usb wireless to control model or camera?

I have a wireless camera which transmits wireless and can be powered from a small 9 volt battery. On the ground I have a video receiver with composite output. These are usually on eBay for £40 ish. To get composite video into the laptop I bought a winTV usb model, it has a composite video input and USB connection to the laptop, a bit messy but it works fine. I have yet to fly the camera.

The kit is branded but without a recognisable name.

Steve

Well, my needs are similar... but... I have a Canon S3is camera. It can be controlled by usb cable utilizing the free included ZoomBrowser program. It can be zoomed; settings changed and shutter clicked on order. What I would like to do is substitute wireless usb for the usb cable. Any help appreciated. Rich

The heart of the Spektrum 2.4 GHz SS R/C system (well, the RF waveform generation and transmission part anyway) is a wireless USB chip, so yes, they are available. Are you looking for a turn-key system or parts to kluge something together?

Abel

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:16:51 -0500, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and "rich" instead replied:

Rich,

Something you may want to keep in mind is that the miniature devices that hook to your computer don't have much range. The hubs have more but still probably don't work beyond 20 yards or so. Maybe 30 with perfect conditions. Controlling your camera from the ground with such a weak signal probably won't work but you could give it a try.

Break out your laptop and a wireless hub. Make a battery power supply for the hub and see how far away the camera can be and still have control. But wait a moment. In order for this to work you need a USB input wireless device and that takes a full on computer or embedded wireless device to work.

Check out April's Circuit Cellar Ink for an embedded USB wireless port. Here's a link to the table of contents:

down to page 78 then go and order a back issue to read. Ray

Even though, fifty years ago, I learned to solder, I would prefer a turn-key operation. Any leads appreciated. Rich

Ray, range isn't that much of an issue. A typical use, for me, would be to set up the camera on tri-pod aimed at a bird feeding station. The camera would be five feet or so away from the feeder. If I stay outside of the house, the birds won't come.

I have the camera and the program all set up and it works perfectly, but only with a wired USB. Dragging the wire through the screens and taking it back in every evening is a PIA.

If I go inside, even with a window or a screen in place...I would be fifteen/twenty feet or less away. Watching the birds, (either directly or through the computer program) I could trigger the camera. Is that too much range to expect? I could also stand twenty feet away, if the screen or the window was blocking the signal and would be causing the program/process to fail.

thanks, Rich

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:05:22 -0500, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and "rich" instead replied:

That kind of range is fine for even a Bluetooth configuration. For some reason I kind of guessed you wanted to use it on a flying model airplane where range would be an issue.

That Circuit Cellar Ink information I gave you in the last post would work.

Try this site:

Depending on how much of an experimenter you are, this technology will do exactly what you want.

If you're willing to buy another camera, this will do perfectly with pan, tilt & zoom built in.

Or something like it. There are some equivalents for sale on eBay for much less than the D-Link model. Even the D-Link model is cheaper there than buying direct.

Another option is to get a camera with a wireless zoom only and build a tilt and pan platform that uses an RC TX/RX and two servos. To really tighten the budget, use one for those cheap cars you can buy in any toy store. Just make sure it uses servos or get a low end two channel from a hobby shop. The entire thing could be built into a nicely camouflaged unit with a pile of birdseed right in front of the camera. Put a couple of lead-acid gel cell batteries in there and you can have fun for hours and recharge overnight.

-- Ray

Ray, I've tired to"backorder" but I find that both CD and print backorder sites are "non-existent".

Hmmm...Maybe it is just a temporary thing, but...after reading a little bit, it appears that the article offers methodology but not a product. Since I have reached the point where I doubt that I could even understand the methodology, let alone build my own unit...I'm really looking for something that I can buy and plug-in.

Can my request be so unusual?...USB wirelessly for ten or fifteen feet? I can buy an Xbox and operate it wirelessly; call across the world wirelessly; open my garage door and change dozens of things on my Tivo and TV wirelessly...yet this request seems "far out" on the other sites on which I posted.

Any further help appreciated. thanks Rich

Anyone remember the old 2.4 GHz "Rabbit" devices for adding a TV to a house that did not have cabling? Those have composite inputs and outputs. Some have an RF modulator on the receiver output, making it easy to hook up to a regular TV set. I have one downstairs somewhere. Actually, I have two. One is on 900 MHz and the other on 2.4 GHz. You should be able to find used units on eBay for next to nothing.

Ed Cregger