Okay, so I finally got around to installing that Lorex Floodlight Camera I bought a while back. It’s been sitting in the box, staring at me, making me feel guilty every time I walked past. But hey, I did it! And you know what? It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
First things first, I killed the power at the breaker. Don’t want any shocking surprises, right? This is super important – always double, triple check!
Next, I unboxed everything. Lorex included pretty much everything you need, which was nice. There’s the camera itself, which is surprisingly hefty, a mounting bracket, a bunch of screws and wire connectors, and even some little wire labels.
Mounting the Bracket
This was probably the trickiest part, only because I was working on a ladder. I had to remove the old, useless outdoor light fixture first. Lots of unscrewing and disconnecting wires. I made sure to take a picture of the existing wiring before I took it all apart, just in case I got confused later.
Then, I held the new mounting bracket up to the junction box and used a level to make sure it was straight. Marked the holes, drilled some pilot holes (my siding is old, so this was necessary!), and then screwed the bracket into place. Pretty straightforward.
Wiring It Up
This is where that picture I took earlier came in handy. I basically matched the wires from the Lorex camera to the wires in the junction box – black to black, white to white, and ground to ground (that’s the green or bare copper one). I used the included wire connectors, which are those little plastic caps you twist on. Made sure everything was nice and snug.
Attaching the Camera
The camera itself just screws onto the mounting bracket. There’s a little rubber gasket to keep things weatherproof. Once it was on, I could adjust the angle of the floodlights and the camera lens. I wanted to make sure I got a good view of the driveway and the walkway.
Powering Up and Setting Up the App
With everything connected, I flipped the breaker back on. The floodlights came on immediately, which was a good sign! Then, I downloaded the Lorex app on my phone. The app walks you through the setup process, which involves connecting the camera to your Wi-Fi network. It took a couple of tries to get it connected, but eventually, it worked. The app is actually pretty cool – you can view live video, get motion alerts, and even talk to people through the camera (which my kids think is hilarious).
Finally I adjusted the direction of the two lights on either side of the camera to illuminate the area that needed it. I also adjusted the camera so that the picture was just right, and then I went inside to connect to it with the app. It was a very simple process.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with it. It took me a couple of hours, mostly because I was being extra careful. But the picture quality is great, even at night, and the motion detection seems to be working well. Plus, it gives me a little extra peace of mind. If you’re thinking about getting one, I’d say go for it – just take your time and follow the instructions!