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[michlea]

I dont have a palm pad.  I do have the remote that turns the cameras on & off.... I have the 8 unit ScanCam Remote, Model CR12A.   Can I do it with that and if so, how?

When you and Bill say the motion sensors I have are not compatible does that mean my VCR will never start recording when these sensors sensibly sense motion???   lol

Non of it makes any sense to me....

[Tuicemen]

The MS14A is compatible it is the MS10A that isn't.
A ScanCam Remote should work as well to program if the cam address is the same as the motion sensor!

[michlea]

Do I just follow the directions up until I get to the programming in of the motion sensors, then turn the camera on with the remote instead of the motion sensor???

I dont know what I'd do without all you guys helping me...This neighbor has shot at me through my front window with a pellet gun, busted 4 flood lights and cut the freon tube from my central air conditioner.  I just caught him calling me really ugly names on tape, but I need to protect myself further from this idiot.  I'll be so glad to get this working properly!

[Tuicemen]

Do I just follow the directions up until I get to the programming in of the motion sensors, then turn the camera on with the remote instead of the motion sensor???

yes! set the RF code with the remote

[michlea]

Guess What........It's Working!!!!!!!!!

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MANY MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED!

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Okay...I wanted to take the time to point out all the parts of advice I received that eventually helped me. Please look back on the past discussions to see who advised me so they may get credit for their mighty brain power!!!!  I've also included some of my own observation/experience.

•   Put New batteries in the VCR Remote!
•   Program in a dimly lit room. I did it at dusk
•   Completely clear both the old VCR commander codes and the motion sensor codes.  If your VCR commander light doesn't go solid,don't worry. Yours may beep many times. Any time you hold down the power button it will clear the codes.
• If you are going to program more then one senser, cover them. Put one near your VCR commander & set the others somewhere where they won't be disturbed until your ready to program them in, one at a time.  Dont uncover them until you're ready to program them in.
• When you push play to get a solid light on the VCR commander to clear the motion sensor codes, make sure you press and release the play button afterwards to completely clear the old codes. Then push play again until you see a solid light.
  
    If you accidently trigger the camera on thru the motion senser before you've made the VCR Commander ready to accept the motion sensor code, then turn the camera off with your remote control.  This way you have a "blank" TV screen and it's much easier to tell that the camera and VCR both turned on correctly.
  
  Uncover your motion detector and push the House/on button. If the light doesn't go out immediately, keep pushing/releasing the House/On button until the light on the VCR commander beeps and goes out. You may have to move the motion sensor around a little.  But keep pushing/releasing House/On.  It will eventually register with a beep and the light going out on the VCR commander.
  
  The beep and light will go out immediately after you've been successful programming in the motion sensor code.  If the beep takes a long time and the light goes out after a long time, chances are you haven't correctly gotten it to register.  Do it again.

  I hope this compilation will help someone else who is struggling.  DAVE is correct!  YOUR SYSTEM WILL WORK! READ, READ AGAIN, READ READ AGAIN.   But the biggest lesson I learned from this is you are dealing with radio waves and signals that can be interfered with by surrounding electronics and other things that can interupt those signals. If it doesn't work the first time, keep trying.  I advise you to try at different times of the day/night.  One time of day may be more successful for you then another.  The bottom line is the directions are there to guide you through but they can't make all the "conditions" the best for programming at the time you are trying to do it. Couple that with confusion about the directions, and you could have a frustrating battle ahead but it's a battle you can win.

Keep in mind, some of the advice and opinions I've given may not have any scientific back up to support them.  I'm just telling you what worked for me!  lol   

.

Now, what didn't work was setting the unit codes D1, D3, D5......  My camera's are set to D1, D2, D3.  When I changed the unit codes to 1, 3, & 5 the wrong cameras were triggered by 3 & 5.  I need to clarify this with the member who advised me....I may still have something set incorrectly.

[michlea]

Now...I'm ready to mount the motion sensors outdoors.  How do I do this without disrupting the codes when I remove the batteries to get to the mounting screw holes?

[HA Dave]

I like to attach self-sticking velcro to the back of my motion sensors. Then I do the same (or staple on) the "other side" of the velcro to where I want to stick the sensor. This method makes replacing batteries easy also.

[michlea]

Thanks Dave!!!  That sounds like a winning idea!  And I won't have to put holes in my new siding!

I don't know what I'd do without you guys! 

[HA Dave]

I don't know what I'd do without you guys! 

