Christmas Cameras

[JeffF]

Started working on the Christmas lights & security cameras today and even though there is only one "nightvision" camera currently connected, just thought I'd post the linky for those of you who are a tad bit geeky like me and like to look at this sort of stuff.

http://www.mainelights.org:81

You have to use Internet Explorer 5.5 or high and Firefox just does not work unfortunelty. The IP address and username/password is at the top of the page.

-Jeff

[Peter B]

Jeffrey wrote:

Started working on the Christmas lights & security cameras today and even though there is only one "nightvision" camera currently connected, just thought I'd post the linky for those of you who are a tad bit geeky like me and like to look at this sort of stuff.

http://www.mainelights.org:81

You have to use Internet Explorer 5.5 or high and Firefox just does not work unfortunelty. The IP address and username/password is at the top of the page.

-Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Just tried to view but your link is broken.

Pete.

[JeffF]

If you manually typed it in make sure you put http:// in front of the link as IE doesn't like when you don't use the standard port 80(that's what the :81 is at the end of the address).

If you are clicking on it... hmmm... I'm stumped. I signed onto it using my 3G card and it seemed to connect ok. Maybe the server had a hickup or something.

If it still doesn't work, I'll have to look into it a little deeper.

-Jeff

[Peter B]

Hi Jeff,

Yes I am clicking on the link, when I do this it starts to link to your home page but then hangs. I am using I.E. It shows up on your home page the I.P. Address then user name and password.

Pete.

[JeffF]

Oh... I'll bet it's an ActiveX security setting. Instead of opening up my system I just added MaineLights.org to my "Trusted Sites" in IE. I don't expect anybody to trust me whole heartedly but I do run a pretty tight ship with anti-virus software and such. If you don't want to trust the site, I can completely understand. Sorry for the PIA software but it came with the capture card and there really isn't anything else compatible with it that I've found.

-Jeff

[JeffF]

Just wanted to update that the link for the stand-alone camera software now downloads the correct software. I accidentally had it downloading the driver for the ActiveX software... which doesn't help FF users(or IE users that take care in securing their browser).

-Jeff

p.s. Still use the following with the stand-alone software...

IP Address: 64.185.140.87 (or just enter mainelights.org)
Username: guest
Password: guest

[barbosaa]

WOW HOW U DID THAT PLEASE TEACH ME






Attached files

[JeffF]

eBay... it's all from eBay.

Grab a cheapo 4-ch capture card like this...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=Z260313555235

Add some wired/wireless cameras like these...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=Z250312302616
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270301838941

Then hook everything up and tweak it so it runs. Basically you absolutely *need* to have an Intel motherboard to run any of the cheapo capture cards. And even then, there are a couple things you have to do to "kick" start the cameras every so often. I have a little batch file that I run every hour to shut the software down, and then start it back up. If you don't do this or try to run on an AMD setup you will have the video freeze and not record and you'll just have all kinds of problems.

Also, if you're a little bit of a techie(which it seems like most of us here are), then you can save a couple bucks and convert the cheaper wireless cameras to be wired. You get a better picture quality wired, but wireless is easier to place wherever you want so it's your call whichever you want.

All the hardware I have for the cameras is 2 or 3 years old. I really got into putting them around the house for a time and then the computer I was using for that project died and they have just been sitting there. This hobby made me hook them back up.

Hope some of that helps.

-Jeff