OT: time lapse with webcam

[amalventano@sc.rr.com (Allyn)]

Fellow listers,
    I'm almost settled in the new place, which means its almost crunch time on
the twin. i'd like to set up a webcam in the garage and make a huge time lapse
of the twins construction. a webcam is one of the things i've blown off buying
for forever. looking for inputs from anyone with any experience on this.

Requirements:
- fairly cheap webcam
- method to connect webcam to pc that is ~30 feet away (kinda stretching usb
limits there)
- webcam must withstand in-garage weather conditions (SC, winter)
- software that will save images to drive at x time interval
- must archive all images (as opposed to overwriting same file)
- possible posting of current images to scirocco.dhs.org
- software to put all images into huge movie in correct order

- note: i do have a haupauge wintv pvr that i could fire up, that would help out
on the distance limit of usb, but then theres the issue of having a video camera
on all the time. perhaps i could get a button-cam or something. i would still
have to come up with software to do the actual captures.

everything i find on the web is either people who have done it (and dont share
any info on what they used), or the webcam company web sites (who dont seem to
care enough to list time lapse ability in the software specs). thus, i am
looking for first hand info from people who have actually toyed around with some
web cams out there.

Please reply directly to me unless you think the info will benefit the entire
list
Thx in advance for the inputs
Al

Allyn Malventano, ETC(SS), USN
87 Rieger GTO Scirocco 16v (daily driver, 180k, rocco #6)
86 Kamei Twin 16V Turbo Scirocco GTX ('it has begun', rocco #7)
86.5 Occo 16v Trailer (dotting 'i's across the country, rocco #8)
87 Jetta 8v Wolfsburg 2dr (daily driver, 260k, 0 rattles, original clutch,
driveshafts, wheels :)