VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I was chatting with BWD up at Nat Lake on Sunday morn, and I asked him if a lot of time is involved in maintaining the site and all of its "appendages". My impression is that its been a work in progress that has kept him pretty interested, but that it has evolved some routine chores that it might be possible to share to volunteer(s). Of course, his mind is on the latest things that he would like to develop, and who wants to spend time showing people how to do things that are by now routine to him. So, I just thought I'd suggest having a section of the forum where Dave could list his jobs, or his to do list, or his wish list, so people could dig around in their own resource pocket, to see if they can help. Maybe it would add up to more work than response for BWD, but it's just an idea.

Great idea.

Wavos Rancheros wrote:So, I just thought I'd suggest having a section of the forum where Dave could list his jobs, or his to do list, or his wish list, so people could dig around in their own resource pocket, to see if they can help. Maybe it would add up to more work than response for BWD, but it's just an idea.

Nice idea WR, here are a few things I was thinking that would help out the site a lot:

- having a few moderators for the forum and the messageboard (to delete the occasional post)

- having someone to select the Photo of the Week

- having help in finding some sponsors, mainly for each of the webcams (a logo would be added to the webcam page, alongside the Bosuns logo).

- I'd like some help in developing a sailing site guide. I was thinking of using Wiki based pages so that people who are logged into the forum can directly edit the pages. I've started on it but it needs to be integrated into the BWD site. Someone with some html/php skills would be good. This approach could also be used for a Safety Page.

- add pulldown menus to the main menus to show more content (html needed)

- general site/layout redesign (html/php)

- program the Stardot webcams to directly poll and upload data from a Davis weather station (using the RS232 connection on the camera). This would involve shell scripting in uClinux and would eliminate the need for a weather station computer. Tough job, but you would be a hero in BWD land.

- more to come

PM me if any of the above interests you. I think the site could be a lot better if we get more people involved. I'm travelling on and off for July/August so it may take me a while to get back to you (late August ?),
thanks
dave

that thing you mentioned about the webcam that operates on linux, and how it could be programmed better than it is now, if someone with some linux programming knowledge (or someone who knows someone) could give it a kick start....

Wavos Rancheros wrote:that thing you mentioned about the webcam that operates on linux,...

thanks, I added it to the list.

Dood, that Stardot thing simply sounds yammy!!! Count me in!

On top of that, here is my to do list (rather short one).

- fix outstanding bugs in Sailing log
- add average/total time for personal stats
- add ability to look at other peoples logs ( do you need it, guys? )
- may be a page with a calendar with colour coded days if they have been sailed ( not very soon though )

Hey Dave, I'd be happy to do some mod duties on the forum if you like. Just give me some guidelines or let me loose! (just kidding)

Wavos

I too could help moderate, help pick POW.
I also have some html experience.
And like big brother, I'm always watching.

Wonder if it would be possible to create a mechanical, wind-driven, pan mount for the webcams, that would slowly move the camera back and forth through a range of say 120 degrees, so we could get more of the action and not just a good shot of the conditions? Would be especially nice with the streaming video, and entertaining! (might have to charge by the hour for the bandwidth eh!)

I imagine the options for pannable cameras are a little on the expensive side, would ya say DAve?

Wavos, that would be cool, kinda like the sawyers, or woodpeckers, etc on tacky rural roadsides, except just use the gearing to drive the cam mounting? Would this work in a waterproof box thing Dave? Mount the whole thing? It would be pretty cool, only needs to work when its windy, cheap! Would it result in blurred shots if it was REALLY windy though!?

Wavos Rancheros wrote:Wonder if it would be possible to create a mechanical, wind-driven, pan mount for the webcams...

Yep outdoor mounts for panning are very expensive. I'm sure it would be possible to build something, but it would have to be fairly rigid.

The streaming cam is indoors though and I did look into pan/tilt a few years back. These are the links I came up with:
http://192.75.254.8/TCamWeb/powerpod.htm
http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~ih/doc/stepper/mount/

It sounds like a good project for someone.

Windependent and Wavos - I'll add you guys as forum moderators soon and send you a PM with the details.
thanks
dave

i could try and get some engineering students at uvic to develop a cheap version of this for a project. if we could get money for parts all the work would be done for us.

Dave, I'd be happy to select photo of the week. Giles

Colin, did you check out those links dave posted. Only 200 bucks for a really nice internet connectable pan tilt mount...

But on the cheap side, if we wanted to do more than one cam, and we came up with an inexpensive design, it might be cheap to make several of them...

How much do you think the parts would cost?

Dave, do you think its a crazy idea?

Standing by for the forummod stuff when you get the time Bwd.

Wavos