[TowerTalk] Re: Tower Mount & Cold Weather Cameras?

[Jim Lux]

At 12:16 PM 7/7/2004 -0400, doc wrote:
>Several guys asked me to share what I found.
>
>So far these guys seem to have an interesting variety of packages
>that cover everything from the camera to the Internet connection
>and remote access priced from $129. up to $1,000.+
>
>http://www.x10.com/products/vanguard_promo.htm
>
>I had read somewhere that they are under some sort of bankruptcy 
>protection, or were, and considering the drop from their previous
>obnoxious level of Internet Spam and pop-up ad presence that
>may be so.
>
>A couple of guys mentioned temperature control boxes for cameras
>that run off 24vac but I have not yet found a source.
>
>Much of the "competition" for this market comes from high-end
>commercial grade products that few of us could afford.
>
>I am guessing there is a specialty market out there for the many
>folks who keep more than one property, e.g. FL "Snow Birds"!
>
>I'd just like to put a camera or two up to enjoy the view here,
>nothing quite so complex as multiple QTH's.
>
>73, doc kd4e
>__

Most all the networking companies (Linksys, D-link, etc.) have 802.11b 
wireless (or ethernet wired) network cameras for about $100.  All you'd 
have to do is supply DC power up to the cameras.

As far as packaging goes...

A thermostatic heater is easy to come by (although, not perhaps in 
summer).  There are heating tapes made for preventing pipe freezing, etc. 
that have built in thermostats.  Aquarium heaters can be modified easily.

Your real problem might be getting too hot.

The cameras that I've had installed outdoors (in the high dollar Pelco 
cases) had more problems with dust and condensation than with 
temperature.  This is more challenging than you might think, unless you 
want to go out and hose off the window and vacuum out the spiders every few 
months.

Sure, the optical/imaging performance on cheap CCD or CMOS cameras degrades 
over wide temperature ranges, but I suspect you aren't doing 
photometrology, so you won't really care if the dark current comes up a bit 
at high temperatures, or that the color balance moves around a bit.

The other problem with "view the countryside" type cameras is that if the 
sun is in the field of view, you can kill pixels.  I've heard of 
photochromic filters that can fix this, but haven't seen any surplus/cheap.