New Bridge Cam Update! 6/14/2021

Update: 6/14/2021

The installation of the new Bridg Cam is complete.  I will be doing some more tweaking with it this week, but, it is fully operational as of today.

Thank you to all who donated and for those who support this channel on an everyday basis.

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Update: 6/7/2021

After concerns of limited camera operation in cold weather, I will be switching the Bridge cam upgrade to the same type of camera that is used for the Canal Cam, which is very reliable and of high quality. 

The image quality and compatibility will be better than the present Bridge Cam. This should be a fine upgrade, however, the pan/zoom capability which I had hoped for will not be available.

Thanks for your patience!

Den

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Update: 6/4/2021

I have received the new camera intended to replace the Bridge Cam.  During setup and testing this week, I discovered that the additional device used to inject audio and power the camera is not powerful enough to operate the camera in cold weather. I will be having further discussions with the manufacturer next week to see if there are any workarounds for this issue.  

While this camera would work great in this setting, I do not want to install it at the bridge locations if sound cannot be included. 

Sorry for the delay and I will keep you posted when there are further developments.

Thanks,

Den

Bridge Cam Outage

Update 14:00:  Microphone replacement complete. The microphone cord had been shredded by the last storm.  Since the Canal Cam mic is still working, I will replace that one when it warms up.
The little birdhouses are where the microphones are mounted.

FYI,
The Bridge Cam will be offline this afternoon to replace the microphone.
Sorry about the inconvenience.
Den

Camera Update!

FYI,

Two Harbors: The internet provider at Two Harbors is struggling at bit to work through some unusual operating issues keeping the two cameras from connecting to the internet. They are working through the problem and doing their best to get the cameras back online. The connection should be better than ever.

Bridge microphone:  The Bridge Cam mic shorted out last week. I have the replacement ready to install now and hope to replace it tomorrow.  Depending on the time it takes, I have a replacement mic for the Canal Cam also.

GLA Cam:  I installed a new antenna radio system this week and the connection seems much better.

Harbor Hub:  I have upgraded the internet connection speed at the Harbor Hub that will improve the connection to all six cams that stream through there.

Thank you for your patience and incredible support.

Den

Two Harbors Cameras Offline

The Two Harbors Cams are both offline due some configuration problems with the Internet Service Provider.

This is an unusual situation and the provider is working on it, hopefully, it shouldn't be more than a couple days.

Den

GLA Cam off line today

Update: 11:00 - complete.

07:00 The GLA Cam will be offline today as I replace the antenna system.
Den

Bridge Cam Microphone failure!

Update: 20:00 Thanks to: Thomas Chesney, Joan Dearing, jean mejerle, and Jeanette Jensen we collected enough to replace the mics on both cameras.  I will get them ordered and install them as soon as they arrive.

I appreciate your support.
Den


The Bridge Cam microphone shorted out today.  If anyone would like to donate one, They cost $100.
I can order it and get it up by next Friday if the weather holds.  We have two cameras with mics, the Canal and Bridge, both are getting old.

Thanks a bunch!
Den

Camera Updates

Two Harbors Depot - the camera is online, however there are some network issues that are preventing me from accessing the camera, (without being there) to make some final adjustments.
Hoping to get back at it next week.

Harbor Hub - I will be upgrading some network equipment tomorrow , so, there may be some short outages to GLA, Harbor, Pier B, Hillside, Bayfront and Wisconsin Pt.

GLA Cam - I will be replacing the antenna radio that beams the signal from the aquarium to the hillside. If the weather warms up, I will be doing this the week of Nov 18.  This will create an outage to the GLA cam of several hours.

Camera Streaming - Most of the cams of streaming from Youtube now.  There are several that will continue to stream from Angelcam and some from both until their contract expires sometime in 2020.  These cams are Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Canal, Bridge and Pier B.

 2020 will be a test year for Youtube. So far the benefits are an ability to review back 12 hours, no timeout after an hour and lower streaming cost. I will review the process and migrate back to Angelcam if things don't work out.  It could be that some cam stay on both, some stay on Angelcam and others only on Youtube -- the jury is still out, but there remains a lot of things to consider.

2020 Look Ahead - My focus in 2020 is to improve the streaming quality by strengthening the networks with upgraded switched, cables and routers including increasing connection speeds where economically feasible.

Note, there are many things that affect the quality of video that you get and I appreciate your patience while I stamp out the problems that pop up daily, including problems that I create myself.

Thank your for your fabulous support for this site, it's you that makes the difference.

Den

Two Harbors Depot Cam Update!

The new camera is programmed and ready to go up. Now it is a matter of getting some warm weather and a schedule that will work for myself, the depot staff and an electrician.

I am still hoping for installation before Thanksgiving.

Harborcam and Hillsidecam are now streaming from Youtube

Update: 10/30/2019

Harborcam and Hillsidecam are now streaming from Youtube -- You don't have to go to Youtube to find the cams, they are still right here, embedded into the regular duluthharborcam.com pages.

I have moved Harborcam and Hillside to Youtube, my hope is that the videos will stream better and also give you an ability to quickly scroll back on the timeline to view the past hours in case you missed something.

I plan on moving Bayfront soon and than pausing to see how things work out.

