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[forthill]

Hi all.
I have some 'old' X10 equipment (actually, just never opened) and was wondering if I can use it for what I want and just supplement it with the other equipment that I don't have, or just buy a whole new package from X10.

Here's what I have:
TM751-C Mini transceiver
ZB10A Battery pack for XC10A
CR12A-C Camera Scanning Remote
CK18-A 4Pc RF Firecracker Interface Kit
XX11A-2-C 2.4 GHx anywhere cameras (3)
VK40A-C Video Receiver with PS (2)

Here's what I want to do:
Hook up some cameras (probably wireless) and have some motion-detected.
Have the cameras feed my PC hard drive (dvr) and/or view remotely over internet.

Here's what I think I need:
USB video capture adapter
Vanguard software
Motion detectors
anything else?

If I go wirelessly (cameras) how long will the batteries last in the camera (provided I use a motion detector)?
If I use vanguard to view over internet does that still allow me to capture to dvr?
Has X10 ever gotten any of their PC s/w to work under Vista or do I need XP?

Thanks!
Walt

[hawk1]

X10's wireless cameras are not wireless completly.  They transmit wirelessly but they still need a ac addressable power suppy for power and to control the on and off.  Unless, you use the battery adapter,  then I believe the batteries last 4 hours.  This really only good if you have one camera and don't need it on for a long time.

The way the x10 cameras work is only one wireless camera can be on at a time.  So when one comes on the software turns all the other cameras off.  I don't have Vanguard, so maybe someone else can chime in on it.  You need an RF receiver if it didn't come in the firecracker kit.  Either that or you'll have to set all the motion sensors to the same address as the cameras.  And with motion sensors sending out unit code plus one you'll have to skip one unit code or do the dusk mod located on these forums.  Because the cameras need to be in groups of 4.  1,2,3,4-5,6,7,8  etc...

[Brian H]

The TM751 and CR12A could be used to switch the cameras manually. As the CR12A sends an RF signal to the TM751 that then sends a power line signal to the cameras addressable power supplies. As mentioned all need the same House Code and Unit Code in the same group of four. 1-4;5-8;9-12 and 13-16.


The battery packs are not for long use as mentioned. X10 says 4 hours and only one camera can be on as there is no way to control which is on when on battery.

[forthill]

I think this would [still] work for me.
I probably could manage to route the a/c adapter from the camera to an outlet.  The cable wires seem fairly long on the camera and just as long on the a/c adapter.

Also, if I decided to do the battery pack on one o rmore of the 3 cameras, it would still be ok as the cameras would not be always on, certainly not for 4 hours straight, as I would be using one of the motion sensors/detectors.

I might have one camera 'always on' and connected to an a/c power source and not hooked to a motion sensor.  Are you saying then that if one of the other cameras goes on because it sensed motion it would turn off the 'always on' camera until motion had stopped for the camera?  That would work too as I don't anticipate simultaneous activity in three rooms where the cameras would be mounted.

**Also, when I spoke to one of X10's sales reps (who said I'd only need to augment my current equipment with the USB adapter and Vanguard software) he said that instruction son how to hook up all my equipment (old and new) is available on the website.  Where might I find these instructions??

Walt

X10's wireless cameras are not wireless completly.  They transmit wirelessly but they still need a ac addressable power suppy for power and to control the on and off.  Unless, you use the battery adapter,  then I believe the batteries last 4 hours.  This really only good if you have one camera and don't need it on for a long time.

The way the x10 cameras work is only one wireless camera can be on at a time.  So when one comes on the software turns all the other cameras off.  I don't have Vanguard, so maybe someone else can chime in on it.  You need an RF receiver if it didn't come in the firecracker kit.  Either that or you'll have to set all the motion sensors to the same address as the cameras.  And with motion sensors sending out unit code plus one you'll have to skip one unit code or do the dusk mod located on these forums.  Because the cameras need to be in groups of 4.  1,2,3,4-5,6,7,8  etc...

[hawk1]

As far as I know the battery adapters are NOT controlled by a motion sensor.  There controlled by an off and on switch on the side. 

The cameras all use the same frequency to transmit the video to your output device, hence the only one camera can be on at a time.  It doesn't matter whether or not its on battery power or ac.

If one or more wireless cameras are on at one time then you will get a garbled mess on your viewing screen.
There are ways around all this but they are pretty elaborate.  The  big problem is is that AHP or any X10 software from X10 wants to use the va11 or va12 video adapter which only has one video in, again another reason one camera on at a time.

If you were to use different hardware for your video in than you could probably have more than one camera running.  If you want to have a always on camera plus other x10 cameras with motion sensors turning them on and off then you would probably be better off using a different video recording program like Blue Iris.  Heres the link:  http://www.blueirissoftware.com/    the  X10 Wiki will probably answer all your other questions.  http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Main_Page

[Brian H]

The battery packs have a manual On and Off switch and can not be controlled remotely at all.
Only one camera can be on at a time. So you would have to go the the camera and turn it on and off manually.