# Wireless Camera & large layout install Q's



## docs21 (Sep 11, 2015)

Hi Guys - brand new member here so pardon any misused etiquette or wrong area for my questions. I'm working on an indoor project and need guidance onthe following:
- Wireless cameras to be installed on G scale train, to be displayed on in-house monitors 
- Power for cameras - do cameras have to be battery powered or can they get power from train/track,etc?
- Suspended layout (from ceiling and possibly walls)
- Installer for above layout
- Recommendations on durable equipment to be run all day (if possible) or with interval rest stops

Once again please excuse my ignorance. This is why I need help!
Thanks much,
Dave


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

docs21 said:


> Hi Guys - brand new member here so pardon any misused etiquette or wrong area for my questions. I'm working on an indoor project and need guidance onthe following:
> - Wireless cameras to be installed on G scale train, to be displayed on in-house monitors
> - Power for cameras - do cameras have to be battery powered or can they get power from train/track,etc?
> - Suspended layout (from ceiling and possibly walls)
> ...


 Wow. Those are a lot of questions 

Before we answer completely, you might need to give us some more info. What types of trains are you going to be running? Euro or American outline? Passenger or freight? Modern diesel and electrics, or old-fashioned steam? Do you want sound? Wireless control? What radius will your curves be?

As a guess, any small wireless camera that will fit will work. Lots of videos are posted from peoples' iPhones sent around in a freight car or GoPros rubber banded to the front of a loco.

The issue I see with battery power is that if you have an elevated layout, changing them might be inconvenient. There are many ways to pick up power from the track, but one thing to keep in mind is that if the layout is DC, as the train slows at some point the power will drop below what the camera requires. I think sorting this out might be the tricky part. Going all the way to DCC might be overkill... it's hard to say. I'm sure someone will be along with more thoughts soon.

I've had good luck with LGB equipment, most of mine is used and all of it is of the older, West German manufacture. It seems to be very robust and replacement parts are readily available. Be aware that 24/7 running will eventually wear down the rail at the curves and that the locomotives will need regular service. You almost certainly need to have a "spare" loco ready to run if you're serious about having one going all the time.

Welcome to the board!


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## docs21 (Sep 11, 2015)

Thanks riderdan for your time and expertise. I should've been more clear on the camera situation. We want to have the cameras live in real time - not recordings) so "closed circuit" if you will. Do you know if this has been done in G-scale with color HD cameras and in real time as mentioned? Regarding battery based cameras, we could have the train pull into a station house nightly where we can pull and recharge a battery(s), but ideally not having to do that would be much more convenient. Regards to EQ - I've been told LGB, Marklin are reliable, but I'm open minded.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried it once with an X-10 type camera that ran on 3 AA batteries. This was a long time ago and trying to run it outdoors. It didn't work too well.

The batteries didn't last very long (less than an hour) and the camera's antenna and the Receiver's antenna had to be oriented with the flat sides parallel to each other... so naturally when the train went around in a circle the reception dropped off twice in the loop when the camera's antenna was not oriented properly (it did work okay when the batteries were fresh and the loco was closest to the Receiver).

Also, if the train was at the far end of the track and I walked between them, my body was enough resistance to the signal that it was lost, but I was trying to transmit over 100 ft to the receiver. I have seen some HO scale equipment that runs from track power and works fine indoors on a small HO scale layout. And newer technology surely has overcome the distance and obstruction problems I encountered. MicroMark used to sell an HO scale camera (that would fit in an HO scale loco) and receiver, I don't know if they still do. You might check out their site (www dot micromark dot com).

Also do a web search for "surveillance" systems... 

Running the camera from track power or batteries is not a problem, but powering a radio transmitter that will transmit any good distance through walls and such takes more power than batteries alone can provide for a long time. Maybe the today's newer battery technologies might improve the run time but I think track power would be better.

