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Hog trap triggers

Posted By: JohnRussell

Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 12:31 AM

I post something about this about every six months so I can keep asking.. heh

I have Wifi at the ranch, not great cell signal.

I know all about the cell operated hog trap gates.

Has anyone seen one used with a Wifi signal and not a Cell signal?

Thanks!

Russ
Posted By: glocker17

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 04:07 AM

There is no reason it couldn't work, i would look at installing a wifi repeater on the exterior of the cabin/house to increase range and reliability. For a while we were running wifi camera from the feeder to camp 188 yards and it worked well. just needs a clear line of sight and a good wifi repeater. We had a directional antennae as well.
Posted By: JohnRussell

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 11:04 AM

Well, heh.. was going to write up a better explanation, but not a lot of techies out there and far less understand the reason for adding wifi at the ranch...but..

We have the cabin, and on the bathroom roof, we installed a 38ft tall antenna. That has an omni-directional on top of it and then we have been working on a self-contained WIFI access point device that is solar powered. We have a 360 degree camera on top of that as well.

That went on top of the hill behind us now and has line of sight to 2 of the farthest areas on the ranch. We plan to add one more to the hill behind the 3rd. That should blanket the entire ranch.

Than, we have a "Mini Solar Cam" that costs us about.. $110-ish and we can then place that at each feeder or anywhere else and we are able to access and view all areas of the ranch live.

We have all of that working right now, just have not built/placed the last WAP and then the minis.

Let me see if I can get a screen shot of one of the test cameras.. sec...

Okay.. while the email is arriving to me.. let me explain the three photos.

At the TOP of the 38ft antenna, is our most powerful camera. No, it is not a really really powerful one, we are looking at costs, so this is less than $300.. we can get a REALLY powerful one later.. but, it is zoomed into the front gate that is about 1000 ft away. It has a defroster on the lens and a windshield wiper.. lol and sits approximately 46ft in the air.

The 2nd camera is a test camera that sits 138 yards away and is a 5x zoom. We will be replacing it with a better camera next visit that also has a 20x zoom.

The third photo is a mini cam. It currently sits close to the feeder but will be replaced with a 5x zoom and 360 pan tilt, so we can see all the way around. We are debating setting it about 5ft above the feeder.. heh.

So, all I need now is the gate trigger.

In a couple months, I will post plans for how this is all set up so you can all get it done AND offer assistance to help set others up, since we all love to see our ranches when we cannot get there.

Also, we route them all through a server we set up (nothing powerful or expensive) which allows ONE video link to be pulled and shared with anyone so not a lot of bandwidth usage) and also allows us to overlay weather info and anything else.






Russ
Posted By: Night Hunting TV

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 01:27 PM

How are you accessing the internet?

Hotspot?
Posted By: JohnRussell

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 02:11 PM

We were fortunate enough to be able to get electricity. Once you have that, you are able to get a phone "line" which is really a point to point system. You have to have a basic phone, then you can get their internet packages. Right now, it is unlimited 3mb per second download and like 768 kb per second upload. Not a lot, but in the middle of nowhere, it is nice.

We COULD have gotten a dish system and gotten internet that way, but it would have been like 10gb per month limit, like a cell phone, and I do not like limits, so we opted to pay extra and have unlimited internet. We do not use the "land line" as I have a magicjack phone and use my 512 area code.. heh

I spoke with the phone company and they think that in 1-2 years, max, we should be able to upgrade the internet to 15mb down and 6mb up... not that we care so much for anything other than the camera feeds.

Also emails us when movement is triggered.. a pain at night if there are a lot of bugs.. lol

R
Posted By: Night Hunting TV

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 03:19 PM

I can imagine. Switch out the cameras to 940 IR assuming you don't already have and won't be a red glow, which should cut back on the bugs swarming towards light. Wouldn't have as much range as night.

Lucky to have actual access. We are trying to figure out how to do something similar with a hotspot. We are pretty remote. We also flood so we need to be able to get it out rather quickly. So something portable is all we need. Thinking small is to get one camera working and build off of that.

We built a IP camera with a Wifi router and external antenna. Mostly for going to the range. We can also have it setup and sit in the blind watching a live view of the feeder, for hog hunting at night. But it would be nice to make that a remote setup and not have to be there if we chose not to be. Hence my interest in your setup.
Posted By: Night Hunting TV

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 03:21 PM

or have it setup to watch one feeder and be at another feeder.
Posted By: JohnRussell

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 03:52 PM

Exactly. We started with 1 camera and expanded from that. We have been at this for a couple years now and are making a lot of headway, but also trying to keep the cost as low as possible.

I think the new 20x has the 940 IR, so that should take care of the bugs, agreed.. heh

Securing the cameras for floods AND for thieves is a major point for us. Well, not as much floods as thieves.. heh. We have an old single tripod stand, going to weld a base to that and then secure it to a tree and put the wap camera on top of that wink They may be able to steal it, but it will email us a picture of them first! lol

Now, to figure how to get a hog trap door that works on wifi wink

R
Posted By: Night Hunting TV

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 03:58 PM

good luck with that. I have a hard time tying my shoes some days. keep us in the loop.
Posted By: JohnRussell

Re: Hog trap triggers - 08/31/16 04:40 PM

Will do. We have an idea what we need and can do it, just need to gather the parts and make it all pretty then we will post the plans wink

R
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