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[Kimberly]

I have been reading through the literature and the forum posts on wireless x-10 cameras for a security project to monitor several entrances to a home.  Now, I will not be using any x-10 software for this project.  I have special software that will monitor the cameras and when it detects differences between frames will start recording to the PC hard drive until the frames once again are similar; the nice thing about this is no separate motion detector is needed.  I have used this software with wired x-10 cameras and it works great, it will display all cameras on the monitor at once, and will record detected motion automatically to the hard drive for later review.  It also comes with internet access and can send the video to any computer on the network, or out to the internet.  This set-up works by having a video capture card in the PC with inputs for each camera in use.

Now this new project CAN NOT be done with wired cameras.  The house in question is very difficult to drill and run cables to the cameras and the home owner is very nervous about having holes drilled through the brick home and having holes drilled and cut in the walls.  Therefore, I thought maybe the wireless cameras could be used.  Now it is my understanding that each wireless camera has a channel, A-D, that it broadcasts on (much like switching channels on cordless phones) and that each receiver also has a channel setting, A-D, that it receives on.  Therefore, it seems to me that I could build a wireless camera system by purchasing a separate receiver for each wireless camera and setting them on one of the four channels, A-D.  Each receiver would then be connected to one of the four inputs on the video capture card installed in the PC.  If each of the cameras are set to different house codes, then I should be able to turn on all four cameras at once.

My question is if any of my perceptions are faulty though a lack of understanding on how the wireless cameras work?  A four camera system would adequately monitor the entrances to this home.  As anyone built such a system using non x-10 software and multi-input video capture card installed in a PC.  I have done this with wired x-10 cameras, but have never even used any of the wireless cameras.

[dbemowsk]

I have not done this myself yet, so I am just speculating.  You would need 4 wireless X10 receivers.  Each one would be switched to a different letter code A B C or D and plugged into each of the 4 inputs of your video capture device.  You would then set each camera to it's own letter and set it to manual mode.  Again I am just speculating on this as I have not tried it with my setup yet since I currently only have one receiver.  Others can chime in as to weather or not I am correct in my thinking.

Dan B.

[Knightrider]

I'd be worried that the channel separation isn't sufficient enough to prevent skip.

[Brian H]

I also think there is not enough RF space between the A-D Channels and may cause interference with each other.
If someone has tried four on at once I hope they can add data.
I know X10 usually turns them on in sequence, but that is with one receiver.

[nybuck]

I have a combination of wired and X10 wireless cameras, and Cable box video transmitting as well, for a total of 3 separate channels.  As others have said, you need separate receivers dedicated on the A-D channel.  It CAN be done, although as one would expect the clarity is better on wired than wireless.  When the video gets jumpy, my DVR software sees the difference in the frames and records video.  Although I get some video of "interference" (especially from the microwave) I also get good video of motion on all 4 inputs.  I didn't see the need to use different house codes on the cameras, as I don't send on/off commands.  When you first plug the cameras in, they are "on" by default.

I hope this helps.   

[nybuck]

[replied to wrong post]