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[mike]

http://www.amazon.com/Micropac-Usb-avcpt-Sabrent-Creator-High-quality/dp/B002H3BSCM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1430311267&sr=8-2&keywords=easycap+camera+usb+adapter  $ 6-8 each.    does say USB 2.0 so MAY not work with old old USB 1.0

What's interesting is it gives TWO ways to grab video

I had to read instructions and follow them to make it work on win7 32bit laptop but it has been working swell since.

Just plugged into win8 64bit:  no go without help either.  but it does come with instrucs and cd...  doing it live now... 
- insert CD, auto starts, installs driver?  goes thru setup.exe and says installed and finish ok, but still ? in device manager list, so no go yet...
- try search online for drivers:  nfg
-  browse CD for drivers:  nfg
- browse CD, find driver subdirectory, it has pdf instructions how to install on xp, win7 32bit, win7 64bit.... read this.... no help
- next try installing their video studio from cd (need sn on cd front) put it in prog/ulead/... no difference, still no driver.
- time to give up on drivers possibly on cd.  look online and find there are FOUR(4) different chips being used and all called same easyCAP:
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Easycap
- mine is somagic....
- 45min search online finds lots of folks saying dont work with win8, others saying drivers here, none worth a damn yet...
- WHAT A DUMMY I WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!     2 hours later and I find this little guys how-to...
-   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWsQguKfz2I
- just change setup.exe installer to win7 compatable mode and it installed fine!  WEE!

-Now the TEST!  plugging my rca plug into it.... nothing in x10....  VLC player...open media find SMI grabber device listed,hit play...crashing, nnext try simplyvideo program...  smigrabber, it has something wierd but something

will go find an x10 rca input gidget to try and verify my rca video camera does indeed work with simplyvideo program...  more later.

[mike]

wonder now if va11 or va12 would have installed with simply telling win7 compatable mode....  more to try!

[mike]

so this $6 rca to usb does send video to simplyvideo program....

WOW!!!!!!  X10 DOES NOT CARE WHERE THE VIDEO COMES FROM!!!!!!!!!

I HAVE VIDEO FROM MY composite rca plug output camera in x10!  cool beans.....

next, since I had no video from rca output from my x10 wireless-modified-to-composite output unit, grabbed another thing - this one called vr31A new in box...

found I had my cameras on D channel and altho crappy pix way up here in office, got x10 cameravideo in x10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
even the video switching between 5 of the cameras worked....

maybe time to revive x10 cameras on windows 8 64bit with the addition of this $6 rca to usb adapter....

hope this helps Tuiceman....  only problem is it is eating in my dji phantom 2+ flying & target shooting times!!!!

[mike]

this does remind me why I left x10 cameras....  the video is horrendous compared to the $4 webcam unit I bought.....

[Tuicemen]

I had read the new Easycap video capture device worked for some but the reviews were all over the place so I passed as I have a old 4 channel model and it doesn't work on win 7 and up.
I may have to try the new model and get my xcam that is imbedded in the log work running again.
 

[Tuicemen]

I checked out my morning star charge controller and it has a serial connection.
I had brought up a number of cables and adaptors hoping I could rig up something.
Testing out the serial connection I found I was able to grab a good bit of info from it However the cable was short so I had to splice in a extension.
Luckily I had some cat 5 and Phone wire laying around.

The Morning star software MSView has some draw backs, it does not auto connect to the device or to auto start logging.
I'm able to grab the following and write their values to a CSV file:
Battery voltage
Battery Sensor voltage
Array Voltage
Charge current
Heatsink Temperature
Battery Temperature
Total Amp hours
Amp Hours since last reset
Hourmeater
Alarms
Faults
Control state
Control mode

Currently I only have it writing the array and battery volts which I display on the webpage (Ultralight) along with current inside and outside temperatures.
 

[Tuicemen]

I hooked up my Airsight XX60A directly under a EasyN outdoor cam and will do some comparisons over the summer See: http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=29131.0
I'll update that thread as time permits.
I've discovered my charge controller needs a firmware update to enable a bit more options from the PC.
The firmware update will also allow more data to be stored on the charge controller.
I'll attempt to get that done over the next few weeks.

I've tweaked my server so I can get x10 status(history) and a bit more info on another page.
I noticed some A2 RF receive signals coming in which had me puzzled as I had not set anything up on House code A.
The signal was starting a bout 5:40 am and was sporadic threw out the day.
I then realized I had place a old motion sensor on the bedroom dresser and forgotten to remove the batteries in the fall.
Checking I soon discovered that was the culprit.

[mike]

sounds like you are having all kinds of fun messing with it all.

