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What is the best X10 camera to use?

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    What is the best X10 camera to use?

    X10 has too many cameras to choose from. I am wondering if people here can share their experience with the cameras they are running with HS. I think I would want to go wireless, but I also have a Linksys Wireless G Router in my house and a 2.4 Ghz Cordless phone. Will this cause a problem with the cameras?

    I would appreciate your experiences with the different X10 cameras.
    Cheers,
    Bob
    Web site | Help Desk | Feature Requests | Message Board

    #2
    If you plan on running software to save snapshots/video when motion in the video feed is detected, forget about wireless, as the random interference will set off the motion detection algorithm.

    I personally don't like any of the X10 cams, but if you really had to pick one, I would go with the Anaconda (black/white) as it has the lowest LUX rating (sees the most in darker environments, but it isn't a real nightcam).
    HSPRO 2.4 (ESXi 4.1) | my.Alert NEW | my.Trigger | HSTouch | ACRF2 | UltraM1G | BLWeather | BLLan | Rover
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      #3
      I'm no expert but I have all Linksys B, G notbook cards, router, AP and 2 2.4GHZ phones with my newly purchase Linksys wireless B camera and I do not have any problem at all. But I think I might try the new wireless Veo since it can tilt and pan. One thing I don't like the Linksys camera is only record 5 seconds when motion detect and the vision at dark is very bad.

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        #4
        I use the Xcam2 cameras and they work OK during the day. You get what you pay for. I have no problems what so ever with my wireless B network and use X10 motion detectors to trigger when snap shots are to be taken. Works good. When motion is detected I take 3 snap shots 1 second apart.
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          #5
          I agree that you get what you pay for....my belief is that you get a lot for what you pay for with the x10 cameras. I have about 15 of them and do as Rupp has outlined with motion detectors. I find the quality of the pictures fine for what I want to do. I have captured security snaps of "visitors" to our cottage property and in 2 out of 3 sets was able to identify the people.

          Couple a deal of 3 X10 colour cameras (Canadian spelling! - not a typo) and 3 ninjas and for $210 US you have 3 pan/tilt cameras and a receiver and USB converter. That's tough to beat!

          You have to accept the sometimes grainy pictures, poor low-light capability and the odd lost picture, but I would say that mine are >95% effective. I have one of the recent B/W wireless and it's pretty good in limited light - certaily better than the colour ones - but hey, who wants B/W pictures? I don't have any 2.4 equipment so I can't attest to whether there is any interference.

          There are lots of better cameras - but I can't stop buying the x10's due to the price.

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            #6
            The main problem with the wireless cameras is that they still need to plugin into a receptacle. I do not have any receptacle up by my eavestroughs in the back of the house, so I am not sure just how I am going to put any back there. I would like to because we have an acre property and I would like to see who is out there.

            Anyone have any creative things they have done with mounting them?

            Also, how well do the X10 cameras hold up outside throughout the winter. It can get very cold here in Ontario. I have 4 active eye motion sensors outside and they worked awesome this past winter (and it got pretty cold).
            Cheers,
            Bob
            Web site | Help Desk | Feature Requests | Message Board

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              #7
              If you need to mount cams in odd places, then the simplest thing to do would be to use analog cams and connect to them with 4 conductor cat3 phone wire which would carry the video and power for the cam.
              Why I like my 2005 rio yellow Honda S2000 with the top down, and more!

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                #8
                <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>X10 has too many cameras to choose from. I am wondering if people here can share their experience with the cameras they are running with HS. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

                http://order.harborfreight.com/EasyA...4%20PDT%202004

                I 'THINK' the above link will bring you to all the CHEAP cameras that HarborFreight.com sells. Before anyone says, "EEEW! HarborFreight sucks!" hang on. I have bought every camera X10 sells (with the exception of that $400 one) All of them work fine INDOORS with sunshine coming in the windows or lots of lights on. On a whim, I bought a B&W nightcam from HF so that I could see my back porch door at night. It comes with a 50'+ cord, is nearly waterPROOF, and has a decent microphone built in. It works FANTASTICLY! I can listen to the birds sing during the day, and see the possum that scratches my door at night in complete darkness. It has some sort of IR illuminator built in too that does an OK job of making things visible outdoors, but is INCREDIBLE indoors. I bought another one for my living/Dining/den/kitchen so I can see that space at night while I am out of town. With the addition of a motion sensor, I can record the sounds going on in the room if there is motion. The tiny mic does a great job. For 30 bucks its hard to go wrong and it beats the pants off of the low light X10 camera.

                I don't have my web page set up for public access, but maybe with the multi-user additions of HS 1.7 I can set something up so you can see just how good the cameras are night or day...

                I don't know how well the color or other cameras work as I only have 2 of the B&W cameras. If they are anywhere near as good as them, I suspect they would beat the X10 cameras hands down. PLUS, you don't have that silly plastic cap that the X10 cams require for outdoor use (that gets scratched/cloudy and gets moisture behind it ocassionally.)

                That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

                Best of luck.

                Rob
                Houston, TX
                .

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                  #9
                  Bob
                  If "eavestroughs" is the same as our "overhangs" or "soffits" then you could drill a hole in the soffit and take the power cord into the attic and then find power in this area.
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                    #10
                    Below is the $30 harborfreight cam connected to a couple of servos. Not the best cam (it will need some ambient lighting to see past several feet), but does have its uses for the price.

                    http://www.geocities.com/zoomkat/ezservo1.htm
                    Why I like my 2005 rio yellow Honda S2000 with the top down, and more!

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                      #11
                      Blade, I just replied to your other post about X10 cameras, but thought I would also offer some thoughts here specific to your power question. I have used inexpensive (ya, cheap!) extensions from our new Dollar Stores here in Ontario. They sell cords for $1.50 (Cdn) that work terrific for the X10 power cords. I have used 60 feet of extensions with no problem. This means you can find an easier way to plug the power module in. For outdoors I just plug the extensions in and then coat the joint in "liquid electrical tape" to seal them from moisture. Mine were buried in snow all winter and survived nicely.

                      (I also found that X10 always sends me the "instant ON" cameras even when I order the cheaper ones&gt;.)

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