Front Yard Reconstruction: Fountain Repair

Rains caused the ground to settle. The poor and meager 4" foundation I placed below grade shifted and the heavy fountain nearly tipped over. To fix it, I dug out almost 30" of dirt to make sure I was on solid ground. Then I packed in 5 inches of gravel. Next I am going to place a 2 foot cubed foundation made of cinder blocks and packed gravel.

X10 Airsight

Recently I was looking for an IP Camera and came across the X10 Airsight  xx34A and xx41A. It looked very interesting. But I read the reviews by customers online and became concerned that this camera might be a rip off. It isn’t. I went ahead and bought the camera and I love it. My goal with this blog posting is to debunk some of the reviews I had read, help you decide whether you are capable of setting up this camera, and providing some instructions how to do so.

 

I am not an X10 employee. Far from it. I am, however, a network computer engineer. I am very proficient with what I do. And I was able to get the X10 Airsight fully functional in 20 minutes.

 

DEBUNKING THE REVIEWS

Some of the reviews complained the X10 arrived broken. I don’t care what you buy – sometimes product will arrive broken. Send it back. Get a replacement.

 

Some reviews complained the X10 Technical support is poor. I never used the X10 Technical Support. But honestly – if you can’t get this camera working on your own? Or by reading the various forums? Technical support is probably only going to frustrate you further.

 

Several reviews complained that the X10 has to be positioned next to your router/wireless access point. Mine is around sixty feet away and I haven’t had a problem.

 

Others have complained that the camera reboots several times per day, causing the camera to return to its default position. I haven’t seen it reboot. But just in case, I mounted my camera so the default position is what I mostly want to see.

 

Others complained about difficulty using it with an iphone. Difficulties using the software. Difficulties using it on the internet. Etc. I have had none of those difficulties. And I’m left wondering if those people who complained (sorry if I offend anyone) knows what they are doing. Many people think they know more about technology than they really do and quickly get in over their head.

 

IS THIS THE RIGHT CAMERA FOR YOU?

Before you purchase the camera I have some work for you to do. If you are successful with these tasks, then you can probably handle setting up this camera. If you already bought the camera – don’t unbox it until you demonstrate you can do this!

 

I believe most of the issues are because individuals are unfamiliar with their internet router. In an ideal state, your internet router is your Wireless Access Point (WAP) too. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you a cable and you plug it into your router/WAP and that is how you use the internet. If that isn’t your set up? You are going to be challenged to get this camera working.

 

Log into your router and try to collect the following information. As you collect it, write it down:

Router Public IP Address: ____._____._____.___

Router Internal IP Address (this will serve as our gateway address): ____._____._____.___

DHCP Lease Range: From ____._____._____.___  to ____._____._____.___

DHCP Subnet Mask:  ____._____._____.___

Wireless Encryption Level: __________________

Wireless Access Key: _______________

Are you able to locate the area where you can do port forwarding?

Can you find the DHCP table that shows all of your network devices and what IP address they have been given?

 

If you are successful at all these things, then you can probably set up the camera. If you miss any of these? I suggest to you that you shouldn’t try setting up this camera.

 

SET UP INSTRUCTIONS

You will notice that my instructions recommend you DO NOT use the software that came with the camera to set the camera up. In fact, I don’t use the software at all. After the camera is working, you can decide if you need the extra features the software provides.

 

(1)   Plug the camera into the router and into the electricity

 

(2)   Log into the router, look at the DHCP table and get the current IP address of your camera.

CURRENT CAMERA ADDRESS: ____._____._____.___

 

(3)   Look at your DHCP Lease Range. Assuming your DHCP Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0, the available addresses are x.x.x.1 through x.x.x.254. Your router’s internal IP address consumes one of those addresses. Your DHCP Lease Range consumes many more of those addresses. But some of those addresses are not used. You need to pick an unused address for your camera. For example, if your router sits at 192.168.1.1, and your DHCP range is 192.168.1.2 – 192.168.1.100, then you can pick any number between 192.168.1.101 – 192.168.1.254.  Pick that number now:

ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA: ____._____._____.___

 

(4)   Open an internet browser. I recommend not using Internet Explorer, but, you can if you must. Go to:

http://CURRENT CAMERA ADDRESS

You will be asked for a username and password

Username = admin     Password, leave it blank

 

(5)   You will be asked to select your browser (example, Internet Explorer).

