Low Cost Camera with Blue Iris for Bird Box

TonyR said:
@#$% starlings! :facepalm::lmao:
We had to make sure we capped the end of the traffic signal mastarms and any unused tenons on the mastarm to keep those buggers out....they would nest in there and make a big mess that caused problems if you ever had to pull in new conductors for an additional traffic signal on the mastarm.
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Starlings are an invasive species here. The bird didn't stay in that birdhouse.
 
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Mark_M said:
Starlings are an invasive species here. The bird didn't stay in that birdhouse.
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We have cowbirds here in that role.
They lay their eggs in another species' nest, the unsuspecting birds incubate them, hatch and feed them. Not unlike some of the leeches here in the U.S. on the government tit.:headbang:
 
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Pogo said:
That's wild, dude. Is it lethal, or just a significant reminder to its guest that popping in again probably isn't a good idea?

I've never seen one of those.

Wrens and Red Headed Woodpeckers are the biggest problem for our Bluebird nesting. They're tough little rascals though. And the boxes are close enough for me to assist in the deterrent effort. Even so they abandoned two nests this spring -- mostly due to the hassle from the Red Heads. First year I've seen that behavior from them. The wrens usually just get an ass-kicking and eventually abandon their efforts to occupy a box.

Good on you guys lookin' out for em in your areas and doing the cams. I'll get one going here sooner or later.
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It's not lethal, when they enter the hole and land on on the trip wire, The metal flap rotates up and covers up the hole in the nesting box and they can't get out. We have to open the door to the bird box and get them out.
 
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Other than Blue Iris, are there any other software packages that will work with a Sercomm RC4551? I have been using Synology Surveillance station with other ONVIF cameras and it's great. But for the life of me, I can't get the Sercomm to connect.

Thanks,
Al
 
Al Cohen said:
Other than Blue Iris, are there any other software packages that will work with a Sercomm RC4551? I have been using Synology Surveillance station with other ONVIF cameras and it's great. But for the life of me, I can't get the Sercomm to connect.

Thanks,
Al
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The URL below works also with VLC, I just tried it. Any decent VMS should allow a custom URL for RTSP (be sure to use 2 "/" after "rtsp:" as the forum won't display 2 consecutively):

Code: 
rtsp:/username:password@Camera-IP:554/img/media.sav

If the above works for you and the Sercomm has the sub stream configured you can call that up in the URL, just let me know.
 
TonyR said:
The URL below works also with VLC, I just tried it. Any decent VMS should allow a custom URL for RTSP (be sure to use 2 "/" after "rtsp:" as the forum won't display 2 consecutively):

Code: 
rtsp:/username:password@Camera-IP:554/img/media.sav

If the above works for you and the Sercomm has the sub stream configured you can call that up in the URL, just let me know.
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I was able to get it to work with IP Camera 4, but not VLC. I must be doing something wrong. I'm still trying to finagle settings in Surveillance station. I may just get a different but ONVIF compliant camera
 
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VLC is not without its own inherent peculiarities and 'conditional' performance settings to do what would otherwise seem like a simple a logical approach to achieving a desired result.

A very basic change you could try is switching the default input format from HTTP to RTP / TCP for a more RTSP friendly environment. Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs at the lower right gets you there. There is also a possibility that VLC wants the link in a slightly different form than provided above, though it obviously works for Tony. (Double check your camera credentials entries and typing accuracy.)

Another VMS platform to play with is iSpy/AgentDVR, or at least to explore their take on the Sercomm lineup. Complete Sercomm IP Camera Setup Guide - ONVIF, RTSP and Tutorial Included

You may also want to try ONVIF Device Manager for a deeper look into how and what the camera is doing and/or expecting of its ONVIF environment. Free Open Source at
sourceforge.net

ODM

Download ODM for free. Device Manager for ONVIF-based Network video devices. ODM is a ONVIF protocol implementation of Network Video Client (NVC) to manage Network Video Transmitters (NVT), Network Video Storage (NVS) and Network Video Analytics (NVA) devices. Implements Discovery, Device...
sourceforge.net sourceforge.net

Last but not least, the problem may actually be a Synology issue. Their support resources may be a better place to explore a solution for a device that works with any other conventional ONVIF/RTSP capable VMS platform but doesn't seem to work on theirs.
 
