Home Automation - X10 .. Yes Or No? How good are the Cameras?

Author

X10 .. Yes Or No? How good are the Cameras?

Jazzer

2006-02-22, 1:21 am

I really need a low level home survailance system.
I was thinking of 2 of the motion detecting flood light color cam
setups from x10.
Plus a low light level B&W Xcam
The XRay Software
Maybe the home automation software

It looks like i could get the setup i want for between 280 and 380.

Please share your experiences with me on these products if you have
time. I just dont want to blow the money if there is another option.

I like them being wireless obviously, but if it sucks then its
obviously not worth it.

Thanks for sharing.

Randy R

2006-03-06, 7:21 pm

Don't waste your time unless you really can't afford anything better.
The quality is terrible, and the picture is nonexistant in low light,
though I don't have experience with B&W. I had a lot of problems
getting the wireless to work also.
X10 uses CMOS cameras, and you need CCD for good enough resolution to
actually be able to identify people. Varifocal lenses let you focus the
camera on a specific location.
If you are going to put in more than one camera, it is best if you set
up one power source to supply low voltage power to all the cameras. I
think you could run the power and video feed over the same cat5 cable
this way. You need a BNC to twisted pair adapter for this. You could
then connect the power supply for all the cameras to a UPS.

Randy R

Don

2006-03-06, 9:21 pm

Check out my site.

--

Don

www.k9soa.net

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and in Home Automation, Kentucky Living magazines

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"Randy R" <nospam@rostie.net> wrote in message
news:1141685692.758019.117620@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
> Don't waste your time unless you really can't afford anything better.
> The quality is terrible, and the picture is nonexistant in low light,
> though I don't have experience with B&W. I had a lot of problems
> getting the wireless to work also.
> X10 uses CMOS cameras, and you need CCD for good enough resolution to
> actually be able to identify people. Varifocal lenses let you focus the
> camera on a specific location.
> If you are going to put in more than one camera, it is best if you set
> up one power source to supply low voltage power to all the cameras. I
> think you could run the power and video feed over the same cat5 cable
> this way. You need a BNC to twisted pair adapter for this. You could
> then connect the power supply for all the cameras to a UPS.
>
> Randy R
>

Spectrum

2006-03-07, 9:21 am

I had several for a year or so and they worked OK. Then they all
stopped. Support from X10.com is absolutely zero. Couldn't even get a
reply. Replace everything in the system, one component at a time and
still didn't help. Wasted abouit $500 with this shit.

I ended up buying a camera and wireless transmitter from
http://stores.ebay.com/CoolEyesStore. The camera has infrared LEDs
that give it very good night vision. With the receiver, I used a
Hauppage USB adapter. I got that at Bestbuy.com.

You can see it at http://www.whitehallweather.com. Scroll to the
bottom.

John

On 21 Feb 2006 20:41:21 -0800, "Jazzer" <fredp_101-online@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I really need a low level home survailance system.
>I was thinking of 2 of the motion detecting flood light color cam
>setups from x10.
>Plus a low light level B&W Xcam
>The XRay Software
>Maybe the home automation software
>
>It looks like i could get the setup i want for between 280 and 380.
>
>Please share your experiences with me on these products if you have
>time. I just dont want to blow the money if there is another option.
>
>I like them being wireless obviously, but if it sucks then its
>obviously not worth it.
>
>Thanks for sharing.

Randy R

2006-03-07, 12:21 pm

Don wrote:
> Check out my site.
>
>
> --
>
> Don
>
> www.k9soa.net
>
Nice site, but I don't see much details about your video system. I'd be
interested to know more about your house.

Randy R

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