Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[George Mogiljansky]

Hi Brian,
 
Excellent advice. Thank you.

Some quick points:

I hope to avoid light exposure(s) triggering the
cam(s) by using a light-sensor light bulb (so the
amount of light stays fairly constant). One of the
cams will be in this porch-like area where the front
door is located.

The other cam will ideally be in an adjacent tree,
ready to snap the license plate number. The night-time
lighting in this area comes from a floodlight (also
darkness activated). 

But more and more it looks like some fancy equipment
is needed. But testing will tell.

I could use the built-in modem on the 3400 to dial-in
and use remote desktop SW (I think I have a copy of
that SW, somewhere) to check up
George

--- Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote partially:
>
> I set up the Digital Radar perhaps 1.5 months ago
> (thanks to the list 
> for help with that); to get it to take pictures as I
> needed, the 
> sensitivity is such that it takes photos with the
> light levels 
> changing (as in, dusk getting dark, dark getting
> light, etc).  Under 
> 1 meg a day with 24hr monitoring.  So even though
> they are small size 
> images, they do add up over time, you would not want
> to leave one of 
> these for too long without examination and pruning,
> especially on 
> older powerbooks which are going to be limited in HD
> space.  You can 
> of course limit the hours to try and capture, but
> that's not a good 
> idea, there's no reason for this to be happening at
> night from your 
> description.
>



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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[Brian]

Hello Ben (and Dan),
!snubbed!   :)
What I am hoping for is that in this remote area, the
SW mentioned will only activate the cam(s) when the
next intrusion occurs. Then I will have some photo
evidence and/or a car licence number, etc. If the
police are helpless (as before), I might just splatter

The way both these softwares work, the camera is always on, and the 
software actually captures a picture when the image changes (the 
degree of change that prompts a picture is configurable).

So you are going to be working with a singular Quicktime-based 
camera, no way around that, if you go with quickcams.   The camera 
has to be providing an image for the motion detection, so it has to 
be on, so you only get one quickcam per computer.

I set up the Digital Radar perhaps 1.5 months ago (thanks to the list 
for help with that); to get it to take pictures as I needed, the 
sensitivity is such that it takes photos with the light levels 
changing (as in, dusk getting dark, dark getting light, etc).  Under 
1 meg a day with 24hr monitoring.  So even though they are small size 
images, they do add up over time, you would not want to leave one of 
these for too long without examination and pruning, especially on 
older powerbooks which are going to be limited in HD space.  You can 
of course limit the hours to try and capture, but that's not a good 
idea, there's no reason for this to be happening at night from your 
description.

In terms of neat A/C powered standalone cams, I'ved used Axis cameras 
a lot and they are very nice.  They even have some that are 802.11b, 
do motion detection (via changes in the image) and will email you 
photos, etc.

They had a bad rep. due to popups but www.x10.com has quite a variety 
of wireless cam ideas- $70 maybe for floodlights with a camera in 
them with IR motion sensing, that send video to a cheap receiver on a 
hidden VCR, that sort of thing, or small sensors around the outside 
that turn on cameras inside, many ways to do it.

Given your situation this type of IR-based motion sensor linked stuff 
around might be useful.  You can have sensors in one place that 
trigger cameras elsewhere, that sort of thing.  the x10.com site has 
a handful of plug-n-go items.  But those need A/C power.

You indicated in one email that power could be off, but in the 
original IIRC you were going to have them send images remotely (which 
means coolcam, DigitalRadar won't do that) so the two conditions seem 
mutually exclusive :) (no internet or remote sending without power!)

I'd suggest  maybe $100 worth of stuff from x10.com saved wirelessly 
to a garage sale VCR that was well hidden, or if you do have internet 
available, an Axis cam that will email photos to you would be the 
best all-in-one solution.  You could hide the wireless base station 
very well pretty easily, and they are down to $30 now.  I've not 
checked the cheaper Axis cams but they have come down a whole lot in 
price for the higher end models that I was looking at.  I think 
you're more likely to lose your gear if you are using 
powerbooks/quickcams, since you can't separate the two very well- 
it's hard to hide them.  A floodlight over each door is pretty much 
going to remain untouched, and you can really hide a VCR if you try 
(one X10 wireless image receiver can talk to and record a handful of 
cams, and whichever cam gets triggered via IR most recently will be 
the one that is recorded.

You can also hide voice-activated tape recorders (or CF recorders) 
around the place.

I would not be surprised if X10 or Axis didn't make a cam that was 
motion-activated that would record to removeable media by now, but 
haven't seen one.  That would be nice if it exists.