Just be sure to hook up your solar panel polarity right:  I put a small 100ma (http://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-solar-battery-charger-68692.html) panel up on barn that has not electric, for the old 8N tractor I seldom use anymore on the farm across the street....  I was REAL careful to hook it right since I KNOW the 6v is positive ground.....  all winter...  about a week ago its time to hook the bushog to it and mow and totally dead battery!  OUt comes meter, yep, 0 volts!  THEN I saw I inideed had the little solar on backwards all winter! 

I do not understand why, but even at reverse current and making it 0v across all 3 cells, this battery is now fine after a charge!

[Tuicemen]

loads of fun!
A polarity mix up here would be a major disaster.
With incoming amperage at times over 100 amps and watts some times over 1700 I'm sure it would be noticed quickly with a big bang!

The ability to control and monitor  everything from my city residents has been a dream of mine for a long time.
The affordability and advancements of low power PCs have made it possible.
I could run an Android mini PC and control/monitor my X10 stuff but I needed a Windows PC as many other softwares were only created for Windows.
A HP T5740 Thin Client is a nice fit, however with news that Windows 10 will be free for the raspberry pie, I may move to that to reduce power consumption.

[bkenobi]

I put a small 100ma (http://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-solar-battery-charger-68692.html) panel up on barn that has not electric, for the old 8N tractor I seldom use anymore on the farm across the street....

I found my tractor dead a couple months back too.  I'd never considered a solar charger though.  This one lists 24VDC, but my battery is 12VDC.  Is there a switch on the charger to limit the output for 12/6V?  Since I have clear plastic corrugated siding above the door, I could actually get a small charge all winter if needed, so this is very intriguing!

EDIT:
The manual has the answer

Use Voltage Regulator (not included) between Solar Battery Charger and battery to prevent overcharging battery and consequent damage.

Guess that means it requires a voltage regulator unless you have a 24VDC system.

[Tuicemen]

The manual also states to only use in a 12 volt system so the specs could be wrong.
Many manufactures have actually moved away from 24 volt panel production with the popularity of grid tie systems.

[bkenobi]

I found a youtube video with this panel and it looks like it supplies voltage depending on the amount of light, but they didn't show the maximum.  In their case, the panel did not charge a 12V battery at all since it was only producing 8-11V.  I may swing by HF to see if the box shows anything.  If not, they do have a return policy.

[mike]

wow. all wrong info.......

back to basics guys....

a solar cell produces a MAX given current at upto .5v per cell - voltage based on amount of light.  so you put a given number of these .5v max cells in series to get a voltage you can use for whatever your use is.....

so.  enter HF.  Mine outputs a very solid 20-22vdc open loop.  it is rated 1.3watts for a 12v battery charger:  math makes that 1.3watt/13.5v= .096amps or 96ma.....

So, each series cell is good for outputing upto 100ma.  OK

so, they have 22/.5=44 or so 'cells' in series in this HF unit.

Now what happens when you LOAD it down?

stick this 20v open loop across a 13.5v battery, drops 6.5v, and produces 100ma....  how in the hell is this 100ma going to OVERCHARGE your 150ah battery??  No regulator needed!

it comes with a built in series diode, so at night it does not discharge the battery, so no regulator needed to shut it off!

Here comes my 6v old tractor....  now it drops the voltage from 20 to 6v - ok, who cares?  It still only puts out the 96ma!!!!  how the hell do I need a regulator to protect my 100ah battery??

rule of thumb has always been you can trickle charge a bat at 1/10 ah rating....  why do I need a regulator??

use that 24v solar unit on a 6v or 12v battery if you want!  just measure the hi noon current and make sure it is not too much for your batts.

Tuiceman has a DIFFERENT case - he can produce 100's of amps!  HE needs a regulator!

We don't.

[mike]

if you go to HF and buy one and in full sunlight it only outputs 11v take it back - it is defective.  simple.

so it seems obvious, but maybe it needs said:  the CURRENT rating is what it can put out as long as the sun is providing enough lite to meet its max current capacity.  but the OPEN LOOP output voltage tells you how much lite you REALLY need to charge for how long.  ie., if it outputs 50v openloop at 100ma, then it will output that same 100ma for a LONGER PERIOD OF TIME each day - ie, with less lite it will STILL output.  If it requires hi noon perfect sun to output 100ma, then by 3pm or with clouds it wont output 100ma anymore - unless it has higher open loop output voltage.  hope this helps explain the simple function of em.

and you probably cannot hurt the solar cells in these cheap units - they just output their max current and thats that.  i proved it by last winter outputing into 0v load all winter!

[bkenobi]

Thanks for the primer.  I'm a ME, so have very limited electrical background and solar is limited to knowing that my calculator won't work in the dark.