We've all been waiting a while for this news, so it is with some fanfare (and many thanks to Neil McGarry and Jim Sharpe, our IT gurus who did the hard work here) that I can announce the North Side webcam is up and running. You will now find a Webcams page on the UHGPGA.org website with a link to the new Axis camera stream and great user-controllable views of the windsock, the launch fingers, the dumpster (!) and more. Please go check it out.
The South Side webcam is still down but there's progress on that front, too. As mentioned in a previous post, UHGPGA is working with the State Park to install a permanent source of conventional electricity to replace the finicky solar arrays. That is a year-long project. In the mean time, UHGPGA will purchase two new solar panels, a better battery, and new switching equipment to get the South Side camera up and running for the short term.
For now, the North Side webcam (and soon the South Side webcam) will be available to anyone with access to UHGPGA.org. Simply login to the website, click on the Webcams page and follow the instructions—the separate login and password required for camera access is right there on the page. If you're using Safari (whether on MacOS, an iPhone or an iPad) you might find the webcam has a hard time loading. Try using Chrome or Firefox instead.
Starting April 1, the Webcams page will only be accessible to UHGPGA club members, and the webcam password will change from time to time, restricting its use to active club members with a paid membership. We're going to ask you to do the right thing: join the club, pay your dues, and please don't share the webcam login on social media.
Thanks again to Neil and Jim for picking up the ball and running with this. A lot of volunteer hours went into this project! In my next post I'll describe other volunteer-led projects that are making the club better and the sport safer for all of us. In the mean time, fly safe and I'll see you on the hill.
Bob