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Nobadays
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# Posted: 13 Dec 2023 10:06am
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A few days ago my cabin camera went offline. The last view was just after some snow flurries but I had panned around and the panels had already melted off. I have just installed a new AGM battery bank and Victron inverter and charge controller. Of course I'm running through my wiring in my mind... at all hours but especially in the middle of the night.... Going through all scenarios; battery bank down so inverter off, it'll come back on after tomorrow's sun... nope... a fuse popped... but why? A breaker tripped... but why? The SCC is dead...but why? The wiring is all burned up because I didn't protect something... yes I did!
Friends went yesterday to take a look... they could still drive up but I bet it's the last time... snow the next couple of days. I get a phone call from them, from our place. Immediately I'm relieved as they couldn't call unless the Starlink is up and the Starlink wouldn't be up if my wiring had all burned up!
For some reason my Soliom camera has dropped the wifi connection with the router. It has worked flawlessly for over two years. They tried to reset it and get it to reconnect but no luck. It is about 60' from the router and the signal is not full strength but that hasn't been a problem until now. I think after this storm they are going to try again. My friends feels like if they take it down and move it over to the cabin they can get it to reconnect. One friend was feeling pretty defeated yesterday... hopefully he does go back up and tries again!
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paulz
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# Posted: 13 Dec 2023 11:10am - Edited by: paulz
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Hope he can back to it soon, nothing of value I can add..
But I am intrigued by your setup. You have a camera that you can pan around from your house? That must be neat. How much juice does it use? I just have a couple of 12v game cams, email me a shot awhile later after something trips them.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 13 Dec 2023 01:47pm
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It's a solar powered camera that has pan and tilt. I mounted it on a tree, on the hill opposite of the cabin. THIS IS THE CAMERA
It does have to have a wifi connection for me to login to the app and look at live feed or any activity. Starlink averages ~45w 24/7. My battery bank isn't big so I only. have 2 days of autonomy, thus the Victron inverter that will basically go to sleep at a set low voltage then wake back up when the bank starts charging back up. The camera will send a notice of activity... sometimes it triggers on windy days. Overall I have been happy with the camera. This is the first issue ever.
Here is a still picture from the camera.
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paulz
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2023 11:47am
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Well that’s pretty neat. My cameras are mainly for intruders, though by the time I got the email they’d be gone, unless they spent the night! Rather power down when away rather than leave the WiFi going.
Get it working?
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2023 05:39pm
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No not online as yet... they've had snow storms the last two days so I don't expect they will even try to work on it... if they even do... until they get dug out.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2023 06:12pm
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Do you know about how far away from your cabin that camera is? And is that the HD setting? That's a decent quality picture.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 14 Dec 2023 06:42pm
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That camera is discounted today, don't know for how long. I looked at it the day Nobadays posted the link and Amazon sent me a sale deal note today
-izzy
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Brettny
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# Posted: 15 Dec 2023 06:00am
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Icc that's the amazon smoke and mirror show. I have seen those types of cameras but cellular based for $69.99. I'm sure all the off brand ones are made by one of very few manufacturers.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 15 Dec 2023 07:46am
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Quoting: Brettny Do you know about how far away from your cabin that camera is? And is that the HD setting? That's a decent quality picture.
The camera is about 50'-60' from the cabin. The Starlink router sits high in the right front corner, so as close as it can be from inside. I think taking the camera down and 9ver to the porch would work as the signal strength would be 100%. As it sits it's about 50% .
Yes that is HD mode, default is SD but if I take a snapshot I do HD. That picture is actually kind of "cloudy" as it was early morning with the sun impairing the image on the left/east side.
soliomplus_IMG_20230.jpg
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soliomplus_IMG_20221.jpg
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 15 Dec 2023 07:49am
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Quoting: ICC That camera is discounted today
It is! I think I paid ~$120 for it a couple years ago... showing $99 today.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 12:37pm
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Here it is 2025... camera is offline again. I did solve, I think, my battery woes with self heating lithium batteries to keep the Starlink up and running. I can look on the Starlink app and see it is connected but alas no camera the last couple of days. I think I mentioned in a different thread that it had went down a few weeks ago for 3-4 days but then came back up.
Here we are again but I think it is definitely the camera battery getting low that is causing the issues. I put Starlink to sleep every night at 11pm then wake it at 6am. I get a notification every day that it has gone offline but recently I got a notification that the camera battery was low. Got that a couple of times when it was cold, cloudy and snowy. Well no notification two days ago but I know it hasn't been above freezing up there in about a week... last night I was told it was -17 and negative numbers for a few days before. The day time temps have been in the 20's with the next couple day's highs to stay in the teens. Looks like Friday may have an above freezing high temp.