 

(6)   On the left side, select NETWORK, then Basic Settings

 

(7)   Uncheck “Obtain IP from DHCP Server”. Then, carefully enter the ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA. Enter your subnet mask (probably 255.255.255.0). The gateway is the internal IP address of your router.

To help you get the DNS entery, you can go to a computer that sits on your wifi. Start ->Run, type CMD, hit enter, enter: ipconfig /all

This will display the computer’s IP settings and show the DNS addresses.

 

When you are done entering all the information into the camera’s setup, hit submit

The camera will reboot. Wait 30 seconds

 

(8)   In your browser, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA

Login with Username = admin   password is blank

 

(9)   Click SYSTEM on the left, select Date & Time. Select your time zone. Hit submit

 

(10)                       Click SYSTEM on the left, select user settings. Give admin a password and hit submit

You will be asked to log in with this new password. Then the camera will reboot.

 

(11)                       If you plan to hang the camera upside down? Go to AUDIO-VIDEO  and select REVERSAL

 

(12)                       Click on NETWORK on the left side. Select Wireless Lan Setting.

Select USING WIRELESS LAN

Click SCAN and select your wireless name

Select your encryption level. Enter your key

The camera will reboot. Wait 30 seconds.

Go unplug the network cable from the camera. If you were successful at entering the wireless information, you should be able to open a new browser window, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA and log in. If you can’t? You botched the wireless info. Plug the network cable back into the router and try again. Hopefully you’ll still be able to access the camera.

 

(13)                       Return to your router. We are going to allow you to access your camera from anywhere on the internet. Go to the Port Forwarding section. Create a port forwarding rule. I suggest you pick a port number between 100 and 65000 from the outside. Use port 80 for the inside. And use ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA for the internal address. What port did you pick?

CAMERA PORT:_________

 

(14)                       Open a browser. Type http://ROUTER PUBLIC IP ADDRESS:CAMERA PORT

For example: http://555.555.555.555:123

                        You should be able to log into the camera. This should also work from your mobile devices too.

 

(15)                       From a browser, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA and log in.

Click on OTHER on the left. Select MAIL SERVICE SETTINGS

            You’ll need to enter some information about your mail provider. If you aren’t sure, you can google it. Common ones are Yahoo Mail: smtp.mail.yahoo.com  and Google Mail (Gmail) smtp.gmail.com. Both use Port 465 and require TLS. Both require your email address as your login information. So, lets go through the fields:

Sender is your email address

Receiver 1 is your email address

Receiver 2, 3, and 4 are other emails who you would like to get a copy of camera email

SMTP Server is, for example, smtp.gmail.com

SMTP Port is, for example, 465

Transport Layer Security Protocol depends on your provider. Yahoo and Gmail are TLS

Need Authentication? Put a checkmark in that box

SMTP User, for most providers is your email address. It is the username you use to log into your email account.

SMTP Password is the password you use when you log into your email account

Report Internet IP by Mail, I recommend putting a check mark in that box. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can change your external router address at any time without notification. If that happens, your camera will email you the new ip address.

Click the TEST button. If you don’t get success? Make sure your DNS entry is correct (step 7). If you have two DNS addresses? Try the other one.

 

(16)                       The Motion Detection Alarm will send you an email with 6 pictures if the camera detects motion. If you want that, click OTHER on the left and then go to ALARM SERVICE SETTINGS. Select Motion Detect Armed. Then select SEND MAIL ON ALARM.

 

(17)                       The front of the camera has a blinking light to indicate it is in use. If you don’t want the blinking light, click on SYSTEM on the left, then go to INDICATOR SETTING. Set to ALWAYS OFF. And hit submit

 

 

Well, there you go. Your IP Camera is all set up and available for use. If you are happy, I am happy. If you want it to do more? You are on your own to explore the software that came with the camera. If you have problems? Search the forums and, worse case, call the Technical Support.

