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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
How Does It Work?There are many articles on how to set up a webcam available on the world-wide web so I will not go into much detail because the River Thames Camera set-up is by no means unique. A good description of webcam set-up may be found at www.webcam32.com The River Thames Camera uses a second-hand Windows 95 486 PC (100MHz). The camera itself is a Video Blaster Webcam II controlled by "Webcam32" software. The PC is connected to the internet by a modem on a dial up line. The whole configuration cost less than £100. Webcam32 software is configured to takes pictures at scheduled times (hopefully when there is some activity on the river). When a picture is taken the PC dials into the internet and uploads the picture directly to the host website using FTP. At the same time it also updates the "last 10" pictures so that visitors to the site can see past pictures. The entire process is automated - the PC actually runs without display, keyboard or mouse. How often is the image updated?Each hour during daylight. Why can't I see the image moving?The camera only takes a single picture each hour and uploads it to the web site. The webcam relies on a dial up telephone link to upload the pictures. More frequent updates would be too costly for a rowing club. With ADSL technology becoming available we hope to upgrade to a more frequent update and perhaps include a remote control steerable camera mount. The Image has not changed for a few days, why?The Webcam PC runs in an unattended mode, from time to time we experience problems that require the PC to be reset (e.g. power interuptions etc.) This is a manual process that can not always be performed at once. Where is Maidenhead?Maidenhead is in England, about 35 miles west of London.
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