Experimenting with a "scooter cam"

[Jeff]

Whenever I am here on the computer and no one else is here, Scooter is on the couch to my right. I have been messing with a webcam, trying to figure out how to hook it up so it can show outsidem but the cable is way to short. Anyhow, it is currently pointing behind me at Scooter and refreshing the photo every 30 seconds as I have it on.

[sprucebunny]

Scooter dun left ;D
Update: He's back....

[Jeff]

if you refresh your page, he probably will be back, if I have the camera on. I want to find a way to have it show outside. Maybe I should put a yardstick in the yard and have a snow cam so you know when we get covered up. :D

[sprucebunny]

That would be nice-the outside shot. Can't you get an extension 'cord'? We could see the wind blowing the snow around and in the spring, the first robins!
how many 'k' is the picture? Could you say something about resolution/clarity?
Just wondering....

[Jeff]

Image is less then the forum limit since I have it diplayed without a link. I can up the resolution and up the photo size with a couple clicks.

[chet]

If ya wanna get some outside shots, why don't ya give da camera to ole Frosty. He could give us da Frosty eye view. Long as he don't get cold fingers and drop da camera.  :D

[Jeff]

Thats whatI want to do!

I dont think there is anyway with a cheap USB port camera with a 6 foot cord. I would need a wireless.

The kids both are gone now and I found this that they left behind. Jeremy had it to chat with. I dont know anything about them so I have been in training this morning. ;D

Its certainly not something that will be left turned lose in da house. I'll have to comb my hair and get dressed to get a drink in da middle of da night.

[chet]

Good gosh, don't forgit yur pants!     :

[Jeff]

Its setting on my computer pointing out the front window now. And, yes, I combed my hair anyways.

You can see the back half of the bronco.

[VA-Sawyer]

.......and in a little while we will be able to see..... DARK !  

[GF]

Jeff,
You obviously have to much time on your hands.

[jgoodhart]

I think it's stuck, the last 30 seconds took 4min.

[Wildflower]

Jeff has turned off the camera. ;D

[chet]

What's he up to dat he don't want us to see?   ???

[Tom]

I think the "Drill Sargent has spoken".

Jeff might be hanging by his collar on the coat rack.

..............................with the camera stuck in his ear. ;D

[Jeff]

Nah, she don't care. Long as she knows when it is on I'm safe.

[Tom]

I hope so.  

Sure would hate to hear that you got tied to the back bumper of a school bus.  :D

[chet]

Tom,
I'm thinkin' scooter got tired of being a movie star. He can be a voice-tress little bugger.  ;)    :D

[Danny_S]

You can buy USB extension cords. I have a 10' one on mine, before I had a digital camera we used the webcam to take pictures of our daughter as a baby. Not high quality pics but still caught the moment.

[Furby]

Jeff,
You can get "extension" cords for USB. I've seen 25' ones, and am told they make longer ones. Don't know how much if any loss there is useing a  longer USB cord though, as I haven't used one myself. You would also need a USB coupling, if the cord coming out of the cam is hard wired. I belive those longer cords are $$$, though I don't know how much.


Edit: Here's a link: Best Buy
They have a 16' for $30, and they can be added together up to 75'.

[Jeff]

I think I remember hearing of data loss with longer USB cords. Plus they are plenty expensive. I think you could probably buy a network camera cheaper in the long run that would run of an ethernet cable, plug right into the router. You can get cables any length for that.

This of course, is all my uneducated conjecture.

[Furby]

I would guess that you are probly right with that line of thinking.  ;) ;D

[ksu_chainsaw]

I have made up several extensions for webcams over here.  We had a whole box of 2' usb extensions that came with some promotional memory sticks.  We discovered that to transmit video, the total cable length couldnt go over 16'.  For data to go through the cable, such as a word document, it could be up to 30' in length.  We cut the short cable in half, and soldered in CAT5 wire- works pretty good.

Jeff- send me a message with your address, and I will make u up an extension for that webcam- we still have quite a few of those short cords laying around.

Charles

[Jeff]

Hey Charles, I really 'preciatte the offer!  But I think what I need to do is go a different direction. I actually started thinking about this back before the last pig roast. I wanted to rig up a webcam that could join us out at the party so folks that could not make it, could sorta, kinda be there too. I didn't have time to do anything with the idea then since I only thunk it up a week before the pig roast.

What I think I need to do at some point is find a wireless camera setup, so it can be taken a hundred feet or more away, or better yet completely remote. Not sure of the process, but wouldn't it be cool, if we could even have the webcam along at trade shows where we might be, or things like that?  Thats the direction I am thinking. At this point I have no idea what would be involved in a remote system like that. Probably a cell phone hook up, or something?

This week I learned how to get the pictures to the web, I also learned that I could archive them up there if needed. (say if we wanted to get a shot of all members as they showed up at say the next shootout and display them for everyone here real time as we were there)

[Danny_S]

Here is a bit of information that you might have allready found but I run across it .. Link