What kind of webcamera are you all using?

Internet PWS Dashboard 2012
1

I have been using an Ambient Camera for several years and then it started messing up. They replaced it, but the new one is worse than the old one in truncating the uploads and sending partial files. I have been trying for several weeks to get some “support” from them, but to no avail. What are you guys using for cameras. My issue was that the Ambient sends time stamped file names, but Ambient at Ambient-HQ always made the latest one available with a static filename of “latest.jpg” which i could download and use on pwsWD.

Just looking for ideas.

Thanks and regards to all

Jim

2

Cheapo (£35) ieGeek IP cam bought in 2019. . . So old, that preview in local http used Flash :roll_eyes:

Not much help :wink:

3

Hi
I use a microsoft usb webcam and wd overlay

4

I use a foscam FI9902P

5

I have a Reolink RLC-410W and add an overlay of my PWS data using a Meteobridge. I believe Reolink has now replaced the 410W with the RLC-510WA.

6

Thanks Guys, Blaine, the FOSCAM is one i was looking at. Can you tell me, briefly, by what network mechanism in foscam do you use get the images into WD and then i assume you FTP the image file into pwsWD. I like the overlay you have at the bottom.

Thanks, Jim

7

I simply use a URL in WD to capture an image, then have WD apply the overlay and upload the image. My camera is connected via WiFi.

8

Perhaps i am being unduly dense, but so the Foscam, as part of its setup includes a Foscam website where it can automagically upload the images and from which you can steal them back using the URL of the image?

Thanks,

Jim

9

The url in WD is usually getting an image straight from the cameras own web server and then WD uploads that image to your website

10

I understand. That’s why i remain a little confused. On my current system, the files have the timestamp in the filename. So, there is no static name to get from that server. I haven’t figured out how to tell WD to look for the last one. I need to know the filename i am going to get is static otherwise i don’t know how to tell it which file to get.

Jim

11

I thought that you get wd to take and upload a webcam image every ? Minutes which then uploads to the website and puts the overlay on.
Mine takes and.uploads every 15 mins.
In wd it asks if you want a jpg or gif image

12

I don’t have a camera but I think Jim is saying that the files are named image-202406081700.jpg then image-202406081701jpg, image-202406081702.jpg, etc. So how can you tell WD which file to download so that it can manipulate it and then upload it to the server?

13

Newer camara’s can be directly addressed wih a local URL.

The camera and the weather-program (f.i. WeatherrDisplay or Meteobridge) are on the same local network, normally.
The weather-program fetches the image directly from the camera with an URL which points to the camera and has a few other things like the camera password a.s.o.

Hope this helps,
Wim

14

Yes, Chris, exactly. If i use its FTP upload. I was looking at the wd webcamcapture program and the foscam is not listed in the how-to for ip cameras. Or wants you to download a program that has a license fee of almost $1000. That’s not going to happen.

Jim

15

Yes, thanks Wim. Guess i will try that. The camera i have now alegedly allows such access, but it does not work. It also truncates the pictures to less than full frame. I have been working with support from the camera seller, but its been two and half weeks with nothing from them, so its going in the trash. I plan to get one of the Foscam cameras, which also ought to allow direct ip access. But i don’t see foscam in the ip cam setup in the WD capture program. Ayway, i am trying to think all this through before ploping down more money. I guess i have no choice but to plop the money down and hope for the best.

Thanks.

Jim

16

Does it have to be Foscam? I know they’re decent…I have a couple of their indoor cams. I’ve no experience of Reolink but I’ve heard their name crop up in the forum quite regularly and people seem to say nice things about them. Maybe they might have better options?

17

Half expected @novawx to chip in by now, but I know he’s just moved from VA to NC. . . and I think he used a program that costs money.

My cheapo IP cam only FTPs files with datestamps, and I couldn’t face using WD, so I decided to do something different. I sample the output at 1 fps using free iSpy software (I think they recommend a new version) and get iSpy to upload a .jpg every minute. I don’t want any overlays beyond time/date, and iSpy do that.

Why 1 fps? Default 24 fps uses too much CPU on my weather computer.

18

if you go for the Foscam try looking at this link Connect to Foscam IP Cameras (ispyconnect.com)
and look for your model and jpeg options and create a url with the tool provided
in WD webcamcapture ip camera setup put the url in there
i found the initial url generated http://username:[email protected]:port/snapshot.cgi?user=username&pwd=password do not work
found that http://192.168.0.61:port/snapshot.cgi?user=username&pwd=password did work ok
hope this gives some ideas

19

Ah! Very good! Thanks. I just want to know what i am trying to do is possible. Looks like i am on my way.

Thanks to everyone.

Jim

20

In WD I use a URL like this
http://10.0.0.34:88/cgi-bin/CGIProxy.fcgi?cmd=snapPicture2&usr=username&pwd=password!&

The URL tells the camera to snap a picture and use the filename defined in WD