Calving Camera (CCTV)

Turbury

Anybody know the best solution for transmitting video signal of a (calving) camera 2 miles over a small hill.
I have a UHF system that works but needs a lot of power to drive the signal over the hill so the neighbours are also getting the signal.

I heard of someone using a satellite to transmit (had to pay rental for this of course) but I cannot get any other info on it.

The 2.4 GHz systems dont seem to be able to cope with the hill very well.

Was also looking for info about cameras that can be accessed over the mobile phone network.
(No landline at the shed side by the way)
Thanks all.

Sam Kade

I used to use a calving camera about 10 years ago after using it for a while I got fed up with it switched on all night keeping me awake, instead I got rid of it and became a better judge of when a cow would calve. Since then I set the alarm clock to the time I judged the cow will calve I have never been wrong even though I calve a hundred cows every year and as a result I get a better nights sleep during the calving season. My advice to you learn the different stages of calving you will also have to handle cows near calving before you go to bed to determine stage of calving when you master this you will never be wrong also it will be better for you and your cows to go out when they are calving instead of looking at a monitor wondering are they alright. I hope you didn't waste money on a camera since you posted here.

juror

Sam you can't be serious, you really believe that the calving camera has no place. Has there ever been a time you got up out of your bed, walked to your calving shed to find that the cow had already calved? If you had a camera you could tell the cow was after calving already and not bother gettting out of bed.
Most cameras are good quality these days and you can tell very well whether or not you need to assist a cow

Oh Turbury, if you do come across a camera that works across a mobile network or what ever solution you find please let me know. I would find it interesting to see what your solution is. Sorry I can't help, but best of luck

Sam Kade

So how many times a night do you check the camera 5 maybe 6 a lot of people seem to think that a calving camera will calf the cow for you give one look at it if shes calved grand job turn your arse to the monitor and sleep till morning. Then what about giving the calf colostrum if the cow calves at 2am and you get up at eight then the colostrum won't protect the calf. Personally I would rather get up when the cow is calving give the calf some colostrum than have to do it after getting up in the morning more so if you have a herd of cows to milk. The point I am trying to get across is that the calving camera will keep you awake longer because you will keep checking it.

bushy...

To get over your problem with the hill , you could put a repeater somewhere that can see both your house and the shed.
Basically put the receiver you have at the repeater site and get another transmitter/receiver pair to do the link from the house to the new site.

Turbury wrote: »

Was also looking for info about cameras that can be accessed over the mobile phone network.

Very easy if what you want to do is watch the camera on your phone from anywhere and you have broadband at home ( ignoring hill issue for now) , you can either get a network camera or get a converter that will allow you to plug it into your router.

Reasonably easy if what you want to do is use the phone network to make the camera accessible. http://www.stompboxnetworks.com/testing.html

abakan

is there any line of site over the small hill?

would there be the possibility of putting an antenan high up?