Best location for cameras / power supply issue

[cdeutsch]

Hello, Arlo community.

I am considering Arlo cameras and a wired doorbell for my house. However, because the cameras are wireless, I'm not sure how to proceed.

I have a two-story house. In my view, to prevent tampering, the cameras could be located up high, perhaps under the eaves. However, this poses rather obvious logistical problems when it comes to battery life; I really don't want to be getting out my huge ladder every few months to remove/recharge/reinstall them, and I don't want to attract attention to them with anything like a little solar panel.

I have no issue with the doorbell as I already have low-voltage wiring ready for it. So the wired bell seems to make the most sense—unless someone here wants to convince me otherwise.

My questions are these, please: 

1. What is the recommended installation height for the Ultra 2 cameras? Is under the eaves on the second floor too high?

2. Is it a best practice to ensure they're visible (to "put people on notice"), or are they better obscured, if possible?

3. Where, along the front of the house, are they best installed? My house is basically a big box, and the length of the front, street-facing side is about 60 feet. One in the center? One at the corner and angled to capture the entire front? One at each corner? 

4. Regardless of location, is there a way to install the cameras such that they are powered by a constant source, i.e., an outlet mounted in the attic into which a external power supply can be attached to the camera?

Any guidance, best practices, or ideas are really appreciated. 

Thank you!

[StephenB]

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@cdeutsch wrote:

1. What is the recommended installation height for the Ultra 2 cameras? Is under the eaves on the second floor too high?

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Arlo's guidance is here: https://kb.arlo.com/1015583/How-do-I-optimize-motion-detection-for-my-Arlo-camera

The "place it within 10-15 feet (3.0-4.6 meters) of where motion is expected" bit suggests that the second floor eaves might be a bit high.  The underlying issue is that the cameras use passive infrared (PIR) sensors to detect motion, and those have a range of about 20 feet or so.  (They often will detect vehicles and other large objects from further away, but that isn't as reliable).

My own cameras are fairly low - between 5 and 7 feet.   The lower heights are used where cameras are mounted on existing fencing, the higher ones are under existing porch eaves.

From a practical perspective - unfortunately when something goes wrong, it is fairly common to reboot the cameras by removing/reinserting the batteries, or by doing a full reset as part of the troubleshooting.  Mine are placed so I can get to them in all seasons (including winter, with snow on the ground).

Cameras are more sensitive to motion across the field of view, and are more sensitive at the bottom than the top.

If you can protect it from the weather, the Essential Indoor camera could potentially be used higher up.  I've tried aiming mine out a third floor window looking at the street.  That captures quite a bit of stuff during the day, but reflection off the window glass makes it not very useful at night.  The Indoor camera detects motion using pixel processing, so the PIR sensor range isn't a limitation.  Note the Indoor has no battery, so it needs to be powered.

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@cdeutsch wrote:

2. Is it a best practice to ensure they're visible (to "put people on notice"), or are they better obscured, if possible?

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I don't think there is a consensus here on this aspect.  Some folks buy or build third party mount that obscure the cameras (often as bird houses), or get camo skins if they are mounting them in trees.

Mine are all visible, and while that has drawn some comments, there haven't been any backlash for neighbors or visitors.  Some neighbors have asked whether they capture video from their property (fwiw, they are placed so that they don't).

One risk is that they can be easily removed/stolen - which hasn't ever happened, but then I haven't been robbed either.   

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@cdeutsch wrote:

3. Where, along the front of the house, are they best installed? My house is basically a big box, and the length of the front, street-facing side is about 60 feet. One in the center? One at the corner and angled to capture the entire front? One at each corner? 

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This depends in part on the camera's field of view, and in part on the traffic patterns in front of the house.

My own house is deeper front-to-back than it is wide - it's perhaps 40-45 feet facing the street.  There is a front porch, and I have two cameras mounted under its eaves.  These are on either side, and angled so both cover the front door.  Between them, they capture the entire porch. One also catches part of the front walk. 

There's also an Arlo doorbell - which covers straight ahead of course.  That gets more false alarms from vehicles on the street, I use activity zones and smart filtering to control that.

