Post by dave on Feb 4, 2019 12:24:59 GMT -8
I am a volunteer at a non-for-profit nature preserve. The goal is to assemble and place video camera systems within three bluebird houses. Hatching could then be monitored via video.
Methods: The cameras are Raspberry pi-noir-camera-v2/ The interiors of the bird boxes will be illuminated by infrared LEDs. This will allow the cameras to view the insides of the dark boxes using illumination that is invisible to the birds. Each camera is attached to a Raspberry Pi Zero outside of the bird box, which handles the camera, motion capture, and video streaming functions.
The video collection will be at a stand-alone WiFi access point. The three birdhouse cameras will broadcast video files to a file server created on a stand-alone Raspberry Pi B3+ computer, which will be on a post within the limited WiFi range of the birdhouses. The video files would be retrieved periodically from a thumb drive from the server, and then made available as desired. The birds would never be the wiser.
Solar power: The birdhouse cameras and the access point would not have access to electrical outlets. Thus, they all need batteries. The batteries would run out in a few days, so they need to be recharged. The recharging would be accomplished by solar panels.
Questions: Which solar panels (and what size), voltage controllers, and batteries should we use for the project to have 24-hour motion triggered video recording? Will the raspberry Pi B3+ router/file server require different power demands than the Pi Zeros with cameras?
Our Preserve is in a very fire sensitive environment in Northern California. I am inclined to use acid/acid batteries rather than LiPo for that reason. Which size batteries should I buy? Am I right to be concerned about LiPo batteries in a fire sensitive environment?
Thanks for the help!
Methods: The cameras are Raspberry pi-noir-camera-v2/ The interiors of the bird boxes will be illuminated by infrared LEDs. This will allow the cameras to view the insides of the dark boxes using illumination that is invisible to the birds. Each camera is attached to a Raspberry Pi Zero outside of the bird box, which handles the camera, motion capture, and video streaming functions.
The video collection will be at a stand-alone WiFi access point. The three birdhouse cameras will broadcast video files to a file server created on a stand-alone Raspberry Pi B3+ computer, which will be on a post within the limited WiFi range of the birdhouses. The video files would be retrieved periodically from a thumb drive from the server, and then made available as desired. The birds would never be the wiser.
Solar power: The birdhouse cameras and the access point would not have access to electrical outlets. Thus, they all need batteries. The batteries would run out in a few days, so they need to be recharged. The recharging would be accomplished by solar panels.
Questions: Which solar panels (and what size), voltage controllers, and batteries should we use for the project to have 24-hour motion triggered video recording? Will the raspberry Pi B3+ router/file server require different power demands than the Pi Zeros with cameras?
Our Preserve is in a very fire sensitive environment in Northern California. I am inclined to use acid/acid batteries rather than LiPo for that reason. Which size batteries should I buy? Am I right to be concerned about LiPo batteries in a fire sensitive environment?
Thanks for the help!
