Ninja, newbie, and needing advise....of course

[pbandj]

Hi everyone, I have greatly enjoyed reading everything on these forums, but there is a lot of information to soak in!  I just got my first x10 set up and have a few questions before I start treading into deeper waters.   

So far I have 2 low-light wireless cameras mounted on 2 Ninjas with a transceiver and a receiver.  I am happy with what I got, especially for the price, but I have a question about the Ninjas and the transceivers.  I have the cameras mounted in my barn approx. 100 feet from the house.  The pictures are great and I can switch from one camera to the other but I cannot move the Ninja base with the remote control unless I walk outside about halfway to the barn, so approximately 50 feet.  If I am to understanding everything correct, the Ninjas run from the transceiver on RF?  Is that right?  If I purchase the RF repeater, will that help?  I have tried moving the transceiver around the house to no avail.  If I put the transceiver outside about halfway to the barn, would that help?  If this is not the transceiver, what is the next step to getting the remote working a little farther? 

One of the other questions is about putting another brand camera on the Ninja (provided I can get the Ninja to work, lol.)  I already have a Q-see night camera and would love to mount it on a Ninja too, but the connections do not work together.  Can I find something to get them connected or maybe a hard connect? 

Any opinions on the Activehome Pro as another upgrade would be another questions I have.

So many questions, products, and so little time!  Thanks for any help in advance.  It is much appreciated.

[Brian H]

The Ninja is controlled by RF as you thought; but directly from the Remote. The cameras are switched by the remote through the transceiver that sends X10 powerline signals to the camera power supplies.

[Tuicemen]

  If I purchase the RF repeater, will that help?  I have tried moving the transceiver around the house to no avail.  If I put the transceiver outside about halfway to the barn, would that help?  If this is not the transceiver, what is the next step to getting the remote working a little farther? 

One of the other questions is about putting another brand camera on the Ninja (provided I can get the Ninja to work, lol.)  I already have a Q-see night camera and would love to mount it on a Ninja too, but the connections do not work together.  Can I find something to get them connected or maybe a hard connect? 

Any opinions on the Activehome Pro as another upgrade would be another questions I have.

So many questions, products, and so little time!  Thanks for any help in advance.  It is much appreciated.

The addition of a repeater may help, mount it high for maximum range! Mounting the transceiver outside will not help as Brian H stated:

The Ninja is controlled by RF as you thought; but directly from the Remote.

The transceiver converts to PLC which you aren't having problems with!

As far as putting another brand cam on the ninja, not a problem! As long as the weight is the same or less! I have wired cams mounted on some of mine even a night vision cam!
AtiveHome Pro will control your cams and allow for future adds, it is a transceiver and will send RF signals, you may be able to use it as a repeater with a macro!
Some users have Range issues with the CM15A (AHP) while others report range in access of that advertised. Of coarse you could do a modification to improve range if needed! 

[pbandj]

Thanks for the information!  If I understand this correctly, my problem lies with my remote for the pan and tilt.  Can this remote be extended in some way (I do not have the CM15A yet)?  Is this the passive repeater that is being talked about? 

I appreciate the fast response to my previous question.  Thanks a bunch

[Tuicemen]

Thanks for the information!  If I understand this correctly, my problem lies with my remote for the pan and tilt.  Can this remote be extended in some way (I do not have the CM15A yet)?

Yes

Is this the passive repeater that is being talked about? 

No what you need is the Smart RF Repeater, Personally I've never used one as I get over the advertised distance! Others that have used one may chime in with some feed back!

[pbandj]

Thanks Tuiceman!  Wish me luck, lol! 

[teerex]

IMO, the Ninja remote capability is very temperamental. I don't know if it's an issue with the CR-14 remote itself,
or, the receiver in the base. I have a very hard time controlling mine dependably even when I have the transceiver
plugged close to the power supply and the remote 1 foot away from my CM15A antenna. Other than that, I
love the usefulness of the Ninja, especially the ability to set the pan window size. I have mine running 24x7
and it's quieter than a mouse