim angles in 5° intervals.

Below are some early adjustable aim glare shield approaches.
The articulated linkage version is shown below. This device is highly adjustable in its aiming abilities. It is to me somewhat ungainly looking and it needs a glare shield. Placing a box over it would block glare and its ungainly appearance. One could also tape a swatch of WUJI LP SATIN SOLID BLACK cloth from the JOANN fabric store over it. This cloth is light in weight and will totally block inside room glare.

My cone version of an adjustable glare shield is shown below. The camera has a semi-spherical belt around it that allows spherical movement within an arrangement of plastic receivers for it. This ball-joint action works great but I miss-designed it, and as a result, has limited aim adjustment. A rubber band has to be placed in the circular groove of the receiver to provide sufficient friction to maintain the aim direction. It is a bit bulky looking.

Now for the window box shown below: This is not very pretty looking but it is very adjustable when the box is temporarily removed. To clean up the appearance of this arrangement, I would refold the perimeter window mounting flanges inward (out of sight). The box would be repositioned to cover the window plate of the camera support bracket and the box’s mounting tabs would be hidden inside the box.

The best solution to window glare is to place the camera on the outside surface of the window as was stated in your response to me. The flat ribbon USB camera power cord is only 1.6mm thick and I suspect that a lot of operable windows have enough working clearance to accommodate this thickness. In the picture below I used a pocket knife to slowly and carefully remove one side of the outer sheathing from the power cord. The exposed individual wires, each with its own sheathing measure 0.93mm Ø. It should be easier to find enough working clearance to accommodate 0.93mm.
Another approach would be to get a round power USB power cord instead of the flat ribbon one. My round USB cord is 3.04mm Ø, which is less than 1/8". So a 1/8" hole would need to be drilled through some part of the window frame or even the glass (with a diamond-coated drill bit). The USB wire would be cut poked through the hole and spliced back together on the inside of the window. Place some caulking to seal the entry point of the cord.

Maybe a helmet would need to be placed over the outside camera for additional weather protection?

I am working on another idea for an adjustable window-mounted glare shield.
Victor.

[WorldwideDave]

Quite the write up.

Those blinders for cameras mounted outside are great, too.

[victormaletic]

Hello @WorldwideDave

If you type helmet deep back in the search bar of the forum site, a link to an STL file of the helmet shown in the post you responded to will appear. You can click on that link to download it. The only un-enforcible cost to you is 1 Like, for me.

[victormaletic]

Hello @WorldwideDave and @SlabSlayer and @Wize_User
I Typed Helmet Deep into the search bar and found my old post. I copied the link in that post and pasted it here.

Helmet Deep Back.stl

I am going to test the link. I think it will work.

To view a link to an stl file, your phone or computer should have an stl file viewer loaded. There are lots of free ones available on the web. These viewers provide a dynamic view wherein the object can be viewed in real-time from various perspectives and even rotated around. They will provide the overall size and estimates of the filament and time needed to print it.

Victor

[victormaletic]

@SlabSlayer , @WorldwideDave , @Rulwiz

The link I copied in the previous post works.

[SlabSlayer]

As always, Victor, you have made an incredible impression! Thank you for your contributions to the forum!