Wireless CCTV

[Halfpint]

I've recently been `playing' with some wireless CCTV cameras and I've found that with only the 4 channels (Ch1 2.413GHz, Ch2 2.432GHz, Ch3 2.451GHz, & Ch4 2.470GHz) one is very limited as to how many cameras / devices one can have out. What's even worse it appears that one is also competeing with things like `video senders' and microwave ovens. Because of this I am wondering if anyone knows of any other frequencies that might be available for CCTV use?

If all I was doing was just setting up a few cameras around just the outside and inside of our house I wouldn't really be having all that many problems because the majority of them would be wired cameras. I'd probably only use the wireless ones for either temporary or `test' setups. However, because we live on a farm, I need to be able to set up cameras in places where I am lucky to be able to get power to them let alone then go and run coax back to the main house. (In a couple places I've already set up a couple cameras, w/ `high gain' 10db antennas, I'm using batteries and solar panels to provide the power.) I've also considered the possibility of using X10 PLC to turn on and off the power to some of the cameras, where I am lucky enough to have power, to try to be able to have a couple 2 - 3 cameras on identical channels and only turn on whatever one might be needed. However that has dredged up another different set of problems. IE: What happens if it turns out that the `path' or `combination' of cameras needed is such that I end having 2, or more, cameras turned on at the same time?

Just an `Olde Fart's' wondering 2¢ worth?

 

[rcvmo]

For power in areas of your land where you can't rightfully or economically get power by underground cables, you may want to consider an inexpensive solar cell like those found at Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply. Get yourself a small 12 volts battery and a weather proof box and stick it out in the middle of the field.
We presently do this w/ 4 wireless cams all on different channels, and 4 different receivers and monitors to boot.
rcvmo

 

[N_Jay]

Spend some $$ and get wireless WiFi cameras.

 

[N4DES]

You want to be a bit more strategic in the channels that you chose. All of the adjacent channels over lap each other so you would be better off by choosing every other or every 2to be safe. You are probably interfering with yourself by using 1,2,3, & 4 together.

http://home.comcast.net/~sofa.spud/802.11_freqs/802.11freqs.html

 

[edweirdFL]

I'm using 802.11 WiFi cameras, that run on my existing WLAN. The Toshiba IK-WB11's work well outdoors and at night with limited light. I've heard the newer IK-WB15 which replaces the 11 is also good. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for. The folks that have used X10 cameras have typically been happy with the lower cost, but their expectations are not fully met.

Ed

 

[flyingwolf]

Check out geeks.com, they have a great special on thier IP camera right now, one that used to cost over 600 dollars is now only 79 bucks.

and its perfect, just give it power and a connection and its up and running.

For the connection rather then stringing cat5 everywhere, simply use one of the rj45 to wireless adpaters out there.

They bassicly turn your enet jack into a wireless jack.

Effectively making a wired IP camera a Wireless one.

Oh and for the title, Wireless CCTV is impossible, by definition if it is wireless it is an open circuit.

 

[Halfpint]

For power in areas of your land where you can't rightfully or economically get power by underground cables, you may want to consider an inexpensive solar cell like those found at Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply. Get yourself a small 12 volts battery and a weather proof box and stick it out in the middle of the field.
We presently do this w/ 4 wireless cams all on different channels, and 4 different receivers and monitors to boot.
rcvmo

I've already played around with solar cells and batteries and the main thing that causes the most problems is the lack of any real range due to the low power output. Even with a fairly high gain antenna hooked up I find that I am lucky to get more than about 250 - 275 yards away from the receiver. If I am willing to go with a single channel receiver with a matching antenna I can only add about 75 - 80% more range. (I did that once when we were having a problem with some people stealing some of our hay not too long ago. Fortunately I was lucky in how I'd set up the camera and managed to get their license plates. *That* was what basically got me started looking a bit more seriously and why I'm wondering if there aren't other freqs used other than 2.4GHz.)

 

[Halfpint]

Spend some $$ and get wireless WiFi cameras.

Huh? WiFi also is 2.4GHz and I don't quite understand just how it's going to give me any more range than I can already get with the current 2.4GHz cameras I'm using? Also, why should I dedicate another whole computer to just my `wireless' cameras when I've already got exisiting switchers, monitors, ETC. that work quite well? You have to remember that I *farm* for my living and whilst we aren't `poor' we don't have all that much `extra' money to spend and *if* somehow we *do* get a bit it tends to go into our machinery. (The last few years of drought hasn't helped all that much, too. The price of water alone has quadrupled and on top of that, this year, the water courts have ruled that we had to shut down our existing wells so that people down in Mississippi and such could get the water rather than us. So all the work I put in this spring ended up basically `going up in smoke' because I couldn't get any water. *That* cost us over $15K and we were one of the smaller places hit.)

