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Total Members Voted: 16

[Knockster]

I am new to this and have a very basic understanding of it all. I have set everything up, I have the cameras working (pictures leave more to be desired) and the motion sensors working. I even Have the macros turning on the cameras, but they will not record. Here is what I have and how it is set up. I am not trying to view or record all cameras at once.

4 Wireless B/W cameras (XC22A)
3 Eagle Eye indoor/outdoor motion sensors (MS14A)
1 Flood Light Motion Detector (PR511)
2 Wireless Video Receiver (VR36A)
USB Wireless Transceiver (CM19A)
USB digital video converter (VA12A)
2 RF Transceiver Module (TM751)
Active Home Pro computer interface and software (CM15A)

I have all the cameras set up as A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4
The motion sensors are set up as A-1 (Flood Light Motion Detector), A-2, A-3 and A-4 2-4 being the Eagle Eyes.
1 Wireless Video Receiver (VR36A) is hooked up to the USB digital video converter (VA12A) and then to my computer. The other receiver is hooked up to a television.
USB digital video converter (VA12A) hooked up to computer
Only 1 RF Transceiver Module (TM751) is plugged in to the wireless video receiver that is plugged in at the television.
Active Home Pro installed with iwatchout, smart macros, myhouse online and on alert. CM15A plugged in and connected to computer.

The macro set up below is for one of the cameras. I have set up a macro for each camera.
The modules in the room are Camera A-3 and motion sensor A-3 as well as the macro.
Macros are set up simply as: Trigger A-3 on
                                       A-3 on
                                       Video recording set as start
                                       Delay set at 15 minutes
                                       Video recording set at stop
                                       A-3 off

When the motion sensors are triggered they will start the proper macros and turn on the proper cameras but they will not record the video. Can anyone help with this?                                     

[Knockster]

Ok after leaving it on all night I see that it has been recording, but only in 1 second intervals and intermittently. Could this be because the way the macro is set up that every time the motion sensor is triggered on or off while recording that the macro restarts itself and causes interference? Should I use conditions or flags (Which I have no unserstanding of how they work) to stop the macro from restarting itself while recording? I thought the delay would stop it from restarting the macro but I guess that could be wrong. Can someone help with a macro setup?

[hawk1]

Try looking at this link.  The pictures don't seem to be there but i'm sure you could still figure it out.  Very good macro for cameras.  http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=11477.0

[Knockster]

Thanks Hawk, but man do I feel stupid. Without the pics I have no clue what to do with what he posted. Like I said earlier I have a very basic understanding of this all and therefore have no clue what the phantom switch does or how to set up and use them. I really would need someone to walk me through this and explain it to me.

[hawk1]

Okay.  Let's start from scratch.  Here is an example of how to setup your cameras.  House and unit codes are as follows: camera1=c1, camera2=c2, camera3=c3, camera4=c4.

Make sure all cameras are on the same frequency.  The little rubber plug on the front of the camera comes out and you will see a switch there.  Make sure that switch is in the same position on all cameras.

There is also a frequency switch on the video reciever labled A,B,C,D.  This is not to be confused with the house and unit code.  Make sure that this switch is the same as your cameras.

Motions sensors should be setup on a different house and unit code than your cameras.  If not your cameras will want to turn off after 1 minute or however long you set the time to be on the motion sensor. Plus you have alot more power on how to use them in macros.

Motion sensors as follows:  ms1=b1, ms2=b3, ms3=b5, ms4=b7.  You'll notice that I skipped a unit code, this is because motion sensors actually have 2 codes it fires.  One for motion (b1) and one for dusk and dawn operations (b2)  therefore it is always good practice to skip units, unless you have disabled the dusk sensor.(which you can find on these forums on how to do that).

Flags are just a condition that the program can check to see if it should run something. I like to think of them as a switch myself.  If you set a flag in a macro  (set flag 2) You can use this to tell the macro not to start recording again because it is already recording.  If the flag is set than when your motion sensor fires the program will look to see if flag 2 is set, if it is than it won't do anything.  If it's clear than the program will start to record.

 Then at the end of your recording macro you can clear a flag (clear flag2) and everything is back to normal and if a motion sensor should fire then it will start your recording macro again. 

A dummy switch or phantom switch is almost the same thing.  You setup a appliance module in ahp that you don't have (like R1) Now you have a switch that you can use as a condition.  Let's say you setup your recording macros but you don't want them to record when your home.  You can name this phantom switch to Arm Recording and put this in your macro as a condition to be on before your recording can start.  To turn recording off just turn off the switch.

Let me know if your getting any of this and I will continue.   

[Knockster]

Thank you Hawk, this is really appreciated.
Getting it so far  . Had all the cams on same freq. from the start so no problems there. I understand the deal with the sensors being on a different house code and skipping a unit code due to the sensor. Makes perfect sense when you actually know how the motion sensors work. I guess it is all just logic when you know how things work but makes no sense when you don't know how they work. The only thing about the flags I don't get is..... How do you know what number (set flag 2) to set the flag at? Are you setting it to correspond with the motion sensors or the cameras? Do you set the number (set flag 2) to correspond with the unit code of the camera or motion sensor?

[hawk1]

You have 16 flags that you can use.  I was just using flag 2 as an example.  You can use any of the 16 flags available, but be careful because if you get too many flags its hard to remember what there for.  Glad I could help.   

[Knockster]

Thanks again but are the numbers on the flags corresponding with the unit numbers on the camera or the sensors? Logic would tell me the sensors since that is what you want to speak to to tell it not to trigger the cameras recording. Or do the numbers in the flag not have to correspond to anything and you use them to identify the number of flags you have set?

[hawk1]

Each flag is a single condition.  They are not revelant to the sensor unit number.  In other words you can have a sensor that is assigned b1 but use flag 15 if you wanted to.  You just set the flag in your macro to state a condition.  Like "if flag 15 is set do nothing" or "if flag 15 is clear then record".

Example Macro:

motion sensor fires: b2 on
                            if flag 15 is clear
                            set flag 15
                            start record
                            delay 2 minutes
                            stop record
                            clear flag 15

this way when the trigger (b2 ms) fires the macro looks to see if flag 15 is clear.  If it is clear it will continue to run the record macro.  If it isn't clear it will stop and wait for the next trigger and go through this sequence again.  That way if the recording macro is recording and another trigger fires if won't go through the macro again since it is already recording.

I hope i'm explaining this well enough.                               

[Knockster]

OK got it. Thanks a lot Hawk. 

[hawk1]

You are very welcome!   

[geeforce]

hello i have a question pertaining to the same situation. When you use the flag as a check measure. do you use that same flag in the macros for the other cameras. For instance if motion is detected from the other cameras will the cameras switch and just continue recording and follow the time allotted in the new camera viewed macro.

[hawk1]

For anybody that wants it; I have found a copy of the macro documentation that I was talking about in my above post. (with pics) 

Geeforce:  Yes you should be able to use the same flag.  Let's say; you could have a recording flag where the flag is "set = on, cleared is off" almost just like a switch.  Actually you can use it as a switch if you want.  Just setup a dummy switch, then make a 2 macros for it. One for set flag(on), another to clear flag (off)

Had to  put it in 3 parts; here is part 1

[hawk1]

part 2

[hawk1]

part 3


Hope all these come out, i used open office.