Your thoughts on a field cam?
09-09-2003, 04:59 PM
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Your thoughts on a field cam?
Our club is looking to put up a field cam with the following specs:
- send a still or cam picture every x number of seconds to the web
- self powered, e.g. solar powered
- transmits the signal to a nearby receiver x miles away
- received signal is fed to a web page for display
- low cost is good
The "x" values are TBD.
Business reasons:
- provide feedback to the Club as to who is flying
- possibly capture vandals in the act, notify police
- weather/conditions at the field for those who live a long distance from it
Your thoughts are welcome.
Has anyone done this.
We would hide the camera high up in the trees.
Thanks.
- send a still or cam picture every x number of seconds to the web
- self powered, e.g. solar powered
- transmits the signal to a nearby receiver x miles away
- received signal is fed to a web page for display
- low cost is good
The "x" values are TBD.
Business reasons:
- provide feedback to the Club as to who is flying
- possibly capture vandals in the act, notify police
- weather/conditions at the field for those who live a long distance from it
Your thoughts are welcome.
Has anyone done this.
We would hide the camera high up in the trees.
Thanks.
09-09-2003, 09:48 PM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
I've been thinking about something similar myself for our field. The owner of our field has line of sight view of field so was think to place a webcam in one of his windows. If the club supplies cable internet access to owner, he would then just allow us to plug it into the line and take small window space. Camera could be had for $100-$300, and network switch for $30, and monthly connect of $25. I'm a 25 min drive to the field so it would be great to see the sock and number of pilots there before leaving the house.
I'd be concerned that your suggestion to keep it outdoors with solar panel to watch vandals since it might attract theives. If you could securely lock it up then, neat, since the panel only supplies power during the day-as needed. However, transmitting the signal miles is a stretch. Linksys (and others have now come out with some reasonably priced wireless webcames, but they are talking 300 feet). Are you too far from a residence of someone who might like free interne access ? Keep us posted on your progress !
I'd be concerned that your suggestion to keep it outdoors with solar panel to watch vandals since it might attract theives. If you could securely lock it up then, neat, since the panel only supplies power during the day-as needed. However, transmitting the signal miles is a stretch. Linksys (and others have now come out with some reasonably priced wireless webcames, but they are talking 300 feet). Are you too far from a residence of someone who might like free interne access ? Keep us posted on your progress !
09-10-2003, 08:32 AM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
We don't have anyone living within line of sight of the field and probably the closest is a mile or two. There's a water tower nearby that could possibly give us power at least then it's just a matter of transmitting the signal to our closest pilot's house.
For your field, sounds like you are in good shape if someone has line of sight to the field. That's incredible.
For your field, sounds like you are in good shape if someone has line of sight to the field. That's incredible.
09-10-2003, 09:46 AM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
What you'll need:
A PC: - pretty much whatever you can get your hands on the cheapest. An old 160 MHz notebook for a couple hundred dollars would do the job fine, and not need much power.
A webcam - probably the easiest lowest hassle part of the project.
Power - hopefully you can get it from the water tower, I expect that a solar array adequate for the job, battery array and inverters would be rather pricy though I don't have direct experience there. I've seen foldable solar arrays available for notebooks for a few hundred dollars, but they don't have the ability to drive the notebook, In a day of good sun they can put enough charge on the battery to run for a couple of hours.
Internet access: if you can get a phone line out there, things are happy. If you need to go wireless, they get tricky. I'm a traveling journalist who lives by his wireless internet access. AT&T and Verizon consumer packages will run you $100 or so a month (Sprint will do it for $30 but has a problem with dropping connections frequently in my experience.) Both AT&T and Verizon have less expensive packages, but for a web cam you'll need unlimited data transfer per month. Problem here is that running a continuous web cam, at least in letter of the law, I believe violates their user agreements. You'll need to check with these companies to see of they have a commercial service rate to do what you want.
You will also need a building or structure to house, contain, and protect the equipment.
There are also dedicated web cams that can connect straight to a dial up line, or other internet connection, but these usually cost more than a typical web cam and an old computer.
You might also consdier a wireless surveilence camera rig, if you can mount the receiver at a building within range that can get a phone line to it practically. Then you just need to worry about power (not as bad as trying to power the computer and wireless internet gear) and have protection for the computer end of things.
-Bill
A PC: - pretty much whatever you can get your hands on the cheapest. An old 160 MHz notebook for a couple hundred dollars would do the job fine, and not need much power.
A webcam - probably the easiest lowest hassle part of the project.
Power - hopefully you can get it from the water tower, I expect that a solar array adequate for the job, battery array and inverters would be rather pricy though I don't have direct experience there. I've seen foldable solar arrays available for notebooks for a few hundred dollars, but they don't have the ability to drive the notebook, In a day of good sun they can put enough charge on the battery to run for a couple of hours.
