Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney webcam

Last few days? More like months!

See my post about three posts above regarding the sun burn.

But there is one other possibility: Mike at SebecTec Software, (the software we are running) says the Olympus camera's focus setting for infinity is not all the way to one end of the slider on the screen, but rather somewhere in the middle. So we need to play with it to get it just right.

Hi Steve,

For remote access, you should be able to use MS Terminal Services (Remote Desktop) -- just forward port 3389 on your router to the windows vista machine. Portforward.com has information on how to do this.

No router? No problem, just allow Remote Desktop in the windows firewall control panel. You'll also have to lower the security level of Remote Desktop as vista denies older connections by default. Control Panel -> System -> Remote Settings -> Remote tab, select 'Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop'

If you have a crippled version of vista which does not allow Remote Desktop, use logmein.com instead-- An EXTREMELY useful and free website.

Perhaps a simple light vacation timer would suffice in lieu of a remote power switch and mechanical apparatus?

I have *finally* completed the Web Cam Notes page, which includes the annotated picture put together by Dayle Dalrymple and Wayne Pyle.  There is a link to the notes page just below the web cam picture on the main page.

woosht:  Thanks for the info.  I'll be checking out your suggestions.  Thank you.

Hi Great job Steve only problem is the Elevation of Whitney on the Photo is wrong , it will stay about a day and then will be deleted, Thanks Doug

Doug

The last time I looked, this is what I got:

1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = JUNE 12, 2009
GT1811 *****************************************************************
GT1811 DESIGNATION - WHITNEY
GT1811 PID - GT1811
GT1811 STATE/COUNTY- CA/INYO
GT1811 USGS QUAD - MOUNT WHITNEY (1994)
GT1811
GT1811 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
GT1811 ___________________________________________________________________
GT1811* NAD 83(1992)- 36 34 42.89133(N) 118 17 31.18182(W) ADJUSTED
GT1811* NAVD 88 - 4421.0 (meters) 14505. (feet) VERTCON
GT1811 ___________________________________________________________________
GT1811 EPOCH DATE - 1991.35
GT1811 LAPLACE CORR- -9.63 (seconds) DEFLEC99
GT1811 GEOID HEIGHT- -25.24 (meters) GEOID03
...
GT1811 SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
GT1811
GT1811 NAD 83(1986)- 36 34 42.88215(N) 118 17 31.17367(W) AD(1984.00) 2
GT1811 NAD 27 - 36 34 43.11320(N) 118 17 27.85660(W) AD( ) 2
GT1811 NGVD 29 (07/19/86) 4419.1 (m) 14498. (f) VERT ANG 3
GT1811
GT1811.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.

So, how much is that in 'Doug feet' ?

Or should I be asking what height you'll be setting the mountain at in the next day or so?

Dale B. Dalrymple

Good Morning and as you read the last line of GT 1811 WAS IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND , NOT USED FOR SURVEY CONTROL. Thank You Doug

Doug,

As I read the USGS printout, the superseded control value of 14, 498 feet is NOT USED, and not to supersede the current value of 14,505. Am I reading this correctly? The 14,505 figure is precise to within plus or minus 2 centimeters, give or take. The report clearly says "CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL". Below that it shows the superseded control, which is not recommended for use.

Doug

I tried to cut the USGS stuff down to what Wayne has said, their current value of 14,505' and the former value of 14,498' for the highest marker on Whitney. You should see the file they hand out to explain how to interpret their printout. Well, no, no one should have to.

I did try to figure our why they made the change. There doesn't seem to be any significant change to the orthographic grid (the horizontal and vertical measurement points). My current interpretation is that the culprit is the line about "GEOID03". In 2003 they used measurements of the force of gravity to redefine the assumed position of sea level by 2 to 3 meters in much of North America. Apparently they found that western North America doesn't suck as much as they had expected.

Dale B. Dalrymple

Hi If I had time I would start with the 1928 First order Survey to establish the elevation of Whitney based on the National network, then list all the BM'S on that run this ties it to main run in Owens Valley then the State network and the National, if the Sea level has changed as a reference then all elevations will CHANGE BY SOME AMOUNT CALLED A NETWORK ADJUSTMENT , NGS states they do not do that any more, and when the National adjustment was made during the late 80's and into the 90's California was not to be published as they knew that the data would change as we tend to have movement so a model was created by Snay R I thinks, that allows one to ENTER A LAT/LONG AND DATE AND A SECOND DATE and the software will generate a position (change).


So now enter the world of what is the shape of the earth and what push and pull and the list is endless on what if's at one time gravity was thought to be the answer , earth centered control and then oceans and mountains' deflection of the vertical so as the GPS /reference datums try to find a stable model as a reference base it still comes down to fixed points on the ground that have network positions and elevations as a base datum for local engineering work,

Until a major adjustment is made for the entire US and the border of Canada and Mexico one Point can not change by a radical amount as is stated with the 8'foot change in the elevation of Whitney. Thanks Doug

That's right Doug. GEOID03 was an adjustment to the entire continental United States. The marker on White Mountain CA formerly reported as 14,246' is now reposted as 14,252'. The markers on Long's Peak in Colorado are now reported about 4' higher than they were before GEOID03 was rolled in. These are the numbers that would be used in topo maps being updated today. It will be years before these numbers get rolled into maps and guidebooks and web sites.

But that's beside the point. You can have whatever number there you want whether you want to be consistent with the elevation stamped when the marker was placed or in your favorite guidebook or today's geodetic report or anything else; just tell us what you pick, please.

Dale B. Dalrymple

I was a surveyor for about 30 years we do not "pick " elevations we research the data an use the highest order bench , run from that bench and check another established benchmark of the same order or higher, continue until results are witin limits say .01/.02 depending on the distance and turns , we do not deal in feet and we set control for mapping say 600-800 miles at a time or major projects say largest coal plant in the US 1980. The published elevation for Whitney is 14,494.164, the adjustment of the line in Owens Valley was a correction of 3.45' resulting in a unpublished elevation of 14, 497.61 this was confirmed.End of topic, Thank you Doug

I checked the webcam this AM, clear blue skies over the mountain. Checked around 1:00 and the sky was black/gray with clouds. It's now 2:30 and there are still black clouds. It would be v. cool if a shot of lightning was captured via web cam. Anyway, it's interesting to see how quick the skies can change.

Thanks for the webcam. What a beautiful site! Looks like an outstanding morning. I have friends who should reach Mt. Whitney summit tomorrow. Hope they have a good weather day. Wish I was there but I am 3000 miles away in the low country.

optional Whitney pleasure view

Very nice, Tom!

Looks like the camera got bumped and is now pointing down toward the Alabama Hills instead of at the mountain....

While you're fixing it, how about fixing the blurry focus? Just a thought

...thought you might like a different view for a change.

I'm hoping to head over with new hardware in October, and I hope that gives us better control.

I thought maybe the Samoan seismic activity was to blame!

NICE! I've never seen this view!/right click save as!

Somebody adjusted the web cam focus!!! Nice!