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...but we're keeping our fingers crossed, just in case... |
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Hello, ChickenCam fans--
We're cautiously announcing the return of the ChickenCam. We've had untold technical problems with
the cam as well as uncooperative weather which kept us from working on the cam in the field. Today, we
got a bit desperate, and tried something that would simplify the whole system, and suddenly we
were back on the air again. So we're reasonably confident this time that the cam is back (although
we thought that before), and you should be able to enjoy it once again.
Just to give you an idea of the events that kept the cam from operating:
- We moved the coop to where we had intended to keep it for the summer, but the reception of the
wireless video system became problematic. We had to purchase a second wireless video transmitter
and receiver, and I set up a "relay station" in one of our outbuildings. After a lot of careful
aiming we got the antennas lined up properly, and had the cam running again (but only briefly,
as it turned out).
- The day after we got the cam running properly, we left on our long holiday (it took until the last
minute to get everything running). Mere hours after we left, our area experienced a power outage,
shutting all the computers down. When the power came back up, some computers didn't restart at all,
and
others didn't restart properly. The end result was that the cam was down again for the entire
duration of our holiday.
- Upon our return, after all the machines were nursed back to health, we found that we still weren't
getting an image on the cam. It was raining sporadically, and so it was difficult to work out
in the field where the chickens were. So for a good number of days, nothing much happened. When
the weather cleared, and we were able to work on the cam, absolutely nothing we could do could
conjure an image. That meant only one alternative-- move the coops back closer to the house so
the system would be in range.
- After waiting on the weather some more, we finally moved the coops into the area in which the
previously had been, where the cam worked. But now, the antennas became extremely sensitive to
alignment, and the picture never came back as good as before. Worse, when we'd get an image one
day, the next there would be nothing. We began to think a major reconfiguration was in order.
- After doing a few tests which were supposed to show if the planned reconfiguration would work (it
didn't), we decided on a whim to try taking the old video transmitter out of the system, and see
if the new one by itself was strong enough to send the signal all the way back to the house. Well,
it worked!
This isn't the whole story, of course-- there's lots of chores around the house that needed attending,
and of course there's Tom's pesky job that he had to go to. But we think that now we should be in
pretty good shape, barring any extended rainstorms.
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