WIRELESS CAMERAS!
I have sold a lot of wireless cameras, and I know the limitations of most wireless systems.
PROBLEM NUMBER 1
FREQUENCY.
You must buy a license from the FCC in order to use wireless transmitters.
SOLUTION
Use a license free frequency such as 2.4 GHZ. Great! Now you share the same frequency with cordless phones, 802.11 wireless routers (N series is in the 5.8GHz freq range), and many analog wireless video devices such as "baby monitors", and "TV extenders".
If the system that you are looking at is analog then everyone can see your cameras.
PROBLEM 2
WATTAGE.
If the transmitter is inside the camera then heat will be a problem. To overcome this issue keep the wattage low. Most wireless cameras will be about 100 milliwatts, or about the same as a childs walkie talkie.
Never use the distance rated on the box. Cut it in half! If is says 300 feet line of sight then cut this in half, and only use it at 150 feet.
LINE OF SIGHT
This is exactly what it means. The two antennas must see each other. If you penetrate a wall then you have to get the transmitter, and receiver closer together to keep that same energy level up. If you transmite through several walls then you really need to get them closer together to keep up that same energy level to see the video.
SOLUTION
Raise the wattage! You cannot have high wattage transmitters inside the camera. It will be too hot, and it will burn the camera up.
You will need to use a separate transmitter, and connect a regular camera to the transmitter.
The farther away the transmitter, and receiver are, (or the more things you have to penetrate such as walls, or trees) the more you will need to use external antennas.
Most people complain about wireless cameras, but that is due to using the products outside of what they were designed for.
Ge advised that wireless cameras are not truely wireless!!
They still need power to work. You can change a battery everyday, or you can run a power wire back to a transformer, and plug it in.
LOS Line of Sight Propogation
Line-of-Sight (LOS) Range refers to the ideal broadcast range of wireless audio/video link (transmitter and receiver) systems. Line-of-sight means the range when there is a visible pathway between the transmitter antenna and the receiver antenna. Additionally, the Line-of-Sight specification indicates performance outdoor transmission distance of a wireless camera under absolute best conditions: (no walls, trees, or any obstructions). In other words, there is nothing between the transmitter and receiver, for example building top to building top.
FREQUENCY
Most cameras operate on a 2.4 GHz frequency, as do cordless phones, wireless routers, and baby monitors. There are three other frequencies: 2.4 GHz, 1.2 GHz, 900 MHz, 5.8 GHz, each with their own unique specifications.
L BAND (1240MHz - 1300MHz) 950MHz CAMERAS
S BAND (2 - 4 GHz) 2.4GHz CAMERAS
C BAND (4 - 8 GHz) 5.8GHz CAMERAS
Ch1 = 2.413 GHz, Ch2 = 2.432 GHz, CH3 = 2.451 GHz, CH4 = 2.470 GHz
Here is how I test the "air" before I install wireless cameras, and wireless routers!
Wi Spy 2.4 ANALYZER!
Chanalyzer 3.0 for Wi-Spy 2.4x
Hobby Spectrum analyzers
CYWUSB6935
IDWARF
WIRELESS CAMERA SETUP!
WARNING:
A wireless camera is not true wireless camera!! It needs power. You will have to run a wire to the camera to power it. You can use a battery to power it. They have 9 volt clip to power the camera. You will have to change the battery everyday! The battery setup is designed for short term use such as the few hours while you are away to catch a "bad nanny". For long periods you will need to buy the lithium batteries, and you might get 20 hours depending on the type of camera model.
If you have to run a wire for power why not run a wire for video? Wireless cameras are great for unattached buildings. You may have a garage, or a shed that you would like to have a camera to guard. The garage already has power, and the wireless camera will save you from digging up your yard to bury a wire!
First you will take a receiver and you will need to make sure that it is on the same "channel" as the camera.
Look at the camera. There should be a sticker or something that says 1, or 2, or 3, or 4. If it has a punch through the number, or a check mark on it then that is the channel that you will set the receiver to.
If you cannot tell what channel the camera is on then put the camera next to the receiver, and go through the channels until you see the video.
The yellow connector (USA composite) is the video out. Connect an RCA cable to the yellow connector. On the other end you will have to get an RCA to BNC adapter if you are using a DVR. The adapter goes on the DVR camera input, and the RCA cable plugs in to the adapter.
