Hi everybody, I’m planing to put this Wize V2 in my vending machine business, does any body is doing in it or has any advice for me especially with machines that are refrigerated.
Some have success installing this outdoor as long as its not exposed to harsh weather conditions and elements. Are you planning to install it inside your refrigerated vending machine? If yes, probably you’ll have problem with moisture and condensation.
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Hi @UPickOne - welcome to the forum!
The cams are not rated for outdoor use, but many people report using them outside and in inclement weather without problems. I have some of mine like that. It does void the warranty-just be aware of that.
I think @Kaloy might have a good point about moisture inside a refrigerated machine- that’s a new one on me.
If you do please let us know how it works out.
Also keep in mind they need to connect to WiFi for sure during initial start up.
Are you trying to put it INSIDE a vending machine so that you’ll get a video if someone tries to break into the machine, for example? It seems like a cool use case, but I haven’t seen anyone else who has said they’re doing it.
Wyze has said that the cameras should operate with ambient temperatures between 32° and 104°, so you should probably be good in a refrigerator, but not necessarily in a freezer. But if it’s inside a machine, you might have some WiFi connectivity/interference issues.
I’m not sure about moisture issues, like some other people mentioned. That would have to do with humidity levels. Condensation occurs when warm humid air hits cold surfaces. The camera will always be hotter than its surroundings. To me, that seems to indicate that it shouldn’t be a problem, although I suppose if the air circulating around inside the camera is warm and humid enough and the plastic of the casing is cold enough compared to it, maybe moisture could condense inside the casing. But I’m not an expert on dew points, etc. A lot of people have used them outdoors without issue, but they’re not technically “approved” for this purpose.
In short – I think you’d probably be fine, but just be aware that you’re treading new ground and that it might put you outside the scope of the warranty. Personally, I wouldn’t let that stop me from experimenting, (If I lose $25, it’s not the end of the world, especially if I learned something) but if you’re talking about buying hundreds of these for every machine you own, it might be smart to test 2 or 3 for in the wild for a bit before taking a deeper plunge.
WiFi connectivity and power from inside a metal vending machine might provide difficult. But if you can resolve those issues, there are other barriers that might cause concern.
First, printed circuit boards (PCB) will quickly deteriorate due to environmental variables such as temperature, dirt, dust, debris and moisture. Accidental impacts, power overloads and power surges can be severely detrimental to your Wyzecam’s printed circuit boards as well. In order to avoid these problems you may want to apply a protective coating to provide non-conductive dielectric layer.
Second, if you are considering installing these Wyzecams outside of the vending machines, consider using this 20+ year old product as a model to follow it’s proven mounting design. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtwvfh Over the decades this company had many mounting version to help to protect the wiring, reduce the installation burden and find the best installation vantage point for its PIR.
Third, use a protective cover on the cameras to hinder someone from taking the micro SD or pushing the installation button.
Lastly, many vending machines have a very bright light emitting fascia which might do weird things to the video recording quality in different surroundings during the night environments.