Introduction
The following instructions cover the installation of two or more wireless XCams with remote control ability. Common questions are covered at the end of this document.
Setup
Configuring The Palm Pad
- Insert four AAA batteries into the Palm Pad's battery compartment.
- Set the House code dial on the Palm Pad to "A." The dial is located in the bottom left corner of the remote.
- Set the Unit Selection Switch to "1-8." The switch is located in the bottom right corner of the remote.
- Press one of the ON or OFF buttons. You should see the LED at the top of the remote blink. This confirms the Palm Pad is operating.
If a CR12 Remote Control is available, click here for its setup instructions.
Configuring The Transceiver
- Set the House dial on the face of the unit to "A."
- Temporarily plug an incandescent lamp into the outlet on the bottom of the Transceiver (first make sure the lamp's power switch is ON).
- Plug the Transceiver into an AC outlet.
- Press the ON/OFF button on the face of the unit. You should hear the relay inside click, and the lamp will turn on or off. This verifies that the Transceiver is connected to power and is ready to send and receive commands.
- Press the ON/OFF button again until the relay (and the lamp) is off.
- Extend the Transceiver's antenna.
Note: Be careful not to confuse the Transceiver with the Video Receiver. To ensure you are configuring the correct device, check the label on the back or bottom of each device.
Configuring A Camera
- Set the House dial on the Addressable Power Supply to "A." Note: The Power Supply may also be labeled as a Remote Controlled Power Supply.
- Set the Unit dial on the Addressable Power Supply to "1."
- Connect the Addressable Power Supply's power cord to the camera.
- On the base of the camera, next to the camera's mounting arm, there is a small rubber plug. Carefully pull it out and look for a small slider switch inside the camera's housing. This switch controls the camera's transmission channels. With the camera upright, the switch position all the way to the bottom is "A." The upper most position is "D." Set the switch to transmission channel "A."
- Replace the rubber plug.
- Orient the camera's antenna (flat square shape connected to the base) in the general direction of where the Video Receiver will be located.
- Plug the Addressable Power Supply into a nearby outlet.
- Repeat the above process for a second camera and set its power supply to code A2.
If you already have other X10 modules (Lamp Modules, Appliance Modules, Wall Switches, etc.) installed, set the House (letter dial) and Unit (number dial) codes on the Addressable Power Supply to an available code in the House group of your existing system. Example: In your home, you are using House code A and Unit codes 1 through 3 are used by a Transceiver and two Lamp Modules. Set the cameras to House code A and to higher Unit numbers (see Behind The Scenes below for possible conflict). It is also acceptable to set your camera to a different House code. This is highly recommended in multiple camera systems as it keeps your devices organized (i.e. House code A is for automated lights and appliances and House code C is for cameras--assuming you own multiple Transceivers). Note: One Transceiver is need for each House code used.
Configuring The Video Receiver
- On the bottom of the Video Receiver locate the Channel switch. Move the switch to position "A."
- Also located on the bottom of the Receiver, find the TV Channel switch and set it to the television channel you wish to display the output (either 3 or 4). If you are planning to use the RCA jacks instead, you can ignore this step.
- Using the coaxial cable, connect one end to the Receiver's coax jack and the other end to the television's cable/antenna coax jack. If you are using the RCA jacks, connect the RCA cable to the video and audio output jacks on the TV. Connect the other end of the RCA cable to the video and audio input jacks on the back of the Receiver.
- Lift the flat antenna on the Receiver and orient it in the general direction of the camera.
- Plug the Receiver Power Supply's power cord into the Receiver's power jack. Note: Make sure you use the correct power supply. The Receiver's power supply is the one with NO code wheels on it.
- Plug the power supply into a nearby outlet.
Testing The System
Confirming RF Communication
- The default Unit code for the Transceiver is 1. Press the ON button in the top row of the Palm Pad (row 1 controls Unit 1, row 2 controls Unit 2, etc.). If the Unit Selection Switch is set to "9-16", the top row is unit 9, the second is 10, and so on.
- You should hear the relay inside the Transceiver click on. The click confirms that the Palm Pad is transmitting properly and the Transceiver is receiving and responding to commands. If you do not hear the click, press the OFF button on the remote instead. The Transceiver's relay may already be in the ON position.
Confirming Camera Control
- Turn on your television and change the channel to match the channel you chose for the Receiver's TV Channel switch (3 or 4). If you are using the RCA connections, set your TV to the appropriate mode as described in your TV's instruction manual.
- Locate the power switch on the side of the Video Receiver. Move it to the On position. A small red light should appear on the front of the Receiver. At this point, you may see one of the cameras' transmitted images on your television.
- Using the Palm Pad, send the ON command for A1. A moment later, the camera set to A1 turns on.
- Send the ON command for A2. A moment later, the A1 camera turns off and the A2 camera turns on. If the pictures appear distorted or there is interference, reorient the Cameras' and Receiver's antenna. If the interference remains, try the other transmission channels. Note: Momentary distortion just after switching cameras is normal.
- Alternate between the two cameras to verify that they respond consistently. Note: Allow at least one to two seconds between each command you send.
- The remaining steps in this section will demonstrate the Unit code group feature of the Addressable Power Supplies.
