Front-facing Camera for a Barge

Micabel · November 28, 2018

Hi everybody,

I'm trying to figure out a setup and currently, I'm absolutely without any real plan on how to accomplish it. This is why I hope somebody here might have some experience or expertise to give pointers in the right direction.

First, I'm looking for an outdoor camera with the ability to rotate, tilt and zoom, and the plan is to mount the camera at the bow of a barge. I have an eye on some models, however, if you have a good alternative or simply some tips I should keep in mind I would be glad to hear it. The second problem, and this is the main reason I'm posting this here, is how to best connect the camera to a computer 80m (260ft) behind and what specs the computer should have to be able to stream a HD live image; all of my options require the addition of a dedicated computer for video encoding.

Kind regards,

Martin

dj_ripcord · November 28, 2018

Hmmm. Well, I would like to steer you in the direction of an IP camera for two reasons: Good resolution, and ability to set up a wireless link between the bow and the wheelhouse.

However, an older kind of camera with lower resolution and a physical PTZ interface would be cheaper (maybe) but you would almost certainly have to run a cable.

So, if you stick with the IP camera idea, find one that suits your tastes. Then, look into setting up a wireless link using Ubiquiti Nanobeam transceivers. You'll need two. One for the bow and one for the wheelhouse. They essentially act like an ethernet cable once paired up. As for PC performance, any laptop that costs more than $250 will probably have enough processing power to decode only one camera with ease.

If you have any friends that are "techier" than yourself, they could probably help you set up the nanobeams. There's also a lot of videos on YouTube about em.