Plain DC variable voltage power on the track would be a problem, but something like DCC, where the power is constant and the speed of the loco is controlled via pulses on the track via a speed controller in the loco itself (can easily be filtered out so they don't interfere the camera and transmitter) would work fine.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> newer technology surely has overcome the distance and obstruction problems


Absolutely. They use WiFi now, and your suggestion to search for 'surveillance' is the right one. Many security system cameras broadcast to a fixed monitor or over the internet to your browser. My pal has a webcam in the window of his FL condo so he can see what is going on outside with his boat.


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave - a few thoughts - if you have a reasonably new but retired cell phone you may be able to use it to stream video over WiFi with little more than an app on the phone - I am currently looking into doing just that for an upcoming Maker Faire where I would like to display real time video in HD.

I have also been experimenting with an inexpensive (< $100) GoPro knock off that has WiFi built in. There is an app that I have installed on a tablet that shows the video direct from the camera. 

I'll see if I can put together a short video to show how that works.

As to power you certainly can power any of these devices from track power, be it DCC or straight DC. You would need to clean it up with some capacitors, provide for reverse polarity and voltage regulation but it surely can be done.

dave


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

*WiFi Streaming to Tablet*

Dave - I just uploaded a short video to YouTube that shows how the SJ4000 camera can be used to send real-time video to a tablet --- I used an Android tablet but I believe it also will work with iPads.

The range is not stellar but certainly OK for many uses - I got about 60 feet line-of-sight in the driveway and was solid anywhere in my basement (about 35 x 40).

The video is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXpxScxLcM&feature=youtu.be

The video quality is very good and can be recorded as well.

dave


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

Dave, are you running that from batteries or track power. It's very cool.


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

For cameras, Dcc would be better due to a constant voltage above 5-12 volts to power the cameras through a regulator.


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## docs21 (Sep 11, 2015)

*DB vid is the bees knees*

Dave B - THANKS! SO now we know (I know) it can be done. So next step I think for me is to find out how to, if at all possible, increase the range where we can utilizes the wireless camera(s) on an XXL layout. Also, find a way to get it powered where we don't have to use batteries if possible. Unless the batteries could last a long time which I think would be difficult. Additionally I'm assuming if it worked with your android tablet it should work with a smart TV (since we want to show the live stream from the train to a larger audience, thus using a 42" or larger monitor). Great vid DB!
Thanks,
Dave


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

riderdan said:


> Dave, are you running that from batteries or track power. It's very cool.


That video was made with the camera and tablet all running from batteries. 

The camera can be connected to a microusb plug for charging and will run while being charged. That allows one to build up a 5 volt charging circuit that is fed by track power and to run the camera for hours & hours.

As it is the battery will operate the camera for an hour or so.

FYI, the camera is this one from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/ANART®-SPC-01...F8&qid=1442008962&sr=1-6&keywords=sj4000+wifi

Be careful of SJ4000 clones (yes, there are clones of the clone of the GoPro) as some are of really low quality.

dave


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

docs21 said:


> Dave B - THANKS! SO now we know (I know) it can be done. So next step I think for me is to find out how to, if at all possible, increase the range where we can utilizes the wireless camera(s) on an XXL layout. Also, find a way to get it powered where we don't have to use batteries if possible. Unless the batteries could last a long time which I think would be difficult. Additionally I'm assuming if it worked with your android tablet it should work with a smart TV (since we want to show the live stream from the train to a larger audience, thus using a 42" or larger monitor). Great vid DB!
> Thanks,
> Dave


Increasing the range with the camera I used might be tricky. In theory you could add a WiFi repeater but there is no guarantee that it would do what you need.

Your smart TV would have to accept Android apps as the video from this camera is only available from an app. You could, of course, use an Android phone or tablet that had HDMI out and connect that to your TV.

dave


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> if at all possible, increase the range


I have a wireless range extender in my home to propagate the signal sideways. It's just a box plugged in the wall outlet. Presumably it will work with your rig.