Note: Some receivers will lose the channel setting when the power goes out, and you will have to manually reset the channel back to the one that you need to make it operate. You may want to have it on a battery back up to avoid short term power loss situations. I recomend buying a reciever that has 4 position switch rather then the type where you press one button, and sequence through the 4 channel selections. This type when powered down comes back up on channel one. If you have another channel camera then you will have a loss of video on the recording device!
Note: In the USA the 2.4 GHz frequency is the same frequency used with wireless internet 802.11. You may have to change the wireless router that you use for computers to a different "channel" to avoid interfering with your wireless cameras.
Note: The distance on the package of a wireless cam is for direct line of sight from receiver, and the camera antenna. In other words if you penetrate a wall with the receiver on one side, and the camera on the other then you will have to move them closer together in order to keep the energy level up so that the receiver can see the camera video.
I cut the package distance in half when selecting a camera. If it says 300 feet (USA) then use it only good for 150 feet.
If you need 400 feet for your project then you will want to select a wireless camera that has 1000 feet line of sight.
The more walls that you penetrate then the closer you will have to get the camera, and the receiver to make it work.
Here is a trick. Put the receiver on the most outer wall closest to the wireless camera, and run wiring back to the DVR. The outside camera will give the receiver the best signal, and make your system trouble free.
In the USA the highest wattage that you can use without a license is one watt. If you go over one watt then you are in violation of FCC Rules, or you need to get a license to operate that "radio".
You can use low wattage systems with no problems. Use directional antennas that point at each other to give you direct line of sight, and you get a better signal output compared to an omnidirectional antennas. Also raise the antennas over treelines, and rooftops to get better reception!
One of the tricks to getting a wireless camera system to work is to put the receiver as close to the camera as you can get, then running a wire back to the recording device (VCR, DVR, or a PC based DVR).
If you are getting fuzzy pictures, or you have rolling black bars through the video then you do not have enough "energy" to make the receiver work. You will have to move the receiver closer to the camera, or buy a higher wattage system.
Most cameras with a built in wireless transmitter will be about 100 milliwatts. This is the same as a child's walkie talkie.
You will have to watch out for cordless phones. What frequency does yours work on? 2.4Ghz? This will interfere with your cameras! You may have to buy a new cordless phone that works on 5.8 Ghz, or you will have to buy a wireless camera system that operates at 5.8Ghz.
There is just as much interference on 5.8Ghz as there is on 2.4Ghz.
If you need more wattage then you will have to buy a regular camera, and then buy a separate transmitter, and receiver package. Wireless transmitter, and receiver as a package will run about $1000.00 for a set at MSRP. At the lowest I doubt that it would go below $400.00 for the set. If it is cheaper then you have a value, or you are getting something that you are not wanting. Be careful.
I would suggest that you hire someone who can design, and install a wireless system for you. This is not a DIY project.
If you have talked to those that have bought, and installed wireless cameras then you will hear how it did not work, and what a cheap piece of junk it is. NO. It is because they misunderstand how it works, or they are trying to get the system to do what it was not designed to do.
If you want a cheap wireless camera then be warned that it cannot put out any heat, or it will destroy the CCD chip. If you need more wattage then the transmitter has to come out of the camera. That is the rule.
They probably stuck the receiver in the back room where the VCR is, and the camera is out at the front of the house. They probably have 3, or 4 walls between the camera, and the receiver. Read the package. It will say line of sight. Hmm. This means that the camera transmitter antenna has to see the receiver's antenna. If the camera is outside, and the receiver is inside then how can they see each other? There is the first failure. The second is too far of a distance. If they had put the receiver on the back side of the wall where the camera was, and if they had ran the wire through the attic, and down the wall to the VCR, or DVR then they would have had no problems at all. They did a poor design, and a poor install.
Wireless is just a tool in the installers tool box. I would recommend a wired camera first then a wireless camera second.
Good Luck!
HERE ARE SOME SCREEN SHOTS OF DEVICES ON THE 2.4 SPECTRUM
MICROWAVE OVEN
CHANNEL 9 802.11b
BEACON CARRIER FROM A 2.4GHz PHONE
SUDDEN BURST OF TRAFFIC FROM A BLUETOOTH DONGLE
PRODUCTS:
SWANN WIRELESS CAMERAS
PATCH ANTENNA
YAGI ANTENNA
ANTENNA WIZARD