Question: How can real-time camera monitoring be set up?

Hi, Cheryl -- there's a little bit about cell-enabled trail cameras for remote #timelapse monitoring, here: https://publiclab.org/notes/LauraChipley/09-18-2015/hacking-trail-cameras-to-document-blasts-on-mountaintop-removal-sites

Though that costs a bit more -- $230 i think, plus the cell plan.

I also think there've been some efforts to use #raspberry-pi cameras to do lower-cost versions, although they'd need a wifi or cell connection to do live monitoring.

Hi! Did you tried FPV Cameras normally used in drones? Depends of the distance, can be very cheap (25$): https://www.banggood.com/FX-FX798T-5_8G-600TVL-25mW-40CH-Mini-Transmitter-Camera-Combo-For-FPV-Multicopter-p-1053038.html?p=JB1919987667201412AN

The quality is analog video, depends of the purpouse can be good enough.

There are also micro-usb video receivers for smartphones so you can use almost any app to record video or time lapse: https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-ROTG01-UVC-OTG-5_8G-150CH-Full-Channel-FPV-Receiver-For-Android-Mobile-Phone-Smartphone-p-1147692.html?p=JB1919987667201412AN

Regards, lot

Hi, thanks so much for these helpful responses!

I can post again once we've figured out which options we're going with...

Cheryl

I've just bought a $40 GoPro look-alike that has WiFi, and will be testing it out at the Appalachia Barnraising. We'll check in once we've done this and upload photos --- most likely to this page, where we've been checking/testing GoPro camera alternatives!

https://publiclab.org/questions/warren/05-20-2017/cheap-lightweight-gopro-alternatives-for-aerial-mapping