A more desirable solution, if the TV and layout are far apart, would be to use a wired connection. A WiFi extender at one end and then plug the cable in your TV. Or something like that!


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Q: for Dave Bodnar -- Dave, what Android app are you using? I just browsed the App store for my IPad and got a ton of confusing choices, some of which say they need to work in conjunction with another one, or using a Mac as a master controller. (Or sometimes they're just assuming you want to get a stream from your Mac to your IPad -- maybe they'll work if you can drag the stream from another wifi-enabled device -- it's not clear.

Anyway, I thought I'd read the name of the app you're using, or caught it on your video? But I can't find it now..

I'm rambling here... some days are like that...


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

If you want high quality video with better range than WiFi can provide take a look at the stuff used in Quadcopters and similar video platforms. 

The Hero cameras work good together with small FPV AV 5.8gHz equipment. This stuff will do all you want and then some. Prices start at $40.00 or so on eBay, also available at Amazon and many other online sites.

I'm training with my newly assembled DJI F450, Hero 3+ Black HD camera w/3d gimbal together with AV 5.8gHz system, exceptional video quality IMO... Video link here from like equipped machine at train station in Michigan.





 
Battery power is required, I'd suggest an AV car (boxcar/gondola or similar) with battery bank and video gear for best results. 

Michael


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary Woolard said:


> Q: for Dave Bodnar -- Dave, what Android app are you using? I just browsed the App store for my IPad and got a ton of confusing choices, some of which say they need to work in conjunction with another one, or using a Mac as a master controller. (Or sometimes they're just assuming you want to get a stream from your Mac to your IPad -- maybe they'll work if you can drag the stream from another wifi-enabled device -- it's not clear.
> 
> Anyway, I thought I'd read the name of the app you're using, or caught it on your video? But I can't find it now..
> 
> I'm rambling here... some days are like that...


Gary - the app is specific to the camera I am using - the camera is an SJ4000 that I got on Amazon - the app is called iSmart DV

I doubt that it will work with any other camera.

dave


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael Glavin said:


> If you want high quality video with better range than WiFi can provide take a look at the stuff used in Quadcopters and similar video platforms.
> 
> The Hero cameras work good together with small FPV AV 5.8gHz equipment. This stuff will do all you want and then some. Prices start at $40.00 or so on eBay, also available at Amazon and many other online sites.
> 
> ...


Michael - how do you connect the Hero 3+ to the transmitter? The 5.8 gig transmitter / receiver pairs I found on Amazon take composite video and that is not good for high quality video.

I would like to give this a try and would appreciate some links to specific products. Perhaps one that takes HDMI video?

thanks!

dave


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

I have used a small surveillance kit from Fry's for under $100. The camera is about 1 inch square and runs from a 9 volt battery. I use an external wi-fi antenna on the receiver and get good coverage at 100+ feet. I use a small Velcro tab to mount it on top of the cupola and the battery hangs down inside the caboose. The receiver is small and has a composite output that hooks to any modern TV. The camera shoots over the train and gives a good point of view. At shows, it is a big hit as people try to figure out where the camera is. Kids like to get in line with the track and see themselves on the monitor. I typically get most of a day with one battery.

Michael


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Dave

The inexpensive stuff is all composite video or RCA between the display and receiver. The camera is connected via micro-USB adapter cable to the transmitter AV input. There is HDMI stuff available; its much pricier and utilizes WIFI.

The video quality is very good IMO, I have the Hero 3+ Black Edition camera set-up for 1080-30fps output.

I'll put some links up for the equipment I have.

Michael


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael Glavin said:


> Dave
> 
> The inexpensive stuff is all composite video or RCA between the display and receiver. The camera is connected via micro-USB adapter cable to the transmitter AV input. There is HDMI stuff available; its much pricier and utilizes WIFI.
> 
> ...


