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[thebayou]

I'm at wits end.  Have installed the VT38A FloodCam and everything is not fine.  I can't seem to get the camera or floodlights to trip unless you put your hand or other object right in front of it or at least 6 inches away.  Once I trip it, the range is exactly what I want to see. Any solutions as to why the FloodCam will not trip within the specified range? 

[immyfish]

The floodcam's motions sensors seem to suck horribly.  I'm still working on the problem, but I'm thinking I'll need to activate the cameras with an eagle eye sensor.  BTW, once the cameras have been "woken up" when I get home in the evening, and turn them on -they seem to work "OK".  So, I'm trying to set some timers (with AHP PRO)to turn them on throughout the day so they "stay awake".  Still experimenting. It's frustrating, but I have fun with it when I'm not ready  to toss this crap into the trash.  My wife, however, is ready to take a hammer to anything with the X-10 label on it. Frankly, that might be the best answer.  This crap should be marketed as "hobby" electronics because you need to tinker with this stuff constantly to get it work.  I'm embarrassed for X10, and for me for throwing money their way.  Still, I'm determined to get this stuff functioning at an acceptable level. **rant over** what was your question again? 

[thebayou]

I finally broke down and called Tech Support, and spent another $35 on the ActiveEye....still unable to get it working. First, as I said, it was working if you put your hand or other object at least 6" or closer to the eye and the VCR commander was working also. Now with the ActiveEye up, the VCR commander doesn't seem to want to work with the ActiveEye.  And I guess you have to be 6 feet tall to get it to come on (I'm 5'5" and it doesn't phase it one bit).

I guess I'm going to work on it this weekend, and if I can't get it in sync, then I will either take Tech Supports advice and return all and they will replace it all, or take your wife's advice and smash it with a hammer!  But on the other hand, like you, I will probably get the replacement and be determined to make it work!

It has got to be something simple. Either the cam is up to high or the ActiveEye isn't close enough to it. The cam is up where our old flood light used to be and it worked, until Hurricane Lili came thru in 2001.  Maybe someone can give insight as to if we do have it up to high.  Picture a mobile home down in the Bayou (HAHA), now its on the end of the trailer up near the top (maybe 8-9 feet), the ActiveEye is below that at 6 feet.  Now I can't imagine having to lower the cam to 6 feet, as then it can be tampered with easily.

The transmitter/receiver is in the bedroom right where the floodcam is installed on the outside wall. Its on the head board along with the VCR commander.  Now, I have a TV/VCR combo hooked up to all that, not a stand alone VCR. Do the LED lights all have to be facing each other? and should I program the VCR commander to obey the ActiveEye or the Floodcam?  Does the VCR commander antenna face the VCR LED? or the transmitter/receiver?  Or doesn't any of that really matter.  I'M SO CONFUSED!  (The hammer is looking good!)

[thebayou]

Oh! also we have a driveway patrol motion sensor on the same outside wall as the floodcam, only its on the other side and down low to detect people walking toward the front porch where the camera won't view. Could this be causing a conflict?  I can always move that to the front porch itself.

[HA Dave]

Oh! also we have a driveway patrol motion sensor on the same outside wall as the floodcam.........to detect people walking toward the front porch where the camera won't view.

Sorry I don't have a solution to your floodcams. I chose the X10 floodlights to trigger a mix of wired and wireless cams. Of course the floodlights won't trigger the VCR commander, so I have to do that through an AHP macro.

But I have a question for you. Your "driveway patrol motion sensor" .... do you have a link for that... does it work well?

[immyfish]

Hey Bayou.
I'm really looking forward to testing a couple things this weekend. We thought we were just getting some security when we bought from X10 - little did we know we were getting a second job/hobby for the low low price of $xxx.xx!!!
Let us know how you're coming with your issues!

[thebayou]

But I have a question for you. Your "driveway patrol motion sensor" .... do you have a link for that... does it work well?

Yes, it works quite well. It doesn't have a video cam, but its a motion sensor outside and a monitor inside. When someone or a car pulls up the monitor inside goes off.  The only thing you have to watch is where you put it! As the sun moves and the shadows of the trees from across the driveway move in front of it, it can get annoying. And if we had it up higher, it probably wouldn't detect the cats or chickens walking by.   So, if you place it up at least maybe 5 ft (ours is more like 3 ft), it might not catch animals running by. And if we moved it to the porch, probably won't catch the shadows of the trees around 10am.  Otherwise, it works good, and good to know when I'm home alone at night if something is going on out there. I can just look out the bedroom window and see if a car pulled up or a human has entered the area.

