WXforum.net

Miscellaneous Debris => Tech Corner => Topic started by: Aardvark on April 05, 2018, 11:24:55 AM

Title: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Aardvark on April 05, 2018, 11:24:55 AM
I have seen these with my indoor and outdoor cameras at night, particularly the outdoor.   Very interesting.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/04/04/pollen-looks-like-snow-apex-north-carolina-orig-vstan-kj.cnn (https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/04/04/pollen-looks-like-snow-apex-north-carolina-orig-vstan-kj.cnn)
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: VE7FQN on April 05, 2018, 08:40:33 PM
I would guess more noticeable with a light breeze

Doug
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Aardvark on April 05, 2018, 11:39:47 PM
I have outdoor security cameras around the house (long story) and they are IR/Night vision.  So  I sometimes see blasts of these,  I also see the heat pattern from the furnace and bugs when they are out and about.   Interesting.   

Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: WeatherHost on April 06, 2018, 03:26:55 AM
I see stuff flitting by mine, but I figure it's bugs.

Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: ocala on April 06, 2018, 04:52:48 PM
I have seen this too but have never heard an explanation for it.
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Aardvark on April 06, 2018, 05:11:44 PM
I have seen it on one of my cameras like a flock of something, but the wind is calm, at least that my Davis isn't registering it.  that IR light sure detects things.   I just bought a new air cleaner for the living room . I used to see stuff float at night, it should be interesting now to see how well that stuff stops floating, unless it is supernatural. Then you can find me hiding under the bed with the dust bunnies.
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: ValentineWeather on April 06, 2018, 06:14:31 PM
I've seen pollen at night also. I've got a weird looking ribbon bug that trips my cameras all the time and don't know what it is. Any ideas? Correction not all the time only summer months.
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: ocala on April 06, 2018, 07:32:15 PM
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: ValentineWeather on April 06, 2018, 08:26:30 PM
:lol: First time I saw these strange creatures it kind of freaked me out too. WT?
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: bchwdlks on April 07, 2018, 02:30:31 PM
I get very similar images if I have IR turned on - thousands per night. The first night I had a camera turned on, I filled a free Dropbox account (2 GB). When I checked, it was mainly fireflies and moths.

I sat out on my porch after dark with a tablet showing a live camera image and a flashlight. When I could see a ribbon on the camera, I tried to get a flashlight on it. I was amazed at how many insects are not visible to the eye but light up under IR.

The length of the ribbon was determined by the "Snapshot duration, Snapshot frame rate and Alarm interval" settings on the camera. The longer duration gave me longer ribbons. The spiral around the ribbon was the wings moving up and down as the insect moved through the frame. 
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: ValentineWeather on April 07, 2018, 07:21:21 PM

The length of the ribbon was determined by the "Snapshot duration, Snapshot frame rate and Alarm interval" settings on the camera. The longer duration gave me longer ribbons. The spiral around the ribbon was the wings moving up and down as the insect moved through the frame.

Good to know... The spiral around the ribbon was confusing me, but makes sense now.
Thanks for the report
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: WeatherHost on April 22, 2018, 02:18:04 PM
I've noticed lots of stuff on my IR.  I assume most of it is bugs, but I also see raindrops quite clearly that don't show in color mode.

Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Dane_B on April 22, 2018, 05:38:25 PM
I really don't care for the built in IR. Not only for many of the reasons mentioned above,light rain, heavy mist, snow etc, etc. I bought an IR illuminator on Ebay and mounted it out about 50 feet in front of the camera. Works super and you don't get that extraneous hash. What I really need to do is get up to the camera so I can block or disconnect the internal IR illuminator. 
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: WeatherHost on April 22, 2018, 05:48:49 PM
What I really need to do is get up to the camera so I can block or disconnect the internal IR illuminator. 


Have you gone through the settings to see if it can be disabled that way?  It works OK on some of mine, but on others despite turning it off in settings, it still comes on.
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Dane_B on April 22, 2018, 06:13:03 PM
What I really need to do is get up to the camera so I can block or disconnect the internal IR illuminator. 


Have you gone through the settings to see if it can be disabled that way?  It works OK on some of mine, but on others despite turning it off in settings, it still comes on.

I tried that but no go. Seems I don't have the ability to switch the lights off. If I go to day mode at night, it doesn't pick up the IR. The mechanical filter switches but the lights apparently come on also. 
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: WeatherHost on April 22, 2018, 06:31:35 PM
Yeah, I have these setting options, but they don't disable the IR.  Not sure why.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]


 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Outdoor camera with night vision - pollen
Post by: Dane_B on April 22, 2018, 06:45:47 PM
When I get the time and energy, I'm going to dissemble the camera and disconnect the IR lights. The stand alone IR with dusk to dawn photocell works great.