Michael - thanks for the info - I ordered a transmitter / receiver pair (5.8 GHz) and a small camera from Amazon - should have them tomorrow. 
I'll give a report once they come in.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GWFUTSK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0O79J8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 


dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Great job Dave (Bodnar), and thanks for raising the topic Dave (docs21), most intriguing!


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Dave

The Boscam equipment you ordered is the same stuff I have, good choice. The little camera you ordered is interesting, should be great for trains. I have a GoPro 3+ Black edition HD camera.

I listed my equipment below, includes the micro-usb camera adapter for Gopro and a very nice 7” monitor with PiP, onboard dual channel/receivers, its capable of receiving two independent AV sources same as the Boscam RX you ordered. Two cameras can be utilized for FWD/REV views simultaneously…

If you find yourself pondering WiFi/HDMI possibilities I have some info that may be of interest.


GoPro Hero 4, 3+ or 3 FPV AV Connector - Charging Cable - USB to FPV Tx Connector Mini Molex plug 
http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Hero-FP...sbs_421_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DRDE97E169CMHK2VP25

Neewer® RC Spare Part AV Signal and Power Charging Cable AV Cable FPV Realtime for DJI Phantom Gopro3 
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Signal...JEsEmUBL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_

Boscam 5.8G 8CH 2000mW Wireless Audio AV Video Transmitter Sender TS582000 + RC805 8CH Wireless Receiver for FPV 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DM3YKLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Boscam 32Ch 5.8G 600mw 5km Wireless AV Transmitter TS832 Receiver RC832 for FPV 
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Tran...ie=UTF8&qid=1442356630&sr=8-17&keywords=ts832 

Anbee® FPV 5.8Ghz Circular Polarized Clover Leaf Antenna High Gain Aerial Set w/RP-SMA Plug 
http://www.amazon.com/Anbee®-5-8Ghz...ircular+Polarized&refinements=p_72:2661618011

Lilliput 7” FPV Monitor 1280x800, 5.8 gHz Dual Channel Receiver with Auto channel search complete with battery/charger. 
http://www.amazon.com/LILLIPUT-339-...=8-2&keywords=lilliput+339/dw#customerReviews

Michael


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, Michael - I am looking forward to putting this together and seeing the results.

I steered away from the GoPro due to its size..... I plan on using this on an HO modular layout and the GoPro wll not fit through some of the bridges on he layout. The camera I ordered is smaller and can be cut down in size should I need to do so.

dave


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

The camera and transmitter / receiver arrived yesterday. I took only a few minutes to get it operating.

I put together notes on what I am using on my web page here:
http://www.trainelectronics.com/WirelessCamera/

This information includes several videos including one made with this new equipment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwOfapU3Pf8&feature=youtu.be

I have ordered a different set of antennas and will test them to see if the range / quality of signal are improved.

Stay tuned!

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Micheal & Dave,

I have a GoPro Hero 3. What would I need to use it with the Boscam 32Ch 600mw system, and connect the receiver to a laptop? Is that possible?

I'm enjoying the investigation!
Cliff


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ said:


> Micheal & Dave,
> 
> I have a GoPro Hero 3. What would I need to use it with the Boscam 32Ch 600mw system, and connect the receiver to a laptop? Is that possible?
> 
> ...


Cliffy - I believe you need a cable like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Goliton®-Tran...7619&sr=8-2&keywords=gopro+boscam+transmitter
to connect the GoPro to the transmitter -

Unfortunately that may not give you any better video than what you get from the camera I am using as the cable provides composite video, not the hi def video that the GoPro normally generates.

To get the composite video to the laptop you would need an adapter like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...aps&field-keywords=easycap&rh=i:aps,k:easycap

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Excellent, thanks Dave!


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

One more question for you guys, for an outdoor layout that's ~100' x 25' with room to grow, is it worth getting the 2,000mW Boscam setup, or would that be overkill? I have obstacles like trees and deck posts & concrete mountains, so I'm wondering if the more powerful unit will be better able to work around those, and give better overall signal strength.


