I usually bought a few every year at Dayton, whatever the current "bargain"
was. Many are now color and wireless - just do a search on spy camera in
eBay etc.
This link to the VC360 model is similar to what I use.
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=135&item=VC-360&type=store
The color types would usually need more light and don't exhibit the same
infrared sensitivity as the black and white types.
Another source of cameras are broken camcorders. Many times, the failure is
related to the tape mechanism, but the camera portion is fine. With good
color response and high zoom ratios, they can be pretty high end units but
when broken often come at a pretty low end price. But don't tell anyone,
there's a still a few on eBay I was looking at.....
The camcorders would need to be more weatherproofed for outdoor use and if
you wanted to aim one straight up, then I'd mount it horizontal and use a
mirror. I had a camera outdoors in an unheated, but dry enclosure all last
winter and it behaved perfectly. Even the remote zoom worked fine at -40C!
73 Don
VE6JY
----- Original Message -----
From: "Grillo's" <ah3c@frii.com>
To: "VE6JY Don Moman" <ve6jy@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca>
Cc: <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 11:34
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] positioning Yagi with remote camera.
> Google brings up B&W electronics speakers. Can you lead us to a web page
> for those pinhole cameras?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "VE6JY Don Moman" <ve6jy@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca>
> To: <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 7:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] positioning Yagi with remote camera.
>
>
> > Cameras are a great way to see what's going on up the tower.
> >
> > I have been using the small wired, inexpensive (30-50US$ range) pinhole
> > type cameras - called B&W "spy cameras" in some ads. The b&w cameras
have
> > good infrared sens so 1 IR led is plenty if you are focusing on a mast
> with
> > a 0-360 degree scale attached to it. I do this on some of the towers,
esp
> > those where the mast comes all the way down the tower for a ground
mounted
> > rotor. On the towers with the 10, 15 20 and 40m stacks, I just point
> them
> > upwards, mounted so they are on the north side of the tower. On a
> dedicated
> > monitor in the shack just make a overlay scale for the monitor (or use a
> > grease pencil, whatever). This way I can see all the antennas at once.
> At
> > night, a spotlight is used as needed.
> >
> > None of my cameras are outdoor type but seem not to mind the cold and
> rain.
> > They are just enclosed in a small aluminum box. Some of them have been
> > running 24/7 for over 5 years now.
> >
> > The wireless cameras don't have the range for me, nor enough channels.
> >
> > 73 Don
> > VE6JY
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Peter" <on7bj@pandora.be>
> > To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 08:01
> > Subject: [TowerTalk] positioning Yagi with remote camera.
> >
> >
> > Hi there,
> >
> > i'm suffering a while from exact position readout from my controlbox
> Create
> > RC5A-3.
> > Probably the potentiometer suffers from moisture inside the rotor.
> > That's why a few days i have that readings and severall days later other
> > readings,
> > mostly i made a small paper to convert the readings to the real ones.
> >
> > I don't wanna remove my rotor,but looking for a good solution to get
> > a good exact positioning readout.
> > I was thinking on a remote camera (with infrared) 2.4GHZ.
> >
> > Does anybody has some practical expierences or solutions to point out
> > the camera with a yagi,so i can see easy the directions for example in
> > a 10 or 15 degrees step.
> >
> > So any suggestions,practical advises or webpages very welcome.
> >
> >
> > Kind regards,73's Peter ON7BJ.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> > Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with
> any
> > questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with
any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
>
>
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
_______________________________________________
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