 

Front yard reconstruction: problem

A two day rain delay has created a problem. I had dug a trench for the electrical conduit. Even though I packed the dirt it settled due to the rain. I did not use any gravel to help route the rain, and I used (admitted) a poor 4" foundation below grade that was barely 8" wide. This caused the fountain to tip in the direction of where the trench was. I will have to dig this out, add gravel, put in a good foundation, pack the foundation with gravel, and try the fountain agin I am planning a foundation is almost two feet square and (not counting a gravel base) two feet below grade. I know it would be wise to go deeper to avoid the ground freezing and heaving, but this is just a fountain! My hope is that two feet is enough and I am over engineering this because I don't want something like this to happen again.

Front Yard Reconstruction

The fountain is fully functional! The lamp post is in, waiting for the concrete to harden. And the boys are "enjoying" washing the old marble stones for the rock garden and returning the stones to the garden.

Back to the Back Yard

For Mother's Day I bought Linda 36 feet of rope light. Since I was in the back yard putting flowers in the back flower garden anyways, I got the rope light installed onto the deck railing. It is on a timer so it only comes on from dusk until 10pm.

Front Yard Reconstruction: flowers

196 flowers have now been planted (I almost wrote "the flowers have been installed"). The fountain has been wired outside, next I need to finish the wiring the fountain to the switch in the garage. And the fountain statue is in place and ready to go. Meanwhile, the rock garden's marble stone is slowly starting to return.

Front Yard Reconstruction: Sidewalk II

The sidewalk change is completed and the leaky gutter has been sealed with silicon caulk.

Front yard reconstruction: rain delay

You can see the fountain is coming together. The pump isn't wired yet and I am still looking for a hose replacement. The hose connects the pump to the statue and the hose is pinched in one area. Some of the white marble stone is showing up. The orange bucket in the new garden will eventually be filled with cement and a lamp post. Unfortunately, we are on a rain delay and temperatures dipped to 39. The delay has given Linda an opportunity to consider things and she had decided she would like to change something (let's hope we don't have too many rain delays!). She wants the sidewalk to follow the curve of the wall. Luckily with paver stones that is possible. But it means cutting more sod and doing some creative grading. As a result I picked up an extra 500 pounds of top soil. As soon as we get a break in the weather I can make the change.

Front yard reconstruction: sidewalk

The sidewalk is done and the fountain is ready to be put back together.

Front yard reconstruction: anti weed

The rock garden is covered with an anti-weed fabric. I purchased the highest quality material I could find and put a quadruple overlapping layer down. Why so thick? Several reasons: the rocks are sharp and will sometime puncture the material. Also, once weeds get established they can ruin the look of a rock garden. Weeds will show up - dirt will land in the garden, it is unavoidable. But the weeds will be unable to get a very deep root system.

Next steps? Time for the side walk and to get the water fountain back into place.

Front Yard Reconstruction: rock garden

The rock garden had sunk more than a foot due to settling and a leaky gutter. This project raises the rock garden and grades is with a slope so the rain will run to the driveway instead of toward the house. At this point I have risen the area and graded it. Next step? Cover the area in anti-weed fabric, rebuild the sidewalk, then cover with white marble stones.

Front yard reconstruction: new garden

The new garden is full of dirt. Next I need a layer of garden soil.

Front yard reconstruction: dirt

A big pile of work got delivered today.

Front yard reconstruction: old garden

The plan was to raise the old garden wall four inches, add four inches of dirt, and the two inches of garden soil. Dirt and soil is done! We are ready to plant some flowers.

The Fort

This is the kid's fort. In the winter we light it up with white Christmas lights. In the Spring I do a safety check and fix any roof boards that were damaged from the winter. A recent tradition is to mount pinwheels on the fort. In the summer I stain it to preserve it. I think I spend more time on this fort than the kids do. Spring work is done! The fort is ready for another season.