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

The higher wattage unit will give you better range but not as much as you might think - better to concentrate on better antennas.... 

Keep in mind that the higher wattage unit will also draw more power - might be an issue if you are using batteries.

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

OK, thanks Dave. I ordered the 600mW system, looking forward to trying it out!

It's nice that making it work with the PC only required the cost of that adapter. It would also be fun to have a little monitor to pass around to visitors. I see several 7" ones that are pretty cheap, I guess I mainly need to make sure it can run on batteries.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Cliffy

Link below is for monitors with single, dual and diversity receiver/monitors. As little as $50.00, some have with batteries built-in. I'm sure like with most things herein you get what you pay for. I have no experience with the inexpensive monitors, I opted for a better than average monitor.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_23?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=5.8ghz+receiver+monitor&sprefix=5.8ghz+receiver+monitor%2Caps%2C199

The Hero adapter chord Dave linked to is exactly the same chord I purchased, as well as another style. Don't know why but it didn't work, so I plugged in the latter adapter chord and all is well (I have to take a look at the adapted chord, perhaps bad wire connection or pin-out is wrong) and the Molex plug needs some attention to as you'll have to relieve the index slot/clip to allow the plug to fit the TX connector.

Michael


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up on the cord Michael. 
And I like those integrated monitor-receivers, very cool.


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.rcgroups.com/fpv-talk-469/

This might help to weed out the selection.


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Just FWIW, re: the earlier point about the software available for the ANART sport cam, iSmart DV -- there is an IPhone/IPad version available. Specifies ios 8, but it seems to work fine on my iPad mini w/ ios 9. Doesn't seem to support direct streaming, but otherwise successful.
Thanks to Dave Bodnar for pointing us to this Go-Clone, btw.


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

*Video taken out-of-doors*

I set up the 5.8 GHz transmitter / receiver & camera outside this afternoon and recorded the video output from the receiver directly to a laptop - the video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bm4QgB2Crw&feature=youtu.be

Details on the equipment is here:
http://www.trainelectronics.com/WirelessCamera/

The camera's focus might have been a bit soft as the monitor I was using outside to set things up was washed out by the sunlight.....

I should have the circularly polarized antennas tomorrow and plan on repeating the test using them. While the signal was very good there were some areas where signal was lost for a moment.

dave


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Dave

Them gremlins be aboard. How is the train powered, rail or battery?

Michael


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael Glavin said:


> Dave
> 
> Them gremlins be aboard. How is the train powered, rail or battery?
> 
> Michael


Battery power controlled by the Revolution remote control.

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Well, now I feel pretty dang dumb. I just realized that my GoPro (Hero 3) has WIFI, which I've not tried out. When I got it, I didn't see a PC-based app for it, and was concerned about range. Question: was I stupid to get the RF gear, and not use the WIFI approach?


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ said:


> Well, now I feel pretty dang dumb. I just realized that my GoPro (Hero 3) has WIFI, which I've not tried out. When I got it, I didn't see a PC-based app for it, and was concerned about range. Question: was I stupid to get the RF gear, and not use the WIFI approach?


The RF equipment is likely to give better range..... the WiFi better quality

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Hmm. Well, maybe I'll try them both.
Thanks for the trial video, I'm interested in seeing whether your new antenna improves the video quality.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

dbodnar said:


> Battery power controlled by the Revolution remote control.
> 
> dave


 What are the considerations for EMI @ 5.8gHz? Trains are likely a hot bed for metal to metal abrasion. There is little consideration herein with FPV/quadcopters generally speaking. Or maybe the 2.4gHz Revolution is a quandary in close proximity to the 5.8gHz TX?

Michael


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

*Antenna tests*

Michael - I don't think the issue is interference but poor antennas.

