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[xboxhaxorz]

I have been looking at the site for a while but i get so overwhelmed with all these deals and different packages it drives me nuts. This is the thing i want to accomplish.

Front door video cam prefer color with motion sensor and pan and tilt and audio. I will be in the basement so when somebody comes to the door or rings my doorbell i can go on my pc or android tablet and find out who it is. Talk to them. If its a friend i will hit the button on my pc to unlock the door. I want to view my camera from online, and when motion is detected have it recorded on my pc.

So i know i need the following:
electric door strike
pan and tilt
motion sensor
color camera

The rest i am unsure of, i am a tech guy i do pc and xbox repair but this site just overwhelms the heck out of me.
At night the porch light will come on so it will provide some light for the color camera i know it wont be a high def picture but as long as i can make out who it is and say hello who are you thats all i need.

So on the package deals, this seems to be my pack http://www.x10packagedeals.com/productdetail.aspx?parentid=0&cid=68&pid=132 but i think it has some extra stuff for connecting the video to the tv which i dont need and it doesnt say anything about audio.

Currently i have a wireless doorbell system from honeywell because i work in the basement and dont want my customers ringing the normal doorbell for the rest of the house, we also have a keypad door lock to start my breaking into home security and automation.   

Also if for not much more i can upgrade to a 2 or 3 camera system i dont mind that. My friend wants a similar setup.

[HA Dave]

I have been looking at the site for a while but i get so overwhelmed with all these deals and different packages it drives me nuts.......

Yeah... I can sure understand that.

I remember my first X10 order....  it was an RCA gift pack (I think it was called) plus some extras. I told my wife it was all the X10 I'd ever need. It took me a couple days after the package arrived to realize I didn't have a transceiver. So I had to call X10 with my 2nd order the very 1st week. Most sizeable X10 setups will also require things like phase coupling, or filtering out noisy devices on the powerline. I filter out a computer and a remote controlled fan.

The technology allows for you to do what you want.... and MUCH more. And as automation goes X10 is the value priced brand. But doing anything on a budget adds additional challenges.

[lodtrack]

...agreed the site is a little overwhelming and the "deals" that pop up are very distracting. The kit you have selected will do the job but in B/W. Although colour is nice, it is  really is not necessary for basic detection/identification. Three thoughts though,
1) The tranceiver being used (CM19a ) does not have power line monitoring and even with the TM751 placed close to the motion sensor it will send a power line signal. If your pc in the basement is close and not too many obstructions are present the rf from the motion detector may make it. The same would apply to the camera RF. I have a large home and encountered this problem.
2) The only way to find out is to give it a try, and then see what other X10 products (like a CM15) to overcome it.
3) Once you have a package in mind, either chat with sales or call them. You may be suprised that the price can be a lot lower than the advertised deal.

[thejackal]

The main thing with any x10 setup is patients. Sometimes the items will work right out of the box in your house and sometimes you will drive yourself crazy trying to get them to work.  Then once you have it all working like you want it to. You will plug in a new power pack or something and all of the sudden your system will be down. Noise has caused some people to loose hair. You can get some pretty good deals on filters off of ebay.

Wireless routers can cause interference with wireless cameras also the relievers come with 4 channels to choose from. I had to configure my router a little and now they get along just fine.
Phase coupling is another issue you might have to deal with. I've phased coupled my house and still use some tm751 transceivers to make the jump to distant rooms. Coming to the forum you are already showing potential. Some people can't get x10 to work in their house so they bash it as junk. It's not. You just have to be smarter than the x10 module. 

Best of luck with your system.

[xboxhaxorz]

Thanks all

Well patience is no problem for me. So the CM15 is a newer usb transceiver and that will fix the RF issues for the camera and motion sensor will work better?

I think i will start with this kit but upgrade to color. B/W is fine, but i want to start with color just to test it.

Obviously this is video only. How do i go about getting audio from the camera as well? I assume though if i do get the audio they can talk but i cannot talk to them?

More modules and mods to expand after i get this setup 

[Brian H]

The CM15A with the AHP program is a USB controller. It can have programs down loaded to it or run smart macros from a 24/7 computer. It can send and receive both RF and power line signals.

Are you wanting the audio on the computer through the VA12A? I am not sure it can do audio and the receiver in the kit is video only.

[xboxhaxorz]

So the kit i linked has the older usb controller? I should get the new controller then. Yes i want audio and video on my pc, so the person at the door can tell me who they are.

I know the receiver in that kit wont work, but they have the stereo kit i think that would work

[Brian H]

You are confusing the VA12A and the CM15A. They are completely different. The VA12A does nothing but take the video from the receiver and capture it for the computers use. Through a USB port.

The USB port CM19A sends and receives X10 RF signals from things like motion sensors and remotes. The TM751 takes the RF signals from the CM19A, remotes and motion sensors and places them on the power line.
The CM15A with AHP can take the place of the CM19A TM751 combination but I am not sure if the Vanguard software in the deal works with a CM15A. Others may have added data for you.

Cameras are controlled by power line signals. All cameras are on the same House Code and use a Unit code in a group of four. 1-4,5-8,9-12 and 13-16. Turn any of the four on and the other three go off automatically as only one camera can be on at a time.

Also the CM19A and CM15A do not process the 2.4GHz camera video and sound signals. The video receiver does all of that. Also not all cameras include sound along with some of the receivers.

You may find some helpful data in the X10 wiki.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Cameras