Barn Cams

[kmp2707]

I would like suggestions for what and where to purchase a barn camera. I want high quality and will hard wire the camera(s). Some of the cameras I have viewed on Marestare.com are really great, some not so great, so I want to make sure I purchase something that will give an excellent picture.

thanks in advance!

[genevieveg17]

I got mine through http://www.foalingcamera.com/
I am happy with the quality. They are the hard wired day/night cams.
Here is a link to one of my cams that will be on for the day. I need to clean the lens - it is usually sharper. http://www.marestare.com/glenhillone.php

[kmp2707]

Thanks genevieveg- your camera is actually one that I watched this past spring! And your surely is one of the better ones.

[showjumpers66]

This is our best camera - http://www.spycameras4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_17&products_id=101&osCsid=c777b4a0e1fedf33b5a4d55dc1bb3f65

[E D]

Try supercircuits.com, a mail order surveillence catalog service.

[Laurierace]

I apologize in advance for the semi hijack. For those of you with foal cams that are hooked up to the internet via marestare or whatnot, what are the computer requirements like? I board at a barn several miles from my home so obviously my home computer is not an option. The barn owner does have a computer in her house on the property but I don't want to impose if it is going to bog her computer down. My other option is to put a computer somewhere in the barn or in their house, neither of which are good options but better than overloading her computer. I don't have much longer to wait, she is due Feb 24th so I need to get busy with the details. Thanks, hopefully the info will help the OP too!

[genevieveg17]

Is there internet in the barn? Or wireless internet in the house that you can set up an access point or something in the barn with a laptop? You might need wired cams if you are using wireless internet. My cams interferred with the net (or visa versa) so I switched to wired and it worked great.
The companies that host the cams are usually very knowledgable and helpful with trouble shooting.

[Tom King]

http://www.supercircuits.com/ Good prices and help if you need questions answered.

You can put together a sytem for about half the price of the prepackaged setups of the same quality.

I like hardwired too. I have found that a separate lighting circuit with 25 watt blue bulbs works better than infared.

[Laurierace]

Is there internet in the barn? Or wireless internet in the house that you can set up an access point or something in the barn with a laptop? You might need wired cams if you are using wireless internet. My cams interferred with the net (or visa versa) so I switched to wired and it worked great.
The companies that host the cams are usually very knowledgable and helpful with trouble shooting.

There is no internet in the barn but if not too difficult/expensive I could remedy that. There is a phone so it is at least wired for that, we could possibly split off of that somehow. I don't know what type of internet connection they have in the house, but I do know they have one. Again, I don't want to impose so can only go that route if convenient for them. I have a desktop that may be getting retired in the near future (birthday on sat, or xmas perhaps) that could serve as the computer for for the cam if hubby gets the hint!
It would be a no brainer if this were my own farm but I need to be respectful and not overstep my welcome. Thanks for the tips, I will work on it some more and may be back with more questions.

[kmp2707]

Tom, that is interesting about the blue light. I really didn't want to have to leave a regular stall light on all night, so was thinking IR was the way to go, but I will try the blue light.

I have a cam installed now on the outside of my garage, facing the barn. I need to install cameras actually IN the barn, but I am able to view online from work what I do have installed. Here is a snapshot of the picture I get: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2185398870061566193gmHrey

Laurierace-did you ever consider talking to your barn owner about maybe them offering the online cams as a boarding service? They might find it beneficial as well to be able to "spy" on the boarders from the house, or keep watch of the barn anyway. You could always offer to purchase your own camera.

[Laurierace]

They aren't going to spend any money upgrading the property because they rent it, not own it so I know that won't work. I asked today and was told that they had dial up in the house with a separate line than the regular phone line. Not sure that information helps me much but its a start. I would say the house is about 100 yards from the barn if that matters any. There is a phone jack not real far from the tack room. I might be able to get a second line ran off of that and then put the computer in the tack room.

[Laurierace]

Bumping up this old thread because I have the specifics figured out I think and am ready to buy the cam. I am going to be using my current desktop computer, it will be placed in an apartment about 150 feet give or take, I will measure tomorrow, away from the barn. The internet connection will be cable modem.
Based upon these specs, do you recommend a wireless camera or should we run cable from the camera to the computer? Is there somewhere on the computer that the cable from the cam would attach, or would I have to get some sort of connectors? I apologize for the myriad of questions, the date is soon approaching and I want to make relatively sure I get it right the first time since there isn't a whole lot of time for corrections. January 30th is day 320, I can breathe a sigh or relief then.
Thank you!

[Portia]

Your best bet is probably to call whomever you are buying the barn cam from and get their advice. I know the Ranch Cams folks that I bought our trailer cams from (mentioned above) were very helpful about what the right set-up would be.

[camohn]

I got mine a Lowes. I did have to get one with wires. We have a stone bank barn and the wireless ones did not work though stone walls!! The camera was the cheap part. It was the wiring that got expensive!! I wanted the pic to go barn to house. Can't use wireless as noted. Can't bury a cable (it is across the driveway) and I only use the thing a few weeks out of the year so I used video extension cables. I can run it the 200' out the barn, in the window and to the sofa where I sleep during Nippy Foaling Season. I DO like that I can move the cable around that way. For the cold weather foal I was in the house. Every morning I would unplug the wire that ran across the driveway before hubby went to work so he would not run over it with the car, roll it up and hang it on a nail at the barn door. For the June foal the mare was very antsy having company though it was now warm so I camped up with my little screen in the hayloft above her.....I got my haybale bed over her stall and was out of her sight. Just ran the wires upstairs instead.
I also found the blue light interesting. I was turning off all the barn lights except one red bulb to get enough glow without having it too bright with a regular bulb.