[hackerspaces] Webcam setups, for security and community?

[Mars brown]

I've extended much further (about 2x - 2.5x) than the standard usb workable
lengths on the cheap using cat5.
Didn't have any issues... and used a wide variety of cams/quality of cams w
good results.
I just did some desoldering on an old motherboard to get some usb female
sockets (or the female socket to extension wire for the motherboard to case
front usb socket - that make any sense?) and use twisted pairs from the
cat5.
I've run up to 3 seperate cams at once this way with success.  worth a shot
since it's practically free.
I did it for an event series for a university astro observatory to promote
a few years ago.

just a thought.  btw... neat to see someone else go by the name/moniker
'mars'.   :)
legal name?  Dont answer that. anyhow good luck.

 - mars  (from NOLA)

ps  for security -  there's lots of good mobile applications to monitor
webcams on the cheap.


On Fri, Nov 4, 2011 at 8:42 AM, Ben Brown <ben at generik.ca> wrote:

> Our space is using two D-Link IP cameras monitoring both entrances out
> in the hall. I had tried to get zoneminder to play ball (along with some
> regular USB webcams) but no dice. For now we're using the DVR software
> the cameras came with. Seems to work well enough, plus we have two weeks
> of motion-detected video if we ever need it.
>
> However you'll never beat the quality of a commercial surveillance
> system... expensive as hell, but you do get what you pay for.
>
> Ben
>
> On 11/3/2011 1:07 PM, mars at redecho.org wrote:
> > Forgive me if this topic has been beaten to death already: I am new to
> > this list and have found it difficult to search through the archives.
> >
> > I am affiliated with Air Light Time & Space here in Seattle. We want to
> > set up some webcams, both as a security measure and as a way of promoting
> > community engagement. We think that people will be more likely to "just
> > stop by" if they can check in first and see what to expect.
> >
> > Commercial security camera systems look complicated and expensive. We
> were
> > thinking that we could get a bunch of cheap USB webcams and plug them
> into
> > a cheap PC and run some free software on it. Of course none of us
> actually
> > know how to do this, which is why I am asking for advice.
> >
> > Have any of you set up such a system? Can you give me any pointers on
> > hardware or software that I should look into? What is the state of Linux
> > camera drivers - are there certain models which should be favored or
> > avoided? Is there such a thing as a weatherproof USB webcam? How far can
> > you stretch a USB connection? (It'd be cool to put a camera over the
> front
> > door, but that's a good 80 feet from where the PC would live.)  Video
> > would be great, but we would be happy with still frames.
> >
> > Thanks for any pointers you can offer!
> >
> > Mars Saxman @ ALTSpace
> > _______________________________________________
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