Re: Another camera

On Feb 21, 3:45�pm, "m...@sushi.com" <m...@sushi.com> wrote:

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/31742866.jpg

I haven't been to the range 61 gate in years. They used to have a
repeater of sorts there, but it was removed. Anyway, here is a photo
of a camera at the gate. Now this area is very remote, so how this
camera is powered is a subject of debate. The photos don't show a
solar array, so again, my guess is a big ass gel cell. Now I suppose
the camera could be there in anticipation of the new power lines going
through the area.


Oooooh...fun puzzle!!!

Ok, some obvious things, assuming it's not a dummy camera.  You will
see some older PTZ cameras which have two RF links.  The video is
carried over a high bandwidth microwave link, and the PTZ control data
carried over a separate low bandwidth link.  There have been some PTZ
cams with 2.4 GHz video and 900 MHz data.  But these are older school,
and most new cool stuff  has the data link combined into the video
link.  Makes sense.  Two antennas suck.

But this thing ain't a PTZ cam.  It's fixed.  So why two RF links?
The dish is obviously the video, and probably about 5.8 GHz, as they
are fairly common for video links and the size looks about right.  In
low RF environments you can easily shoot a video signal a good 15
miles, line of sight, with an off the shelf 5.8 GHz setup.  The yagi
is the interesting antenna.  My guess it's a receiving antenna that
turns the video and video transmitter on.  You are probably right
about a large gel cell being buried nearby.  That cam would drain a
good sized battery in a couple days.  But if there's a low drain
receiver that can turn on the video when da base gets hit off a road
sensor, then that makes sense.  That yagi looks to be maybe a 900 MHz
or 2.4 GHz, as those are both very common in remote data links.

May one assume both antennas are pointed at Bald Mountain?

Does your freq counter go up to the 5 GHz range?  It looks like you
would have been close to being in the output beam path.  These remote
CCTV transmitters usually top out with a power output at the antenna
port of 23 dBm, but given a good dish, the EIRP can be healthy.  Of
course you'd have to make sure they had the camera turned on, but you
most likely have the gifts to do so.

What's the box-like thing near the bottom of the right tripod leg?
Looks too small to be a battery pack.

The cabling looks a little funny.  The thin stuff looks like it goes
to the yagi.  The thick stuff appears to be waterproof flexible
conduit which runs from the central box to the dish, and also the
camera.  But there's a third run that looks like it enters the top of
the right hand tripod leg.

So it's either a remotely activated unit or a dummy.  I vote remotely
activated.

Of course while you were studying the camera (which is, in fact, a
dummy), the dudes were watching you on the REAL camera hidden in the
Joshua Tree to the right.