digital camera temperature operating rage? (outdoor high res web cam update)

[mattkime]

follow up to : http://forums.macresource.com/read/1/351290/351371

I purchased a camera housing with fan and heater on ebay for $40. Now I'm curious if I need to make use of the fan or heater. Is anyone familiar with the operating temp range in CCDs? Year round, I'd guess that the camera will need to withstand 0-120°F. Since the camera shouldn't need to refocus, I'm not too concerned about the small motors - although the aperture will need to change. Apparently panasonic's high end video cameras will work to -40°C but they're probably made with higher standards.

Yes, the housing looks huge. Its for a full size security camera. However, the body is made of two pieces of aluminum which maintain the same cross section shape along their length. This means I can remove the front and back parts, cut, and reassemble.

I bought 2x 16ft usb active repeaters. I also have a few long cables (6-10ft?) which should get me to the computer 50ft away.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6812116123

Automator can be programmed to take photos with a digital camera that supports PTP mode. Add in some shell scripting and php on the web server and i have my webcam.

[LaserKun]

All I can say is good job, and keep us posted. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about using a web cam, so maybe can learn from your experience. I plan to put about two around our house, here in the woods... far, far. from Brooklyn

[Donkey Hotay]

Hmmm. Looks like you'll have enough space in there for a USB Missile Launcher. Or two.

[Fred_Also]

I have one of the D-Link IP cameras mounted on an antenna pole on the end of my house. I live in a rural area of N. Texas - temp range 15 to about 105 F. It gets a view of the drive coming into my house.

I have had it up about a year. I am powering it using power-over-ethernet. I have had a few times when the image is really dark - for just a frame or two. I haven't figured out the cause but I blame it on P-O-E.

It is mounted in a piece of 4" sewer pipe with a lexan window.









I record all frames that the motion sensors are active to an external firewire drive using EvoCam. Each day is saved as a QT movie. There are probably 1000 cars a day by here.

The upper frame is from the QT movie and the lower is a screen capture of the EvoCam window.

The camera is a DCS-900
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=270

It gets useless just before dusk, so I have it stop capturing about 8:00 pm.

Fred Also