You can find it online almost anywhere for around $19.99-$29.00, but I found the best deals on eBay. http://search.ebay.com/driveway-patrol_W0QQfromZR40  Good prices too.

jmmyfish....will keep you posted!

[HA Dave]

Yes, it works quite well. .................. for around $19.99-$29.00, but I found the best deals on eBay. http://search.ebay.com/driveway-patrol_W0QQfromZR40  Good prices too.

ThankYou! That was helpfull

[thebayou]

UPDATE! Making progress. After tinkering and playing with the VCR commander and the ActiveEye, I have now got those in sync. What I tried was this:

After hitting the play button/then release (light stays on), then with the commander's LED facing the ActiveEye Led, pushed the House Code button on the ActiveEye (commander light goes off). Then I turned my back on the ActiveEye and setup my remote control for the TV to work with the commander.  After this done....pushed the record button on commander. Put the ActiveEye outside, waited and then walked around. Went inside and the VCR was recording  Then I hit the stop button on the remote...DON'T, because you will have to hit the record button again    Use the stop button on the commander to stop the recording.

Now, I still can't get the FloodCam to come on unless you are right in front of it, however, since it worked on manual setting I figured I could set it to manual so the cam is on at all times and then the VCR will just kick on by the ActiveEye.  Well.......after switching the cam to manual, for some reason I lost picture!    I had it on manual last week it was fine. Guess we should have never switched it back to auto 

So, now its just a matter of getting the picture back on the TV and then at least the commander will work!

Any progress on your end???

[thebayou]

Ok, found the problem with the cam in manual mode. For some reason when I plug it into its own electrical socket it came on. But since I had to switch off the other stuff, the VCR commander lost its codes so I have to start over with that part. But at least I know what I have to do! That's tomorrow's "job" as I'm burnt out on FloodCam programming for the night.

[thebayou]

Ok, found another glitch. Seems like the VCR commander and ActiveEye were still programmed to work with each other. As I took it down off the outside wall it worked fine! So, I got to thinking.....now why would it work off but not on?  Seems everytime I screwed it into the siding (trailer has metal siding) it would not pick up the signal, yet when I took it down it picked up even if i took it on the front porch which was around the corner and to the front of the trailer.

So here's what I tried. I put a velcro on both pieces then screwed it back into the siding and it worked! Apparently, the sensor being flush against the metal was causing a barrier to the commander and placing the velcro put a gap between metal and sensor and caused it to pick up signal.

Here is my final setup:

FloodCam in manual mode, with floodlights unscrewed (they wouldn't shut off), ActiveEye on the outside wall where the driveway patrol used to be (about 4-5' from ground level) and programmed to the VCR Commander.  The driveway patrol is now on the front porch near the front door.  Transmitter, VCR Commander, TV/VCR combo all sitting on the head board of the bed on the same wall as the equipment outside.

Scenerio: someone pulls in or walks up the part of the driveway being protected.  ActiveEye turns on VCR and records. We can see the person and what direction they are going, whether back or front. If they come up front and go up the porch steps, 1/4 across the porch and the driveway patrol sends the alert. 

I think I'm finally done and happy. Took awhile but got it working!

[HA Dave]

So here's what I tried. I put a velcro on both pieces then screwed it back into the siding and it worked! Apparently, the sensor being flush against the metal was causing a barrier to the commander and placing the velcro put a gap between metal and sensor and caused it to pick up signal.

Nice tip! When I bought an outside keypad to open my garage door... the overhead door co. told me I should "space" the RF remote from my aluminum siding. They suggested I use the thin "foam bagging" material it was shipped in.

I think I'm finally done and happy. Took awhile but got it working!

GREAT to read your up and running! So many at the forum forget to report back.

[thebayou]

So many at the forum forget to report back.

I know, and its like that in a lot of forums, and therefore I vowed I would never leave people hanging if others are having the same troubles. What may work for one, may not work for another, but at least they have something to work with!

Thanks!

[immyfish]

Thanks for the updates!  I have made progress in some areas, and lost ground in others. Details to follow soon, but can't right now. Thanks for updating YOUR saga!

[immyfish]

I'm still in limbo. I still have no idea what it's going to take ot get these cameras to work consistantly. It seems to vary so much depending on weather, time of day etc etc... I haven't given up, but my wife has just about reached her limit :-)