IV and Gordon's webcam swap

[bwd]

I need some help trying to decide what to do with the IV zoom webcam for the summer. The plan was to move it out to Gordon's soon, but the 2nd webcam at IV (the camcorder) is on its last legs and we would rather get rid of it since it takes a lot of work to keep going. So here are some options - comments and suggestions welcome:

1. Take the IV zoom webcam to Gordons and buy a new webcam for IV with a fixed zoom (it would show the full zoom picture that we get now).

2. Leave the IV cam where it is and buy a new webcam for Gordons. Either a fixed zoom of the same type or one of these streaming pan/tilt webcams:
http://cam1.saltash.cornwall.sch.uk/en/AViewer.html
(select size 320x240 for the best picture, hit control to pan/tilt/zoom, time zone is 8 hours ahead)
The camera only has 3x zoom but it should be enough for a house that is right on the water.

Any other ideas. We would like to get rid of IVcam#1, and if we move #2 to Gordons this means there will be no webcam at IV for those summer thermal days.
thanks
dave

PS thanks for all of the donations so far - it means we can buy more stuff soon!

[more force 4]

Cummon, only a fraction of us have donated so far. Lets get some more toys!

I'd personally rather have the IV cam 2 left where it is (and it minimizes tree climbing!) and just use the streaming cam at Gordos. I find I can judge the wind pretty well from the streaming image (not that I've been out to calibrate myself! Though I have guessed, then looked at the Gordo station readings, I've been very close most times). But that second cam with better resolution was great for watching some action. Streaming would be even better. Pan/tilt less important for me.

[bwd]

I'd personally rather have the IV cam 2 left where it is (and it minimizes tree climbing!) and just use the streaming cam at Gordos.

Thanks MF4, I knew I could count on you for some good feedback. So your saying leave everything AS IS and don't buy anything new for Gordon's right now? The existing streaming cam is good, the only problem is the glare from the afternoon sun. Right now Jack pans it manually when theres action on the water, but he likely won't be there everyday. So the only use for pan/tilt would be to check the fogbank/windline, and then also pan left to check to see if anyone is out.

dave

[more force 4]

Well, if there is money for it, a streaming pan/zoom (never mind the tilt!) would be great from the same location as last year. But meanwhile....

[JL]

I'm for a fixed full zoom (zoomed full in I assume?!) @ I-view & moving the cam to Gordons for the summer. I like saving pictures of Martin as the old Geezer gets out for his daily session(s).

[bwd]

I'm for a fixed full zoom (zoomed full in I assume?!) @ I-view & moving the cam to Gordons for the summer. I like saving pictures of Martin as the old Geezer gets out for his daily session(s).

Thanks JL. Yes a new IV cam would be a fixed zoom showing the same full in zoom shot that we have now. Good point on the webcam archive - I like having that too and the streaming version wouldn't give us that. I'm leaning a little towards this option (new IV cam with fixed zoom, move zoom cam to Gordo's).
dave

[WindePendanT]

Personally the only reason I use IV-1, is to see if anyone is there.
For number 2, I like the zoomed fixed with archives plan myself. (with a pan, that would be super sweet)
Gordon's- like mf4 said, the existing one works for me, but if it had a pan, again to see if anyone is there... that would be cool!
I'm still waiting to see that friend of mine, about putting a weather station up at IV.
We've just missed each other now for so long, I went into the hospital the other day on my day off just to try to find him.
With no luck.
As soon as I see him I'll tackle him, get his number. If you still want to do it?
Like I said before he already said yes, I just forgot to grab his number last time I saw him.

[Wavos Rancheros]

My vote is two for Gordo's for the summer, or even just till end of July.

[JL]

Dave: What's the status of Gordo's summer cam.?! Martin is a possibility if you need another location...The current cam is useless for monitoring sunny late day sessions...Jim..P.S.: I could use a record of how many times I %$#@& up HTML.......Or enter a question in an inappropriate thread !!!

[bwd]

Dave: What's the status of Gordo's summer cam.?! Martin is a possibility if you need another location...The current cam is useless for monitoring sunny late day sessions...Jim..P.S.: I could use a record of how many times I %$#@& up HTML.......Or enter a question in an inappropriate thread !!!

No problem Jim, I moved your post into this thread.

YES I agree, I need to think about what to do for Gordon's...times a wasting. One thing that slowed me down a bit was the lack of replies to my original thread...I was hoping to find out if anyone cared. Oh well.

We still want to turn off the small webcam at IV since it takes a lot of work to keep going and the image is getting worse over time. So what I'm thinking of doing is getting another webcam with a fixed zoom (the equivalent zoom as the full zoom on the IV cam now), and then move the zoomable cam to Gordons. This will take a few weeks though. Then we can swap the zoomable cam back and forth between Gordons and IV for the summer/winter.
dave

[JL]

Perfect !!! Thanks for the prompt reply.

[WindePendanT]

Sounds good Dave.

When I was young. Someone came into the school I was in at the time,
and told us that if we wrote a letter to anyone in our government.
It was counted as something like 20 letters from 20 individual people.
The ratio is different I'm sure, but maybe the same principle applies here?

[Martin]

Hi Dave,
Thinking about the cams today.
The zoom capability is neat but I wonder how often it gets used.
I know when you first installed one I tried it once and thought it was great but I have never used the zoom feature since.
I know we have a special situation here in that I just look out the window but I do use IV, Cook,CB, etc. to get an idea as to the conditions there.
Just my 2 cents, but maybe a fixed zoom cam is cheaper as well.
Martin

[bwd]

Hi Dave,
Thinking about the cams today.
The zoom capability is neat but I wonder how often it gets used.
I know when you first installed one I tried it once and thought it was great but I have never used the zoom feature since.
I know we have a special situation here in that I just look out the window but I do use IV, Cook,CB, etc. to get an idea as to the conditions there.
Just my 2 cents, but maybe a fixed zoom cam is cheaper as well.
Martin

Hi Martin:
Thanks for the feedback. I agree, the zooms seem to be rarely used and I don't think the extra costs are worth it. Any future cameras will likely be fixed zooms since, as you mentioned, they are a lot cheaper. One huge benefit to the zoom is that I don't have to guess on the best fixed zoom to get (they only come in certain increments), so even if the zooms aren't used I can set them on the 'best' angle (like at Cook now). Also it is nice to zoom in and get some action shots and zoom out to see the sky, but they are really not worth it in the end.
dave

[JL]

Once again I-view is a poor spot for adjustable zoom because who needs to see the fields anyway !!!