My web/snowcam

C

CrossfireLOW

Member
I have had this webcam going for a couple of weeks. I firgured there might some people here interested in it, especially in the next few weeks/months.

http://www.wunderground.com/webcams/CrossfireLOW/1/show.html

This looks out over Baudette Bay mounted to the bottom of my deck. It is just a cheap webcam hooked up to a 10 year old PC mounted in a shop light fixture. I don't know how it hold up to real winter weather, but it made it through freezing rain and a 10 degree morning so far.

What do you all think?
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
Being originally from Baudette, I find it kind of cool. My wife grew up in a house on the bay (right next to the VFW). I do try to get up there as much as possible and while I do get information from family members with regard to snow conditions, if your “system” keeps running I could see myself checking this on a regular basis.</SPAN>

Hoping you do much better for snow this year. I think they only had enough snow to groom a few times last year and that was late in the year. I’m counting on a return to the riding of a couple of years back – some of the best ever up there.</SPAN>
 
D

Deleted member 10829

Guest
I'm pretty sure you can have that web cam added to the Northwoods Cam Network. Maybe do an "Ask John" question, we love web cams!
 
bearrassler

bearrassler

Active member
It was dark when I looked at it but will check it out from time to time as I do like to ride in your area. I also see the Northwoods Cam Network also has a new web cam in Bemidji after a couple years without one.
 
jd

jd

Administrator
Staff member
mspease said:
I'm pretty sure you can have that web cam added to the Northwoods Cam Network. Maybe do an "Ask John" question, we love web cams!
Click to expand...

I would love to have the cam in the NCN, but when I checked the image web address info, it looks like the weather underground is doing things to make it proprietary to them and not allow others to pull it into their webpages like I do. If CrossfireLOW wants to see about providing an address that I can pull into the NCN, that would be great!

-John
 
C

CrossfireLOW

Member
To be honest, my motivation in starting the webcam was to eventually add it to the NCN. Lake of the Woods area is seemingly a black hole of information when it comes to reliable snow condition reports that aren't a week old and inaccurate. I have been out of town over holidays in the past, and can find out more about snow and weather on the top of a mountain in Wyoming, than in my backyard. So for those who want to know the conditions here in real time....

John,

My thoughts were to work out the bugs on my end before possibly adding it to the NCN. That is why I am using weather underground the last few weeks as a bit of a test, I have no allegiance to weather underground. I am simply using webcamxp with ftp upload. I don't know how much work it is for you (or me) to add a cam to the NCN, I wouldn't want you to go through to much trouble to add my cam, only for it break down the first subzero night.



skiroule,

I keep telling myself that this winter can't be as bad as last year... They groomed here a couple times last year in mid to late February but still, there were so many rocks, dirt, and sticks showing it was only conditions you could get excited about if it were early December. I would take a repeat of 2008-09 or 2010-11 in a second, nothing like having people stop on the road asking if you need help getting unstuck in the ditches or riding nearly 2 feet of snow down the trail on December 1, 2010.
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
CrossfireLOW, if you can get hooked into the NCN that would be great. Bearrassler and I need real-time data!
</SPAN>
From a wider audience perspective, it would be nice to see Lake of the Woods/Baudette on the NCN map. Not sure how many people realize you can have world-class Walleye fishing and rack up some serious trail miles, all in the same trip.
</SPAN>
Looking forward to seeing some snow accumulation in that camera field of view – have too many machines that really need some leg stretching. A 2010/2011 repeat would be just fine.</SPAN>
 
jd

jd

Administrator
Staff member
CrossfireLOW-

It really does not matter to me where you image is hosted, as long as I can pull it into the NCN. The way the weather underground has it set up, you have to go to their site to see the latest image, as they rename the image with a time stamp type feature. If you know of another place to upload to, then go ahead and do that and let me know.

I have pretty much run out of space on my server to host additional cams, but could possibly squeeze you in if need be. Just let me know.

-John
 
S

snocrazy

Active member
If you dont have a site to upload to using webcamxp, and John cant fit you in, I can help you out. I would just create a seperate page in one of my sites and give you a ftp account for uploading the image.

You also might want to consider working with a local business that has a web site in your area. It would be a WIN WIN.
 
jd

jd

Administrator
Staff member
That's very cool of you snocrazy.

I checked earlier in the day and a few of the cams I was hosting are not even going anymore, so I do have the space for at least one more. So CrossfireLOW, you can send me an e mail and I will get you the info to ftp into a spot on my server to put your image and we can get you into the NCN. It will be nice to fill that hole in NW MN up a bit!

-John
 
G

GTL

Member
Just FYI the Sportmans Lodge out on the river has a webcam at it's mainland location and out on Oak Island. You have to go to their website and then look. It would be nice to see them on NCN also. If your right there maybe you could inform them of this site.
 
C

CrossfireLOW

Member
Sportsman's does have cams setup on the river and oak island. For some strange reason when I try to look at them in google chrome browser the camera does not load, but in internet explorer it does load?

There are also a few other webcams in the area, but the problem I see with all of them from snow perspective is they do not show very well how much snow there actually is on the ground. They are all focused on the lake/river. Hopefully I can give a view that shows the snow conditions/depth better than other webcams available. I have thought about putting out a snow stick/meter out as well.

I don't know who the person to talk to would be at sportsman's about their webcams and the NCN. Arnesens rocky point also has a webcam.
 
D

Deleted member 10829

Guest
Very nice! Thanks for doing that, nothing over in that area.
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
This is excellent - Good to see far northern MN "on the map". Will be checking this a lot in the coming weeks. Hope to see the other side of the bay obscured by a whiteout on some updates.
 
bearrassler

bearrassler

Active member
It's great to see a webcam up there, I will have to check on it tomorrow and Friday to see how much snow you get.
 
C

CrossfireLOW

Member
You only need a computer, internet connection, any cheap webcam, and free downloaded software to upload to a website.

In my case the hardware is a bit more involved. Because I have no window suitable or practical to have the webcam looking out of, I had to mount it on my deck outside. This lead to a bit a off a problem due the limitations of USB cables over distances of more than 15'. Long story short, I had to get a powered usb hub, update the usb card on my old pc and then get an active usb extension cable to feed through an outdoor light's electrical box to get it in the house to the computer.

Needless to say, I spent about 3x more on accessories and such, than the actual camera.
 
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