BirdBoxPiCam 2014: Out there in the Wild

It's only been out there, in the garden, for 48 hours and already there are a pair of blue tits showing interest.

Their activity during the last two mornings has started the Raspberry Pi system and registered a few counts on the interface, which has been very useful, if only to show that the system is still alive!

There is still more work to be done, but at least I have confirmed that the wifi performance is acceptable.

BirdBoxPiCam2014: more on the Camera, Lens & Lighting

Now that I've had a chance to run this system on a lead-acid battery for a while, I can see that the LED lights are much brighter than they were when powered from AA Ni-Cads.

So I've done some mods and captured a few more test images.

Here are some notes and pictures.

How to Install Gambas on the Raspberry Pi

Gambas is a great visual programming environment for Linux, so if you've worked with Visual Basic on Windows, you will feel right at home with Gambas.

Although you can easily install Gambas from the repository using Synaptic, if you want the most recent stable release you will need to download the source files, compile and install manually.

Generally, installing applications from the repository is the best idea. After all, its easy, the package should be stable, and all dependent files should be included.

How to VNC into a Headless RaspberryPi

Much has been written about using VNC with a headless RaspberryPi, but I seem to struggle with some of the suggested methods.

I also generally prefer to use the VNC server "x11vnc", as I like to view the same session as one open by a local user.

So here are my notes...

BirdBoxPiCam2014: Lighting, Packaging & Progress

Having assembled the system to a point where it can be tested with a lead-acid battery, I now feel confident that I am well on the way to a viable bird box.

There is still quite a bit of work left to do, but I don't expect to trip over any last minute show-stoppers.

However, there is an issue with image size which is yet to be resolved.

BirdBoxPiCam 2014; #2b Activity Based Power Control Details

Progress has been very slow through December, due to both project related issues, and real-life getting in the way (which is actually not a bad thing).

Project issues include a cmos 555 timer with a strange fault, a damaged RaspberryPi USB socket, and discovering my choice of relay was a bad one.

Although the relay had a 1A contact rating and looked suitable for a Raspberry Pi drawing less than 500mA, this rating is for a purely resistive load. (see earlier post for relay circuit details.)

Firefox Java Plugin Install on Lubuntu

I don't do this very often and keep forgetting how to do it.

So here is a note for the next time.

Installing Java for Firefox is not as easy on Linux as on some other operating systems. This is the process for a Debian based distribution like Lubuntu.

Photo Management on Lubuntu

I was recently asked for advice on photo management software, so I read a few reviews, then set about installing gThumb.

Up till now I've avoided this kind of application, because very early photo management programs just used to save data in a configuration file or database, which was only readable by the parent application.

Organising a photo collection is very time consuming, so I want to be sure this time is not going to be wasted.

Radio Caroline on the RaspberryPi

This is a simple project to create an internet radio and music box which can be attached to your home stereo amplifier.

It is also an excuse to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Radio Caroline, a station that fueled the British popular music industry in the 1960's.

I'll cover the RaspberryPi details later, but let's start with a history lesson.