Introduction: Wireless Camera + Parabolic Mirror

By 1024 Web Solutions
About: I’m a professional that lives and breathes the technology industry. I love to promote education in my field, and I’m all about teaching younger and older generations about technology. I tinker with objects, an…

Have a client we installed wireless cameras for, but one camera is just about out of range. so instead of having him shell out more money for a higher gain camera, I decided to use the parabolic method. Before, bounced from not in range to 1 bar. After, bounced from 1 bar to 2.

Step 1: Items:

  • Bowl / strainer / aluminum mixing bowl (ideal, but I was in a time crunch to test if it would work)
  • Electrical tape / Duct tape / HVAC tape / hell anytape you wanna use I guess
  • Aluminum foil (if not using aluminum mixing bowl) approximately 1 square foot

Step 2: Tools:

  • Assortment of drill bits or Stepper bit
  • Drill
  • Razor
  • Medium rough file (optional)
  • lighter / heat source for precise heating (optional)

Step 3: My Cost:

about $1.30 with (the other supplies I already had on hand)

Step 4: Prep the Bowl

Remove any unwanted material with your razor, file or heat source.

  • Handle (gone)
  • Eyelet (gone)
  • filed down the rough cuts
  • Apply heat to remove the plastic strands

Step 5: Drill Baby Dril

Find dead center, or find the desired arc you want, and drill a hole. next find somewhere to run you power cord that wont interfere with the signal transmission.

Step 6: Test Fit

Confirm that the screw on the mount and the cable for power will pass through the holes.

Step 7: Cover Your Bowl's Inside

Once I had the foil in place I used a 6 inch ball my kid left in the living room to press the foil in. HEHE

Romove excess foil from the backside lip of the bowl and lock down with tape, if you used a ball that fit well, leave it in the bowl, then cut. If using the ball keep it in place and secure the foil on the outside of the bowl with tape. (if you did not have a ball hanging around, hahah. no worries, try not to tug on the foil while cutting).

Remove foil from the area you drilled out, I removed a bit more and secured it with electrical tape, and then cut the tape as close to the hole as possible.

Step 8: Should Be Done!

Note: I will eventually be replacing this with a cheap thin aluminum mixing bowl, the plus side of the mixing bowl. Aesthetics mainly, smooth parabolic form and theoretically should work better then the foil...


Cautionary note: use a stress relief where your power cable runs through the bowl! An example. a rubber grommet.