Front Yard Reconstruction: marble stone

The rock garden will exist between the new retaining wall and the front porch. The rocks will be white marble chips. In this picture you can see the marble chips are ready to go! First, we just need a load of screened top soil to raise the area that has sunken over the years. Hopefully the dump truck guy has good news for me when I call him later this week because right now no one is selling top soil in this area!

I would rather have a home made card

In this day and age, hand written letters have been replaced by email. The time and effort required to carefully and neatly craft a letter is a skill that has become lost. In this spirit, it is common to spend $5 on a Hallmark card that catches your eye and takes about 15 seconds to consider purchasing. I would rather receive, and give, a home made card - preferably created by children. Such a card captures a moment in a child's development and becomes a keepsake . Children love to draw and color and will often put great effort into their creation. Their hearts will warm as you enthusiastically enjoy their creation. I believe there is a connection that occurs with a home made card that Hallmark can never capture. So, if you receive a home made card from me or my family? It isn't completely because I am a cheapskate . It is because I want to share something more than a traditional card can give.

2010 Backyard Reconstruction Project

It was 2010 when I noticed water leaking through my basement wall. The house was only 7 years old, so I was very concerned. A discussion with an engineer determined my grading had eroded due to settling. This resulted in too much stress on the basement wall. The solution launched the Backyard Reconstruction Project.

The project started by removing a stone patio I had created using paver stones. Then hiring a back hoe to dump topsoil all around the house. I then packed the dirt and graded it so water would run away from the house.

Next came seeding to regrow the lost grass.

To help prevent this problem in the future I built a deck back yard. Around the deck I placed a multi-level stone patio. With the exception of the back hoe, I did all of this massive project myself.

Front Yard Reconstruction: Original Garden

The plan is to raise the original garden's retaining wall four inches, then fill it with four inches of top soil followed by two inches of garden soil. Now that the Daffodils have ha their time, I cut them down and am filling the garden. In the meanwhile, you can see the new wall is growing taller in the back ground. One problem: I contacted my dump truck guy to get a load of top soil and he said there is none to have. Hopefully some will become available in the middle of next week. I figure I need between six and seven yards!

Front yard reconstruction: gravel

Gravel is essential for proper water drainage otherwise I am creating a bath tub that will hold the water and eventually cause the wall to fail.

Front yard reconstruction: wall

The foundation for the wall is done and now the retaining wall is being built.

Front Yard Reconstruction: Stones

Over 2500 pounds of stone moved by hand and waiting to become the garden wall!

Front Yard Reconstruction: Electricity

Electric conduit with cable is now buried! One goes to the water fountain and the other goes to the future lamp post.

Spiderman in Rochester

They are filming the next Spiderman movie in Rochester this week and next. The filming is happening all around the Thomson Reuters office building where I work, so, I venture out at lunch and after work to watch.

The scenario: a tow truck grabs an armored vehicle and, with police in pursuit, tries to escape through the streets on New York City, smashing through police barricades and running into cabs.

In reality? They are filming the same intersection in Rochester from lots of different angles. They brought many New York City cabs and police cars.

They even went as far as to change the street signs to match NYC street names, and to change the names on the buildings!

When they need to change the location of a car? They get the fork lift.

I haven't seen any actors. Just stunt men, like these three standing in the intersection. The one with the hat and backpack drives the tow truck.

For me? It has been an opportunity to watch movie magic.

When they get ready to film a scene, they push the crowds back out of site. The problem with that? You can't see anything! So, I went to the top of a parking garage, then climbed on top of the elevator shaft overhanging the side of the building so I could get a perfect view down main street (or... 57th street) and watched the tow truck blow through the intersection as it smashed through two yellow cab cars.

When the Spiderman movie comes out, I am going to see it! And maybe... just maybe... they'll show a lone figure standing on an elevator shaft high above a parking garage, watching the destruction and mayhem below. Is that lone figure Spiderman? Or is it Kevin Gilbert?

 

Front Yard Reconstruction Conduit

The foundation of the front facing retaining wall is done. Before I can do the back facing I need to get the electrical conduit for the lamp post in place. An additional conduit will go to the water fountain. That means digging a deep ditch below the frost line for the conduit.