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[goluxgo]

I have been using x10 for 20 years and still
have many original modules.I bought a 4
camera system for $279 and set it up on a
bench and tested it and sorted out a few
problems I encountered.The cameras work
great if they are placed properly in respect
to the reciever.I live in a brick house and
have a brick detached garage that has 1
camera.The signal will pass through 2 brick
walls but not 3.Managed to work around that
one.The garage is on a subfeed and a
different phase than most of the house.A
mini transiever plugged in an outlet on each
phase using the same house code actualy
works better than a bridge in the electrical
panel.The USB A/D converter is poor and
useless.A better one from Costco will
probably help quality a lot.The software
crashes are mainly due to MS installing the
default intel driver and not the X10 driver.
The picture quality on video tape is very
good for this price range and the video
commander does a good job for a simple stick
on device.5 min motion sensor delay,5 min
video commander record time,5 min motion
sensor lights....works,and is
simple.Or,leave the VCR on record and let
the firecracker module do the
switching.Anyone who works in the alarm
industry knows that even the good stuff
needs a lot of engineering and fiddling to
work.Every application is different and
needs some improvision.
The reality is that these systems need a
professional to do them quickly and
affectively.Otherwise it's a lengthy and
time consuming job to get a good result.This
forum would be very helpful for some less
technical people if it was used positively.

[goluxgo]

I have been using x10 for 20 years and still
have many original modules.I bought a 4
camera system for $279 and set it up on a
bench and tested it and sorted out a few
problems I encountered.The cameras work
great if they are placed properly in respect
to the reciever.I live in a brick house and
have a brick detached garage that has 1
camera.The signal will pass through 2 brick
walls but not 3.Managed to work around that
one.The garage is on a subfeed and a
different phase than most of the house.A
mini transiever plugged in an outlet on each
phase using the same house code actualy
works better than a bridge in the electrical
panel.The USB A/D converter is poor and
useless.A better one from Costco will
probably help quality a lot.The software
crashes are mainly due to MS installing the
default intel driver and not the X10 driver.
The picture quality on video tape is very
good for this price range and the video
commander does a good job for a simple stick
on device.5 min motion sensor delay,5 min
video commander record time,5 min motion
sensor lights....works,and is
simple.Or,leave the VCR on record and let
the firecracker module do the
switching.Anyone who works in the alarm
industry knows that even the good stuff
needs a lot of engineering and fiddling to
work.Every application is different and
needs some improvision.
The reality is that these systems need a
professional to do them quickly and
affectively.Otherwise it's a lengthy and
time consuming job to get a good result.This
forum would be very helpful for some less
technical people if it was used positively.

[johnniki]

goluxgo,
it sounds like you are pretty knowledgeable
(I didn't even know what some of the items
you mention even are!)
Would you be willing to help me (maybe via
email) with some advice or recommendation?
I posted a lengthy question but had no
responses yet so I'm still hoping to find
someone who's 'in the know' to advise me.

Niki

[johnniki]

goluxgo,
it sounds like you are pretty knowledgeable
(I didn't even know what some of the items
you mention even are!)
Would you be willing to help me (maybe via
email) with some advice or recommendation?
I posted a lengthy question but had no
responses yet so I'm still hoping to find
someone who's 'in the know' to advise me.

Niki

[johnniki]

goluxgo,
it sounds like you are pretty knowledgeable
(I didn't even know what some of the items
you mention even are!)  Would you be willing
to help me (maybe via email) with some
advice or recommendation?  I posted a
question but had no responses yet so I'm
still hoping to find someone who's 'in the
know' to advise me.

Niki

[thedanc]

What is your question, Niki?

[goluxgo]

I have phoned X10 a  couple of times for
help with software and  advice on product
choice.They were really  helpful and
pleasant.The remarks on this  forum were a
real eye opener for me.I don't  believe what
I read from any  manufacturer....they all
lie by ommission.If  they didn't,they would
go broke.....that's  just the way it is
nowadays on the  internet.Most DIY products
are vastly  understated as far as
installation.I can see  why so many people
get frustrated and angry  with this
product.You really need a bit of  background
experience to work with it.
Goluxgo

[thedanc]

Support -
I find the same to be true, sorta.  The one
time I called for support I was amazed at
how helpful the support person was.
Granted, this was a simple question that he
knew off the top of his head which should
have been posted as a "Freqeuently Asked
Question" on the website and certainly
should have been contained in the
documentation.  I didn't know the answer
because I had never seen the equipment until
that week and the documentation is extremely
poor.

Lies of omission -
Certainly there is that, but the biggest
lies are the gross exagerations of what the
product can do.  For example, nightwatch
camera does not mean night it means slightly
dim.  These don't come with infrared
illuminators or wide apertures.  You need a
floodlight to go with it and that really
isn't night now is it?

My background and experience continues to
grow, so like I said before: as long as you
look at this like a fun and challenging
hobby and don't bet your business on this
being secure you will be OK.

[goluxgo]

Night vision is a unique and expensive
technology and usually has a green hue.X10
claims the night watch camera to be 3 times
as sensitive as the xcam.I have used both
side by side and that claim is true.A 60
watt porch light is good enough up close.If
the camera is used with a motion sensor and
a flood,the results are good enough for
me.No low light camaera will look into
darkness and define anything.Those cameras
are very good at auto exposure and adjust
well for differing light settings up to a
point.All digital cameras are weak in low
light situations.
I worked all my life in the security
business, dealing only with banks and
government contracts...good quality
stuff.Started with 16mm film cameras(talk
about a nightmare)and through different
video technologies...my opinion,those $50
cameras work pretty damn good.Plus they
convert to NTSC and then microwave....we're
all spoiled.LOL.
Larry.

[thedanc]

Righto.  The nightwatch camera is more light
sensitive than the color camera, but the
color camera cannot see in the dim at all so
that doesn't say much.  I now have three
floodcams for my backyard for a total of 900
watts of light (2x150W on each floodcam).
The floodcams have a built in color camera,
so I need the light.  I have them tied
together with macros so that if one detector
sees motion the whole yard will light up.
To see what is going on though I need to
scan the cameras since their field of vision
is a very narrow 60 degrees.  I angled them
like the "interlocking fields of fire"
approach with the leftmost one pointing far
right, the rightmost one pointing far left,
and the remaining one down the middle.  This
all monitors the crappy little $25 barbeque
grill I have back there.  I have a lot of
footage of the neighbor's cat!  ;-)
-Dan

[thedanc]

Righto.  The nightwatch camera is more light
sensitive than the color camera, but the
color camera cannot see in the dim at all so
that doesn't say much.  I now have three
floodcams for my backyard for a total of 900
watts of light (2x150W on each floodcam).
The floodcams have a built in color camera,
so I need the light.  I have them tied
together with macros so that if one detector
sees motion the whole yard will light up.
To see what is going on though I need to
scan the cameras since their field of vision
is a very narrow 60 degrees.  I angled them
like the "interlocking fields of fire"
approach with the leftmost one pointing far
right, the rightmost one pointing far left,
and the remaining one down the middle.  This
all monitors the crappy little $25 barbeque
grill I have back there.  I have a lot of
footage of the neighbor's cat!  ;-)
-Dan