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Quick weatherproof camera box.

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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #220 on: 08 / March / 2014, 17:13:32 »
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Quote from: JvdP on 08 / March / 2014, 16:48:28
I suppose the voltage regulator is in your boxes? Those leads seem quite long and you don't want to have too much of a voltage drop.
Voltage drop will be larger on the lower voltage side of the regulator for the same lead length and wire gage.  So making the battery side of the system use the longer lead length makes sense.
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Offline Microfunguy

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #221 on: 08 / March / 2014, 17:43:25 »
Quote from: JvdP on 08 / March / 2014, 16:48:28
I suppose the voltage regulator is in your boxes? Those leads seem quite long and you don't want to have too much of a voltage drop.

Those three work off  mains power supplies (known in the US as 'wall warts' I think) in a shed that is just out of view.
Longest lead length is about four metres.
I think the total supply-and-return lead resistance was about one ohm.
The PSU is set to 6V and the cameras power-up OK.
The next setting on each PSU is seven volts.

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Offline jules

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #222 on: 08 / March / 2014, 20:53:36 »
Quote from: Microfunguy on 08 / March / 2014, 14:41:12
Hmmm  ........... sounds like a very difficult situation.
Did the rain come through the back, gasketed lid or the hole in the front ?
 

My 'quick' lunchboxes leaked through the lid gasket in (simulated) heavy rain. I think they would do better if the box could always be tilted downwards e.g. watching a pond. But downwards is not an option for my CHDK camera project.

The birds I want to monitor tend to nest higher than my tip-toe reach. Ladder impossible due to dense vegetation. Trees mostly too skinny and/or too dense for climbing, even by a skilled climber (NOT me!).  I wish I had a less-difficult situation.

But not all doom and gloom... I 'just' have to find time to construct more 'slow' home-made boxes and make other improvements!
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Offline jules

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #223 on: 08 / March / 2014, 21:51:57 »
Quote from: Microfunguy on 08 / March / 2014, 14:41:12
You can extend battery life if you are able to turn the camera on-and-off each day.
I am told that a crystal-controlled microcontroller is sufficiently accurate without using a realtime clock.
Of course, you or someone else has to build and programme it.
You also need to permanently depress the power button.

Yes, external on-off control is very appealing to extend time between battery changes. I recently did some preliminary testing on this - without microcomputer though.

For accurate timing, I'm relying on the camera with invaluable help from ultimate intervalometer. My external timer simply turns on the power supply a little while before shooting time, and turns it off after shooting time. In this scenario, the external timer does not need extreme accuracy as long as it is reliable day after day. So far my D10 without power has maintained its date-time overnight (and longer) but I need to investigate more thoroughly, seeing camera date-time is of course a crucial detail!!

For a proof-of-concept test I used a basic household timer switch (hardware store) and mains-to-12v adaptor connected to the voltage adaptor and cables that I made up for using 12v external batteries. I rigged up a very crude hold-down for the D10 power button. I modified ultimate script to do a 'safe' shutdown at the end of each day of shooting. Newbie-hope my script mod was correct - it does work :)

The setup above worked okay for a few days indoors. I have to change it to run independent of mains power, and I need to refine the hold-down for power button. Then need to consider weatherproofing etc.

I am also a bit worried about potential damage from keeping the camera power button depressed continuously for weeks...  can anyone advise about this?
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #224 on: 08 / March / 2014, 21:55:46 »
Quote from: jules on 08 / March / 2014, 21:51:57
I modified ultimate script to do a 'safe' shutdown at the end of each day of shooting. Newbie-hope my script mod
Can you post your changes?  Or the complete modified script.  I'm quite curious to know what you have done.
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Offline jules

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #225 on: 08 / March / 2014, 22:11:26 »
Quote from: JvdP on 08 / March / 2014, 04:33:43
For transfering photos outside the box I have had several ideas with mixed success. I want an easy solution that doesn't requires another device (hence more cost and more power draw) so I tried an SD card extension for a while.

The external SD connector looks interesting and I hope you can resolve the crash issue. Maybe I've missed something obvious, but I'm puzzled about how this extension works in an outdoor situation, apart from of course needing waterproofing. When you access files on the external card, do you turn the camera off/on? If so, can you turn off/on without direct access to the camera?

Quote from: JvdP on 08 / March / 2014, 04:33:43
If you're going to add equipment I'd actually rather use a USB cable and PTP for photo transfer than Wifi. Although the wifi card has its advantages too!

I would like to try the USB/PTP option. I installed usb driver, ptpCamGui, downloaded images from camera to laptop.... BUT it does not work (in my setup) when ultimate script is running. Is there a way to stop the script via PTP? And restart the script after downloading images?
« Last Edit: 09 / March / 2014, 08:23:45 by jules »
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Offline jules

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #226 on: 09 / March / 2014, 08:35:08 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 08 / March / 2014, 21:55:46
Can you post your changes?  Or the complete modified script.  I'm quite curious to know what you have done.

Hi waterwingz, When I modified your script for my daily shutdown trial, this is what I changed.

Added parameter:
   @param    z Single Day?
   @default z 1
   @values  z 0 1

Set value in  "-- translate user parameter"
   day_end = z

Added my shutdown within your 15sec procedure                 
-- process things that happen once every 15 seconds
   if ( ticmin <= now ) then
        ticmin = now+15       
    -- manage display / backlight
        set_display(0)
        collectgarbage()
   -- check if end of Single Day (j mod)
   if (( shooting_mode == NIGHT ) and (shot_counter > 0) and (day_end == 1)) then -- close down for the day
      printf("prepare for clean shutdown")
      sleep(2000)
      printf("end of day shut down")
      post_levent_to_ui('PressPowerButton')
      end -- j mod end            
     -- check battery voltage


 Maybe you can improve on this?
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #227 on: 09 / March / 2014, 10:16:50 »
Quote from: jules on 09 / March / 2014, 08:35:08
Maybe you can improve on this?
Looks good to me.  I guess I didn't realize you were using the script to actually power down.
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Offline Microfunguy

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #228 on: 09 / March / 2014, 11:51:50 »
Quote from: jules on 08 / March / 2014, 21:51:57
I am also a bit worried about potential damage from keeping the camera power button depressed continuously for weeks...  can anyone advise about this?

Yes, in a couple of months time :)
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Offline JvdP

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Re: Quick weatherproof camera box.
« Reply #229 on: 09 / March / 2014, 16:23:48 »
Quote from: jules on 08 / March / 2014, 22:11:26
The external SD connector looks interesting and I hope you can resolve the crash issue. Maybe I've missed something obvious, but I'm puzzled about how this extension works in an outdoor situation, apart from of course needing waterproofing. When you access files on the external card, do you turn the camera off/on? If so, can you turn off/on without direct access to the camera?
You'd have a dummy SD card in the camera with a cable that exits the box (through a cable gland is cheapest and easiest). Then in a seperate box you have your SD card in a socket. One can use the SD card extension and modify it for this use. I'm thinking of doing this, I will post a small DIY if I do.


Quote from: jules on 08 / March / 2014, 22:11:26
I would like to try the USB/PTP option. I installed usb driver, ptpCamGui, downloaded images from camera to laptop.... BUT it does not work (in my setup) when ultimate script is running. Is there a way to stop the script via PTP? And restart the script after downloading images?
Yes, this is possible. I've done this before, it's an interesting solution. I have discussed this with waterwingz in his topic for Ultimate.lua. This link is where the conversation starts.
« Last Edit: 09 / March / 2014, 16:58:36 by JvdP »
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