Camera up the Chimney

[Clive Arthur]

My Office is at the top of the house and there's an unused small Victorian fireplace. The top of the chimney pot for this is probably 4 metres up.

For fun, I want to put a camera up there on a pole so I can poke it out the top and turn it round. I can't get to the chimney pot, or at least, that game isn't worth the candle.

I have some drain unblocking poles, but any camera would need a remotely operated lens cover to stop it getting filthy on the way up.

Any such thing around? USB would be good, maybe it's a little too far.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You can do USB over 4 metres plus with an active lead.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Clive Arthur submitted this idea :

Wifi camera and maybe a cover which could be tugged off with a string once up there?

[ss]

+1

[newshound]

Remember it is very unlikely to be straight up.

[John Rumm]

or a PoE ethernet one...

[spuorgelgoog]

Invert a plastic bag over the camera. Attach a length of hose to the drain rods with the end inside the plastic bag (you might run the cable inside the hose to give it protection).

When the camera has exited the chimbley pot, send some compressed air up the hose to blow the bag off. You'd probably have enough force to blow off a bubble-wrap bag.

This is a once-only operation.

Or attach something shiny and wait for a magpie or jackdaw.

Or attach a (potato) chip and wait for a gull.

Owain

[Tim+]

I?d be tempted to make some sort of cage or basket around the camera, or just anything to keep the camera away from the sides of the chimney. Shouldn?t be too hard...

Tim

[Andy Burns]

to crap on the lens?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Get a drone instead. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Most chimneys have some kind of cranked or blocked bit like louvers to stop rain coming straight down or birds building their nests there. I'd have thought a camera on a mast poked through from inside the loft with a tile removed might be another way of doing it. Brian

[Andrew]

Or just buy a drone if he is perving on the neighbours or reporting lockdown evaders to the plod :-)

Andrew

[ARW]

You didn't need a drone to spot the BBQ down the street.

I never knew that that many pe> Or just buy a drone if he is perving on the neighbours or

[Andy Burns]

Now you know where all the Strongbow went ...

[spuorgelgoog]

Romanians?

Owain

[ARW]

You might be correct :-)

However I am not bothered.

I spent enough for free delivery from here

and from here

[ARW]

I am proud to say have a good mix of Europeans in our village.

But very few if none at all are Romany gypsies.

This was just the local born and dreads. The same ones that complain that foreigners "take our jobs" but would shit themselves if they had to put an alarm clock on for 7 in the morning and do a days work.

[ARW]

That should have said born and bred's.

But I like my spelling mistake.