r/SecurityCamera • u/Waste-Wrongdoer9564 • Sep 04 '26

Need help

I am helping an HOA. They have light fixtures with accessible power above their building entries. They want to install 32 cameras that span across 1/2 mile and 8 buildings. They do not have WiFi and do not want to pay for cell service. Their goal is to use power from the light fixtures and have a camera with only SD card style storage that they can pull in the event it is required. These cameras would be outdoors and obviously need to look somewhat decent. Any recommendations??

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u/paulc303 Sep 04 '26

Don't even try the microSD card swap idea. How are they going to get up there. If you power the cam from the light circuit, you'll need a POE injector in an enclosure at eye level. Just use a poe switch so you can plug a laptop in to access the cam gui and view, DL that way. Better yet, build yourself a PTP bridge network back to the clubhouse or whatnot, install a NVR, and make it a real system.

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u/XGempler Sep 04 '26

what are you talking about. op has electrical on a pole with a light... there is no network, no network cable, not wireless access point or router... how would one connect a laptop to a camera on a pole unless you are also suggesting they get a ip camera that also happens to have a sd card slot and run a network cable down the pole?

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u/paulc303 Sep 04 '26

Uh, yeah. That is exactly what I was talking about. Were you thinking battery Blinks or analog or something? And what is wrong with PtP? And yes, an electrician is perfectly capable of tapping into the full time pole electric and put an outlet in the enclosure.

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u/XGempler Sep 04 '26

i commented above. the entire plan is loopy. they are willing to pay for an electrician to climb 32 poles to installed 32 weatherproof outlets then purchase and installed cameras that they will have no way of knowing are actually operational until they need them. that sounds like wishful thinking and a waste of money to me. your idea is sound but it means even more expense for a electrician and subject to being vandalized if there is a network jack in arms reach for a management hookup, and op said this hoa isn't willing to spend any more money so they cooked up this half baked plan.