Al Cohen said:
I was able to get it to work with IP Camera 4, but not VLC. I must be doing something wrong. I'm still trying to finagle settings in Surveillance station. I may just get a different but ONVIF compliant camera
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Sorry to hear that. Is VLC throwing any kind of error? Try with the user/pass at beginning and see if VLC at least asks for them.
I just tried these with my Sercomm RC4551 which has main and sub streams configured:
Code: 
rtsp:/username:password@Camera-IP:554/img/media.sav?channel=1  (main stream)

rtsp:/username:password@Camera-IP:554/img/media.sav?channel=2  (sub stream)

EDIT: FWIW, the Sercomm RC4551 is not ONVIF-compliant.
 
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Al Cohen said:
I was able to get it to work with IP Camera 4, but not VLC. I must be doing something wrong. I'm still trying to finagle settings in Surveillance station. I may just get a different but ONVIF compliant camera
Click to expand...
I was able to get Synology surveillance station to work! All I have to do was open my eyes to see the syntax I used was slightly incorrect.

"rtsp:/administrator@(camera IP)/img/video.sav"

"rtsp:/administrator@(camera IP)/img/media.sav" ( Here is an edit. video.sav had no audio. But after searching I saw that it needed to be media.sav for audio)

Thanks all for the guidance!
Al
 
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Al Cohen said:
All I have to do was open my eyes to see the syntax I used was slightly incorrect.
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Yessir, in computer lanquages, URL, scripts, etc. "slightly" might as well be "totally" because neither will work. :cool:
 
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@TonyR - have you found any other cameras like this one that fit the purpose for a bird house? I see one of these on ebay right now but I bought one before and it was non-functioning pretty quickly, so worried about quality at this point. Or if you have a seller you like, I'd be interested.
 
iseeker said:
@TonyR - have you found any other cameras like this one that fit the purpose for a bird house? I see one of these on ebay right now but I bought one before and it was non-functioning pretty quickly, so worried about quality at this point. Or if you have a seller you like, I'd be interested.
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Right off hand I don't know of one. Mine was new so maybe that was a factor in that it's 4 years old now and still going strong....or maybe it's lasted because of the mod I did to help it in the 95° Alabama summers (I mounted a heatsink on the rear of it).

Give me a day or 2 and I'll count how many I have left. I bought 8 all new 4 years ago, have used 1, sold 2 and (hopefully) have 4 or 5 left left and if so and I may be able to part with one if you're interested....but I would encourage the heatsink mod for the TX summer heat.

EDITED 9/26 0917 CDT: heck, I can probably throw in the heatsink and some double-sided thermal foam tape, you supply the labor!

TonyR

Post in thread 'Sunlight Issue question'

+1 on suggestions regarding flat cable and heat. The iCamera2's are indoor cams and it may be that the prolonged southern exposure during summer months is too much for its internals.

I have a Sercomm RC4551, also an indoor cam, installed in the ceiling of a bluebird house that has been good all last summer and this beginning summer, with Alabama temps up to low 90s outside the birdhouse. So far, so good.

However, before I installed it I peeled the ID label off the back of the cam and installed a piece of an aluminum heatsink, thermally bonded to the existing flat metal...
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TonyR said:
Right off hand I don't know of one. Mine was new so maybe that was a factor in that it's 4 years old now and still going strong....or maybe it's lasted because of the mod I did to help it in the 95° Alabama summers (I mounted a heatsink on the rear of it).

Give me a day or 2 and I'll count how many I have left. I bought 8 all new 4 years ago, have used 1, sold 2 and (hopefully) have 4 or 5 left left and if so and I may be able to part with one if you're interested....but I would encourage the heatsink mod for the TX summer heat.

EDITED 9/26 0917 CDT: heck, I can probably throw in the heatsink and some double-sided thermal foam tape, you supply the labor!

TonyR

Post in thread 'Sunlight Issue question'

+1 on suggestions regarding flat cable and heat. The iCamera2's are indoor cams and it may be that the prolonged southern exposure during summer months is too much for its internals.

I have a Sercomm RC4551, also an indoor cam, installed in the ceiling of a bluebird house that has been good all last summer and this beginning summer, with Alabama temps up to low 90s outside the birdhouse. So far, so good.

However, before I installed it I peeled the ID label off the back of the cam and installed a piece of an aluminum heatsink, thermally bonded to the existing flat metal...
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I’d for sure take you up on that! Let me know pricing
 
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iseeker said:
I’d for sure take you up on that! Let me know pricing
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I've got a NEW Sercomm RC4551, heat sink and thermal tape!

I sent you a DM.....
 
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