I make two videos yesterday, one using the stock "rubber duck" antennas that came with the transmitter / receiver pair. The second video was taken a few minutes later with identical conditions except that I swapped out the original equipment antennas for the fancy circular polarized antennas. The video clearly shows fewer instances of interference with the new antennas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=7&v=StcDkcBO3AU

I was surprised at the difference but quite pleased!

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

This is a tangent, but I was able to get my GoPro hooked up to my PC via WIFI. Sort of. I used the WiGo software with the VLC media player. WiGo isn't an officially recognized GoPro app, but it's the only thing I could find that connects the GoPro to a PC via Wifi.

At best, all I saw were about 2 second bursts, with about 2 second pauses in between. 

Other downsides observed were:
- No real connection between WiGo and VLC (that I could make work, at least so far)
- Complete signal dropout with my (concrete) mountains
- Problems reestablishing the wifi connection after dropout
- You're connecting to the GoPro as the exclusive wireless network connection
- You can't have a regular wifi internet connection at the same time (e.g., you can't view the help file for the WiGo while connected to the GoPro; you keep needing to switch between)

I'm sure I've not found the proper settings for some parameters. And I suppose I could invest in wifi repeaters, maybe alternate software, & who knows what. But at this point, I'm thinking that I've given the wifi approach a fair shake, and am ready to move on to the the RF approach you guys are discussing. 

Dave B., thanks for that side-by-side video, I'd sure be happy with the right-hand result.

Cliff


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Dave B., I was just doing an initial hookup, and am seeing that the camera-to-transmitter cord you recommended has only 2 wires, not three (as is shown in your article). Is that ok, or do I need to get a different one?

Thanks,
Cliff


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ said:


> Dave B., I was just doing an initial hookup, and am seeing that the camera-to-transmitter cord you recommended has only 2 wires, not three (as is shown in your article). Is that ok, or do I need to get a different one?
> 
> Thanks,
> Cliff


Cliff - the camera could have two wired (video and ground - probably black and yellow) to the transmitter but it then would have to have two additional wires (red / black) for power.

Send a photo if you wish and I can give a better answer.

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

dbodnar said:


> Cliff - the camera could have two wired (video and ground - probably black and yellow) to the transmitter but it then would have to have two additional wires (red / black) for power.
> 
> Send a photo if you wish and I can give a better answer.
> 
> dave


Dave, here's the overall setup,










And here's the connection in question:










For power, I'm assuming the GoPro needs to operate on it's internal battery power. I still need to arrange a 12vdc battery for both the receiver and transmitter, so I'm open to ideas there.

The removable / optional LCD "bacpac" shown on the GP has its own power jack, but the GP itself has only the micro hdmi & mini usb.

Thanks Dave,

Cliff


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Looking at similar video cords for the Hero 3, they have 2 wires as well, so maybe that question is answered.

Still looking for a small (rechargeable?) 12v battery setup...


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ said:


> Looking at similar video cords for the Hero 3, they have 2 wires as well, so maybe that question is answered.
> 
> Still looking for a small (rechargeable?) 12v battery setup...


You are right about the internal battery powering the GoPro - the black wire is ground and the other is video out.

There are a number of 12 volt power options - mostly it depends on how much space you have - I am using 3 @ 3.7 volt cell phone batteries wired in series - that works well with the transmitter and runs it for several hours.

dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the idea Dave. How to you charge the 3 batteries? One at a time in an old cell phone? 

Here's what caught my eye yesterday, though it may be overkill. Or is it?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A24OIV2F0TL1K3

I'll be rubber-banding to a G gauge flatcar, so should be plenty of room.

Cliff


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ said:


> Thanks for the idea Dave. How to you charge the 3 batteries? One at a time in an old cell phone?
> 
> Here's what caught my eye yesterday, though it may be overkill. Or is it?
> 
> ...


If you don't want to deal with building your own that is a very good alternative - price is not too bad, either, and it looks like it deals with charging and protecting from over discharge - go for it!
dave


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks Dave, will do!


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