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📝Reviews => X10 Hardware => Camera Reviews => Topic started by: Gismo on November 22, 2011, 08:10:11 PM

Title: New IP Camera
Post by: Gismo on November 22, 2011, 08:10:11 PM
Have a few questions:
Has anyone tried the new wireless IP camera ?
I was thinking about getting one and using it while on vacations to log in to see the house.
I assume it transmits 24/7 ?
Will it use alot of bandwidth?
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: systemdm on November 22, 2011, 08:29:23 PM
Hey Gismo,

Haven't tried it, but check out this thread.

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=25604.msg143794#msg143794
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: HA Dave on November 22, 2011, 08:54:32 PM
Has anyone tried the new wireless IP camera ?

I don't think we have any reports on it yet... but IP cams have been around for sometime. They work great.

I was thinking about getting one and using it while on vacations to log in to see the house.

I've used an IP cam for just such a thing... only wished mine had IR and could pan and tilt.

I assume it transmits 24/7 ? Will it use alot of bandwidth?

No... it never just transmits. It will on request present an HTML (Web Page) and fill it with video images. You will access the camera via the internet with a password. Only then (or on motion detection settings trigger) will the camera load any images anywhere. And.... It doesn't use that much bandwidth even when putting up the video.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: Gismo on November 22, 2011, 11:30:46 PM
Thanks all.
I'm new with this x10 stuff, well not really i've had the Radio Shack mini controller and modules for almost 25 years, and yes it still works every day.  Now i've just got back into x10 stuff, got AHP with all the software modules, and found a CM15A.  I just got an XX20A low lite camera with a A/V receiver and adapter at a great price...too bad this IP camera came out a few days after i got the XX20A ......but this IP camera looks good so I may get that too (or a different IP cam). Too bad this new IP camera is not an x10 device, that would have been great.
This week i'm going to play with the new stuff i just got, then I may get an IP cam to be independent from the x10 system, and link it to a webpage that i'll make.

Thanks.....you guys are a great resource of information, i'm hooked on reading this BB
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: pseeker on November 23, 2011, 11:51:04 AM
I don't have the X10 IP Camera.  I have the genuine Foscam FI8918W and clone of the Foscam fi8908w.  The X10 IP Cam seems to be a clone.     I would suggest you go over here to read up http://www.gadgetvictims.com/search/label/Foscam  (http://www.gadgetvictims.com/search/label/Foscam)     The foscam series is well supported by 3rd party applications. IP Camera can push the pictures out via ftp/smtp every 1 sec, or pull via client software (web browser, or Android/Iphone App , third party windows or linux security applications).  

I use one as baby monitor where the night vision comes in handy.  I have the other in the living room and ftps images every sec and lets me peek inside the house when I am away.  One thing to watch out for when using multiple IP cameras is to make sure the manufacturer have a unique MAC ID address for each unit. They get lazy and save cost this way.  In fact the low end Chinese Android Tablets have this problem too.   In recent times, I never did understand why people bought the original X10 cameras.... seems to be pain to setup with VCR like receivers to record especially if you could buy one for $60 if you look hard enough
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: Gismo on November 23, 2011, 02:03:57 PM
Thanks, pseeker
Good information, and the specs look like that Foscam FI8918W.
Just wondering......could the video be viewed over the net to the x10 tablets since it uses activex  to view over the internet?
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: pseeker on November 23, 2011, 03:57:44 PM
I looked at AirSight manual (ftp://ftp.x10.com/pub/manuals/XX34A%20OM.pdf (ftp://ftp.x10.com/pub/manuals/XX34A%20OM.pdf))... From this link http://www.gadgetvictims.com/2011/01/chinese-ptz-ip-cameras.html (http://www.gadgetvictims.com/2011/01/chinese-ptz-ip-cameras.html)   The X10 Airsight green admin panel accessible via browser looks like more like the Apexis APM-J011-WS and Not Foscam (see page 14 of the Airsight manual)  However the clones or clone of clones support similiar http commands. There is an excellent Android App called IP Cam Viewer by Robert Chou which supports a ton of cameras.  This is what I use for my tablet and phone.   Anyway just for kicks, I told the IP Cam Viewer that I had an Apexis  APM-J011-WS (even though it is genuine Foscam).  With this configuration, I was able to view, pan/tilt etc

