Re: Camera advice

["Lee" <muddyboots@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Jim Noble <yahoo-groups@...> wrote:
>
> Lee wrote:
> > Yes, just 1 camera connected.
> > Can't remember the resolution although I think it's 640x480 - but
obviously the picture quality will depend on the camera output.
> > I found that the colour outputs from the analogue camera aren't
spot on, not as lifelike as my USB webcams, but good enough, the analogue
camera is far far better in dusk / low light conditions though, and you get
visibility at night (black and white) with the IR illumination. By the way,
take the IR ranges quoted in camera specs with a pich of salt, assume
you'll get half !
> > Frame rate - again can't remember what that it, but I only take
still snapshots so it's not really an issue.
> > I think I had to download some updated firmware for the video
server that allows you direct access to the camera image (Jpg) via a URL,
rather than viewing it via the built in webserver. I needed this for motion
to be able to capture the images.
> > If you were looking at capturing video then you'd need to check
the frame rate & bandwidth of the homeplug adapters - I think my
homeplugs are older, lower bandwidth ones than I linked to but work fine
for taking snapshots from one camera.
> > Reliability wise - I've never had to go and open the weathersafe
box since installing it, which must be 2 years ago now.
> > On the odd occasion, if I've rebooted my router, I've had to
knock the power off/on to the video server to get it to connect again, but
that's it (for me it's just a simple job of flicking the MCB switch in my
CU for the outside supply!).
> >
>
> Cool, ta. Could be a viable replacement for my MV1000. Just noticed
the
> 4-channel Aviosys MPEG4 one that digidave have as well...
>
> Jim
>

I remember when buying all the bits, thinking "this'll never
work", as it didn't seem the most elegant solution, but it did !

Here's a couple of example images:
(Day) http://ukselfbuild.com/webcam/2007/September/01/cam3/2007-09-01-19-00-00-snapshot.jpg
(Day) http://ukselfbuild.com/webcam/2008/July/01/cam3/2008-07-01-14-15-00-snapshot.jpg
(Night) http://ukselfbuild.com/webcam/2007/September/01/cam3/2007-09-01-03-00-00-snapshot.jpg
Just to show the difference, here is an image taken at the same time of day
as the first one above, with a Logitech USB webcam:
(Day) http://ukselfbuild.com/webcam/2007/September/01/cam1/2007-09-01-19-00-00-snapshot.jpg
(but as soon as the sun started to set it was useless, you'd need a *lot*
of bright outside lights to get a decent image with it.)

The analogue camera only a relatively cheap/basic jobbie, with an
(advertised) 10M IR range.

I do find that at night, spiders like to crawl over the lens, presumably
they are attracted by the glow of the IR leds - which can be an issue as
all you see are legs or wings lit up bright white by the IR, which can
block view of anything else.
It didn't come with a lens canopy, and the lens got covered with water
droplets in the rain, so I cut some damp proof course plastic and made one
myself, wrapped round the body, held in place with insulation tape, and
trimmed until it wasn't in the picture :)

Regardless of analogie cctv or USB webcams, you need to position carefully
to avoid direct sunlight and bright reflections. And if you use some motion
detection software, be prepared to spend some time tinkering with the
detection settings & masks before you get it just right !!



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