Dummys guide to DIY Calving / Security Camera

19driver83

I want a calving camera with the following functionality;

1. View on my Iphone from anywhere.
2. View on my TV / PC.
3. Ability to rotate and zoom camera would be a nice to have.

Im not a complete dummy when it comes to electronics but Im not an automation engineer either. Maybe I would be better off going to an export to install but I truely believe It cant be that hard....I might live to regret that statement!

With regards to cameras from my internet searches It appears I need a PTZ camera. "A pan–tilt–zoom camera (PTZ camera) is a camera that is capable of remote directional and zoom control." This appears to cover Item 3.

So my question is what other hardware / software do I need to get and how to piece it together?

I have no problem taking a risk and buying items from china / ebay etc.

Can I request that this thread not become a thread of recommending companies to do the complete install but a guide to DIY.

Big Lar

Your gonna need an IP camera that you can connect up to your network/internet, to connect it to the TV is a bit of a dose, you may find it easier to leave it to the PC and phone.

1. How are you going to get the internet from you home to the shed ? Can you run Cat5 cable cable to the shed or do you have a clear line of sight for wireless ? Whats the distance ?
2. What kind of upload speed do you have on your internet ? You want a reasonably good upload to view the camera from outside of your network.
3. Do you have a static IP address ? You will need one to access your network from the internet.
4. And the most important one - Whats your budget ?

CreepingDeath

19driver83 wrote: »

[*]View on my Iphone from anywhere.

I've the Android version of this "IP Cam Viewer Pro", which lets me view my FosCam FI8918W IP Camera on my local network or through my Android Smartphone from anywhere.
So there's Apps out there to view internet cameras remotely on your Android/iPhone.

iStore Link

19driver83 wrote: »

[*]View on my TV / PC.

Typically cameras are either for PCs/internet or for TV's, not both.
Cameras for TV's are generally PAL TV resolution, very low and not internet accessible. So I'd avoid those.

I'd also include an IR led light in your requirements for night time vision if your shed isn't well lit or is dark at night. You may even need to install an IR LED light array to illuminate the entire shed depending on the area size. (probably anything over 3 metres squared)

There are indoor pan & tilt cameras that are IP cameras, ie. they don't need a computer you just plug in a network cable or let them connect to your wireless network and they are accessible from the internet or your local network.

I've a Foscam FI8918W, but you can get cheap chinese clones of it too.
Although I doubt an indoor camera is appropriate here.
I think you'd need an external camera, something rugged, weather proof and able to withstand a range of temperatures in your shed.

As mentioned, the distance to the shed will determine whether you can reach it by WiFi, a physical network cable or possibly a 3g dongle (pay for mobile broadband).
If it's under 100 metres away and there's a good line of sight you "might" be able to access it. (try accessing your wifi with your iphone, walk to the shed and see if it's still accessible).

Also, a lot of IP Cameras do not record directly and have poor motion detection.
So you might need a pc/external ftp service to record too.

19driver83

Thanks guys for an excellent response.

I posted this in Farming & Forestry aswel and the issue of picking up the wifi from the shed came up aswel. Someone suggested these;
http://www.irishwireless.net/192-nan...x-ap-cpe-.html
or
http://www.interprojekt.com.pl/ubiqu...ghz-p-992.html

hamletsmoker

Would cameras work in a full cubicle shed or would the fumes from the cows clog up the lenses? I'm considering putting a ptz camera in such a shed. Also, any good value ptz cameras out there? Most of them seem to be well over €600.