web cam

[Rich D]

I would like to buy a few webcams so I can broadcast pictures of my tank (upstairs) and my sump and other equipment (downstairs) to another computer while im away. Does anybody know of good webcams, software etc. that would be best for this. Would it be better to use wireless or to just run some kind of extension cord through the floor?

[PUParrothead]

I just bought a linksys wireless G webcam to try this out as well. I'll let you know how it works.

[PUParrothead]

ok ... set up the cam tonight. I think you can access it at http://71.98.103.152 It's just the standard linksys screen, haven't done any customization yet. Let me know if it works.

[roblack]

If you were doing a water change at around 8:33 pm est today than "Yeah!", it works. That's really cool, how much did it set you back to get that setup and running?

[Mark I]

Thats looks sweet. Do you need a static IP for that to work?

[Rich D]

wow thats amazing. whats the maximum distance from a computer that you can use it for, and does it specify if you can stream multiple videos at once? because i would like to have 2 or 3 running at the same time so I can moniter all my equipment.

[Rich D]

I just looked it up to find that it is wifi, my router is in the basement and my entire house has a good signal so it should work. I will probably order 2 within a couple days so i can get it for my dads birthday

[tinnghe]

What is the coat an where are you getting it from?

[Rich D]

I looked up the pricing, and radioshack sells it for around 130$, Office Depot for 105$, buy.com for 94$ (with free shipping), and I found 1 for 50$ on futurepowerpc.com. The 50$ one only has a 1 year warranty though while the buy.com has a 3 year warranty.

[Rouselb]

Heres another thread with a few cameras listed.

[PUParrothead]

address changed this morning ... here it is again: http://71.98.99.230/

[PUParrothead]

Roblack: Yes I was doing a water change last night ... just moved into a new house and the tank is just sitting against a wall int the bassment. I bought it at Fry's for $94. Was a really easy setup, once you have it synced to your wireless network via cable just plug it in anywhere you have signal. Pretty good range since it is two floors from my wireless hub.

Mark I: No you can set it up for static or dynamic IP. It also supports several different DDNS type setups.

Bubbles129129: I have it about 5ft from the tank...unfortunately no zoom, just fixed distance. Didn't want to pay for a camera that could do that. The management software I think allows up to 9 of these cameras and you can see them on one screen or swap back and forth. Haven't played with it much yet.

tinnghe: coat? I don't understand what you mean.

[Rouselb]

PUParrothead - You can register for a free web hosting at doteasy.com. Once you have that you can embed your streaming video into a webpage like i have. You can see mine at http://www.larryrouseii.com/Fish.htm.

When you post your link post it as follows:
http://71.98.99.230/img/main.cgi?next_file=main.htm

[PUParrothead]

Thanks for the info ... I was planning on getting an address for it through dyndns or someplace like that ... just haven't had time yet. Just opened the box last night and haven't finished going through all the new toy's settings. Might have to adjust my photo period since the lights don't come on until 10 and I have been sitting here at work waiting ;-)

[Rouselb]

Yeah, my lights dont come on until 11. I have my tank close to the windows so they get some morning sun. I removed all of my supplemental lighting. Didnt really need it just for my viewing pleasure, and thought i could save some more cash for the next toy.

I have the light setting on "outdoor" under the image setting. I found this worked best for me. Now one of us needs to come up with a floating DIY box that we can mount the camera in so we have a top down view.

[gbreynol]

I got a Web Cam for Christmas(Panasonic BL-C1A). I absolutely love it. I attached it to a Mag-Float and it sits on the side of my tank. Used in conjunction with the AquaController App for the iPhone I can monitor my tank from anywhere.

I actually just went on vacation to Mexico. Every couple of days I used my iPhone to take a look at what was going on in my tank.


Halides start to kick on around 1PM EST.

http://gardiner.dyndns.org:8080/CgiS...gle&Language=0

[tinnghe]

Is it wireless?

[gbreynol]

No, it is wired and can usually be purchased for $80. I already had a ethernet cable going to my AC3 so I just used a switch to split it to my WebCam.

My tank is upstairs and my sump is in the basement. I have internet access at both points. I do IT work and in my experience nothing beats the reliability of a hard line connection.

Panasonic Camera mounted using a Mag-Float.



Old pic but you can see the camera mounted to the right side.

[tinnghe]

What do you use for split?

[gbreynol]

Any kind of switch will work. I think the one at home is a NetGear. I have a Linksys here on my desk. Should be able to buy a switch for under $20 online. A little more at Staples or BestBuy.

[tinnghe]

I was thinking of like a rj45 splitter instead of using a router

[gbreynol]

RJ-45 splitters are tricky and usaully must be used in pairs for ethernet. By the time you buy 2 of them you are over the price of a switch(8 port switch is $9.99 at NewEgg.com).

A switch is like a dumb router. A router can split up and assign IP addresses, a switch basically just gives you more ports.

[luisgo]

Hi:

I have a webcam in my tank. It is a "live streaming" webcam. This is the link to my Webcam

http://www.prtc.net/~luisgon/luisgoreefcam.htm

I am using Windows Media Encoder software with a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 with a high quality Carl Zeiss® lens. My DSL service provider is PRTC.net, a local company from Puerto Rico where I live .

The music is in my hard disk and is a selection of "cool jazz" songs mixed with itunes. The encoder software was set to get audio from my computer instead of the camera microphone.

My only cost in this project was the webcam which was purchased at ebay used for $60.

I have to pay for my DSL internet service but my streaming is free because I don't pay extra for that. I understand there is a limitation of five persons connected at the same time viewing my tank.

My camera is connected to my computer via USB. For the webcam to work I need my computer on. It takes processing resources when the camera is steaming and my internet connection is a little slower.

Settings are not in the camera but in the encoder software. You can adjust brightness, color balance, zoom, etc. You can also monitor how many people connect to your webcam with time and date.

Here is a site that explains the process of downloading and installing the Windows Media Encoder.

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%2...ive-video-feed/

The other thing is that if you have a non static IP you will need a free service like DynDNS.com to create a domain name and they will change the IP of the domain every time your provider change your IP.

http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/

In my webpage you can see photos and videos of my aquariums.

[Rich D]

wow beautiful tanks and very nice looking video. I love the planted tank, ive never seen or heard of one before.

[Rich D]

Im thinking that might be the camera to get. Can that model stream multiple videos simultaneously?