Wireless security camera

[securit]

It's the Honeywell/Friedland/response site to download, but I think you've got the latest version

 

[raydjones]

it says firmware version A0.2.9 so I'll check on honeywell site - though n93lk is probably Maplin brand so not sure what to search for.

Is it possible to pick up the images on a windows laptop? it was a doddle on the smartphone but does OM guard have an equivalent under Windows?
I see Maplin now have spare cameras but I'd like to get one with a "longer lens" say 6-10mm rather than same as CAM1 (3.6mm).

 

[securit]

It's deffo made by response/Honeywell/Friedland, as for the camera, you'd be better ringing response and asking them about an equivalent camera, I think they're £89 in maplin but as for a longer lens???[/b]

 

[Swalesecurity]

I'm going to be blunt here. What do you need it for?

Wireless cams are a pain in the rear end... Fantastic when they work and right buggy when you get noise interference.

 

[securit]

I'm going to be blunt here. What do you need it for?

Wireless cams are a pain in the rear end... Fantastic when they work and right buggy when you get noise interference.

Yes I agree, I've had wireless cams before, n switch your microwave on n and fuzzy picture, that's why I went for DIGITAL!!!!! No INTERFERENCE

 

[Swalesecurity]

When they first came out it was like o fantastic no more cables o wait a minute they still need power lol.
Then I will just get my mobile its ringing, what's happened to the monitor, then I will warm some left overs up before you know noise has destroyed it.
If your going to wire a wireless cam. I say why not get a full install you can still remote access it. To run one cable is the same as running a bnc (shotgun) cable.
And interference is minimal if any. And if you get 600tvl -700tvl ir you cant go wrong plus they start on the net for about £25. You can get DVR chip for computer and a hard drive less than £70 ready made bnc no more £30 and you have a install. ( us installers cringe at ready made bnc but hey it's cheap and works).
More reliable in most cases. Though new wireless are getting better I will always stick to hard wired. Old school if its not broken don't fix it.

 

[bernardgreen]

Some years ago a colleague had "free" CCTV coverage of the entrance to his apartment block by eves-dropping on the transmissions from the wireless CCTV camera that fed the monitor at the porter's desk in the next building.

 

[Swalesecurity]

Lol that's brilliant I've heard similar stories.

Sent from my ipad

 

[securit]

I have fitted a wireless camera set up, all works perfectly. No interference due to digital technology, able to monitor from phone, no yards n yards of cable, just one short cable for power, ( plus I can use my microwave n mobile phone n wireless alarm with no prob )

 

[Swalesecurity]

Like I said they are getting better. I just prefer wired and recommend wired.

 

[raydjones]

Wireless is so much more convenient than wired - I had to drill through the shed (concrete block) wall to get power but as I said earlier in this thread there are several walls to negotiate to hard wire, then there is the problem of wires running along the bedroom walls and skirting boards to the lcd unit (and then an ethernet connection to the ADSL modem in the office). No thanks, just the power cable hole and job done (lol/el - even louder). I could run a signal cable around the outside of the shed and house but that would not be too clever if a thief was to pop by and snipped it first, also a wired recorder is a bit easier for a burglar to locate than if it's wireless.

I finally got an answer from Maplin - no memory card supplied (I suppose that's why it's cheaper than the Friedland DID2 model). Also they only stock the one model of camera so I'm stuck with the 3.6mm focal length unless it's a screw in type that I can get elsewhere. I can't complain I bought it as a B-grade clearance item for £98 2 weeks ago and it is great compared to my analogue 5 year-old B&W "EasyFit" kit. I may use it for lambing if I can solder on a bigger antenna.
Thanks again

 

[chaindaisy]

Hi Ray,

The antenna is either half wave dipole, whip or quarter wave helical (I'm sticking my neck out a bit, there may be others). You can get a bracket for either but you may need to feed into the unit and solder and mount the antenna close by. Hope this helps.

CD.

 

[Swalesecurity]

Completely appreciate where your coming from but believe me if any of my guys left a house or office like you described they wouldn't get paid and p45 would be issued...

