Author Topic: Wx Cam adventures  (Read 29189 times)

xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #90 on: July 09, 2015, 04:00:58 PM »
Reviewing the WC and Evocam manuals and trying to avoid contacting the respective and respected devs yet again...

I found the following in a post by Stu in his attempt to make things simple for me:
Quote
In all cases, the file needs to be a snapshot/image (typically a jpg or png) and not a movie file.
That will probably explain why WC doesn't show anything in using "Show Video Preview". I will now switch Eveocam from creating movies to 'snapshots'?

Update: Actually, the snapshot setting is done by getting URL for the jpeg files on the cameras SD card. Giving that to WC then enables the "Video Preview" option. The camera acts as a DVR using the URL for access... at least I think that's what's happening. Now to enable the web cam setting(s) in the template...
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

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Congratulations . . . (Re: Wx Cam adventures)
« Reply #91 on: July 09, 2015, 10:55:39 PM »
Dear X-Air, Felix, Blick, and WeatherCat fans of quality products, . . .

However, there's outstanding news on the Sharx front! Camera and the PoE injector (from two different companies) arrived today! [cheer] [Just a coincidence about Shark Fest, I'm sure!] Camera is mounted and has been running continuously for about three hours! No drop outs!
. . . .

Glad you are finally in business!  [tup]  Next time, try not to pinch those pennies quite so hard and at least do business with a company whose employees really do speak the same language that you do!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #92 on: July 10, 2015, 07:24:14 PM »
On the RMA front, I actually reached a US-based employee today! She claimed I was not "in their system". I read her the details that displayed on the "My Account" page on their "system". She also said I would get a response to an RMA request (through their "system") in 12 to 24 hours. I suggested that 7.5 days is slightly more than 24 hours. She agreed. I am now expecting (but not holding my breath!) for "an email within 2 hours". [rolleyes2]

When this is finally and satisfactorily completed, I will post the name of the company, which has "cam" as the last three letters in its name... The camera, itself, was fine, when it worked! The customer "service" is in need of improvements, however.

Added info
This may get me banned/reprimanded/etc. I just hope some camera searchers will see it before that. Here is a log I started about 20 minutes after making a call approximately 3.5 hours after talking to the nice lady mentioned above.
Quote
called 1-713-893-7866 Selected Option 3 (RMA)
house phone on speaker
4:04 caller #1
4:09 dumped into the main menu
selected option 1 (Sales)
4:10 caller #21
hung up, called back, selecting Option 3, again

4:11 caller #1
4:21 dumped into the main menu
4:22 caller #1, again
4:27 still caller #1
4:32 dumped into the main menu
Selected option 1 (Sales) Now caller #20, wait time 21 minutes!
4:34 caller #19
4:35 caller #18
4:35:20 caller #16
4:36:22 caller #15
4:36:38 caller #14
4:37:00 caller #13
4:38:50 caller #12
4:41:53 caller #11
4:45:00 caller #10
4:46? missed caller # info
4:46:50 caller #9
4:49:02 caller #7
4:50:27 caller #6
4:53:47 caller #4
4:55:06 caller #3
4:58:31 caller #2
5:05:52 ?Edward? transferred me to ?RMA Department?
5:06:15 caller #1

       5:10:27 called 1-800-930-0949 using iPhone on speaker
                  Selected RMA caller #4
       5:11:25 caller #1
       5:12:10 now caller #2 !!!!!
       5:16:11 still caller #1

house phone on speaker
5:13:45 Still ?first in line?
5:17:05 Dumped into main menu selected RMA, again
5:17:53 caller #1

       iPhone on speaker
       5:18:37 wait time has increased to 5 minutes even as caller #1 I?m hanging up!!!

5:19:28 ?First in line? again/still [banghead] Hanging up!
I do have an RMA ticket#. I finally found a form in my account section. We'll see if anything happens now. Obviously, people have no capabilities, maybe the computer does. It is also "protected" by a "Google Trusted Store" thingy. It was automatic. I ordered direct from the camera company, not Amazon nor 'Google'. I may contact my CC company next week, if nothing happens from my RMA ticket. This is absolutely, positively the worst Internet business "operation" I have ever seen!
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #93 on: July 15, 2015, 06:43:45 PM »
Would anyone like to see another phone log? [banghead]

I didn't think so, but I did get a promise that they would call me "any time after noon" today. I nearly fell out of my chair when the phone rang about 12:20 and I saw the 713 area code! I am now printing out two copies of the RMA forms to put in the two original boxes and the single box they will be in. I'll have to pay for the return shipping, but that's a small price to pay (in addition to my two and a half wasted hours on the phone!).

Now all I have to do is wait on the refunds to show up... [rolleyes2]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


Blicj11

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #94 on: July 15, 2015, 11:53:55 PM »
Progress is good.
Blick


xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #95 on: July 16, 2015, 12:57:26 AM »
Quote
Progress is good.
Bu a refund is better! [lol] I won't be surprised to see a 'restocking fee' deducted from the amount... [rolleyes2]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #96 on: July 16, 2015, 11:49:42 PM »
"One small step for..."
Got an email from PayPal that the price of the camera has been credited to my CC. [cheer] Got two emails from the company. The first one was a notice that the "replacement" camera has been ordered! :o The second was to ignore that message... "refund" and "replace" do share some letters of the alphabet...  [lol] [rolleyes2]

No word yet on the second RMA, the one for the PoE injector. I put the RMA numbers on the outside of both boxes and the big box that held the two items. Also copies of the RMA forms; two in the big v=box, one each in the boxed items. SO many RMAs, so little thinking... [banghead]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #97 on: July 23, 2015, 05:45:12 PM »
After one more email, (company's mistake was providing the first one! [cheer]) I now have a PayPal notice that the second items return/refund has been made. Should I click one of the "rating" choices for that 'agent'? [rolleyes2] ??? I guess I shouldn't blame her for the ~3 hours of phone holds, unanswered messages, useless 'tech' support, and frustrations. After all, the original shipping was "free"! [woohoo] Good riddance, lesson learned! [bounce]

Thread closed? [biggrin]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


Blicj11

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #98 on: July 23, 2015, 05:58:06 PM »
Amen.
Blick


Bull Winkus

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #99 on: July 23, 2015, 06:26:15 PM »
To quote an old deceased civil rights activist, "Peas at last! Peas at last!"

Let's all eat black eyed peas and celebrate!
Herb

xairbusdriver

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Re: Wx Cam adventures
« Reply #100 on: July 30, 2015, 10:35:44 PM »
I've decided to go with "embed" instead of "iframe" (no more fighting over where the page opens! [cheer]). HTML5 is much simpler:
video id="sampleMovie" src="WeatherCatDailyMovie.mov" width="800px" controls></video>
The width doesn't even need to be set unless you want less than full size. You don't really need the "id" if you don't specifically link to it. But the video formats supported by HTML5 are still in Alas, there are still many using older Exploder versions. Maybe with Windows 10 being released for free, there will be more upgrades? [rolleyes2]

"Simple" is a a subjective term, of course, but I found a site that will do all the heavy lifting if you'll provide some minimal info (that you'll have to have, no matter what method you might use). I've included a link to the site (which doesn't appear to be in development-if it works, don't fix it!) under my video.

One thing I like over the HTML5 method is that the controls do not obscure the movie at all. They are smaller, but the whole vertical size of the video is visible, even with the controls visible.

My next project is to get any NWS/NOAA weather warnings/advisories at the top of each page. Right now, there's just a 'placeholder' for that info. I think the Leuven dev has a stand-alone script for doing this. [cheer]

BTW, the in-progress site is at: <Mid-South Weather>
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system