Just to be clear... I really don't know what's inside this AirSight.  Hopefully some one that has one can post what they find out.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: JMac on November 23, 2011, 06:25:15 PM
I have a generic IP Camera, which is a APM-J011-WS, and the manual is exactly like this Airsight camera manual.  I know this because I rewrote (for my own use) the entire manual.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: RJJN on December 11, 2011, 02:44:55 AM
Just got the AirSight this week... the camera is not bad... good in low light not great but adequate color in normal light.  The instructions are terrible and missing a lot of language and if you are a novice, better stay close to the forums to figure out how to set it up properly.  For example, if you use a 64Bit system, the IPCamera.exe file loads into SysWOW64 and NOT in the 32 bit thread that it sets it up to work with.  Yo0u have to run the tool setup, go to properties and change it to the correct designation in SysWOW64\IPCamera.exe and not the Sys32 as originally targetted.  Of course, if you have a 32 bit machine, no problem.  As for the mobile option, still haven't figured that one out yet.  Instructions on say that from the web page to click Mobile but don't give you an app or any idea how to get there.  If anyone has figured that out, please let me know.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: orangechicken on December 14, 2011, 11:49:13 AM
The airsight camera is Apexis APM-J011.  I ordered an airsight from x10 and got the camera delivered in an Apexis box, no rebadging of the name or anything.... and then I discovered  I could buy this camera 30-50 bucks cheaper elsewhere....
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: pomonabill221 on December 15, 2011, 03:33:42 PM
Also one thing to note:
  The Foscam FI8918's have two way audio and can be gotten for 75-90 bucks!
  There are also jacks on the base of the camera for an external mic and speaker if you don't want to use the internal mic and speaker.
The audio is pretty good for a cheapy!
The video quality is ok, just be aware that it does NOT have an IR cut filter so the daytime colors will be off, but the nightime IR is very good!
  Don't know if the Air(head)sight has audio???
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: mcguyver on January 19, 2012, 11:03:51 AM
I wish they could have made the power cord longer. Geez you have to be 5 feet from a plug. What were they thinking? B:(
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: HA Dave on January 19, 2012, 06:10:31 PM
So many devices use little transformers and those little round low-voltage plugs. I save the plugs, power supplys, charges and such from those devices when they bite the dust. It makes it easy to do things like create a low-voltage extention cord, or dig up a suitable replacement charger or power supply.

You can generally just cut and extend the low-voltage power. Be sure to keep the Positive, positive and the Negative, negative. Or you could just use and extention cord for the AC to the cameras powersupply.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: mcguyver on January 20, 2012, 07:51:34 AM
So many devices use little transformers and those little round low-voltage plugs. I save the plugs, power supplys, charges and such from those devices when they bite the dust. It makes it easy to do things like create a low-voltage extention cord, or dig up a suitable replacement charger or power supply.

You can generally just cut and extend the low-voltage power. Be sure to keep the Positive, positive and the Negative, negative. Or you could just use and extention cord for the AC to the cameras powersupply.

Yeah i have bags of transformers but none with the same size as the camera. Wish they could have made the cord 10 to 15 feet long but who knows how far you can go with an extention line if the transformer puts out low amperage. Anyway i bought male and female ends off of fleebay but havent had time to make one. FYI. the sizes is OD 3.5mm ID 1.3mm
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: HA Dave on January 20, 2012, 09:29:29 PM
....Wish they could have made the cord 10 to 15 feet long but who knows how far you can go with an extention line if the transformer puts out low amperage.

