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Author Topic: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me  (Read 6246 times)

spam4us

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Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« on: October 15, 2007, 11:52:00 PM »

Would X10 Cameras be the right choice for me?  Here's a little background.

     I have many thing happening whenever motion is detected outside of my house.  I have 6 monitored (active eye) locations that function independent of each other. However they basically do the same thing.  If the active eye sees motion, that locations light gets turned on (if it's dark), an inside chime rings (if I have a AHP dummy switch turned on to say it's OK to sound the chime) , a delay happens (the chime will ring at 20 second intervals if motion is still detected), and then 4 minutes later, the light turns off.  If someone runs around my house, I can have all 6 lights on at one time.

     In addition, I have a 30 zone security system (2 DS7000 consoles).  If the security system is armed "Away From Home" status, I have 2 inside house light turn on before the 4 minute light off delay .  If "Armed At Home"  the lights just turn off 4 minutes later.

     I am also going to place some active eyes inside of my house in case the DS7000 fails to detect a break in and also because I only have 2 zones left.  These Active eyes will trigger a powerflash interface/universal module setup I have connected to a DS10A to trip the DS7000 console via a macro.

     Included with all of the above is also a V572RF receiver that receives all of my RF from the active eyes.

     Now, with all of that going on, I was wondering if a X10 multiple camera system would be the right choice for me.  Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the X10 cameras on/off rely on powerline commands as well as RF input from motion sensors?  If they do, then I can see where I would have nothing but powerline collisions at the very moment I would want to record video. Additionally, if I had a break in and the DS7000 are flashing the lights on/off, wouldn't this render the cameras useless since they need powerline signals at that time to operate (turn on/off a specific camera)?

     All responses appreciated.

Thanks
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-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2007, 12:22:58 AM »

I am sorry to say, you've got it pretty well right!   :(

Especially with the signals for flashing the lights, PLC (powerline) signals to switch the cameras could easily be lost in din of signals being sent over the power lines.
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dave w

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2007, 11:55:48 AM »

Bill
I don't have X10 cameras but wonder, what if "spam4us" made his camera supplies the same HCUC as his six Active Eyes? This would "prioritize" the cameras and turn on the camera where the motion took place before the X10 cacophony fired off. ' Course now the problem will be the motion detector depowering the camera before spam4us may want it.

..."cacophony"...I always liked that word and finally got to use it, although it kinda reminds me of my first wife.  ::)
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Puck

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2007, 02:25:01 PM »

Additionally, if I had a break in and the DS7000 are flashing the lights on/off, wouldn't this render the cameras useless since they need powerline signals at that time to operate (turn on/off a specific camera)?

Not if your cameras are set up to come on and start recording before someone can get to a door or window to break-in.  ;)

..."cacophony"...I always liked that word and finally got to use it, although it kinda reminds me of my first wife.  ::)

hehe  ;D
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HA Dave

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2007, 06:57:22 PM »

I agree with Puck... you should be able to do this.

Keep this in mind. The VCR Commander doesn't require an OFF command, as it has it's own internal timer. So if recording to tape... missing a OFF command can't happen. The worse problem would be a camera left on for an extended period.... which is no biggie ether as the X10 cameras can run 24/7.

Which brings to mind a entirely new solution: turn the cameras on with the DS7000. Outside cams when home, and inside cams when away.
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Puck

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2007, 07:06:43 PM »

Which brings to mind a entirely new solution: turn the cameras on with the DS7000. Outside cams when home, and inside cams when away.

When the alarm gets triggered, the DS7000 sends All Lights ON / All Units OFF repeatedly for its house code. The DS7000's house code is not a good house code for cameras; they'd be turned off as soon as a break-in occurs. ;)
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HA Dave

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2007, 07:40:30 PM »

Which brings to mind a entirely new solution: turn the cameras on with the DS7000. Outside cams when home, and inside cams when away.

When the alarm gets triggered, the DS7000 sends All Lights ON / All Units OFF repeatedly for its house code. The DS7000's house code is not a good house code for cameras; they'd be turned off as soon as a break-in occurs. ;)


Your right (of course). What I meant to say was turn the cameras on when the alarm is set. I think the VCR Commander could be triggered with with the lights on command. Then ...since the VCR Commander has an internal timer (and isn't effected by OFF commands) recording will continue.
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spam4us

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Re: Are x10 Cameras The Right Choice For Me
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2007, 12:08:46 AM »

Thanks everyone for your replies. Cameras are something I was thinking about a little bit down the road. In looking at my Activity monitor, I believe there's a pretty good chance that the Camera On command would be walked on even if the alarm is taken out of the picture.  I was thinking about a multiple camera setup.  If the turning on/off a camera is done via a powerline signal, then I don't think the correct camera would come on in time due to the response lag time that I already experience when walking from one active eye monitored zone to another. 

I'm not looking to solve the camera issue here since a multiple camera system is a little bit down the road.  I just wanted some opinions to see if an X10 solution would be right for me.

We can all talk theory but in reality, my actual experience with the way AHP/CM15A executes based on my Activity Monitor says "I'm already too busy to run an X10 camera system".

FWIW, here's a snippet of my activity monitor of what happens when I get out of my car which is in Active Eye E1 area and then going into Active Eye E2 area.

