Bald Mountain gate camera
mi...@sushi.com
http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera2.jpg
OK, I think I'm losing it. At one time this camera was a pan tilt
zoom. I know so because it tracked us when we had a large group out
there. Now I'm looking at the photographs, and it is not a PTZ. Even
more puzzling, there are no solar cells or wiring.
Now there are two antennas on this setup. One microwave dish, and one
VHF or UHF yagi. Is it possible they blast the camera with microwaves,
convert that power, then beam back the video on the yagi?
The writing on the camera is Cohu, which is the brand of camera. Very
typical around the range.
rv58
> http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera1.jpghttp://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera2.jpg
power,wishful thinking !
rv
mi...@sushi.com
> On 16 Nov, 22:42, "m...@sushi.com" <m...@sushi.com> wrote:>http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera1.jpghttp://www...
>
> > OK, I think I'm losing it. At one time this camera was a pan tilt
> > zoom. I know so because it tracked us when we had a large group out
> > there. Now I'm looking at the photographs, and it is not a PTZ. Even
> > more puzzling, there are no solar cells or wiring.
>
> > Now there are two antennas on this setup. One microwave dish, and one
> > VHF or UHF yagi. Is it possible they blast the camera with microwaves,
> > convert that power, then beam back the video on the yagi?
>
> > The writing on the camera is Cohu, which is the brand of camera. Very
> > typical around the range.
>
> It's a dummy,you can see the coax to the yagi is cut,convert
> power,wishful thinking !
> rv
Yes, I see that now. I'm guess then that the box has a gel cell, and
they just turn the camera on when needed. A low duty cycle means the
battery would last a long time. And it's not like the dudes couldn't
swap out batteries as needed.
mi...@sushi.com
They can't just turn on this camera when they think someone is
snooping. I'm guessing one of the road sensors is used to either turn
it on and start recording, or to alert security, which can then turn
on the camera.
Lumpy
> They can't just turn on this camera when they think someone is
> snooping. I'm guessing one of the road sensors is used to either turn
> it on and start recording, or to alert security, which can then turn
> on the camera.
Still, the question of "how is it turned on?" bugs me.
If it's a road sensor, how does that local sensor transmitter
trigger the tripod camera?
There doesn't appear to be any long distance means of
controlling it, as the yagi coax is cut, as RV58 notes. If this
tripod is where I'm assuming it is, the dish (if that's what it is)
doesn't have any kind of clear line of sight to the base. Perhaps it
has a clear shot at some other dish, up on Bald.
But -
That's a pretty small round item to contain the dish,
and associated transmit/receive/convert/LNA circuitry.
Not impossible, but it looks like if it did contain the
parabola, it wouldn't have room for the other circuitry.
The cable coming out of the round item is obviously not
a waveguide. It's either coax or power (or both). So the
round thing has to contain all of the RF circuitry. It does,
however, appear to point in the same direction as the Yagi,
suggesting that it indeed is some kind of dish. It also
appears to be the typical, generic color of lots of
simple link dish radomes.
The Cohu camera appears to be an older model. The newer
models output an RS-422 type data signal. That's a really
thick cable in the pic, just to handle a simple data signal.
Maybe the older models are video output. In either case, some
kind of modem, or other convert mechanism, would have to
modulate the signal into RF to be transmitted anywhere.
The rectangular NMEA looking box is barely big enough to
hold a typical 6v gel cell. Plus it would still have to
have room for the termination of the two cables. Hard to
imagine it would contain modem circuitry, plus the
exciter radio circuitry, plus the receive/decode/control
circuitry and still have room for a battery and cable
connections.
Look at the zoomed in version of the photo. I think I can
see a piece of RG-58 sized cable coming out of the bottom
of the rectangular box. I can't tell if it's the cut piece
that used to join with the Yagi or maybe it runs under the
tripod legs to the ground (and then to some other circuitry,
battery, sensors etc).