 

[Halfpint]

I'm using 802.11 WiFi cameras, that run on my existing WLAN. The Toshiba IK-WB11's work well outdoors and at night with limited light. I've heard the newer IK-WB15 which replaces the 11 is also good. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for. The folks that have used X10 cameras have typically been happy with the lower cost, but their expectations are not fully met.
Ed

Actually I am not using X10 cameras even though I've had this place set up with X10 for the last approximately 20 years. The cameras I've been `playing with' are some that are made `by?' / `for?' Defender Security that I managed to pick up at an auction a while back for around $150 for the whole lot. (I got a 4 channel receiver/switcher, 4 individual transmitters, 2 single channel receivers, 6 high gain antennas, 2 `dome' cameras with built in transmitters, 2 `micro' cameras with built in transmitters, 4 `regular' cameras, 3 5.6" LCD color `monitors', and a 16" CRT color monitor!) A guy moved out from the `city', tried to get a `security?' business going and basically `lost his shorts' and the landlord was selling off what he'd left when he went and `split' in the middle of the night. (If the bidding had gotten any higher I probably would have dropped out because at the time all I knew what was in the box were some `regular', IE `wired', cameras and I was only interested in them as something to try to possibly get working so that I could keep an eye on our lane and front door whenever I was out in the shop. The rest of the stuff was listed as `miscellaneous items'. As it was SWMBO just about killed me when I came `dragging back' from the auction with that stuff. {WAN GRIN!})

 

[N_Jay]

the idea with 802.11 is you can use relatively cheap access points to increase range, and you can many more cameras all sharing a channel and I think you can throttle up and down the bandwidth to match the number of cameras on.

 

[W4UVV]

5 ghz. wireless video

I've recently been `playing' with some wireless CCTV cameras and I've found that with only the 4 channels (Ch1 2.413GHz, Ch2 2.432GHz, Ch3 2.451GHz, & Ch4 2.470GHz) one is very limited as to how many cameras / devices one can have out. What's even worse it appears that one is also competeing with things like `video senders' and microwave ovens. Because of this I am wondering if anyone knows of any other frequencies that might be available for CCTV use?

If all I was doing was just setting up a few cameras around just the outside and inside of our house I wouldn't really be having all that many problems because the majority of them would be wired cameras. I'd probably only use the wireless ones for either temporary or `test' setups. However, because we live on a farm, I need to be able to set up cameras in places where I am lucky to be able to get power to them let alone then go and run coax back to the main house. (In a couple places I've already set up a couple cameras, w/ `high gain' 10db antennas, I'm using batteries and solar panels to provide the power.) I've also considered the possibility of using X10 PLC to turn on and off the power to some of the cameras, where I am lucky enough to have power, to try to be able to have a couple 2 - 3 cameras on identical channels and only turn on whatever one might be needed. However that has dredged up another different set of problems. IE: What happens if it turns out that the `path' or `combination' of cameras needed is such that I end having 2, or more, cameras turned on at the same time?

Just an `Olde Fart's' wondering 2¢ worth?

Go to www.atvresearch.com (800-392-3922). They are a large US dealer of Video/Audio equipment. They have a large selection of A/V equipment. The problem you will have with any microwave wireless video/audio equipment is the FCC severely restricts the RF emission wattage. There are wireless transmitters made for 900 mhz. and 5 ghz. but it is also "flea" power. The cheapest solution for ptp wireless video reception is a high gain ptp directional antenna. 2 ghz. transmitting low noise amplifiers are very expensive. I recently purchased ATV Research's 2.4 ghz. 24db Parabolice antenna for $100 and it is a commercial grade quality product. I also had Down East Microwave make me a 2.4 ghz. low noise amplifier for receive only. He will NOT make 2 ghz. RF amps for transmitting. I purchased 125 ft. of 2 ghz. rated low loss cable with "N" connections from RF Connections in Gaithersburg, MD. I don't transmit, just receive. It works great. My 2.4 ghz. parabolic is mounted 100 ft. up on my tower. I realize that is not your situation, but the solution is the same. The bottom line is that if you wish to improve your line of sight reception from your 2.4 ghz. wireless cameras, the lesser of the financial expendse options is to use a 2 ghz. rated coax from your sender (transmitter) to a 24 db parabolic antenna pointed to your reception location for each wireless camera.
ATV Research sells a complete 2.4 ghz. video T/R system including the parabolic antenna I am using for $270. They rate reception to 1,500 ft. line of sight under ideal conditions using just the rubby ducky antenna. Cut that distance in half and that might be more realistic. Checking their catalog you could upgrade your present 2.4 ghz. configurations for a reasonable expense. It certainly would perform better than what you presently have.

 

[cellblock776]

Check out- http://www.supercircuits.com/ . i get their catalog in teh mail all the time. They carry 440MHz Amatuer Radio TV items, 900MHz, 2.4 and 5 Gig stuff. Lots of choices.