Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Outdoor & remote 24/7 camera advice

  • 29-08-2018 11:19AM
    #1
    crookesa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 142 ✭✭


    Hi

    I have to do a project which requires me to record an area preferably 24/7 and save the footage.

    The camera will be remote so I’m looking for suggestions on the best type of camera to use and also best options to keep it powered.

    I need to show footage of an area being used (or not) and present this.

    Any advice would be appreciated on your experiences.

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,094 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Do you need video or would stills at 1/sec - 1/30sec do?

    If stills would manage a GoPro with a large battery bank (real 10k mAh) should manage that with a 64GB card. Sped up it'd look like a timelapse video. Would have to calculate the file sizes to be sure but pretty sure it'd do.


  • #3
    crookesa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 142 ✭✭crookesa


    ED E wrote: »
    Do you need video or would stills at 1/sec - 1/30sec do?

    If stills would manage a GoPro with a large battery bank (real 10k mAh) should manage that with a 64GB card. Sped up it'd look like a timelapse video. Would have to calculate the file sizes to be sure but pretty sure it'd do.

    Thanks for that. I want to record a site we own and prove that there’s no one using it as a right of way. I may have to record the site from across the road so mount it somewhere looking directly at it.
    How long would I get from a 10k mAh bank?

    I was hoping to maybe get 3 months footage from it. I was looking st a company online and they charge €300 per month for the service.


  • #4
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,094 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    If you took a picture every 5s its 5.6GB day. That means coming back every 19 days or 5 visits in 3 months.

    Power wise for three months you'd be building a large 12v battery pack, solar charger and 12v to 5v transformer into a weatherproof box assuming no mains on site.


    A wildlife camera would be cheaper/easier but would only show use not the lack thereof.


  • #5
    bipedal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭bipedal


    I'll just chime in and say that I used 5 last-gen GoPros for a similar project at a construction site. They had a circuit for power that they were all plugged into, and over the course of the 5 months I think I had maybe one camera that had gone continuously the whole time, the others all suffered overheats and stuff. If you absolutely must use a GoPro, I think you would be smart to get one of the intervalometer backs that actually turns the camera off between shots and lets you set sane intervals (longer than the in-camera max of 1 minute). https://cam-do.com/collections/all/products/blink-gopro-time-lapse-controller

    Otherwise maybe someone has experience with trail cams or a raspi or something.


Advertisement
Advertisement