It costs $300/camera per year to stream from Angelcam, the cost to stream from Youtube is a one time license purchase of $300/camera for the life of the camera.

As the cameras come up for subscription renewal over the next year, I will decide which platform is best for that location.

As always, I really appreciate all the support from you guys.

Den

Status update on the Two Harbors Depot Cam - The Good and the Bad news

First the good news is that the Boat Launch cam is still working, the bad news is that the Depot cam has failed. The Depot cam is in a very inaccessible location and access not available at this time. I am going to look at other options for the Depot cam location over the next few weeks and will keep you updated. Sorry for the inconvenience, Den

Camera Update

Two Harbors Boat Launch cam back online -- thanks to Two Harbors Utilities. I still have some configuration left to do.

Wisconsin Point Cam remains off line due to a power outage.-- the outage has been reported.

Two Harbors Boat Launch Cam off line

FYI,
The Two Harbors Boat Launch Cam is off line for an unknown reason.  I will try and get up there in the next few days to check it out.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Den

Fundraiser starting tomorrow for new Pier B

Update: The fundraiser is complete with #3200 raised. This allowed me to order the new camera and also pay the sales tax.

Many thanks to the 82 people who donated, the cam viewers never cease to amaze me.


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8/13/2019 - Pier B cam is failing and has thankfully limped through the Tall Ships event.  The cam is 4 years old and is no longer supported my the manufacturer and I no longer can access the cam to change directions and I have already replace anything else that might be the problem.

I will be starting a new fundraiser tomorrow and will order the cam as soon as we have enough funds.

I appreciate all the your help and your support is why we have the best cams on the Great Lakes.

Our goal is $3000.

Thanks,
Den

Pier B Camera Maintenance today!

Update - 06/05/2019 - 09:00 a new antenna has been installed on Pier B in hopes of improving the camera performance.  The cameras video stream is transmitted to the hillside where it connects to the internet.  Pier B is the oldest camera on the system (4 years) and if this upgrade doesn't work, I will have a fundraiser to replace it as soon as possible.  Thanks for your understanding.

08/05/2019 07:30  I will be replacing/upgrading the Pier B antenna system today. Expect the camera to be off line for a few hours later today unless I get rained out.

State of the Harborcams for Summer 2019

Going into this summer I hope to keep all eleven cameras up and running smoothly.

Camera Status: All online as of this morning.

Camera Operations: The cams need constant babysitting, and while I do have some outside obligations, I hope to be available to make adjustments, clean the glass, remove spiders, and make repairs after storms daily. 
The quality and stability of each camera stream depend a lot on the lighting of the scene and the reliability of the internet connections - this is all variable and doesn't mean your device is bad, just that the stream at that time may be bogging down.  Not a perfect system, but, hopefully, gets better over time and is good enough to at least get a view.

New locations: None planned at this time.

Funding: If nothing major breaks, we should have enough funds to make it to our October fundraiser.

Events: 
Tall Ships Duluth August 11-13
Wednesday Night Sailboat Regatta's

Weather forecast: The long-range forecast is for a normal weather pattern with temps in the 60-70's and often cooler by the lake.   Lake Superior water levels are high meaning the occasional storms will probably be more severe than usual.

Boat Traffic: Looks to be a busy shipping season with large amounts of steel pellets and grain going out and plenty of limestone and other cargo coming in.

Recordings:  I try and post at least one boat, weather, or sunrise recording each day and probably more.

Jeffery the Gull: Jeffery is back and will be visiting on occasion.

Summary: I just hope that visiting these little windows to the world makes your day a bit better and gives you a relaxing glimpse into this neck of the woods.
I appreciate all the kind remarks, financial help, and constructive criticism.
Have a great day!
Den

Wisconsin Point Cam returned to service

Thanks to Ken and Tracy from Belknap Electric in Superior for kick-starting the Wisconsin Point Cam this morning.

I will keep monitoring it for further issues, but, at least for now, it is back up.

Den

Canal Cam update!

Update: 3/8/2018 - 14:30 --- Complete - I will be tweaking the image over the next few days.
Thanks to all who donated to the new camera.

Tomorrow Friday, March 8th, I will be working on replacing the Canal Cam between 12:00 and 16:00.  You can expect the camera to be offline during that time.  With any luck, the new cam will be up and running later in the day.

Sorry for the inconvenience,
Den

Balloon Fest camera operations!

FYI,

I will be using the Hillside cam and Pier B to focus on the Hot Air Balloons this weekend when they might be rising.

Two Harbors Boat Launch Camera Status

Update: 16:00 Friday 8/10/18 -- There appears to be a major failure in the radio system that transmits the camera image to the depot antenna.  This probably happened during the storm.  Unfortunately, it will be next week before we can dig deeper.  It is at the top of my priority list.

Update: 0600 Friday -- Two Harbors Boat Launch remains down, hoping to have a tech check it today. I do not have access to the light pole that it is attached to - it must be done by a licensed electrician.


18:00 Wednesday - The Two Harbors Boat Launch cam has gone down during a thunderstorm.

Investigating!

Marine Scanner Update

I am currently working on the marine scanner which was disabled with the latest Windows 10 update.  My PC is currently in the shop getting the drivers restored and hopefully, I will have the scanner back up by the end of the week.