[RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low wattage solution?

[William Dorsett]

A game warden came to me to see what he might use to catch poachers. And
I've thought that a cell phone camera could easily be relied on for
collecting and transmitting a still photo or video feed, and be triggered by
a magnetometer (vehicles) or IR detector. IR triggered still cameras are
used in detecting an counting wildlife. Not that we more surveillance, but
there could be a whole line of "stealth cameras" in thrown away bottles,
trash or no-hunting tires. Probably already are. 

 

Bill Dorsett

Sunwrights

Manhattan, KS

 

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Chris Daum
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 8:31 PM
To: 'RE-wrenches'
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low
wattage solution?

 

Dear people:

 

I have a neighbor who's been vandalized twice to the tune of thousands of
dollars.  He is a nice guy who's only at his Montana home for 5 weeks out of
the year.  We have dumb kids in the neighborhood with too much time on their
hands.  I too am looking forward to all your ideas for remote monitoring in
a cost-effective manner.  

Chris Daum
Oasis Montana Inc.
406-777-4309
406-777-0830 fax
www.oasismontana.com 
  

 

  _____  

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Jason
Szumlanski
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 7:04 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low
wattage solution?

This is not a full answer to  your question, but I wanted to point out that
live remote viewing is not a 24/7 need usually. I have set up a monitoring
solution where the router, wifi, modem shut down on a timer at night and a
DVR captures camera video from selected night cameras with IR. This can cut
the energy requirement dramatically. If you do not need to send video over
the Internet at times, this might be something to explore.

 

There are plenty of PCs that draw far less than 100W, but I'm guessing it
needs a PCI card for the camera input. That's a bummer. A laptop would be
ideal.

 

I am interested if anyone has any low power consumption ideas.

 

Jason Szumlanski

Fafco Solar





 

On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 7:41 PM, Mick Abraham <mick at abrahamsolar.com> wrote:

Hello, all~ 

 

My client likes to watch what's going on at his remote cabin while he's
away. The problem is the energy impact on his battery system resulting from
the presently deployed system. 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

They're running a Windows XP desktop computer, circa 2010. That has software
loaded which collects the video from about five cameras then the computer
sequences that data out beyond the firewall, through the satellite modem,
uplinked to Hughesnet then eventually can be viewed by my client far away. 

 

It's amazing this can work at all but just the computer box is ~100 watts
running, 24/7. The cameras are relatively low in their wattage demand, and
of course there's the satellite modem plus a router for the LAN "local area
network" which are also relatively low wattage. 

 

If we were attempting "energy triage", the satellite modem and LAN wifi
router are most justifiable in terms of their energy impact relative to the
benefit my client receives while at the cabin. The cameras are next most
justifiable but of course those are useless without some way to serve the
data, but the power demand for that computer is making me cranky...and we
don't want cranky. 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I think beginning with the Windoze operating system is one of the errors
here but of course the video software is built for that OS. Surely someone
sells a video streamer that's built from the ground up for this purpose and
maybe running Java or some other code that's more appropriate to this
solitary task. ...and surely that only needs a small percentage of the power
demanded by a full blown Windows box.

 

OK, I've done my part in describing the challenge. Now it's up to the crew
to name that product! Just kidding; I will do some more legwork but it's
often the case that the Wrenchies have already invented the wheel. 

 

The Wrench List is the Bomb! Thanks & Jolliness,

 

Mick Abraham, Proprietor
www.abrahamsolar.com

Voice: 970-731-4675





 

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