I don't know. With the old X10 cameras... 1000 feet of extention of the low-voltage (using CAT5) was possible. I've added [low-voltage] buried cable for both X10 and "other brands" of cameras and have never had a problem. I wouldn't guess 15 feet would be any problem.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: x10elder on March 07, 2012, 09:08:37 PM
Works great on my home network, but cannot get it to work outside of the house.  Been to many websites to fix the problem, to no avail.  It still won't connect outside the house.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: pomonabill221 on March 07, 2012, 09:23:40 PM
To all that want to extend the power cord for the Foscams / Airsight....
Be aware that the cameras draw a significant amount of current when the led's are on  (about 1 amp). AND there WILL be voltage drop thru the cable.
  The smaller wire (larger AWG), the more drop thru the cable.
  This will most likely lead to camera instability in the form of constant rebooting of the camera, and dropped connections (wired or wireless).
  I have a foscam 8918 (11 leds) about 20 feet from the pwr supply and had to modify the output voltage to about 6.5 volts just so the camera would see about 5 when the leds are on.
  Of course the voltage is higher during the day when the leds are off, but is still within the operating voltage of the 5 volt logic.
  It is up to each user to determine the voltage at the camera during use, the size of the power cable, the length of the power cable.
  There are many articles about this on the web, so further investigation must be done before you connect your camera so you don't over voltage the logic, and maintain operating voltage for the camera.
  The other option is to get some power over ethernet adaptors.  These use four of the ethernet (unused) wires to place about 40volts on them and have a voltage regulator at the camera to drop it locally down to 5 volts.
  You could make one yourself although you don't need 40 volts, just something that is higher than the dropout voltage of the regulator.
  You could put 10-12 volts on the cable then use an LM7805 regulator at the camera end (a small heatsink should be used).  As long as the drop across the regulator is greater than about 3 volts, and the power is small, there should not be a heating problem.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: X10 Repair Depot on March 09, 2012, 01:20:04 PM
Just for the record, for anybody who uses an alternate power supply, as pomonabill221 has suggested, will void the warranty.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: x10elder on March 21, 2012, 10:01:46 PM
Tried it and have not been able to get to it from outside my own network.  For them to say it takes only minutes to set up is hardly factual.  I've been trying for weeks to get this thing to work and have had no success at all.  Screwed up my router a couple of time trying to follow the vague instructions given on various web sites.  It only took a couple of hours to get it running wirelessly on my own network and there it works fine.  But it still does not connect anywhere outside of it.  Spent money buying a host name, to no avail.  B:(
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: X10 Repair Depot on March 22, 2012, 10:43:18 AM
Tried it and have not been able to get to it from outside my own network.  For them to say it takes only minutes to set up is hardly factual.  I've been trying for weeks to get this thing to work and have had no success at all.  Screwed up my router a couple of time trying to follow the vague instructions given on various web sites.  It only took a couple of hours to get it running wirelessly on my own network and there it works fine.  But it still does not connect anywhere outside of it.  Spent money buying a host name, to no avail.  B:(

If you understand port forwarding and networking concepts, you can set up one of these fully in a few minutes. If you do not understand these concepts, it will take time to figure it out. Unfortunately, the port forwarding needs to be setup on your router and or DSL / Cable modem, and there are not standard instructions on how to do this - every router is different.

If you do not want to take the time, or if you are not computer literate, it would be best to work with someone who is. You do not need to purchase a host name, just use the manufacturers DDNS which is free.

I would be happy to work through this setup with you. Please create a new thread in the Airsight forum, and describe what is working and what is not.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: larrypowellnj on May 20, 2012, 04:13:06 PM
Don't bother with the AirSight 39A (H.264).  I'm returning mine because not amount of tech support could get to work.
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: mrdana on May 25, 2012, 04:36:02 PM
It appears that x10 has taken a page out of the HP playbook,i.e. make promises and push products out the door before they are ready. "the hell with the customers, let them figure it out and fix it" B:(
Title: Re: New IP Camera
Post by: Dan Lawrence on May 25, 2012, 08:47:57 PM
I think you are 100% wrong about HP products.  I have 2 HP computers, two HP printers and everything works as it is supposed to do.