Just Sharing This Remote level device : )

[Spiff]

Good evening gentelmen it is working well, I put the devices in waterproof boxs.

The ball tends to stick a bit, but not a problem : )

God Bless Spiff`

 

[Spiff]

I have decided the ball sticking is a problem having compared it to the response with a small sprit level.

I have filled a return on Amazon : )

God Bless Spiff

 

[ozumo]

Will you replace them with something similar or try a different method?

 

[Spiff]

Will you replace them with something similar or try a different method?

Good evening Ozumo,

I will have a further look around.

I may return to a standard spirit level be it a larger one.

The idea of the ball sounded so good, it is very visible, possibly it would work better without the liquid ?

I have a box of various volt and amp meters from old radio / test equipment, the thought occurred of using a centre zero one up side down.

Disconnecting the centre zero spring and adding some weight to the lower end of the pointer, similar to a pendulum that another member suggested.

The two levels were £22.40, I thought in the end that it was to much for it not to work correctly.

Getting them unstuck is going to be fun : )

One good thing to come out of it is that I improved the camera fixing : )

God Bless Spiff

 

[ozumo]

I guess the liquid is meant to dampen the movement of the ball and make it easier to read. The 3M VHB tape is very good, I use it for dashcams. If you can get something under the corner you may be able to peel it off, though the waterproof box will make it difficult. Otherwise you can use string to saw through it.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I have decided the ball sticking is a problem having compared it to the response with a small sprit level.

I have filled a return on Amazon : )

God Bless Spiff

Normally only occurs on hot summer nights.....

But back on track, have you thought about going vertical with the use of a plumbline and protractor ?

 

[Spiff]

I guess the liquid is meant to dampen the movement of the ball and make it easier to read. The 3M VHB tape is very good, I use it for dashcams. If you can get something under the corner you may be able to peel it off, though the waterproof box will make it difficult. Otherwise you can use string to saw through it.

Thank you for the tip. : )

Fortunately I had put a false back in the box to cover the large flat headed fixing bolt that held it to the sat mount..

Pushing on the thread of the bolt pushed the false bottom out complete with the gauge.

A flat bladed screw driver, slowly and with care prised the gauge away from the false bottom, leaving the sticky pad attached.

It worked fine on both of them : )

I have found two centre meters, a bit small though, lots of larger ones to look at shortly.

God Bless Spiff

 

[Spiff]

Normally only occurs on hot summer nights.....

But back on track, have you thought about going vertical with the use of a plumbline and protractor ?

The plumb line may be the way to go Channel Hopper, how to make it and a scale look professional is the problem that comes to mind.

That is why I thought about using an old centre zero meter.

Up side down with the return spring removed, the pointer would be like a plum line, well sort of.

Shame to wreck them but then they have been in the workshop loft for years : )

 

[Spiff]

The box with false bottom and old device removed.

The centre meter, the numbers will of course be up side down : )

Have to re-make the scale so it looks the part

 

[ozumo]

Turn the cameras upside down, or flip the video? Or if possible extend the needle below the pivot point and add weight so the gauge operates the correct way up.

 

[Spiff]

Turn the cameras upside down, or flip the video? Or if possible extend the needle below the pivot point and add weight so the gauge operates the correct way up.

Turn the camera, so simple I never thought of that : )

The IP Camera Viewer 4 is a free program, which even has an option to do that.

It is a very stable program I would add.

The other way you mentioned looks a bit more involved.

Extra weight as you say to the pointer is required, that is without making it look silly.

Thinking about it the meter is probably large enough, may be the camera would focus closer to make the image larger.

I had to glue an old spectacle lens in front to sharpen it at its present distance.

Other cameras I have tried with manual focal, will not run at high enough resolution over the USB cat 5 LINK.

I have tried USB repeaters in the past to try and get round this, but they were problematic.

The cameras I use are Microsoft Webcam 2000's

 

[Channel Hopper]

The plumb line may be the way to go Channel Hopper, how to make it and a scale look professional is the problem that comes to mind.

That is why I thought about using an old centre zero meter.

Up side down with the return spring removed, the pointer would be like a plum line, well sort of.

Shame to wreck them but then they have been in the workshop loft for years : )

RS could be your best friend

RS PRO 130 mm Magnetic Inclinometer | RS

uk.rs-online.com

 

[Spiff]

RS could be your best friend

RS PRO 130 mm Magnetic Inclinometer | RS

uk.rs-online.com

That would work fine, that particular one is too large for the box I am using at present.

That could be changed of course, worth another look online before I hack the meters to see if they will do the job : )

 

[Spiff]

Good afternoon gentlemen,

The meters were sealed types the glass held in with solder, an hour or so trying to dig it out ended up with damage to the glass.

Then removing the fine spring to let the pointer swing free, reduced the meter to scrap : )

I have fitted two small spirit levels for now, painting the back of them black helps make the bubble more visible.

I note that other versions of the bubble type with a ball, have negative feed back in regard to the ball sticking.

Amazon collected the next day and refunded as soon as the carrier had logged the collection : )

No mater how I try to defuse the light from the two LED's mounted on the cameras, it reflects badly in the plastic transparent cover on the box where the levels are.

It is far worse at night.

Alanna has suggested removing the LED's from the camera mount, then fitting them in the box with the spirit level with a cover in the cameras direction : )

Sounds good about to try that.

 

[Spiff]

Good evening Gentlemen,

The finished job is looking fine. I used two caravan spirit levels, they show up well at a couple of pounds.

The other ones were encapsulated in plastic, this and the plastic transparent cover of the box reflected the LEDs

I removed the cover and fitted plastic screws in its mounting holes.

The images are now fine day or night, with no reflections of the LEDs.

One of the cameras has just died but not a problem. : )

I read online that those spirit levels with a ball have a problem with sticking.

There was a more expensive one it stated that it was assembled in a dust free zone and that the ball was super smooth

Nearly £50 each though.

Thank you all again for the suggestions.

God Bless Spiff