Attaching a security camera to a telephone post??

[stevensfo]

I've found a great spot for putting an external security camera that will allow connection to the mains and a great view.

But it will be quite high up a telephone post along the side of our garden. The camera has a flat part above it that can be screwed either vertically onto a roof or a horizontally onto a wall.

Of course, the telephone post is round, not flat!

Okay, the questions is, what's the best way to do this? Although the camera is supposedly 'external' I would also like to attach a small piece of wood or plastic above (like the front of a peaked hat) to protect the camera from really heavy rain.

My DIY skills are probably closest to those acquired while watching Blue Peter, many years ago, so involving plenty of yoghurt cartons and sticky-backed plastic. But I can be pretty handy with power tools.... sometimes.

Steve

[JohnB]

Do you own the post?

[kempiejon]

https://www.google.com/search?q=camera+ ... e&ie=UTF-8

quite a few off the shelf options. If it were my problem I might make a wooden, all in one roof/hat with a back plate and shape that to the diameter of the pole.

[staffordian]

Although the camera is supposedly 'external' I would also like to attach a small piece of wood or plastic above (like the front of a peaked hat) to protect the camera from really heavy rain.

My DIY skills are probably closest to those acquired while watching Blue Peter, many years ago, so involving plenty of yoghurt cartons and sticky-backed plastic.

In true Blue Peter fashion, one option might be to use a clean 500g* margarine tub with one of the short ends cut off as a shroud to protect the camera. You can screw through it's base into the pole and screw the camera mount through it too. It wouldn't rot or deteriorate like wood might.

*Or larger, depending on the size of the camera

[stevensfo]

https://www.google.com/search?q=camera+mount+for+round+posts&oq=camera+mount+for+round+posts&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiiBDIHCAIQABiiBDIHCAMQABiiBNIBCDgzNzFqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

quite a few off the shelf options. If it were my problem I might make a wooden, all in one roof/hat with a back plate and shape that to the diameter of the pole.

Oh wow! Those Dahua and WiTi mounting plates are perfect. Thanks so much!! Naturally I'll paint them the same colour as the post to blend in.

Steve

PS Re. who owns the post, we're deep in the countryside and besides the post and wiring being overdue for replacement, we could put a large deep space radar antenna on it and nobody would bat an eyelid.

[Dod101]

I doubt that BT or whoever owns the post will be very impressed as someone implied earlier. I would get that cleared first although I dare say you will get away with it for a while.

Dod

[stevensfo]

I doubt that BT or whoever owns the post will be very impressed as someone implied earlier. I would get that cleared first although I dare say you will get away with it for a while.

Dod

Well, maybe, if we were drilling into the post. But one of the solutions that kempiejon proposed is a plate that is secured to the post by those flexible metal straps. (is there a name for these?)

So we will not be touching or altering the integral structure at all. Merely hanging something onto it that weighs a lot less than those long wires.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiTi-Universal ... B08Y8T62T3
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiTi-Universal ... B0B24MDX5N


Steve

[Redmires]

I doubt that BT or whoever owns the post will be very impressed as someone implied earlier. I would get that cleared first although I dare say you will get away with it for a while.

Dod

Well, maybe, if we were drilling into the post. But one of the solutions that kempiejon proposed is a plate that is secured to the post by those flexible metal straps. (is there a name for these?)

Steve

Very large jubilee clips

[CliffEdge]

Is it a fixed post or a mobile post?

[stevensfo]

Is it a fixed post or a mobile post?

Not sure what you mean. It's a very tall telegraph post that has been there for at least 40 years. Probably longer.

What is a mobile post?

Steve

PS Hope not like in 'The Day of the Triffids' !

[mc2fool]

So we will not be touching or altering the integral structure at all. Merely hanging something onto it that weighs a lot less than those long wires.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiTi-Universal ... B08Y8T62T3
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiTi-Universal ... B0B24MDX5N

Note that both of those are for poles up to 100mm in diameter (4 inches). If you scroll down the pages there are ones for poles up to 200mm.

[kempiejon]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SN-CT1691-Hose ... 20&sr=8-64

Massive hose clips, cut to your required lengths.

