WeatherCat > WeatherCat General Discussion

best webcam or ip weather camera?

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smartmoney:
Ok i have poured through the posts and i really didn't find a good answer to my Q.

I have a vantage vue weather station and use WeatherCat on my iMac which lives in my basement office FAR FAR away from the outdoors. I want to use a weather cam and i see that several people use a standard usb webcam.

#1 i am at leat 50ft from being able to use that option, will it work? (i do have an active extension cable from another project like http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DTKV7A/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00)

#2 if yes. What camera for mac? how to inclose it outdoors? (not through a window)

#3 if no and i need to go ip based, whic one is best (think low cost, my "loan officer" [lol] said i blew my budget on my weather station, weatherlink and Weather cat license)

WCDev:
Hi smartmoney, welcome to the forum!
You can try it over 50 feet, but the USB spec states a maximum of 5 metres so your milage may vary - but give it a try, you never know.

If you go for an IP option, be sure it can make the current image available via a URL so that WeatherCat can pick it up - some do this and some don't - I spent an hour or so the other week looking at a Brickcom which couldn't do it.

We have a page on webcams on the wiki:
http://wiki.trixology.com/index.php/WebCams
There's an open invitation for all users to pop over there and update the page with impressions of their particular cameras - cameras for weather have a difficult job to do and not all are suitable for weather work.

Let us know how you get on.

elagache:
Hi SmartMoney, Stu, and WeatherCat fans,


--- Quote from: smartmoney on August 07, 2012, 03:41:46 PM ---#1 i am at leat 50ft from being able to use that option, will it work? (i do have an active extension cable from another project like http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DTKV7A/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00)
--- End quote ---

I've tried (and failed) to connect my weather station over a distance of 75 ft using something perhaps similar but probably not as potent: USB over Cat-5 (Eithernet) cable.  Here is an example on Amazon: HDE USB over Cat-5 Extension.

However, when I tired to do this, I read reviews that claimed even this sort of relatively primitive technology was working for webcams.  The cable you have looks better designed.

Given that IP webcams are relatively expensive, you might try buying an inexpensive USB camera like the Logitech 9000 and giving it try.  Just buy it from a place with good returns policies and carefully preserve all the packing material.  Given that you already have the long USB cable, the cost of the USB camera isn't that much more.

Just a thought.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

P.S.


--- Quote from: smartmoney on August 07, 2012, 03:41:46 PM ---#2 if yes. What camera for mac? how to inclose it outdoors? (not through a window)
--- End quote ---

Does the camera have to be outside?  If not, you can make a "blind" for the camera and mount it just inside.  That's a lot easier.

smartmoney:
Thanks all for the warm welcome. I am the quiet one in the corner for sure. I have been a long time lurker  (before the stu's illness) and dreamer of someday having a weather station of my own  [rockon]but just don't have much to add.

I might give the webcam a try.

--- Quote ---Does the camera have to be outside?
--- End quote ---
I have many busy boys and it would not last long indoors so it would be best to be setup outdoors. Thats where some of the "fun" of the problem exists [woohoo]

Any idea on an enclosure ?

JosBaz:
If you are on a budget, can put the camera indoors, and don't need HD quality, the D-Link 930L: a decent little IP camera with both UTP and WiFi for around ?60. And it does offer the current image available via a URL so that WeatherCat can pick it up.

Mine has been working fine for about 6 months now so reliable too. Only minus is the 'decent but not great' image quality, but what do you expect for this price.

Check my website (daytime hours..  ::)) if you would like to see it in action (scroll down to the bottom of the page).
http://www.weerenmeer.nl/wxi/

Good luck with the search.

Jos

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