CacheCam

Grab

Email Grab

Email Grab is an alternate way to use CacheCam.

Here's all you do:

  1. Compose an email with your request in the first line of the message body, using this format:

    <Waypoint⁄URL>, <User-ID>, <Reply-to>, <Delay>, <Alert-to>

    <Waypoint⁄URL> is your preset waypoint, or, the webcam address *required*
    <User-ID> is your CacheCam user ID *optional*
    <Reply-to> is the address the image will be sent to *optional*
    <Delay> is the number of minutes CacheCam will wait before starting the grab *optional*
    <Alert-to> is the address status alerts will be sent to *optional*

    Examples:

    • NYM
    • GCMY01, roger, 3
    • www.webcam.com/weather/pic1.jpg
    • WP1, me@mydomain.com, 2, 3035551212@verizon.net
    • http://www.webcam.com/main/weather.htm, me@mydomain.com
    • http://www.pariscafe.co.fr/cam/webcam1.jpg, 2
  2. Send this request message to grab@cachecam.com

  3. Position yourself at the cache location and pose for the camera!

Or, need a different grab method?

Phone Grab

Web Grab

Real Time Alerts

While handling your request, CacheCam will send the following alert messages to the <Alert-to> address, if included in the request or preset in your profile, otherwise these alerts will be sent to the email address that originated the grab request:

  • "Grab of <Waypoint⁄URL> starts in <Delay> minutes"
  • "Grab of <Waypoint⁄URL> started"
  • "CacheCam got it!"

Real Life Example

Imagine yourself vacationing in London and want to have your picture taken at the "London - Beatles Abbey Road" webcam cache. Due to high costs of roaming and SMS fees while in Europe, you elect to send the CacheCam request from a nearby pub's computer, instead of from your mobile phone.

You would send the following email from the pub's computer to grab@cachecam.com:

http://www.abbeyroad.com/webcam/crossing.jpg, me@mydomain.com, 2

Within a few seconds CacheCam will reply with a "Grab starts in 2 minutes" alert message. After a two minute delay, CacheCam will send a "Grab started" alert and start the grab. Then, generally less than a minute later – depending on how often the webcam image is updated, you will receive another alert saying "CacheCam got it!"

At that point, your grabbed image will be available in the Recent Grabs section of cachecam.com. In addition, the grabbed image will have been emailed to me@mydomain.com.

Real Life Example – Part II

Perhaps you want to have the alert messages sent to your mobile phone after all. And you remember that you are a registered user and have already prepared a waypoint named 'ABBEY' with the URL.

This time you use:

ABBEY, roger, me@mydomain.com, 2, 3035551212@verizon.net

Now, the status alert messages will be sent to your phone via SMS. In this example, you would receive all three alerts: "Grab starts in 2 minutes", "Grab started", and "CacheCam got it!"

See the FAQ and the How CacheCam Works section on the About page for more information.

Useful Tips

  • When using Email Grab from, say, an internet cafe, it makes the most sense to include the Delay element. This will allow you time to get into position after sending the grab request.

  • Though not required, you should consider specifying the <Alert-to> address which CacheCam will use for status alerts. Your mobile phone's email address is the best choice for this.

  • Only the first line of the message body is used by CacheCam when scanning your email message for your request. You may include text in the message's Subject field, or in addition to the first line of the message body, but CacheCam will ignore it.

  • As a registered user, CacheCam will lookup the Waypoint's URL from your profile when you give a Waypoint instead of an URL, and CacheCam will use the default grab settings from your profile unless you specify something else in the request.

  • Any device that is capable of sending internet email can be used to make a CacheCam request.

NOTE: By using CacheCam, you indicate your agreement to the terms of our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.

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