Well for about a year my stardot netcam will run great for days then its output turns yellow. I have emailed stardot about it a lot of times and they have no idea why it is doing it.
I am about ready to toss it.
What do you do to fix it? Does power cycling the camera fix it? What software is controlling the cam?
Can’t StarDot fix it? They’re too expensive to throw away.
You could try plugging it into a timer such as this, forcing the camera to reboot on a schedule. Not elegant, but cheaper than replacing the board.
Power cycling fixes it
As far as stardot cares there is nothing wrong with it. I sent it in about a year ago when it first started doing it. As far the timer thing I just started that yesterday. It is a sad setup for something that was so much money.
Thanks for the info. Thought that someone else out there might have had the same problems.
Does the camera interface with your computer at all, ie. USB or serial? Or is it an IP cam?
Yes, way to expensive to throw away. I am surprised StarDot didn’t find anything wrong…leads me to think it connects to your computer somehow and maybe that is where the problem is…do you have another computer you could test it on?
It’s a network camera.
I’ve had one for about three years. I haven’t had any problems with mine, except that it has this annoying habit of alternately overexposing and underexposing shortly before sunset.
Well that means the problem is either the cam itself or someone has discovered a hack that screws it up.
Can’t be hacked it is behinde my router firewall. And like the others said it is a IP camera so it don’t have to be with a computer.
Thanks for the thoughts. 
One thing I used to do with my old cam was to delete the on-board memory. If your has a web based interface to your stardot you might see if there is a way to clear the memory. My old cam would store the still images in memory, and once filled it would delete the oldest with the new one. Mine had limited memory to handle the webserver and images. Is it possible that your cam is running out of memory? Just a shot in the dark, but gives you something to try…
I will look in that. Good thought.
Anyway I took the cam down just now (in the dark) it is getting to the point that I would have to have a timer that would turn it off and back on every hour. I am going to try something right now the camera is setup in my shop I am going to see if it keeps going in here. IF it does then it is something about the setup were I have it that it don’t like.
I went to your website. What camera in the site is the stardot?
well I think I might have found out a few things. One the camera has not gone offline since I put it in inside. So it might be a temp thing. OR it might be my cat 5 line going to the other location.
Is the cam in a heated houseing? Stardot says that it don’t need to be in a heating houseing and I know there has got to be colder locations then my backyard.
That sounds promising…cat5 cable is a lot cheaper than a new cam…
I have one more outdoor setting with some cat5 not being used. I will try a test there one day to see if it is happy there. If it is. Then it is the cable.
The other cable is in a old water pipe going up to our old chicken coop. It took a lot to put that cable in.
Now I got to thinking I do rember trying a wireless setup in the location were it is going offline. and it still went off line. So it might be a weather thing…nuts…going to have to see if I can get that camera in a heated outdoor houseing.
Got a temp setup now to see if it goes offline
Sounds good. Might be good to track humidity as well…moisture could be causing issues as well.
That was not temp as in how hot or cold but temp as in Temporary. I was in a hurry when I said that in the other message. Sorry.
On a diferent note my Dad gave me a Strip Heater that he got out of a computer box when he was working on the railroad. going to see if there is some way I can use that in my setup if the camera goes offline again.
Just for information, but the camera need not be in a heated enclosure (mine’s not). Supposedly it can tolerate temperatures to minus 40
:lol: :lol: :lol:
it failed. Went offline about 8AM today while I was at work. sighs
[quote author=kray1000 link=topic=35868.msg293229#msg293229 date=1227837553]
Just for information, but the camera need not be in a heated enclosure (mine’s not). Supposedly it can tolerate temperatures to minus 40