Remote Windmill Camera

[RP]

I was lucky enough to get a new toy for Christmas.  It's a 2.4Ghz wireless camera and 2.5" LCD monitor system designed to see behind you in a car.  You can see it here:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4744711

At my Walmart they had one set up in the car stereo demo rack.  Apparently it was on sale for less than $90 US.

Here's the Monitor:

And the Camera:

I'm not going to put in in the car.  Actually there's a number of things I want to try.  Number 1 is a dog-cam for Dinky's collar (our blue heeler mix).  :-)

In any case, I was thinking:  The camera is reasonably weatherproof.  It's designed to be mounted on a license plate frame after all.  It draws about 70ma and can be run on 9vdc as well as the 12v it's designed for.  I've tested it to over 100 feet and it works well.

This would be really cool to have attached to a windmill head facing the stator and/or furling joint.  It seems like it could be powered from the mill itself or even a small solar panel.  The camera module itself is about 1.5 X 2 inches.  The little wings on the side can be cut off.  This would seem a good way to look for icing or even view a thermometer embedded in the stator.  For that matter it would provide a neat fish eye view of the world.

Inside the monitor itself is a clearly marked test point labeled "VIDEO".  I've already verified that this is a standard video line signal that can be connected directly to a VCR, TV, etc. if you want to record or have a larger monitor.

I'm still hacking on mine if you have any questions.

[Gordy]

Just wondering how is the camera it self suposed to be powered ? ie. into the lisence plate light so the lights have to be on to use it, or a seprate new wire to a hot source like before the switch for the trunk light?

Could be fun to play with, you've already come up with some good idea's.

 I was thinking about the dog mount, and thinking a collar mount would be too jittery and swinging around too much for good veiwing. But mounted to the top of the dogs head shoul give a more stable veiw. Now if you can talk the wife into sewing up a doggy cap with chin strap.

Gordy

[RP]

You're supposed to wire it into the backup lights so it powers up when you shift to reverse.  The monitor automatically goes to a black screen within a couple seconds of powering down the camera.

I'm afraid Dinky wouldn't tolerate a camera hat (or any hat).  I figured with a 9v battery attached, the camera will be heavy enough to stay under her neck facing forward.  Also, she's worn an electronic bark collar before so I think she'll respect the camera enough not to scratch at it too much.  :-)

[wooferhound]

Now ,  if you could put something on the dog that would generate the power you need from the dogs motion . . .

[michaeltechelectric]

This is a well done site with a camera www.tinyurl.com/yn615w

MIKE

[coldspot]

I looked at those but passed because of the lack of A/V input, (opional video and audio inputs on the little monitor).

But if they get down to about a third of the price, I'd reconsider.

I have a couple dozen cameras of various makes and brands, for my tower n mill I'm still leaning towards a X10 with pan n tilt base mount, of course I'll add an extra IR camera also for being able to look backwards and the night vision, (I have one thats also wireless nad video only but will need to add more IR's for better range and being way up there it'll need a lot and audio would be of little use, lol, Have a large pile of old TV/sterio remotes  that I'm going to try and use the IR's out of).

Auhhh the tech toys are getting better by the year arn't they!  

LOL

[Gordy]

RP,

I guess my last post deserves a BIG FAT DAH , Backup camera / Backup lights for power. DAH!!!

Gordy

[tecker]

All this video is low tech and low res with very litle flexabliity .Thewirless link is a lot of fun too don't expect much .X10 or less.

[Scotth]

Sounds like fun,mounting it on the turbine.Keep your bill though.I mounted a wireless weather station on my wind turbine tower,which worked well until the mother of all windstorms blew through.The vibration of the tower shook something apart in there and it was junk.Fortunately the company that manufactured the weather station offered a replacement without any hassle.It is now mounted on a dedicated tower.

[RP]

I suspect that the tie point I found in the monitor would also function as a Video Input but I haven't tried that yet.

[coldspot]

"All this video is low tech and low res", Auuhh,,..

Part of the reason why I do have so many.

As the years go by the collection grows.

The X10 camera pretty much sucks but the pan n tilt via a remote or on-screen via the computer was worth it.

Solar yard lights are pretty good for keeping power up on wireless units, if propperly hacked and used for parts.

$0.02

 

[bilbo7500]

Aren't those back-up cameras rear facing, meaning that the picture on the monitor will be a mirror image as opposed to a straight on shot?

[RP]

This one has a button that lets you flip the picture horizontally and vertically so you can choose mirror image or not and also allows the camera to be mounted upside down.