You just spent a hundred bucks—maybe more—on a set of Blink cameras. You open the box, and there it is: that tiny, friction-fit plastic nub they call a mount. It’s flimsy. Honestly, it feels like it might snap if a squirrel looks at it wrong.
If you're like most people, you try to snap the camera onto that mount, realize it only tilts about thirty degrees, and then spend twenty minutes cursing because you can't actually see your driveway. The stock blink outdoor camera mount is the Achilles' heel of an otherwise great budget security system. It’s built for "good enough," but your home security shouldn't just be "good enough."
Security is about angles. It's about making sure a thief can't just reach up and pop the camera off the wall like a Lego brick. If you want to actually protect your property, you need to think beyond the box.
The Problem with the Standard Blink Mount
Let’s be real. The mount that comes with the Blink Outdoor 4 or the older XT2 is basically a plastic stick-and-click. It works if you're mounting it eye-level on a flat wooden post. But who does that? Most of us are drilling into brick, tucking cameras under eaves, or trying to peer around a gutter.
The factory mount has a very limited range of motion. If you need to point the camera straight down to see a porch, you’re out of luck. It hits its own base and stops. Plus, there’s no locking mechanism. Someone with a broomstick could knock your $90 camera into the bushes in three seconds. That’s not security; that’s an expensive lawn ornament.
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Upgrading to Weatherproof Metal Housings
If you live somewhere with actual weather—think Chicago winters or Arizona summers—plastic isn't your friend. Over time, UV rays turn that white or black plastic brittle. It cracks. Then, a heavy rain hits, and suddenly your "weatherproof" camera is dangling by a wire or falling face-first into the dirt.
Aluminum mounts are the gold standard here. Companies like Wasserstein and Skywin have made a killing selling these, and for good reason. They use a ball-joint system. This gives you a full 360-degree rotation and a 90-degree tilt. You can actually point the camera where you need it.
The best part? These usually come with a "skin" or a protective housing. It’s a little metal or hard plastic shell that the camera slides into. It adds a literal layer of armor against hail, bird droppings, and sun glare.
Why the Ball-Joint Matters
Think about your eaves. Most people mount cameras high up to keep them out of reach. But if your mount can't tilt down far enough, you're just getting a great 1080p view of the street across the way while someone is literally standing at your front door. A metal blink outdoor camera mount with a locking screw ensures that once you find that perfect angle, the wind won't move it.
I’ve seen dozens of setups where the camera eventually points at the ground because the friction mount loosened up. A screw-tightening ball joint fixes that permanently.
No-Drill Options for Renters and Siding
Not everyone wants to poke holes in their house. If you have vinyl siding, drilling is a nightmare. It cracks, it leaks, and landlords hate it.
Vinyl siding clips are a game-changer. They’re these little stainless steel hooks that slip under the lip of your siding. You screw the mount into the clip instead of your house. It’s sturdy. I’ve tested these in 40 mph gusts, and they don't budge.
Then there’s the gutter mount. This is probably the most underrated way to install a Blink camera. By clipping the camera to the gutter, you get the highest possible vantage point. It’s way harder for a vandal to reach, and you get a sweeping view of the yard. Just make sure you aren't mounting it somewhere that gets submerged during a downpour. Drainage matters.
The Security Bracket: Preventing Theft
Blink cameras are small. That’s a selling point. But it also makes them easy to steal. Since the standard mount just "snaps" on, anyone can "snap" it off.
Anti-theft mounts exist specifically for this. They usually involve a full metal cage that wraps around the camera. To get the camera out, you need a specific hex key or screwdriver. Is it 100% thief-proof? No. If someone brings a crowbar, they’re getting the camera. But security is about being a "hard target." If a thief sees a camera locked in a metal cage versus one just hanging on a plastic clip, they’re going to go find an easier house.
Placement Secrets the Manual Doesn't Tell You
A mount is only as good as where you put it. Most people mount their cameras too high.
"But you just said high is better for views!"
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It is for views, but it’s terrible for faces. If the camera is 12 feet up, you’re getting a great shot of the top of a burglar's baseball cap. You want the camera about 7 to 9 feet off the ground. This is high enough to be out of easy reach but low enough to catch facial features.
Also, watch out for "IR washout." If you use a mount that puts the camera too close to a white wall or a soffit, the Infrared light will reflect off that surface at night. Your camera will think it's looking at a sun, and the rest of the image will be pitch black. Position your blink outdoor camera mount so the lens has a clear, unobstructed view of the open space, away from immediate white surfaces.
Powering Your Mounted Camera
Blink touts a two-year battery life. That’s... optimistic. In high-traffic areas, you're looking at six months. If you’ve mounted your camera 10 feet up on a gutter, changing batteries is a chore.
This is where solar panel mounts come in. Many third-party mounts now feature an integrated solar panel or a bracket to hold one nearby. You run a small micro-USB or USB-C cable (depending on your Blink model) into the back of the camera.
Warning: Make sure the mount you buy has a silicone seal for the power port. If you plug a cable into a Blink camera and don't seal it, it’s no longer waterproof. The interior will corrode, and your camera will die. Good mounts include these weather-sealing gaskets.
Dealing with Brick and Stone
If you’re mounting on brick, stop using the plastic anchors that come in the box. They’re garbage. They stripped almost instantly in my testing.
Go to the hardware store and spend five dollars on Tapcon screws or high-quality fluted anchors. Use a masonry bit. A secure blink outdoor camera mount on a brick wall should feel like part of the building. If you can wiggle it with your hand, the vibration from the wind will trigger the motion sensors and give you fifty annoying notifications a day.
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Software Calibration After Mounting
Once the mount is tightened down, you aren't done. Open the Blink app. Use the "Live View" to check your zones.
Blink uses PIR (Passive Infrared) to detect motion. This means it’s better at detecting things moving across the field of vision than things moving toward it. Angle your mount so people walk across the frame. If you point it straight down a long hallway or driveway, the camera might not trigger until the person is right in front of the lens.
Practical Steps for a Better Setup
- Ditch the box mount. Unless you're mounting indoors on a shelf, buy a metal third-party mount.
- Check your height. Aim for 8 feet. It's the "Goldilocks" zone for facial recognition and safety.
- Test at night. Before you finalize the screws, check the Live View with Night Vision on. Ensure no nearby walls are causing IR glare.
- Secure the wire. If you’re using a solar panel or plug-in power, use cable clips. Loose wires are an invitation for birds to nest or thieves to pull.
- Lock it down. Use a mount with a thumb-screw or hex-bolt locking mechanism to prevent the camera from "drooping" over time.
Investing in a proper blink outdoor camera mount is the difference between having a toy and having a security system. You've already invested in the tech; don't let a $2 piece of plastic be the reason it fails when you need it most. Get a mount that offers 360-degree movement, weather protection, and a secure locking mechanism to ensure your home stays under a watchful eye, regardless of the wind or the whims of a passerby.