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i've been meaning to buy one of those sight and sound baby monitors , that way its portable
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I have my CNC machine in the (detached) garage and, while I appreciate the mesmerizing motions of the bit I have other things to do.
I got a bit more confidence lately that the machine does not do funny things while I am away but I follow the motto that trust is good but control is much better. I considered a web cam on my CNC controller netbook but was concerned it may interfere with the CNC software (it maybe possible though since it is not Mach3 but an independent USB controller). However, I found most remote camera software sucks anyway.
So I got a wireless web cam from FOSCAM to watch and hear the CNC while I am sitting in the office and work on the computer, 50 feet away. It will show me immediately when the bit will dig into the table or shred expensive wood to pieces
So, while not too helpful to avoid rapid excursions, I think it can show stalls or slowly developing issues. I am even wondering if I should install an e-stop switch that I can activate with the camera controls. Not too bad for $100 and in the worst case it is a useful toy to watch the house while I am on vacation.........
i've been meaning to buy one of those sight and sound baby monitors , that way its portable
.
A poet knows no boundary yet he is bound to the boundaries of ones own mind !! ........
http://microcarve.microcarve.biz/
is that a serial cable attached to the manual controls?
i know you can get those in excess of 50 ft... maybe a little wire fishing is in order?
I think this is a great idea Gerry.
However being 50' away does pose a bit of an issue when/if something goes wrong. The remote e-stop is a great idea.
I like to hear my machine more than watch it, as the sound of the Porter Cable is distinctive when cutting properly. I recently found an issue where I forgot to tighten 2 bolts properly, they eventually came loose and I was able to spot the problem by feeling and hearing the vibration the loose bolts caused.
I decided to just move my indoor desk to the garage. A side benefit of my move was, I don’t have to listen to my 11 and 12 year old boys argue.
Thank You.
That is another way of doing it and surely simpler. Setting up the IP configuration and WiFi security (I use MAC adress filtering) for the camera was not exactly trivial. But I borrowed a cheap baby monitor and the screen was pretty small and crappy and the signal had a hard tome to get through the closed metal door reliably. There are probably better devices on the market, though.Originally Posted by dertsap
No, it is a DB25 printer cable that connects the manual control buttons directly to the respective inputs of my Planet-CNC controller. That could surely be extended but I suppose a 50ft long cable would be pushing the noise immunity of the inputs, even if shielded. There are other ways to extend the e-stop only. I believe I still have a spare garage door remote control system somewhere that I may try.
I wish I could do that. But I have a hard time to to even move another screwdriver into my cluttered garage.
Darn! If you attach any more high tech electronics to that machine Jerry it may start making Terminators and take over the world!
But at least you'll be able to watch it doing that while you're sitting at your work desk...
What about X10 stuff: X10.com - Security Cameras, X10 Home Security, Wireless Camera, Home Automation, Electronics and More!
Added benefit is all the other cool stuff you can do with the X10 toys ....
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