Low End Foscam FI8918W Pan/Tilt Webcam

[drobbins]

 I think I will skip it. I am not very patient and don't need the aggravation of fighting with a new toy. 

Thanks for the info.

[PaulInHouston]

My brother and I took a weekend to build our first fully weatherproof outdoor enclosure for this unit (Foscam).  It's been up and running now for 4 weeks and hasn't missed a lick.  Great pics for the price indeed, although the green colors wash out to various colors...only downside we've seen so far.

The final assembly, we call it WXWebcam V1.0, is installed/attached to my chimney approx 33' AGL next to the VPPro wireless anemometer unit.  We hard wired the CAT 5 instead of the wireless feature of the cam.  Also, have not used WD features to upload any images to the site, but have created scripts to display in either Chrome (live), Safari (live) and IE (near live)!  Have created scripts to move the camera to preset locations during the day/evening to avoid direct sunlight intrusion.  Also, IR feature has been resolved since cam wants to turn on IR lighting via sensor at night...not any more!

We are just starting V2.0 as the unit wobbles a bit in high winds up on the chimney!  Think we have that sorted out as well.  We have images of V1.0 before install and have stills of the first weather event captured live via snapshot images on Jan 9th, 2012...a funnel cloud approx 1 mile from the home!!

Check out for yourself...takes some time and ingenuity, but hey, no issues as yet!

http://wx.apxsolutionsinc.com/wxwebcammaindirect.php

Thanks for reading...Paul and Phil

[NorCal Dan]

Very nice job.  How's the night vision?

[PaulInHouston]

Dan,

Thanks...night vision is great since we took the IR offline.  We actually covered all the IR lights with a black compound to remove any reflectivity that might happen from an IR light bounceback off the glass dome.  Also, created a script to shut off the IR lights at night since the camera is setup to turn them on automatically at a predetermined low light (dusk) condition.  For better image clarity and to reduce glare, we installed a neutral density filter over the outer lens of the Foscam...our fear was that this might reduce visibility at night from ambient light, but quite the opposite wound up being true!

It's 5 a.m. CST...photo attached and see how much light we're picking up.

Paul and Phil

[Axelvold]

My brother and I took a weekend to build our first fully weatherproof outdoor enclosure for this unit (Foscam).  It's been up and running now for 4 weeks and hasn't missed a lick.  Great pics for the price indeed, although the green colors wash out to various colors...only downside we've seen so far.

The final assembly, we call it WXWebcam V1.0, is installed/attached to my chimney approx 33' AGL next to the VPPro wireless anemometer unit.  We hard wired the CAT 5 instead of the wireless feature of the cam.  Also, have not used WD features to upload any images to the site, but have created scripts to display in either Chrome (live), Safari (live) and IE (near live)!  Have created scripts to move the camera to preset locations during the day/evening to avoid direct sunlight intrusion.  Also, IR feature has been resolved since cam wants to turn on IR lighting via sensor at night...not any more!

We are just starting V2.0 as the unit wobbles a bit in high winds up on the chimney!  Think we have that sorted out as well.  We have images of V1.0 before install and have stills of the first weather event captured live via snapshot images on Jan 9th, 2012...a funnel cloud approx 1 mile from the home!!

Check out for yourself...takes some time and ingenuity, but hey, no issues as yet!

http://wx.apxsolutionsinc.com/wxwebcammaindirect.php

Thanks for reading...Paul and Phil

Do you have any pictures on the weatherproof outdoor enclosure?

I have 2 cams like this (another brand) that I want to mount outside.

[jdee]

I brought one of these (it was listed on the UK ebay site but isn't at the moment) htxxx://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320689955537 and the heater that came with it (another €10)  Camera fits into it fine seems to be waterproof alright but don't bother trying to use the IR lights at night (they can be turned off) you will need an external IR light instead.

[PaulInHouston]

Do you have any pictures on the weatherproof outdoor enclosure?

I have 2 cams like this (another brand) that I want to mount outside.

Will get some uploaded in the next day or two, sure. 

[Axelvold]

I'm in the process of making my own weatherproof outdoor enclosure, and I have discovered that the IR light will not reflect if the glass is as close to the cam as it could be without touching it.

But note that the glass has to be curved, it won't work with a flat glass.

I will post some pictures when it's ready.