Royal Yacht Club of Victoria WeatherCam System

GENERAL

Q. Does the WeatherCam system run 24/7?
A. Yes.

Q. What is the pole in the right hand image?
A. The WeatherCam has just been commisioned and an optimum position chosen for it to reside. There happens to be a power pole in shot which will be shifted in the near future. You may notice a thin vertical object in the left hand image - this is an aerial that will also be moved.

CAMERAS

Q. When I log on I only see still images. Is this correct or is my browser not setup properly?
A. Yes, this is correct and still shots are normal. The image array is updated every minute and you should refresh regularly to get the latest images. The system suits all browsers.

Q. Will there be a full motion live stream from the cameras?
A. No it will not be motion video. It should be said that whilst the system is capable of outputting up to 6 frames per second, this would have a very significant impact on the network, so the system has been setup to capture 1 frame per minute. Full motion is also extremely hungry on your own download usage!

Q. Do the images automatically update for me?
A. In short -'if you want it to'!

There are two versions of the Weathercam system available to you. Each may be chosen from either WeatherCam page. Version one is the manual refresh version - many viewers like this because it gives them time to study the entire panorama and refresh it at their leisure. Version two has been created for those who would like it to run by itself - it refreshes your browser automatically every 60 seconds. A good use of this would be if it is being viewed in a public space.

We even know of users who have set the WeatherCam system as their live desktop! (How? Click right in the top right corner area and one of the items in the menu will be set as desktop/background)

** Be mindful that the system refreshes every 60 seconds too, and that your refresh period starts when you log in - therefore, it is entirely possible that you 'hit' the page during a normal WeatherCam system update. Just refresh your browser manually to resolve this!

Q. When I refreshed earlier, only two pictures came up and the third box had a 'broken link' icon in it. Is there an intermittent camera system fault?
A. No it's not faulty. When your browser refresh occurred, the WeatherCam system server was in the process of updating the website with a new set of images. Refresh your browser to fix this.

As we are uploading an image every minute, one might suggest the odds are far higher that you might see this from time to time. Remember, this is not a fault, but a product of the website being updated every minute.

Q. Sometimes the brightness and contrast varies between the cameras. Is this a fault with the cameras?
A. No, this is not a fault - just an electronic function of the cameras that cannot be overridden. The cameras each control their own exposure and color balance, and sometimes one cameras frame may have a significant difference to the others for reasons such as the morning sun, reflections and even cloud cover in various parts of each shot will also affect the exposure. The afternoons display the most consistent array as the sun is behind the cameras.

It is therefore normal for some brightness and color shift to occur at various times.

Q. This morning I logged on and one image was bright white then had a bright colored streak through it. Can you please explain?
A. This is an artifact caused by the sun or extremely bright reflections being viewed directly through the camera lens. The camera is effectively protecting itself for this period of time and will resolve itself once the sun is not pointed directly at the lens.