Postby michaelfish » Sat May 29, 2010 8:04 pm
Well, here's my idea of a garage door opener implemented as a concealed, motorized retractable camera system.
Using a garage door opener (track) mounted vertically instead of horizontally, I was able to install a motorized retractable camera system for the Sony EVI-D70.
The camera is raised/lowered by either the hand remote control or from a keypad mounted on the wall. Pan/Tilt/Zoom is accomplished via a Sony RM-B300 joystick controller located in the library.
I used an straight air conditioning register boot to store the camera in the ceiling instead of the light fixture idea. The register boot was better suited for the shape of the camera and cheaper. It also was easier to conceal by using a grill to cover the hole. Thanks to Mikerowaved for his ideas for concealing the camera, which led to my own solution...using the A/C grill. When the camera retracts, a 10" x 6" air-return grill mounted on hinges is pulled into place or opened by the camera base via a cable and springs.
Limits on the garage door track control the stops.
The camera drops 7' from the ceiling and suspends 8 1/2 feet off the ground.
The cost of the project was only about $375, but there was a lot of work involved.
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- Closed.jpg
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- Door opened.jpg
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