Already the 4th of January and my thoughts turn to planning what needs to be done for the platform in the year ahead.
The last few months of storms and power incidents have taken their toll on several of our locations - primarily the weakest links in the chain and the age of the equipment at some of the locations.
One major lesson learned this last year has been our experimental sites. These started off as just that. They were a means to stress-test a particular type of camera, lens, and link equipment. I was also able to monitor user feedback, reliability statistics as well as the actual ability across the seasons to provide inspirational views.
What those experimental sites lacked was robust engineering - something we put a lot of effort into our main locations which were often sponsored or had the ability to attract support from advertisers. Most of our experimental locations were literally thrown together with a view to be online less than 3 months. Some of those are now years old and this was due to the way I had painted myself into a corner with what I was offering for RedEye membership. Although well-meaning, it was also a curse that had become self-inflicted.
So much has been learned in this journey, but it is easy also to dwell on the negatives. The network has grown and the quality and views available have been enhanced and better engineered but there is also still a couple of hurdles to leap. I would like to get several things achieved this year and thanks to the support from viewers, members, advertisers, and sponsors this has a pretty good chance of succeeding.
So here is the wish list I am working off but please don’t expect it all to be achieved this year. I will review progress next year at this time, but I am confident some major improvements can be made in the first quarter (Q1) of this year.
Cliff Cam 1
This is one of our original cameras and it has been an amazing performer across the years. Sadly, at the last inspection back in October I could see it was nearing the end of its life as corrosion had taken its toll. It will be replaced but I am currently debating with what sort of camera as we need to maintain the views from the bird cliffs for SOTEAG who sponsors this view.
Cliff Cam 3
As many will know this camera has been replaced in recent years. The low light performance is good but not great. It suffers from issues caused by the high intensity lighting from the airport and with the slightest bit of salt it becomes a bit of an eyesore - well in my opinion at least. The biggest issue is related to the vibrations caused with strong updrafts from the cliffs. It has therefore become almost unusable on close-up views and especially during storms. There is a complex piece of engineering to be done but L&M Engineering met with me last year to look at options for this location. An alternative view will be provided whilst this location is totally re-engineered.
Sumburgh Airport
This has been a challenge this last year with it being one of the earliest locations on the network. We have mechanical issues to deal with and a more robust network needs to be installed. Runway 09-27 camera will be replaced, and we are reviewing options to introduce a full PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) back to this location although perhaps not available to the public initially.
Kirkabister in Bressay
Initially installed to cover the Tall Ships Races the jury (well me) is out on whether this location will remain. It has one of the best network connections on the network and the engineering to get it online was impressive working with Shetland Broadband, L&M Engineering, Williamsons of Scalloway and the Lerwick Port Authority. The proximity to the high intensity light beacon means we need to set the camera differently to compensate. Any comments from viewers are welcome and my mind is not 100% made up.
Town Centre Cameras
These three cameras are the original cameras and have performed well however we are finding they have pretty much reached the end of life as we have frequent system failures, and these are now impacting all three, so this is a red flag to consider what is done from those locations moving forward. Yes, they allow the Christmas Tree to be viewed…but that is once a year. My gut feeling is these perhaps need to be removed but this is the chance for the online community to let me know your thoughts. The Town Hall East and West views will remain, but Town Hall East will be one of the first HD 4K views as we have the bandwidth available now from this location.
Lerwick Harbour Cams
No major changes other than to await the current network issues to be resolved. These are being dealt with as this is written and is outside our direct control. As damage has been caused by weather, they will also need ‘weather windows’ to get repairs completed. Lerwick Boating Club is a location that may be discontinued as the camera has water ingress and will require some advertising support to re-engineer this. This was another ‘temporary location’ that is now 2 years old, so I need to find some inspiration to pursue this one. Great in the summer but a little bleak in the dark winter months although that can often be said for any views during winter darkness. Fjara was damaged by an over-enthusiastic unsupervised minor (not from Shetland) and everyone involved thought it was great fun. It is an exposed location but, despite this, and the support from the team at Fjara this view is simply one of the best. The views are currently restricted due to the damage incurred but I will continue to invest in this location as it helps promote one of my favourite places in Shetland where the commitment to the customer experience is genuine, professional, and impressive.
Burradale Wind Farm
Thanks to the support from Shetland Aerogenerators this location has exceeded expectations. Despite being so close to Lerwick it is providing fantastic dark skies viewing and we expect this to look fantastic during the long summer days. Expect more from this location as a new radio link will allow us to increase the quality even further. I have also been impressed by the commitment from David and Alvar who have literally made this location possible in record time. It is pure and simply a pleasure working with people like this. As it was originally a temporary test location I need to learn from the lessons of the past and get this robustly engineered sooner rather than later…probably next month!
Ronas Hill
This was an experimental location that delivered much more than was ever expected. As it looked directly at Shetland’s highest hill the weather observations were impressive. It was in a location with little light pollution but the camera we were experimenting with was just not able to perform in low light. The location, however, remains of interest and it is my intention to re-engineer to provide low light capabilities rather than remove it. Every bit of equipment at this location was damaged with a power incident and as it was not engineered properly, I need to accept the ultimate demise. After a period of deliberation, I believe it is worth trying again.
Ronas Voe
A temporary re-engineering was attempted in October last year but as it was in the run-up to winter, I had to stop short of the original plans. A new radio link is planned for Q2. The view will remain the same as it works well but the quality should improve and the location a little more stable.
The Drongs View
No changes planned for this location. All seems to be ‘reliable within reason’ for a location that also gets many power interruptions. The view using a fixed camera was, in my opinion, a good decision and it has also been one of our dark skies champions where a moonlight night can better a summer day.
Eshaness Lighthouse
No changes planned for this location, but we will extend the UPS capabilities and add some network resilience. It continues to do what it was designed to do - a focal point for ever-changing mood of the sea….and as early warning for aurora. It even made its way onto BBC’s online storm coverage although, I must admit, we have all seen far more dramatic storm coverage from this location.
Burrafirth in Unst
This location suffered some major damage as the direct result of a power incident - the same one that destroyed Ronas Hill. This time the camera was damaged and that is always going to be the weakest link. Again, this camera was originally installed as a temporary location, but it exceeded expectations. Connectivity issues meant we had to re-engineer it on three occasions. It has been remarkable in its uptime and general reliability but this last time it just gave up. My intention is to completely re-engineer this location as it is just such a fabulous place for dark skies viewing. We need daylight, calm weather, and a week on Unst so this has to be planned.
As part of this new thinking, it is my intention to work towards all views being made public most of the time.
Those of you who support this project through RedEye donations will get access to enhancements such as 24H DVR, soundscapes, and higher quality streams. Longer term this seems to be the best balance of fairness and sustainability.
Hopefully, this information can give you an insight to the plans and my thinking for each of the locations for 2024. I would genuinely appreciate feedback from the community - especially if you are still reading this!
Just an email will do - info@shetlandwebcams.com - so I can at least make as many of the decisions based on as much feedback as possible.
If you want to support the project through our RedEye donations then head in this direction.
https://www.shetlandwebcams.com/donate/
And in addition to all of the above I am working on a new website too.
I know from your feedback how much you appreciate being able to connect with Shetland at different chapters in life. Sadly, I also know many who supported me in 2018 are no longer with us.
Thanks for your patience and thanks for your ongoing support