Internet access: if you can get a phone line out there, things are happy. If you need to go wireless, they get tricky. I'm a traveling journalist who lives by his wireless internet access. AT&T and Verizon consumer packages will run you $100 or so a month (Sprint will do it for $30 but has a problem with dropping connections frequently in my experience.) Both AT&T and Verizon have less expensive packages, but for a web cam you'll need unlimited data transfer per month. Problem here is that running a continuous web cam, at least in letter of the law, I believe violates their user agreements. You'll need to check with these companies to see of they have a commercial service rate to do what you want.
You will also need a building or structure to house, contain, and protect the equipment.
There are also dedicated web cams that can connect straight to a dial up line, or other internet connection, but these usually cost more than a typical web cam and an old computer.
You might also consdier a wireless surveilence camera rig, if you can mount the receiver at a building within range that can get a phone line to it practically. Then you just need to worry about power (not as bad as trying to power the computer and wireless internet gear) and have protection for the computer end of things.
-Bill
09-10-2003, 12:07 PM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
Your computer that the camera is connected to would have to be setup as a web server so you would need a static ip address from your service provider. With a higher bandwidth usage the monthly costs are more than a basic internet hookup. Don't think dial up will work, would have to be DSL or ISDN. But you don't need a highspeed computer any cheap older computer would work.
Dave
Dave
09-11-2003, 10:53 AM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
Nope, static IP would only be needed if the webcam computer were to be the web host, which is not necessary.
If it were to be streaming video (more than is needed for security and flight conditions) it can be streamed to a web server that acts as a repeater, or reflector for the video stream. Kind or pricy and tricky to set up.
If you are going to have it as a still camera, that's very easy, and easily done over dialup or wireless Internet access. There are web cam programs that will, at preset intervals, grab an image from the attached video device, overlay text and graphics on the image, then ftp to a web server and upload the image. Then on the web server, you have a web page with a JAVA script that uploads the picture to the user's web browser at a similar time interval.
There's no need for static IP with either set-up. With a land-line you can set up the web-cam package, and use an autodialer for windows to automatically reconnect to the ISP if you get dropped. I've done this a number of times at indoor sporting events, all the gear fits in a ventilated briefcase, with the webcam coming out of the case on a cable, and power and phone lines going into the case.
Also, of note, there are computerized weather stations available for a few hundred dollars that can be set up so that they will take temp, humidity, windspeed, wind direction, etc., and similarly ftp that data to a web server via any type of Internet connection.
If there's a building with the ability for power and a phone line within wireless video range of were you want the camera, and either power for the camera on the field itself, or you can rig a solar/battery supply for it, this would be a very do-able project.
-Bill
If it were to be streaming video (more than is needed for security and flight conditions) it can be streamed to a web server that acts as a repeater, or reflector for the video stream. Kind or pricy and tricky to set up.
If you are going to have it as a still camera, that's very easy, and easily done over dialup or wireless Internet access. There are web cam programs that will, at preset intervals, grab an image from the attached video device, overlay text and graphics on the image, then ftp to a web server and upload the image. Then on the web server, you have a web page with a JAVA script that uploads the picture to the user's web browser at a similar time interval.
There's no need for static IP with either set-up. With a land-line you can set up the web-cam package, and use an autodialer for windows to automatically reconnect to the ISP if you get dropped. I've done this a number of times at indoor sporting events, all the gear fits in a ventilated briefcase, with the webcam coming out of the case on a cable, and power and phone lines going into the case.
Also, of note, there are computerized weather stations available for a few hundred dollars that can be set up so that they will take temp, humidity, windspeed, wind direction, etc., and similarly ftp that data to a web server via any type of Internet connection.
If there's a building with the ability for power and a phone line within wireless video range of were you want the camera, and either power for the camera on the field itself, or you can rig a solar/battery supply for it, this would be a very do-able project.
-Bill
09-11-2003, 03:51 PM
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RE: Your thoughts on a field cam?
To transmit a video signal over a mile away with obstructions between tx and rx is sounding more expensive than this group normally deals with. Maybe rccam and the other ham guys can help with some legal ideas.
If you can get a cable modem line to the location and power you're ok. No computer is needed (except for the few mins to get it established), just connect a web cam to the modem, and use a static IP to access. Only need a very small footprint.
Other possibilities
Can it be mounted to top of the tower and is anyone wthin half a mile LOS or so ? If so a small wireless video transmitting (one of the 2.4ghz version) to a receiver which is then redirected to a website might be a low cost possiblty for live video.
The briefcase approach that Billmi suggests for stills might be possible. I've generally found using dialup as undependable and clumsy, but the application is not critical.
Billmi - does this require a PC or laptop or other computing devise ? Can you post an info link ?
If you can get a cable modem line to the location and power you're ok. No computer is needed (except for the few mins to get it established), just connect a web cam to the modem, and use a static IP to access. Only need a very small footprint.
Other possibilities
Can it be mounted to top of the tower and is anyone wthin half a mile LOS or so ? If so a small wireless video transmitting (one of the 2.4ghz version) to a receiver which is then redirected to a website might be a low cost possiblty for live video.
The briefcase approach that Billmi suggests for stills might be possible. I've generally found using dialup as undependable and clumsy, but the application is not critical.
Billmi - does this require a PC or laptop or other computing devise ? Can you post an info link ?