All this to say, I am pretty sure the lithium battery in the camera, even on blue sky days, isn't charging due to the cold temperatures. Not sure there would be any kind of work around for this issue. So I guess I'll wait until it warms up there and the batteries charge to check in on the cabin. It is nice to know the self heating batteries are functioning properly.
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ICC
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 01:38pm
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Quoting: Nobadays Well no notification two days ago but I know it hasn't been above freezing up there in about a week... last night I was told it was -17 and negative numbers for a few days before.
Quoting: Nobadays pretty sure the lithium battery in the camera, even on blue sky days, isn't charging due to the cold temperatures.
I am pretty sure the Soliom cameras use a8650 or 21700 size Li-ion cells. Those should not be charged when frozen. I have no idea if the Soliom cameras have a charge temperature cutout. Mine at the cabin are not linked to wifi and just sit there not being accessed all winter.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 02:30pm
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I'm guessing there is some sort of BMS attached... I know my battery operated tools won't charge when cold. I've had cameras up for a few years, not always working because of 120v power source issues to the Starlink, but the cameras always seemed to work when those issues are solved.
Are yours switched off or do they just monitor and record to the SD card? If they are left on, they too likely shut down occasionally due to low temp/battery issues, you just wouldn't know.
I'm not too worried. We do have a caretaker for the area who watches comings and goings. He did tell me this morning a neighbor less than a 1/4 mile below us just had propane delivered! That's crazy! I don't know when the last time was you could drive a heavy truck, or any vehicle for that matter up our road the middle of January!
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ICC
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 04:11pm
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Quoting: Nobadays Are yours switched off or do they just monitor and record to the SD card?
...record to the card. I get a few animals and suspect the cameras shut down and turn on with changes in temperature.
I could probably drive up no problem but it is too darn cold to bother.
I went flying today for an hour, wearing long johns, etc. Sunny enough to make one think it was warm... Nope!
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 05:48pm
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Reminds me of off-season driving in my kit car 1952 MG-TD, top up and window curtains. NO heater.
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ICC
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 06:33pm - Edited by: ICC
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There is heat in the cub cabin. But I run colder than I used to.  Or most likely my tolerance for cold is not what it used to be. And it was damn cold this morning. (about -12F outside the cockpit at altitude) The distribution system leaves a little to be desired as does the amount of air flow. It does keep the frost off the windows well enough though.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 19 Jan 2025 06:59pm
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Quoting: ICC I went flying today for an hour, wearing long johns, etc. Sunny enough to make one think it was warm... Nope!
I stopped at the airport to look at something on the plane... 38° according to my car, my lower limit for open cockpit is 40°. But warm enough for a hike in the adjacent state forest, so that's what I did.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2025 09:56am
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Quoting: ICC The distribution system leaves a little to be desired as does the amount of air flow. It does keep the frost off the windows well enough though.
I remember well my old air cooled VW bug "warm" air distribution system.... it would keep the frost off the inside of the windscreen but it still took a squeegee to keep it clear!
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paulz
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2025 10:24am - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: Fanman stopped at the airport to look at something on the plane... 38° according to my car, my lower limit for open cockpit is 40°. But warm enough for a hike in the adjacent state forest, so that's what I did.
38 here this morning too. I know that’s suntan weather for some of you, and I am getting winter acclamation, but this morning still at the grid that electric blanket sure felt good! Would kill my battery bank at the cabin though. Do they have LP heated blankets? I do have this usb powered hand warmer, I could try that. Ball warmer?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2025 11:13am
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It was -8f this morning  , now at 10am its up to -2, might hit 4 as a high.
NO WAY would I be driving a Bug in this! (and we are hunkered down going nowhere anyway until it warms).
Btw, predicted -15 for tomorrow morning.
My LFP's are happily wintering over in the 50f basement. I had thought about putting one of my 80ah AMG bats in the cabin for winter with a panel or two but with the EcoFlow River portable LFP I decided no.
So far that has been a good decision.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2025 10:24am
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It must have gotten warm enough yesterday for the camera battery to charge. Weather app says it's 1*F up there now with an expected high of 30* . Battercharge indicator registers full.
Just no snow this year! Crazy there should be at least a couple feet on the ground right now. This is at 9,500' and less than 10 miles east of the Continental Divide.
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