Cheap interval photography?

[Niclas]

I need to trigger a camera at a remote location once every 24 hrs to collect images from a stream restoration project in northern Sweden. Can this be done using a very inexpensive camera by somehow connecting it to common travel alarm clock? Perhaps one can use the leads to the beeper in the clock to trigger the camera, either electronically or via a servo motor that presses the shutter release button? It would be great to use the alarm function in an alarm clock because it is easy for anyone to program (as compared to a black-box timer).

It will be left in the field unattended (but hidden in a bird house) for several weeks at the time so I don't want to use expensive equipment. Any tech geeks out there who might be able to offer a cheap but elegant solution?

 

[Optikon]

I need to trigger a camera at a remote location once every 24 hrs to collect images from a stream restoration project in northern Sweden. Can this be done using a very inexpensive camera by somehow connecting it to common travel alarm clock? Perhaps one can use the leads to the beeper in the clock to trigger the camera, either electronically or via a servo motor that presses the shutter release button? It would be great to use the alarm function in an alarm clock because it is easy for anyone to program (as compared to a black-box timer).

It will be left in the field unattended (but hidden in a bird house) for several weeks at the time so I don't want to use expensive equipment. Any tech geeks out there who might be able to offer a cheap but elegant solution?

Whats more important cheap or elegant?

A very _cheap_ way ..

I would suggest digital camera. That way you dont have to advance the camera and it can have a memory card large enough to capture weeks worth of photos at whatever quality (you decide)

Take camera apart and interface to the trigger button.
You can use an alarm clock to trigger it but why? By the time you get that
figured out you could have built a 24hour timer from a couple of cheap parts (under $5 USD) that can be very low power and run from a battery source for weeks on end.. Lots of examples on the web and on this site.

You will also need some battery system for the camera and you had better measure the current draw so you can calculate battery capacity necessary to run the whole thing for several weeks (or can you change the batteries occasionally?)

This is not so elegant but it is one of the lowest cost ways I can think of to do this.

 

[Niclas]

Thanks for your suggestions, Optikon! You wrote:

"You can use an alarm clock to trigger it but why? By the time you get that
figured out you could have built a 24hour timer from a couple of cheap parts (under $5 USD) that can be very low power and run from a battery source for weeks on end.. Lots of examples on the web and on this site."

I thought a travel alarm clock for around $5 would offer a short-cut in may ways. It has a display and would allow me to start up the cycles at any time of the day. If I build a simple timer from parts I would have to start up the system at the exact time of the day when I want all daily photographs to be taken, unless the timer also has a separate internal clock, of course.

Since I am not used to building electronic devices from scratch I tend to look for electronic products that I can modify instead. But if you (or anoyone else) can convince me that it would still be cheaper, faster or better to build the timer from scratch I will certainly consider this option!

 

[Optikon]

Thanks for your suggestions, Optikon! You wrote:

"You can use an alarm clock to trigger it but why? By the time you get that
figured out you could have built a 24hour timer from a couple of cheap parts (under $5 USD) that can be very low power and run from a battery source for weeks on end.. Lots of examples on the web and on this site."

I thought a travel alarm clock for around $5 would offer a short-cut in may ways. It has a display and would allow me to start up the cycles at any time of the day. If I build a simple timer from parts I would have to start up the system at the exact time of the day when I want all daily photographs to be taken, unless the timer also has a separate internal clock, of course.

Since I am not used to building electronic devices from scratch I tend to look for electronic products that I can modify instead. But if you (or anoyone else) can convince me that it would still be cheaper, faster or better to build the timer from scratch I will certainly consider this option!

Wel as it's understood, the alarm clock method can work. Only draw back I see is it might not be straightforward finding the alarm trigger signal and the alarm clock will consume more power than it has to for your application. On the plus side, like you mention, it will be easier to set up your intervals and easy to program!

The cheap timer method can be tailored to extremely low power consumption and is most efficient in this sense, it doesnt have to run a buzzer or possible radio etc...(these circuits might draw power even if they aren't running- might.. who knows?)

Also the timer design could provide for a start pulse that you can give it when you are ready to start the intervals. Give it a start pulse (buttone press whatever) and it will begin timing in 24 hour (or other) intervals outputting a trigger pulse when time expires and then resets for next interval...

Practically either way will work.

 

[pittuck]

Twas wondering what resolution u need?

**broken link removed**

Uses a cheap camera with opto isolator to as the trigger.

Hock up a PIC and u should be able to time 24hours pretty easy. You could probably get away with using a small 8 pin 12F PIC with internal osc to time it...

Hope this help.