HTH.   Oh and a lot of cheap cameras, quickcams included, don't work 
well  (no live image) near or below 32F, something to keep in mind as 
well.

Brian
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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[George Mogiljansky]

Hello Ben (and Dan),
 
Of course, I am still living in the "cables and wires"
era. Yes, a wireless cam would require a wireless card
for the 3400. I have a lot of testing to do. 

To describe the problem further:
seemingly random break-ins, always at night, at my
country home that trigger the internal-only motion
detector. I am left with an increasingly damaged
wooden doorway and wooden door. Lately, I am left with
using 3 inch screws to re-attach the lock and clasp
mechanism.
What I am hoping for is that in this remote area, the
SW mentioned will only activate the cam(s) when the
next intrusion occurs. Then I will have some photo
evidence and/or a car licence number, etc. If the
police are helpless (as before), I might just splatter
the thief's data all over the neighborhood as a
'repellant' (photocopies on utility poles, that sort
of thing). 
The intrusions were limited before to late fall or
late spring, but the latest occurred about two weeks
ago. 

As before, any input is welcome.



--- VidaVerde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> 
> I missed the start of this one, so I might be
> completely off-target 
> here,  but are you aware of d-link's wireless little
> video camera 
> that serves its image to a web-page that it
> generates? I think even 
> one version has IR.
> 
> no need for a mac at all . . . or your mac could
> grab from the web-page?
> 
> Ben




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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[VidaVerde]

I missed the start of this one, so I might be completely off-target 
here,  but are you aware of d-link's wireless little video camera 
that serves its image to a web-page that it generates? I think even 
one version has IR.

no need for a mac at all . . . or your mac could grab from the web-page?
Ben

Hi Dan,
Thanks for that.
I should have mentioned that I will be attempting to
use either or both CoolCam and DigitalRadar apps. The
camera(s) will only be activated (I'm hoping) when a
certain set of conditions is met (probably involving
night-time darkness).
The powerbook will be unattended for long periods of
time (probably weeks). I am searching for a
3400-compatible USB PCMCIA card that will provide
enough power to connect a Kensington USB cam as a
second camera (if that's possible - to use both the
Connectix  and the Kensington).
Power failures are common in the area, so the Li ion
battery will have to take over and keep things humming
until the power comes back on.  This means I cannot
use a desktop (which might have made things easier).
So far, I have avoided the option of getting a proper
surveillance apparatus. Is there any other Mac-ready
option (HW or SW or both) that might be useful?
George
--- Dan K <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 AFAIK it's not possible to use more than one
 Quicktime camera with any
 Macintosh, at least not under a classic Mac OS as QT
 can't deal with more
 than one video source at once.
 Dan K


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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[Dan K]

I wrote:
>AFAIK it's not possible to use more than one Quicktime camera 
>with any Macintosh, at least not under a classic Mac OS as
>QT can't deal with more than one video source at once.

to which George Mogiljansky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> replied:
>Thanks for that.
>I should have mentioned that I will be attempting to
>use either or both CoolCam and DigitalRadar apps. The
>camera(s) will only be activated (I'm hoping) when a
>certain set of conditions is met (probably involving
>night-time darkness).
>
>The powerbook will be unattended for long periods of
>time (probably weeks). I am searching for a
>3400-compatible USB PCMCIA card that will provide
>enough power to connect a Kensington USB cam as a
>second camera (if that's possible - to use both the
>Connectix  and the Kensington). 
>
>Power failures are common in the area, so the Li ion
>battery will have to take over and keep things humming
>until the power comes back on.  This means I cannot
>use a desktop (which might have made things easier).
>
>So far, I have avoided the option of getting a proper
>surveillance apparatus. Is there any other Mac-ready
>option (HW or SW or both) that might be useful?

Doesn't matter the source (serial or USB), if using QuickTime as the 
underlying transport you cannot have more than one video input at a time 
per Mac.

Your's is an interesting problem and I'm curious to see how you solve it.

My thinking, given the one-camera-per-Mac limit, is to use multiple 
inexpensive PBs to do the capturing. IIRC, Digital Radar can run on any 
68030 or better, so even a PB500 or 190 would do the trick. A PB500 has 
built-in ethernet _and_ video out, but uses (small) SCSI HDs and has no 
PCcard slots. The PB190 has PCcard slots and uses ATA drives but lacks 
video out and built-in enet . . . sigh.

