Mist during the night. Please help!

[carib 0]

Hello!

I am experiencing a problem with an outdoor camera and I am in need for some help. During the night I get mist image on the monitor. I have two outdoor cameras and only one of them does this. The camera is inside an apropriate housing with heater and blower but it is also located just under (10cm) a big projector. Actually the mist starts when the projector is turned on in the evening. Could anyone explain why? The whole problem started a month ago when the camera's housing was first opened because the cable needed to be replaced. The back seal is not very safe also and some water might be able to get inside. Also the weather is really wet and always raining these days but it was the same last year also and we never had such problem.

Thank you in advance for the help!

[Kiwi 0]

So is the condensation on the outside surface of the housing window, or the inside?

[carib 0]

Thank you for the responce! Unfortunatelly I can't say that for sure... I know it seems stupid but the camera is located on a very high column and I can't access it durring the night when the problem starts. We used a big excavator today to get to the camera and there was no signs of condensation either inside or outside the camera. Could it be an electronic malfaction (damaged capacitors) because of the overheating from the projector? Where should I expect condensation?

[Kiwi 0]

I'm sure it's nothing to do with capacitors.

 

Perhaps water has gotten inside the housing and when that is heated by the projector it steams-up the window. Certainly if the housing worked fine last year than that sounds likely. I suppose you could dry out the housing and seal it better.

 

I've made an outdoor camera housings from PVC pipe. I sealed it completely and include some desiccant bags, and a bladder to compensate for temperature induced volume changes. It usually rains enough here that a standard housing would not work well.

 

Another less-practical trick is to run a tube to the housing and purge it continuously with dry air.

[RickA 0]

Try sticking 2 or 3 dessicant packs inside to see if that will dry it out.

[carib 0]

Thank you very much for the help! I will try to dry out the housing today and see what happens. I will try to put in a couple of dessicant packs also.

[zmxtech 0]

Also you can get a hair dryer and do the inside of the case to dry up any water.

 

Lots of cams have nitrogen inside also.

 

z

[Slim 0]

Could just be fine particulate on the outside of the enclosure window that's holding the moisture? Worth a look