X10 Community Forum

📸Cameras & Camera Software => Legacy non Wi-Fi X10 Cameras => Camera General Discussion => PanTilt Pro => Topic started by: x10challanged on March 14, 2008, 08:34:27 PM

Title: Ninja Reception
Post by: x10challanged on March 14, 2008, 08:34:27 PM
Can someone tell me why when you remove the antenna from a camera and mount it stationary that you still loose reception when panning the ninja?  When the camera is mounted on and plugged into the ninja Does the Video receiver get its signal from the camera? or the ninja?  ???  Doesn't make sense why I loose reception when panning and the camera antenna is detacted and mounted to the wall.
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: Tuicemen on March 25, 2008, 12:08:16 PM
I don't understand why you would pan a ninja without a cam on it ( Oh Wait, Ya I see a reason)! ;)
How close is the nija to the cam?
Is it between the line of sight to the reciever?
Is it the same address as the cam?
Sorry for the questions without an answer ::) but an answer to them may shed some light! ;)
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: KDR on March 25, 2008, 06:35:42 PM
One thought is this... the antenna in the ninja rotates with the ninja. You may be turning it just right to cause a reflection of the cameras antenna. You might try moving the cameras antenna a bit further away or up or down. I have one ninja that is borderline with reception and as it rotates it rotates out of reception. I have to then use a hand held remote and hold it in a new position to bring it back.

Just a thought.

(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)----KDR
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: x10challanged on March 26, 2008, 07:02:37 PM
Quote
I don't understand why you would pan a ninja without a cam on it ( Oh Wait, Ya I see a reason)!

I don't either, which why I said in my original post "When the camera is mounted on and plugged into the ninja"

I have an Xcam2 XX16A mounted on the ninja and plugged into it.  I extended the cameras antenna because the first time I mounted the camera on the ninja with the antenna still attached to the camera and, the ninja with the camera attached was rotated, I lost reception from the camera.  My thinking at the time was that the cameras antenna while mounted on the ninja was rotating out of reception with my receiver.  So I extended the antenna cable 28" and made the cameras antenna stationary.  Still when the ninja with camera mounted on it and the camera antenna mounted stationary 24" away, I loose reception through about 40% of the rotation.  I have 5 this way and all react pretty much the same with reception loss anywhere from 20 to 40% or the rotation or panning.  The receiver is anywhere from 10 ft to 80 ft from the cameras.
 
.
Quote
How close is the nija to the cam?
Is it between the line of sight to the reciever?
Is it the same address as the cam?

The cam is mounted on the ninja
The camera antennas are "extended" and mounted seperate from from the ninja in line of sight with receiver.
Since they are mounted together, there is only one plug and one address.

Do you know if once a camera is plugged into a ninja:

You then receive RF from both the camera and the Ninja separately?
Or
They both receive RF thru the Ninja?
Or
they both receive RF thru the the camera antenna?


Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: Tuicemen on March 27, 2008, 08:02:27 AM
x10challanged:  
I must have been half a sleep when I read your OP, :-[ sorry I miss understood! :-[
When you moved the antenna to another location did you use a shielded wire?
Do you lose reception when having the ninja go to a preset or just while using the arrow move buttons to pan?
Since using the arrows to pan the ninja gets a RF signal for every click of movement and a preset it reacts to just one RF command!
Do the test to see if you lose reception with both methods!
How did you fasten the extra wire? Is there any tention created when moving the ninja?
The ninja doesn't send RF it only receives but that could be enough to cause interference if the new antenna wire isn't shielded.
The ninja has a separate RF receiver and antenna!
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: x10challanged on March 28, 2008, 08:22:00 AM
The antenna extensions were done by removing existing antenna from circuit board and soldering new extention on.  At the other end the joint between extention and existing antenna coax is twisted, soldered and wrapped with electrical shrink rubber.  I used shielded 50 ohm coax and left a loop behind the ninja for panning.
I tested the "preset vs hold arrow" and that was a good clue.  The presets only lose reception about 5% of the pan which is much improved, so I am assuming that is the point of "reflection" between the ninja receiver and the camera antenna, sorry if that is the wrong terminology.  At this point I think I am going to experiment with an aluminum shield between the camera antenna and ninja to see if I can isolate the signals, both are in line of sight with the receiver since they are a couple feet apart.
Thanks for the tips Tuicemen you get a helpful for that one.
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: Sklla on April 14, 2008, 10:17:32 PM
hi guys

At the risk of sounding dumb, what if i don't know how to solder am i doomed to never sweep again and cam any one tell me if having the wrong power supply XM13A and not the XM14A could cause the same problem and why.
Title: Re: Ninja Reception
Post by: HA Dave on April 15, 2008, 07:39:20 PM
Quote from: Sklla on April 14, 2008, 10:17:32 PM

what if i don't know how to solder.


Soldering isn't a hard skill to master... and it can be very handy. There are plenty of sites on the Internet that provide instructions (http://www.ehow.com/how_376_solder-wires.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art) and the needed tools and equipment are cheap.

It's nice to be able to modify or customize a device for a "special" Home Automation project. But it can be really nice when a 5 minute solder/repair saves pitching any electronic device.