Another idea - I've been seeing stand-alone IP-based cams for around 
$100, eg:


and w/audio:


more money, more features?:

more more features, and wifi connected to boot:


Might something like one of these be an option? Interestingly, you can 
probably run a QuickCam on your 3400 while simultaneously accepting an IP 
video feed.

Another (more costly) solution is conventional video surveillance 
hardware, with video cameras feeding either into a time-lapse VCR or into 
a Mac-based video digitizer. The key with these setups is using a 
multiplexer, which lumps several video feeds into one. I'm sure you've 
seen security screens where there are, for example, 4 individual pictures 
on one TV monitor. IIRC, a four-up multiplexer ain't cheap ($300?), but 
it may be possible to source something pre-owned.

BTW, if theft is the problem you face, aren't you a tad concerned the 
thieves will make off with your carefully crafted surveillance setup? :-P

dan k

.
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carracho://dankephoto.dhs.org:9700
hotline://dankephoto.dhs.org:9500
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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[Brian]

On Tuesday, August 17, 2004, at 03:49 PM, George Mogiljansky wrote:
I should have mentioned that I will be attempting to
use either or both CoolCam and DigitalRadar apps. The
camera(s) will only be activated (I'm hoping) when a
certain set of conditions is met (probably involving
night-time darkness).
that's fine, but the camera itself needs/uses Quicktime, no way around 
that, you really are unlikely to be able to have more than one video 
source, regardless of the "monitor & email the photo" software.

-B
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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[George Mogiljansky]

Hi Dan, 
Thanks for that.
I should have mentioned that I will be attempting to
use either or both CoolCam and DigitalRadar apps. The
camera(s) will only be activated (I'm hoping) when a
certain set of conditions is met (probably involving
night-time darkness).

The powerbook will be unattended for long periods of
time (probably weeks). I am searching for a
3400-compatible USB PCMCIA card that will provide
enough power to connect a Kensington USB cam as a
second camera (if that's possible - to use both the
Connectix  and the Kensington). 

Power failures are common in the area, so the Li ion
battery will have to take over and keep things humming
until the power comes back on.  This means I cannot
use a desktop (which might have made things easier).

So far, I have avoided the option of getting a proper
surveillance apparatus. Is there any other Mac-ready
option (HW or SW or both) that might be useful?

George

--- Dan K <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> AFAIK it's not possible to use more than one
> Quicktime camera with any
> Macintosh, at least not under a classic Mac OS as QT
> can't deal with more
> than one video source at once.
>
> Dan K




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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[Dan K]

AFAIK it's not possible to use more than one Quicktime camera with any 
Macintosh, at least not under a classic Mac OS as QT can't deal with more 
than one video source at once.

Dan K

.
http://macdan.n3.net/
carracho://dankephoto.dhs.org:9700
hotline://dankephoto.dhs.org:9500
.


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Re: Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[George Mogiljansky]

I just realized that the 3400 has only one serial
port. Would a port replicator be the solution? Or
maybe a USB to Ethernet adapter (I have a USB web cam
by Kensington) as the second web cam? I think the
problem with those adapters is that there is no power
available for the USB device.

--- George Mogiljansky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Hi,
> Is it possible to use two Connectix grayscale
> QuickCams using one PowerBook?
> I'm on a mission to catch some thieves on camera and
> using a remote connection
> to transfer the evidence. The modem/printer ports
> would ports would both be used (if possible) by the
> webcams (using motion detection SW). Data transfer
> would be via a PC Card modem.
> If anyone has experience with this type of setup,
> please offer advice, etc.
> I need a data transfer program (via remote dial-in).
> The motion detector SW I obtained from a generous
> list-member (thank you!).
> I will be using  OS 8.1 hopefully, or 8.6 if nec.,
> and
> 9.1 only if absolutely nec.
> on a 3400C, 180 MHz, 80 MB Ram.
> George
>
>



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Possible to use two Connectix QuickCams using one PowerBook?

[George Mogiljansky]

Hi, 
Is it possible to use two Connectix grayscale
QuickCams using one PowerBook? 
I'm on a mission to catch some thieves on camera and
using a remote connection
to transfer the evidence. The modem/printer ports
would ports would both be used (if possible) by the
webcams (using motion detection SW). Data transfer
would be via a PC Card modem. 
If anyone has experience with this type of setup,
please offer advice, etc.
I need a data transfer program (via remote dial-in).
The motion detector SW I obtained from a generous
list-member (thank you!). 
I will be using  OS 8.1 hopefully, or 8.6 if nec., and
9.1 only if absolutely nec.
on a 3400C, 180 MHz, 80 MB Ram. 
George



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