X10 Community Forum
📸Cameras & Camera Software => Camera General Discussion => Topic started by: daytona7 on May 24, 2008, 05:23:46 PM
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Not sure if this is the right spot but here goes. I have an older X-10 that I was able to get good reception from over 200 foot from the receiver which was in the basement of a brick house and with florescent ceiling lights on. I am thinking of installing one of the cameras pointing out the rear window of my 30 foot fifth wheel RV to use as a back up camera and check on things while driving. I plan to use the USB receiver attached to my laptop in the front of my pickup. Would the antenna send the signals through the aluminum skin of the RV or would I be better off trying to hard wire? Also, while testing the camera today, the only thing I was able to pick up was the video from another RV well over 100 foot away in the RV park here, no matter what channels I switch to. As I am able to receive signals from another camera through the aluminum, I'm hoping that I will not have to make holes in the skin. Hope to be able to get this done before I move next weekend.
Thanks for any possible help.
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I split your post to it's own topic. It is an use that is interesting and should get more views or search hits this way.
I would think the aluminum body of the RV would degrade the signal quite a bit, but maybe the distance is short enough to still work well. Especially if you are aready getting a good signal from 200ft.
Hopefully someone else has tried this and will chime in. If not, please post your results if you try it.
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I tried it and the signal was weak. Also, it seemed as though trees, oncoming traffic, billboards, etc would cause a severe degradation of the signal. I wound up running coax from the rear of my trailer to the hitch area (I tow a 5th wheel) Next to the trailer connector in the bed of my truck, I added a "F" connector and continued hard wire up the my dash area. Bought a flat panel monitor off e-bay and video is good. One problem is that the picture on the display needs to be reversed so it isn't too confusing. Without reversing the picture, if you were to see a car trying to pass you on the screen's right, it is actually trying to pass you on your left. A little research on the controller inside my monitor gave me the info to lift a pin and reverse the video. Now it looks just like looking in the rear view mirror.