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@cdeutsch wrote:

4. Regardless of location, is there a way to install the cameras such that they are powered by a constant source, i.e., an outlet mounted in the attic into which a external power supply can be attached to the camera?

 Yes, you can power the cameras all the time.  Some folks remove the battery when they do that, others leave the battery in. 

Removing the battery can be helpful if it gets very cold (some have found that the camera runs at lower temps than the spec'd limit of -4°F (-20°C) when they remove the battery). 

I have one that is always powered, and I leave the battery in.  That ensures that I still get recordings even if the power fails (my base and internet equipment are protected by a UPS, so they stay up when the power fails).

Arlo has an outdoor charger - the one for the Pro 3/4 and Ultras is fully integrated, so the cable cannot be removed from the power brick.  The cable requires a larger hole than I'd like, since you need space to get the connector through it.  The indoor charger (or a third-party USB outlet) could be used, though you might also need third-party magnetic cables to get enough length.

Arlo doesn't recommend or support third-party accessories.  I don't use any myself, so I don't have any recommendations either way.  But some here have had trouble getting third-party accessories to work reliably.  So it is worth searching the forum (best to use google with site:community.arlo.com in the search string). 

[TomMac]

quick answers;

1) prob YES

https://kb.arlo.com/37/Arlo-Camera-Placement-Tips

2) I always feel its better to stop before than after, so OVERT or visible is the way to go IMO

3)  I would do at each corner front, and then rear too, on sides if needed. They have a fairly good angle of view tho the sense range for people is about a max of 25ft.

4) YES they can be ac powered , do a search for cable

https://www.amazon.com/Weatherproof-Outdoor-Magnetic-Charging-compatible/dp/B07NRYFZ6C

[Mick_Phelan]

All good points on this thread.

On my installation I was happiest in the end with those cameras I mounted lower than those I mounted very high up - due to motion sensor range and ease of access when troubleshooting or cleaning the lenses on cameras and clearing spider webs.  I'm happiest with the position of those cameras I can access with a step ladder and those are the ones that detect the motion of people moving and record most reliably.

Consider the access points to the property, windows and doors, and items of high value like your car, and how to reliably record anyone approaching those points given the limits of the motion detection range on the cameras.  If you put the cameras under the eaves on the second floor you will only be able to catch the tops of people's heads when they walk directly below the cameras.

[cdeutsch]

Stephen, I'm grateful for your detailed reply; thanks very much!

Looks like mounting them lower—much lower—is the best practice, so I'll aim for about the eight-foot level, and to your point, it will make rebooting them, when necessary, much easier—as well as providing a much better view angle. I'm less worried about them being invisible, and with Arlo's software, I can exclude things like the sidewalk and street where there is a fair amount of traffic.

As for the number and placement, I think two cameras plus the doorbell should cover all the bases in front, and I'll an additional camera for the back yard.

I also like your idea of leaving the battery in but providing constant AC power to the devices; this way I don't much think about having to recharge, and in the event of power outage, they'll be operational, particularly if the hub is connected to a UPS. And noted on the wiring as relates to the power pack. My contractor will figure it out, no doubt.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

[cdeutsch]

TomMac, thanks for your reply; I appreciate it.

1. Agreed. Consensus is to mount them lower.

2. Yes: While I'm not going to go out of my way to hide them, so they'll likely be visible. That's OK. To your point, an ounce of prevention is worth the pound of cure.

3. Corners is the plan, since I'll also have the doorbell. I'm less interested in having it capture the sidewalk and street, since it would constantly be activated. The app will help define workable limits.

4. Got it. They evidently have a cable that attaches; as was mentioned by another contributor, it makes sense to connect them to AC but leave their batteries in; this way, in the event of a power outage, they still work, and if the Arlo hub is connected to a UPS, then the system's good for an hour or two while the power's out.

Thanks again.

[cdeutsch]

Mick, thank you for the the reply; it's much appreciated.

Noted on ensuring the cameras cover the necessary areas, like the garage, driveway, and access to the sides of the house. To your point about capturing only people's heads, and as was mentioned elsewhere in this thread, mounting them too high is not a good idea—and so I've 86d that idea.

Thanks again.