Did a hard wire install myself today 8 cameras 3 outside. Pool house, summer house and garage. Ran cables along side the armour cabling, up in through the same entry point then cable trunking up the corner zap a hole trough for the camera mount it connect it. No cables showing. At the house used conduit up the wall popped a hole trough the flashing sealed up ran the cables through the loft dropped the cable into the office and installed the DVR unit. It's wasn't hard 6hrs worth of work.

Now yes wireless I would of been in and out, but a few years back we had so much trouble with them we scrapped the lot I've still got 50 odd units in the stores. Good to go if anyone wants them... But I can't give them away not even to the taxi drivers.

 

[securit]

Yup, I agree wireless 5 years ago was a pain, but with digital, wireless is now the future i think, as a security company can provide cameras n fit miles of hardwire cabling with holes everywhere, and then fitting around skirting etc, the kits today are made easy for the diy er to be fitted much easier and cheaper than to get a firm in, anyway I'm over the moon with mine, and for what it does for the price, I can't fault it

 

[potentialzero]

Thanks for the reply - I suppose the memory card mentioned on P5 is another misprint too.
From what you say when a movement is detected it triggers a 2min recording - so a 16gb card will give me just over 1000 of the most recent movements which will do fine. I'll order one later.
Is there any reason why I should not have replaced the camera antenna? I've increased the range by using an 8db screw-in type - I only get 1 bar on my signal but the original only barely got into the house.

If it helps anyone, my camera is 20m from the lcd receiver, and the signal passes through 3 walls (1 shed wall, the outside cavity wall and bedroom wall). Four breeze blocks in all. The signal strength is a 5-bar scale but I only get 1 bar having replaced the cameras detachable antenna. With the original antenna it was an intermittent 1-bar through 3 breeze blocks.

I would like an extra camera but it would need to have a more "punchy" transmitter as it would be 20m further away.
Thanks again.
Ray

I picked up one of these kits in my local Maplins and got 3 extra cameras on their website so I could set up a security system for the folks. Out the box the range is just ok using the supplied aerials. I could get reception through two brick walls and 3 floors about 10-12 m away from the camera, which wouldn't have been enough range for the folk's house as the signal would need to get through many walls as they walk around the house with the monitor (single level bungalow with all brick internal walls so the signals would struggle).

So I experimented with a variety of standard WIFI aerial options. First-off, don't waste your money on any of the larger "high gain" aerials that say things like "+9dBi" or "+20dBi"...they make no difference to the signal range and some of them have poor quality threads that can damage the thread on the camera. As examples of what NOT TO BUY:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/antenna-Net...F8&qid=1385887277&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+aerial
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RP-SMA-2-...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item565ad215c2
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4GHz-Ro...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item2c658aeee5
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4GHz-Ro...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item1c29276eb8
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item2a33ad3ae6
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4GHz-16...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item3f294f9bf5


What did work fantastically well were these two aerial "boosters":
Option 1 (£10): TP-Link TL-ANT2408C Omni-directional antenna
Option 2 (£27): 2W 2.4Ghz Wifi Wireless Broadband Amplifier Router Power Range Signal Booster

Option 1 on it's own extended the range by about another 10-15m.
Option 2 on it's own extended the range by about another 20-30m.

I didn't test both in series (option 2 connected to the camera with option 1 connected to the booster) but that would probably be a good combo.

I found the aerial boosters on Amazon but you may find cheaper on eBay or elsewhere:
Option 1: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001PSB582/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Option 2: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BT9CKXQ/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The option 1 and option 2 areal boosters are mounted neatly in the roof cavity on the rafters (both come with mounting points) with the leads all going away from the cameras towards the centre of the house.

Something I didn't try was one of these which may/may not work:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4GHz-25...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item35cce88469

Like others, I didn't find an SD card in my box...so I opted for a 32GB SDHC which worked perfectly:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007PYBOZ4/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hopefully this info helps others decide, but I'm more than happy with these cameras as reception is good throughout the house and garden wherever the folks take their monitor. Not surprised using both signal booster options in series. And Maplin have dropped the price to &169 recently too.

PS, if anyone has a manual, any chance of a scan as my folks lost theirs and I now can't tell them how to set up the recording mode and playback video! Thanks!!