Remote Internet Monitoring of a Tank?

[Doahh]

Or if you have a Linksys Wireless Router...
http://www.beachaudio.com/Linksys/W..._source=froogle&GTKW=wvc54gca&GCID=C12585x003

 

[cpeisher]

fazgood - i can pull up your site using the java viewer, but not active, i wonder if that becasue i use firefox, maybe? Looks neat.

I'd really be interested in being able to actually view the tank in real time, that wireless camera from linksys looks pretty neat. I think it might be a problem trying to get that much video coming through...like fazgood said, might bog things down...


How feasible would it be to get quality streaming video from a tank mounted camera?

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13008517#post13008517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cpeisher
bean,
You obviously know way more about this me, but it seems to me that the resolution on a high def webcam would be sufficient to "check on things" The $100 Logitech QC Pro 9000 says it has 1600x1200 resolution, that seems like it would be fairly good. What are the resolutions of the camera your talking about?

On another note, one of the things i was day dreaming about one day was a way to put a PTZ camera INTO the tank, say in a submersible acrylic box, that way if i was out of the house or something i could actually see the fish and corals doing their thing around in the tank. Has anyone done this or seen it done?

Without getting into a lot of detial, a pro 640x480 camera will make the 1600x1200 $100 webcam look like a toy (what it is).

There is a lot more to image quality then the pixel resolution of the image. The type and size of the sensor, the type/quality and focal length of the lens, the image processing logic and compression type, etc.

Will the logitech webcam meet your needs? Only you can answer that

 

[Frank AZ]

Sure if you want to have incredible, amazing, absolutly GREAT webcam images, by all means, spent 10k on a PTZ setup.

However, if your like most of us, you can simply use a TV tuner card, with a ebay security cam and get quite decent results.

I am using an ebay special camera, that has a .4lux night resolution, hooked to a TV tuner card running webcam XP.

I do have some issues with the camera (focusing) - but - thats because it hit the street from a 60' fall (my fault) during Christmas time.

Here's one nighttime video from the camera - and as you can see its not half bad. (the original's better - but - you know how youtube compression is)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqIUOKOt_o4

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13011194#post13011194 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frank AZ
Sure if you want to have incredible, amazing, absolutly GREAT webcam images, by all means, spent 10k on a PTZ setup.

However, if your like most of us, you can simply use a TV tuner card, with a ebay security cam and get quite decent results.

Again, it all depends on what your goals are and what you feel is an acceptable level of detail. You and others may be perfectly happy with the $100 webcam, analog capture card, usb camera, etc.

I coud honestly care less what anybody uses and see nothing wrong with somebody using a $15 webcam if it does what they want it to do. I have no dog in the fight. I am just offering answers to questions related to the topic.

I certainly do not expect many reefers to go buy a $3k PTZ camera, let alone a $1200 fixed IP camera.

Many analog "bullet" style cameras are not bad, and pro quality 540 line auto iris models like the JVC TKC-92U are only $225 or so.

There are plenty of options at every price level and quality point.

 

[das75]

setup a network of about a 12 sites each with 3 Panasonic cameras using a Axis video servers. Was way cheaper than 26k a site.

Just about plug and play. Sites would dump pictures back to a server every 1/2 hr, those on a LAN little easier but about half were configured to dial up a ISP then dump. All sites could remotely connect back to, to get realtime pictures (again easier on LAN as didn't need to dial in through a modem).

 

[BeanAnimal]

das, I am an Axis Var/Channel Partner....

Once again, nobody said that it must cost 26K to setup a single site. It all depends on the equipment that you put into place.

The 241Q is about $750 US.
3 Analog cameras with decent lenses would be $900
3 outdoor housings $300
3 licenses for recording software $450
1000' RG6/18-2 siameese plenum cable $450
Power supply for cameras $150
Labor to pull wires, mount cameras and configure equipment $1000

Maybe $3000-$3500 a site if you wanted to give somebody a deal. That does not include the server/video storage or network equipment.


Now lets take the same site and use
(3) Axis 233D $7500
(3) Outdoor housings $2000
Business class POE Switch $1000
Video Software $350
Cat5 Plenum cable $300
Labor $1000

$12500-$13000 if you were being nice to the client. Add in real software (not the Axis stuff), a real server and the other real world costs and the real price is around $20,000 for 3 cameras, and that is being NICE to a small business customer. If a security company was bidding the job for government, education, or larger enterprise, the cost would be closer to $40,000.

 

[Puterguru]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13008517#post13008517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cpeisher
bean,
You obviously know way more about this me, but it seems to me that the resolution on a high def webcam would be sufficient to "check on things" The $100 Logitech QC Pro 9000 says it has 1600x1200 resolution, that seems like it would be fairly good. What are the resolutions of the camera your talking about?

On another note, one of the things i was day dreaming about one day was a way to put a PTZ camera INTO the tank, say in a submersible acrylic box, that way if i was out of the house or something i could actually see the fish and corals doing their thing around in the tank. Has anyone done this or seen it done?

I am currently using that exact camera (Logitech Pro 9000) to monitor my kids when I am not at home. That along with WebcamXP (Free). I must say it works really really well. I have been using this for about 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it. I have the resolution of the images it sends set to 800X600 and the quality of the images is great. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[ccampo]

I agree with BeanAnimal, it all depends in what are you expecting from the camera, I have a cheap D-Link DCS-910 which is inside my stand to look at the sump, refuge and return pump (water level), I have another D-Link DCS-3220 for my display tank, they both give good quality video, probably not the best, but they meet my needs, especially when I'm away and I need to see what's going on with the tank, I also have an AquaController III that gives me even more info about the tank and sends me alerts when something is not right.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Yeah... please don't get me wrong.. If a budget web cam gives all you need, then by all means use it and spend the money on something else )

 

[cpeisher]

I have the resolution of the images it sends set to 800X600 and the quality of the images is great. I don't think you will be disappointed.
So you get still images, right? I'm trying to figure out if anyone actually has the capability to view the live realtime video of their tank from their website. Kind of like video chat with your tank