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(Video only)
Why is the video sometimes smooth and sometimes jerky?
Each viewer gets his own video stream. Each stream slows down a
little to allow another one to be squeezed through the upload pipe. As
of March 2005, under ideal conditions AND if you're the only one
watching, you'll get 2 frames per second. We are bandwidth-constrained
and when we have more available this will increase.
(Video only) When I want to control the
camera, why does it sometimes tell me to "Please Wait a Little"?
Someone else is controlling the camera. They have ten minutes from the
time they start. You'll see a little count-down clock showing you when
control will pass to you.
On the picture page, why does it sometimes take so long
before I see a new picture, especially at the start? Or why is the
view not changing at all?
The camera uploads a new picture every ten seconds. If it has not
yet made available the new image when the JavaScript in your browser
makes a request for it, it will not show a new image until the end of
the next 10-second cycle. If your Internet connection isn't fast
enough, use this page for a 20-second
cycle.
And if the view doesn't change at all? Well, it does go to sleep from
sundown until dawn. And during the day, if the network is
congested, it may skip an upload, or maybe it'll stop for a bit
because we're working with it. But this reliable little robot usually
operates at top form, constantly moving the camera and dutifully updating the pictures,
so if nothing changes for a couple of
hours and there's not a message that it's broken, please
let us know.
Why are there raindrops on the
picture?
The camera is outside in the elements, and rain and mist will at times
collect on the outside of the camera housing. This camera is in a
unique position as it is located at a very weather-exposed area of
Fortuna, with a full fetch to the predominant wind. The camera has
auto-focus and may focus on the raindrops instead of the view.
Why are there lines, spots and
smudges on the picture?
Dust, bugs, spider webs, smoke and pollution can produce this effect
on the housing. It's most obvious when the sun is low in the sky. The
housing usually cleans itself during the next rain or heavy mist; if
not, we ask Neale to go up in the boom truck with some glass cleaner.
Sorry, he doesn't do monitors.
Why is the picture all blurry?
The camera may have taken a picture before it stopped moving to its
next view. But it can also be quite windy next to the river, so maybe
the camera housing was shaken a bit. This is more noticeable during a
zoomed shot.
Why are parts of the picture dark?
Sometimes the camera's field of view will include large amounts of
sunlight. In these cases, the auto iris on the camera will darken the
entire image to compensate for the increased light, and the darker
portions of the image will become much darker than normal.
Why is everything white?
The first fog from the ocean hugs the Eel River channel. Sometimes the
sky may be sunny and clear on one side of the river and foggy on the
other.
If this is live, how come the weather
conditions don't match those on the Weather Channel?
Weather conditions can change rapidly and can vary greatly within a
distance of just a few miles. The Weather Channel reports the last
hour's weather at the Eureka/Arcata Airport, almost an hour's drive
north. Fortuna's
live weather station is about a half mile from this
location and accurately reflects the weather you are seeing. See also
the answer to the previous question.
What am I looking at? How far away
are those hills?
The camera is located on the east side of the river, so if the river
is on the right you're looking south. Mount Pierce, at 3,200 feet, is
the farthest away, about seven miles south of this location. It's
about ten miles northwest to the beach. We can't see Fernbridge or
Ferndale, but only because the trees are in the way. Downtown Fortuna
is about a mile and a half north. The Rohnerville Airport is on that
bluff in the left in the picture that shows the building roof on the
left side and the river on the right.
How can I save one of these stunning
pictures?
In Windows, right click on it and choose "Save Picture As...". Be
sure to change the name of the file or you will overwrite the last one
you saved here. These images exist for only thirty seconds, so If you get something really unusual,
mail it to us so we can
admire it also!
Why don't you put the date and time
on the pictures? That way I can tell if it's really working.
This camera's currently not capable of placing that information on
the still pictures, but as long as the images are changing you're
seeing them live.
This is pretty neat. I've got a great
view also. How do I get me one of these for my web site?
Information is here.
OK, thanks, and one more question,
have you seen the remote?
Yeah, it fell behind the sofa. |