[Stompa]

FWIW:

https://community.bt.com/t5/The-Lounge/ ... -p/2238668

[DrFfybes]

I doubt that BT or whoever owns the post will be very impressed as someone implied earlier. I would get that cleared first although I dare say you will get away with it for a while.

Dod

Well, maybe, if we were drilling into the post. But one of the solutions that kempiejon proposed is a plate that is secured to the post by those flexible metal straps. (is there a name for these?)

So we will not be touching or altering the integral structure at all. Merely hanging something onto it that weighs a lot less than those long wires.

When they (Openreach) find it they WILL remove it and dispose of it. Supplying power to a telegraph pole could endanger the life of someone called to repair the phone lines. You have no more right to attach to a telegraph pole or lamp column than you do to your neighbours' house.

Paul

[Hallucigenia]

So we will not be touching or altering the integral structure at all. Merely hanging something onto it that weighs a lot less than those long wires.

But you are literally touching it and altering it - at least in the eyes of Openreach. And it doesn't belong to you, but to them.

You may think you're out of sight, out of mind, but IME even in out of the way places they come and check every year or so that there's no trees etc interfering with the lines/poles, as it's obviously a lot less work to trim some branches in summer as a preventative thing than wait until they've brought down the line in winter. I guess you might get lucky with an individual engineer turning a blind eye, but that would certainly not be the view of Openreach at a corporate level.

[servodude]

Well, maybe, if we were drilling into the post. But one of the solutions that kempiejon proposed is a plate that is secured to the post by those flexible metal straps. (is there a name for these?)

Steve

Very large jubilee clips

I've always called them Jubilee straps - doesn't seem to raise too many eyebrows

[stevensfo]

Well, maybe, if we were drilling into the post. But one of the solutions that kempiejon proposed is a plate that is secured to the post by those flexible metal straps. (is there a name for these?)

So we will not be touching or altering the integral structure at all. Merely hanging something onto it that weighs a lot less than those long wires.

When they (Openreach) find it they WILL remove it and dispose of it. Supplying power to a telegraph pole could endanger the life of someone called to repair the phone lines. You have no more right to attach to a telegraph pole or lamp column than you do to your neighbours' house.

Paul

Thanks, but the camera would be 12v and very light.

The pole is in our garden and I would be far more concerned about some overweight technician climbing it without written permission from us to enter our property and a full safety assessment and proof of insurance, should they cause the pole to fall on on somebody/something!

Steve

PS Last week I saw people sticking posters on poles in the town. Can I make a citizen's arrest?

[Hallucigenia]

Thanks, but the camera would be 12v and very light.

Doesn't matter from their POV, they just get fussy about any attachments to their stuff.

The pole is in our garden and I would be far more concerned about some overweight technician climbing it without written permission from us to enter our property and a full safety assessment and proof of insurance, should they cause the pole to fall on on somebody/something!

If it's in your garden there will be a wayleave agreement whereby they either paid a one-off payment or an annual one to put it there in the first place and access it as required for maintenance etc.

PS Last week I saw people sticking posters on poles in the town. Can I make a citizen's arrest?

It's for the owner (ie Openreach) to resolve, in the same way as if they were sticking posters on your garden fence it would be your problem.

[Gerry557]

I see what you are trying to do but I would be on hand if ever someone came to do any work on the pole as you don't have any right. I think a cup of tea and some biscuits with a friendly chat might allow an individual to turn a blind eye.

I assume it's never been worked on in years so you might get away with it for some time. Storms might be an issue if the lines come down so you might have to react faster than the company repair man even if it's to take it down for a day or too.

I have had similar thoughts with a lamp post.....

[stevensfo]

I see what you are trying to do but I would be on hand if ever someone came to do any work on the pole as you don't have any right. I think a cup of tea and some biscuits with a friendly chat might allow an individual to turn a blind eye.

I assume it's never been worked on in years so you might get away with it for some time. Storms might be an issue if the lines come down so you might have to react faster than the company repair man even if it's to take it down for a day or too.

I have had similar thoughts with a lamp post.....

Thanks! I never thought about the lamp post! It has a power source as well, so no need for an extension cable.

Steve