Author Topic: Testing new PTZ weather camera  (Read 1649 times)

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Offline FreeMan

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Testing new PTZ weather camera
« on: June 25, 2017, 11:19:46 AM »
The stream will be up a couple of hours for testing. Feel free to take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOD0usJ2_8z_WHGVnOBsUAQ

Offline ocala

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2017, 11:55:03 AM »
Very nice.
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline FreeMan

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2017, 12:32:29 PM »
Very nice.
Thanks.

Need to mount the PTZ camera on a more solid pole. To much vibrations when it's windy.
The solution now is to use presets in the camera with less zooming when it's to much wind and presets with more zooming when it's calm. This is done by a batch script.

Offline DaleReid

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2017, 02:02:25 PM »
What are you using for a weather tight, protective seal for the camera?  The commercial ones tend to be expensive.  I was looking for even an old glass cake protector that would have minimal distortion on it but those are antiques now and also expensive.

A very irritating problem since wind, water and snow are a problem.f
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Offline SLOweather

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2017, 02:45:33 PM »
Quote
What are you using for a weather tight, protective seal for the camera?

Many moons ago I created an outdoor wireless PT (no Z) camera with an Axis 2100, Surveyor Corp Transit mount and their firmware for the camera, a Linksys wireless bridge, and a 14"  acrylic lamp post globe on a metal lamp post. I wrote about it in the Sept 2002 Pop Home Automation.


Offline DaleReid

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2017, 03:49:44 PM »
Very nice!
Answers a lot of questions.  I will see if I can find any of those around, since I think they are being replaced with more and more of the full cut off lighting style, and not so many of these decorative ones.

Have you put a thermometer in there to see how hot it gets, especially in the summer? 

This is great.  Thx. Dale
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Offline SLOweather

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2017, 03:55:20 PM »
Google them. Lots available on-line, from 6" or so on up.

Never checked the temperature. That system is long gone. However, there is a story to go with it...

I built that in 2002. That year, we had finally paved the driveway and Dad, at 78, was cutting and laying stone for 2- 3 x 3 x 7 gate posts. Mom would come over and watch him and knit.

When she saw the camera, she asked me to move it to the gate so she could keep an eye on him from home. (They were on my home network and Internet via a 4.5 mile wireless link.)

Later, when we started building the cabin down in our woods, (my avatar pic) I moved the camera down there. By then I had figured out port forwarding. Mom would keep an eye on Dad, at 80+, working alone cutting and laying up the fireplace and chimney. He made the scaffold and everything.

When it was time for her to go play bridge, she would call me at work and tell me that it was time for me to babysit my father. I'd call up the camera on my computer there and watch him work while I worked.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2017, 04:05:42 PM by SLOweather »

Offline SLOweather

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2017, 04:08:14 PM »
Also, watch ebay for Pelco housings. They are quite pricey when new, but I picked up a couple new ones for a fraction of the new cost. I think one was under $100. Just make very sure you know what you are getting. Some sellers don't really know what they are selling.

Offline DaleReid

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Re: Testing new PTZ weather camera
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2017, 07:05:39 AM »
Thanks, I appreciate the story of how it can be helpful and also how people still exercise their talents.  Very nice. And thanks for sharing.

I'll go look around on eBay for the housing you mentioned.  the major problem is relative uniformity of the material right in front of the lens, I'm not too worried about some variation as the camera rotates but once in place it would be nice if the overall quality was good enough to keep the majority of the picture from being too wavy.

Of all things, my wife insisted that despite mosquitoes, I work on cleaning the garage out some.  I found a box with what appeared to be not much in it but full of something.  I pulled it out from  under a bench and inside was a glass terrarium, sort of a 16" round glass fish bowl sort of thing.   Yes, glass, so it would be breakable, but pretty clear.  And a big enough top that the camera would fit into it.  Upside down, it would be relatively waterproof if I worked on some sort of seal at the bottom and a way to hold it down once working.  I have an Axis 214 camera and while not HD, still gives a good picture and has an optical zoom.

I gotta retire so I can work on all my projects.  I want to be like your dad 80+ and still working but live long enough after that to enjoy the work I did!

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