Perhaps the "dish" is a photo sensor, crossing the path
of the "gate". Seems at a strange angle, though, compared
to the camera. But then, of course, the question is
"Where does the video signal output from the camera go?".
It's almost as if they cobbled together a bunch of parts,
not necessarily related, to make it look like a camera.
Do you have any pics of the other tripod cams, like the
one(s) above campfire hill area? Or how about the new
tower south of the main gate? Let's compare what they
have for "accessories" to this frankencamera.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
Lumpy
http://www.cohu-cameras.com/products/vidcams/3640.html
Appears to require 24VDC and has common video output.
The ad blurb suggests that our bald gate camera might
be a "frame grab" style camera, like the red light
runner cameras that read your license plate. Of
course then it would still need some external
device to house the recording or transmitting
circuitry, and power.
I'm still having a problem imagining where 24v
might come from in the pic. The box just doesn't
seem big enough.
Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke
obviouslydelusional
> http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera1.jpghttp://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera2.jpg
Cohus are indeed 24 VDC (also available in 120 VAC) and their current
requirements, while not huge, are significant. The current can be
pretty large if the housing is one that has a heater in it. I think
it's highly unlikely you could meet the required current by microwave
transmission of power, at least with the size of the dish shown. One
way to tell is hold some popcorn in your hand near the camera and if
it pops, they are using microwaves to transmit power.
The large "cables" appear to be weathertight conduit.
I see only two possibilities:
1. It's a dummy camera. (Maybe there's a real camera hidden behind
you while you're focussed on the dummy!)
2. There's a large battery box buried in the ground with the power
cables the run down to it hidden in a tripod leg, and the camera is
triggered remotely via one of the two antennas. If that's the case
I'd guess the yagi would be the trigger antenna as the bandwidth
required for a video signal would be considerably greater than that of
a simple trigger signal, hence the bandwidth offered by a higher freq
signal. The trigger signal could be sent from security HQ in response
to some sensor alarm they receive. Probably require battery
changeouts every 4 to 6 months, depending on size and frequency of
use.
I'd lean to number 1.
rv58
wrote:> >http://www.lazygranch.com/images/bald/bald_gate_camera1.jpghttp://www...
>
> I'd lean to number 1.
power it.When out there last year.
They would only need the ground sensors to tell them you were
around,another sensor later on would confirm direction.They're just
dummies,most would just see them as real.
rv58
mi...@sushi.com
Well at one time they had a real camera there since I assume the PTZ
wasn't a fake. If it was a dummy, then they would put a dummy at every
border crossing, right?
Well, I guess I have to go back there some day and set up the
telescope and get more detail. Same for the front gate. As I mentioned
in some other post, the gear at Road Block Canyon has been removed.
Desert Shadow
I sort of like the approach they are taking at the back gate. I guess
any old driveway sensor works! And yes, it is still being used
today!!!
mi...@sushi.com
That camera certainly follows you around.
It's pretty easy to blind a camera with a laser, so that scheme isn't
tamper proof. Of course, parking a laser on the camera would bring the
sheriff. Last time I checked Nevada's laser pointing law never got
passed. Remember, this is a state where you can do stupid stuff, and
if you get hurt, well too bad, we're not your nanny.
rv58
disrepair so just leave 'em.will fool most.I see on the
Dreamlandresort site they say the solar panels were taken away & in
their pics you can see that there is no way they are powered.
Are some really close so you can get near to them or is it telescope.
mi...@sushi.com
Well this makes sense then. I could have sworn I had see solar cells.
You can get very close to the cameras at Bald Mountain. Certainly
50ft, probably less. That is way close for a telescope. I'm not sure a
reflector would focus at say 20ft. I know you can do that with a
refractor since it is easy to add spacers at the back. If I can find
it, I'll upload some photos of a $20 bill that I use for a photo
target. You can photograph the serial number of a dollar bill from
about 200ft.
Getting back to the bald camera, it looks like the mount for the
microwave is pointing downward. Unless it is an offset dish inside it,
that doesn't make sense.