This thread, YOU started will be read over and over (and over) again by forum visitors with a similar set up (and problems) as yourself. Your stickwithitness (that IS a word ...right?) and reporting back with your progress will help many future visitors. Please except my thanks to YOU on their behalf.


Buy the way..... the batteries last a L O N G time. But I have a twice-a-year battery check I do with flashlights, smoke alarms, and motion sensors. Very time the time changes (daylight savings/spring-fall) I check my batteries.

[michlea]

another very good idea.  I will change my batteries every daylight savings days!  Thanks again Dave!!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Guess What........It's Working!!!!!!!!!

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MANY MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED!

[/size][/color]

Good to hear!   

Now, what didn't work was setting the unit codes D1, D3, D5......  My camera's are set to D1, D2, D3.  When I changed the unit codes to 1, 3, & 5 the wrong cameras were triggered by 3 & 5.  I need to clarify this with the member who advised me....I may still have something set incorrectly.

Quite correct!  I did neglect to mention that you would have to change the camera's X10 Addresses to match the "new" motion sensor X10 Addresses!  Oops!   

Had you changed the camera addresses also, the correct camera would have switched with the correct motion detector.  Well... mostly.   

Now that I know you have more that two cameras, I am pretty sure that had you done that, you would have run into a different problem.  As I understand it, the cameras work in "groups of four" i.e. D1-D4... D5-D8... etc.  So when say D2 ON is received, the camera Addressed as D2 will turn on and the cameras addressed as D1, D3 and D4 will turn themselves off.  Had you skipped a code as I suggested, that would have placed the first two cameras (D1 & D3) in the first "group of four" and the third (D5) in the second "group of four".  This would mean that D1 & D3 would "play nice" with each other, but D5 would not.   

The original reason for my suggestion stands however.  The motion detector's "dusk / dawn" light sensor sending a signal on the next unit code up may cause the system to "think" it got a motion trigger from the next higher numbered motion detector!  So, when it gets light enough or dark enough out (or car lights, etc. shine on the detector) you may notice it suddenly start recording from the next camera up!

Hope that clarifies things somewhat.      

[michlea]

Thanks for the clarification on the unit code numbers. I did eventually figure it out it wouldn't work because of the 4 camera grouping thing...

Now I have a new problem!!!!!

[michlea]

Thanks for the clarification on the unit code numbers. I did eventually figure it out it wouldn't work because of the 4 camera grouping thing...

Now I have a new problem!!!!!

Today, I mounted the motion sensors outdoors using Dave's suggestion of velcro.  They don't work while they are outdoors!!!!  I bring them back in & they work correctly.  What's going on now?

    I'd be crazy by now without you guys!   HELP!!!   AGAIN!!!!   PLEASE!!!!!

[HA Dave]

Today, I mounted the motion sensors outdoors using Dave's suggestion of velcro.  They don't work while they are outdoors!!!!  I bring them back in & they work correctly.  What's going on now?

If you have metal siding that can drown-out the motion sensor's RF signal. Generally a "spacer" between the sensor and the siding will resolve that. Your already using a spacer... with the velcro.. so that is not likely your problem.

The motion sensor sends a RF signal that needs to be received by BOTH your "transceiver" (to turn ON the camera) and by your "VCR Commander" (to tell the VCR to record). Which one ....or both... is NOT working.

If it's the "transceiver" not turning the camera ON, then see if you can't get the transceiver to a better location. If it's the "VCR Commander" not receiving the signal, see if you can't find a better location for it.

Better locations may mean just closer to the sensor/sensors. Or better may mean up higher, or just closer to a window, or further away from a signal generator (i.e. AC unit, TV, computer, fan).

[michlea]

Hi Dave,  Thanks so much for hanging in there with me through this.  I have wood siding and just last year covered it with new vinyl siding, so no metal there.  But, I dont know how much metal there is in the frame, floor or roof of the home....

I just noticed today that the vcr commander does seem to be kicking in from time to time...  but they're not turning on the cameras...I have to figure out which motion sensor is triggering the vcr and if it's consistant or not. I suppose it would be best to take 2 of the sensors down and cover them.  It will be easier to work with one at a time until all 3 are working.

I started a new thread on this topic and on that thread, It was suggested I had the sensor in the front of the house too close to glass.  I'm going to move that one to a different location just to see if that's the cause of the front one not working...

The problem with moving the transceiver is I just dont have many wall outlets.  Most of them have power strips on them, but I still think it's good idea to try to move it.

I'll let you know what happens.