yoderjac
Well-Known Member
I bought my first BuckeyeCam when they first came out, 2008 I believe. In fact the first one was an Apollo that had no radio, but the ability to upgrade. I upgraded it to become the equivalent of an Orion and purchased additional Orions over the next couple years. Even though they were using 5mile (spec) radios, in practical terms, it was a challenging network to setup on a pine farm. Having said that, the network and the cameras have been running 24/7/365 with very little down time for maintenance. Eventually I got them balanced with battery/solar combinations so they run for well over a year before they need to be visited.
Eventually, the company produced a newer, smaller, less expensive version called the X80. I got one of those for testing figuring I would eventually need to upgrade. My Orion cams are well beyond support. I knew a guy with a bunch of them that was moving and planning to sell them. I bought all his cams figuring it would be hard to find parts for mine eventually.
The Orions themselves are still running strong. I've sent a few back to have the lexan lens cover and some worn connectors replaced, but most have not been refurbished. However, the infrastructure is starting to show its age. I had one rigged up on a box blind. I built my own cable and ran it into the blind. I put solar panels on the roof and just have the battery and solar charger in the blind. This is my own Rube Goldberg setup. I'm not using the solar charger in the camera, I bypassed it.
I lost communications with that camera a while back. I finally got out there this week to figure out was was going on. After a little examination, I saw the cable had been cut in a couple places. It was getting old and brittle. It didn't look chewed, but I figure an animal probably broke it. So, I've been working on a replacement cable this weekend.
The next issue was an antenna cable. Once again, I'm blaming an animal. I lost communications with a different camera this spring and found the broken cable. These are tougher to replace since the antenna is mounted above the roof. Rather than replacing the cable I decided to mend it, but I just could not find time this year. So, I've got that on my plate next.
I'm amazed this network is still up and running as well as it is. Maybe after I retire, I'll have to start looking at replenishment. I'm sure tech has advanced since 2008!
Eventually, the company produced a newer, smaller, less expensive version called the X80. I got one of those for testing figuring I would eventually need to upgrade. My Orion cams are well beyond support. I knew a guy with a bunch of them that was moving and planning to sell them. I bought all his cams figuring it would be hard to find parts for mine eventually.
The Orions themselves are still running strong. I've sent a few back to have the lexan lens cover and some worn connectors replaced, but most have not been refurbished. However, the infrastructure is starting to show its age. I had one rigged up on a box blind. I built my own cable and ran it into the blind. I put solar panels on the roof and just have the battery and solar charger in the blind. This is my own Rube Goldberg setup. I'm not using the solar charger in the camera, I bypassed it.
I lost communications with that camera a while back. I finally got out there this week to figure out was was going on. After a little examination, I saw the cable had been cut in a couple places. It was getting old and brittle. It didn't look chewed, but I figure an animal probably broke it. So, I've been working on a replacement cable this weekend.
The next issue was an antenna cable. Once again, I'm blaming an animal. I lost communications with a different camera this spring and found the broken cable. These are tougher to replace since the antenna is mounted above the roof. Rather than replacing the cable I decided to mend it, but I just could not find time this year. So, I've got that on my plate next.
I'm amazed this network is still up and running as well as it is. Maybe after I retire, I'll have to start looking at replenishment. I'm sure tech has advanced since 2008!