- Send the ON command for A1. The A1 camera turns on.
- Send the ON command for A3. The A1 camera turns off.
- Send the ON command for A1. The A1 camera turns on.
- Send the ON command for A4. The A1 camera turns off.
- Send the ON command for A1. The A1 camera turns on.
- Send the ON command for A5. The A1 camera remains on. The Behind The Scenes section below covers the details of why the camera did not turn off when the ON command for A5 was transmitted.
Adjusting The Focus
- Remove the clear plastic lens cap. Its function is to protect the camera when mounted outdoors.
- Rotate the inner portion of the lens to adjust the focus. It might be a bit tight. Try turning it counterclockwise first. If you turn it clockwise do not force or over tighten it.
Behind The Scenes
The essence of the X10 Wireless Camera system is the use of frequency sharing. To better convey the concept of frequency sharing, let us use an analogy of a group of people having a discussion. One person in the group has been assigned the task of listening to what the other people are saying. If one person is speaking, the listener understands what is said perfectly. If more than one person is speaking, the listener cannot easily discern one person's voice from the others. In order for clear communication to occur only one person may speak at a time. In this analogy, the one person tasked with listening parallels the Video Receiver; it receives signals from wireless XCams. The people talking parallel our cameras. When one camera is transmitting, its audio and video are received by the Video Receiver and then sent to a television. If more than one camera is transmitting, the signals interfere with each other. A distorted signal is received by the Video Receiver, which results in an output that is undesirable. This is where frequency sharing enters the picture. Each camera transmits at the same frequency; however, only one will be in operation at a given time to prevent interference. Frequency sharing is beneficial because it allows for a system that can be expanded easily, without the addition of large amounts of equipment.
Unit code groups for addressable XCams.
XCam2 cameras are designed to be used in groups of 4. The groups of 4 are 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, or 13-16. The Addressable Power Supplies are designed such that if their code is received they turn on, but if any other code (in their group of 4) is received, they turn off. This ensures that only one camera is ever on at the same time. Any code outside their group of 4 is ignored. So if you turn on camera 1, cameras 2, 3, and 4 turn off. If you turn on camera 2, cameras 1, 3 and 4 turn off, etc. Note: The Transceiver's Unit code is 1, so if you turn it on, it's just like turning camera 1 on; therefore, cameras 2, 3, and 4 will turn off. If you turned on camera 1, 2, 3, or 4 and also had a camera set to 5 it would not turn off, as it's not part of the group of 4. You would need to turn it off separately so that you didn't have two cameras on at the same time (which would scramble the signal sent to the Video Receiver).
Beyond Two Cameras
Up To 4 Cameras
As mentioned in the previous section, our wireless cameras are designed to work in groups of 4. If your camera setup requires you to deviate from a Unit code group, please ensure that you firmly understand the previous section, so you may make the necessary adjustments to prevent signal interference (sending the appropriate OFF command before turning on the next camera).
5+ Cameras
When your system involves five or more cameras, the choreography of controlling your cameras becomes a little more involved. If you are switching between two cameras that are in the same Unit code group, you only have to send the ON command for the next camera. If you are switching between two cameras that are in different Unit code
groups (i.e., from camera A4 to camera A5), you will have to manually transmit the OFF command for the currently transmitting camera before sending the ON command for the next camera to avoid interference.
Multiple Cameras Assigned To Multiple House Codes
The same consideration discussed in the 5+ Cameras section applies here; however, there is now an additional issue. For each House code you wish to control, you will require one Transceiver. Controlling the cameras by remote will require one remote for each House code used, or you will have to change a single remote's House code dial each time you wish to control cameras assigned to a different House code.
Frequently Asked Questions
In your example, the Unit codes for the Addressable Power Supplies are assigned sequentially. Is this required in order for the system to work properly?
No. The Unit codes could have been assigned to any values provided they were all within the same Unit code group. Example: In a three camera system, the codes could have been A1, A3, and A4.
Can the relay in the Transceiver be disabled so I don't have to hear the loud click every time I send an ON or OFF command for Unit code 1?
No.
I own other X10 controllers (i.e. the CM11A ActiveHome computer interface). When I send an ON command to the TM751 Transceiver through the powerline, it does not respond. Is the TM751 defective?
No. The TM751 does not have the necessary circuitry to monitor the powerline for commands. It only responds to RF commands.
The image on my TV is distorted or shows other types of interference. I don't own any other 2.4GHz equipment. What can I do to improve the image?
Double check the Camera's and Video Receiver's transmission channel settings. Switch from the current channel to another and back. The switch may have been moved or appeared to be in the correct position.
Next, try reorienting the antenna on the Camera and Receiver.
Lastly, take a look at what the video signal is passing through or near to get to the receiver. Metal objects (heat ducts, water pipes, metal desk, etc.) and electromagnetic fields generated by other equipment can distort the signal. Try to keep the receiver as far away from other devices as the RCA or Coax cables will allow. In most cases, relocating the transmitter or receiver a few feet is enough to avoid the source of interference. Try unplugging/turning off any electromagnetic interference producing devices, such as a cell phone, wireless speakers, baby monitor, computer, etc.
For additional frequently asked questions, please click here.
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