1233 10/17/2007 8:57:37 pm Receive E1 (ActEye Driveway MS16A)
1234 10/17/2007 8:57:38 pm Receive E On (ActEye Driveway MS16A)
1235 10/17/2007 8:57:39 pm Macro F1 (Flood Driveway WS467)
1236 10/17/2007 8:57:39 pm Macro F On (Flood Driveway WS467)
1237 10/17/2007 8:57:40 pm Macro F1 (Flood Driveway WS467)
1238 10/17/2007 8:57:40 pm Macro F On (Flood Driveway WS467)
1239 10/17/2007 8:57:41 pm Macro L1 (Flood Is Turned On LM465)
1240 10/17/2007 8:57:41 pm Macro L On (Flood Is Turned On LM465)
1241 10/17/2007 8:57:42 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1242 10/17/2007 8:57:42 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1243 10/17/2007 8:57:43 pm Macro N10 (Chime Patio SC546A)
1244 10/17/2007 8:57:43 pm Macro N On (Chime Patio SC546A)
1245 10/17/2007 8:57:44 pm Macro P3 (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1246 10/17/2007 8:57:44 pm Macro P Off (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1247 10/17/2007 8:57:45 pm Macro N11 (Chime Basement SC546A)
1248 10/17/2007 8:57:45 pm Macro N On (Chime Basement SC546A)
1249 10/17/2007 8:57:46 pm Macro D16 (Flood Disposition D16)
1250 10/17/2007 8:57:46 pm Macro D On (Flood Disposition D16)
1251 10/17/2007 8:57:47 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1252 10/17/2007 8:57:47 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1253 10/17/2007 8:57:48 pm Receive F1 (Flood Driveway WS467)
1254 10/17/2007 8:57:48 pm Receive F On (Flood Driveway WS467)
1255 10/17/2007 8:58:02 pm Receive E1 (ActEye Driveway MS16A)
1256 10/17/2007 8:58:03 pm Receive E On (ActEye Driveway MS16A)
1257 10/17/2007 8:58:03 pm Receive F1 (Flood Driveway WS467)
1258 10/17/2007 8:58:04 pm Receive F On (Flood Driveway WS467)
1259 10/17/2007 8:58:06 pm Receive E2 (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1260 10/17/2007 8:58:08 pm Macro F2 (Flood Patio WS467)
1261 10/17/2007 8:58:08 pm Macro F On (Flood Patio WS467)
1262 10/17/2007 8:58:09 pm Macro F2 (Flood Patio WS467)
1263 10/17/2007 8:58:09 pm Macro F On (Flood Patio WS467)
1264 10/17/2007 8:58:10 pm Macro L1 (Flood Is Turned On LM465)
1265 10/17/2007 8:58:10 pm Macro L On (Flood Is Turned On LM465)
1266 10/17/2007 8:58:11 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1267 10/17/2007 8:58:11 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1268 10/17/2007 8:58:12 pm Macro N10 (Chime Patio SC546A)
1269 10/17/2007 8:58:12 pm Macro N On (Chime Patio SC546A)
1270 10/17/2007 8:58:13 pm Macro N11 (Chime Basement SC546A)
1271 10/17/2007 8:58:13 pm Macro N On (Chime Basement SC546A)
1272 10/17/2007 8:58:14 pm Macro D16 (Flood Disposition D16)
1273 10/17/2007 8:58:14 pm Macro D On (Flood Disposition D16)
1274 10/17/2007 8:58:15 pm Receive F9
1275 10/17/2007 8:58:16 pm Receive F On
1276 10/17/2007 8:58:19 pm Receive E2 (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1277 10/17/2007 8:58:20 pm Receive E On (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1278 10/17/2007 8:58:21 pm Macro P3 (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1279 10/17/2007 8:58:21 pm Macro P On (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1280 10/17/2007 8:58:22 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1281 10/17/2007 8:58:22 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1282 10/17/2007 8:58:25 pm Receive E2 (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1283 10/17/2007 8:58:26 pm Receive E On (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1284 10/17/2007 8:58:27 pm Macro P3 (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1285 10/17/2007 8:58:27 pm Macro P On (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1286 10/17/2007 8:58:28 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1287 10/17/2007 8:58:28 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1288 10/17/2007 8:58:38 pm Receive E2 (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1289 10/17/2007 8:58:38 pm Receive E On (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1290 10/17/2007 8:58:39 pm Macro P3 (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1291 10/17/2007 8:58:39 pm Macro P On (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1292 10/17/2007 8:58:41 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1293 10/17/2007 8:58:41 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
1294 10/17/2007 8:58:42 pm Macro N10 (Chime Patio SC546A)
1295 10/17/2007 8:58:42 pm Macro N On (Chime Patio SC546A)
1296 10/17/2007 8:58:43 pm Macro N11 (Chime Basement SC546A)
1297 10/17/2007 8:58:43 pm Macro N On (Chime Basement SC546A)
1298 10/17/2007 8:58:44 pm Macro D16 (Flood Disposition D16)
1299 10/17/2007 8:58:44 pm Macro D On (Flood Disposition D16)
1300 10/17/2007 8:58:45 pm Receive E2 (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1301 10/17/2007 8:58:45 pm Receive E On (ActEye Patio MS16A)
1302 10/17/2007 8:58:46 pm Macro P3 (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1303 10/17/2007 8:58:46 pm Macro P On (Dummy Module 1 AM486)
1304 10/17/2007 8:58:47 pm Macro H1 (Inside Sec Light 1 LM465)
1305 10/17/2007 8:58:47 pm Macro H Off (Inside Sec Light 1 LM465)
1306 10/17/2007 8:58:48 pm Macro H1 (Inside Sec Light 1 LM465)
1307 10/17/2007 8:58:48 pm Macro H Off (Inside Sec Light 1 LM465)
1308 10/17/2007 8:58:49 pm Macro D9 (Sound Chime D9)
1309 10/17/2007 8:58:49 pm Macro D On (Sound Chime D9)
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