Webcam Problems (much bigger than we thought)

We learnt today the cause of all the problems you have been experiencing viewing our webcams.
We thought the freezing images and lack of live stream were due to equipment failure or faulty cabling inside the cathedral.

How wrong we were.

The good news is that none of our equipment is faulty; the bad news is that it's a really big problem elsewhere. And it's set to get bigger.

Quite simply, the construction of a new Premier Inn hotel near the Cathedral is going on apace. The rising scaffolding and growing structure have just started to break a fast laser link which connects Derby's Silk Mill Museum to the rest of the City Council network. (We send our internet images first to the Museum, and then on to the wider net).

The new hotel/housing complex that's blocking the airwaves
with the Assembly Rooms on the right

So our problem is also the Museum's problem, and obviously affects other people and services too.  Obviously, this isn't the hotel's fault, and all we can say is that a solution is being looking into for the Silk Mill, but major changes of infrastructure like this simply don't happen overnight. We know that because a fire a year or so ago at another building took out the previous internet connection route!

Artists impression of the proposed Premier Inn Hotel
 next to Cathedral Green, as shown on Derby Telegraph website in 2013.

So it's highly unlikely that our frozen and intermittent cameras will be back working normally for some time, and not until after our birds have fledged.. This YouTube video shows the building site as it was last year

We can only express our apologies to everyone who has come to enjoy watching Derby's Peregrines. Hopefully next year there will be an opportunity for hotel users to book a room and look directly at the fastest living creature in the world from their beds! Maybe Sir Lenny Henry will come and see them for himself at one of our Watch Point events!

For those able to make it into Derby city centre, don't forget that all our free public WatchPoints are still going on. Click the "WatchPoint" Tab on our homepage for details.

We will keep you informed of the situation when we know more.
If you would still like to support us, and perhaps help us purchase better cameras for next season, click the Donate Tab on our blog for details of how to do this.

Some of you are still managing to get screengrabs - such as the one below by Sandee taken on 16th June:

All three looking out....screengrab by Sandee 16/6/15

Nick M
Project Team