Need help with 2.4 GHz wireless "spy" cameras....please

hi,

first up i know this isnt a computer question,
but i searched the forums,
and there isnt one for "technology", that i could find...
computers was closest match...

and hoping someone out there may be able to help with an electronics question:

i just bought some WIRELESS "spy" cameras, a receiver and some other gizmos...

problem = the 2.4 GHz wireless cameras were advertised as being 4 channel...

BUT they seem to be 1 channel, +
set on channel 4, which i think is 2.468 GHz...

so both these cams are broadcasting on the same freq...

and i want to change one of them to another channel eg: 2.450 GHz...

how do U do this, PLEASE...???

i opened them up + there is no "channel switch",

so any info would be greatly appreciated...

thanks...

+seeya

Your cameras should have come with a way to log into them from your computer to program an address or frequency range into them much like a home wifi router. Them broadcasting on the same spectrum is not so much a big deal as much as were you put them and how powerful the signal being broadcast. I am also assuming you got some sort of DVR which must have wifi capability built inside..yes?

reply to post by Old77


hi Old77,
+ thanks for the reply...

yes they came with a DVR,

but it didnt seem to have any way of "programming" the cams...

+ no computer interface, as such...seemingly.

HINT: it all came from CHINA, no instructions,
and i have already had to return the DVR for a replacement... sigh...

any ideas left...???

appreciate your help, + seeya

also, for the record,
YES the DVR was a "wireless receiver", with 4 channels,
on the 2.4 GHz freq...
2.414,
2.432,
2.450,
2.468...

but all the cameras they sent seem to be set just for channel 4... 2.468 GHz...

the picture in the ad looked like they had a switch on the back of the cams,
to switch channels,

but when they arrived, there was no switch...

so it is all internal, i think...( the problem)..

ie: some sort of chip?
set to a certain freq, that maybe i have to change...????

eg, rip out and replace...with a diffent chip, set to a different freq...

seeya

I've seen two ways of changing the channel in this situation.

There may be a small tuning capacitor with a small screwdriver slot on the camera board. If this is the case then give it a tweak while watching the receiver to see if it tunes out of channel. Then change the channel on the receiver and retune.

The other possibility, and more likely, is that there are jumpers on the camera board. They may be in the form of empty pads with two being bridged by a solder blob. They are sometimes in the footprint of a multi-position switch which wasn't installed. Instead of a solder blob the pads may be bridged by a zero ohm resistor. At any rate you will need to remove the bridge and bridge a different pair of pads. If the board is annotated look for annotations that say something like CH, or CH1, J1, JMP1.

Also, very rarely there will be just one set of pads that look like a pair of test points or an empty button footprint. If this is the case then it may be that with the power on you have to bridge them momentarily. This acts sort of like a toggle that rotates through channels each time you press the button. I highly recommend bridging it with a 1k resistor rather then a direct short in case this is not what the pads are for. Generally a circuit like this works by defeating a pull up or pull down resistor which is typically 10k or 100k and occasionally 47k.

If you post pictures of the top and bottom of the camera board I should be able to suss it out for you.

Often the camera will have a separate board for the transmitter circuit. If this is the case then this is the board you want to be looking over.

Most likely there is a set of two small 'dipswitches' somewhere on the camera or on the transceiver circuit board. The two switches allow the 4 separate frequencies.
OFF - OFF = Chan.1,
ON - OFF = Chan.2,
ON - ON = Chan. 3,
OFF - ON = Chan. 4

reply to post by dainoyfb


hi dainoyfb,

and thanks heaps for the replies...

i will check it out when i get back home tonite...

cheers...

+ seeya

reply to post by survivalstation


hi survivalstation,

and thanks heaps to U too for the reply...

like i said, i have to go out now, but will test your idea later tonite,,,

thanks again...


+ seeya

Each camera will have a wireless card built into them or they come pre set and cannot be changed and are set to automatically connect once powered on. I am also assuming these came with some sort of POE injectors for power like 12-24volts or even a small little transformer thats the size of small cube.

That DVR for security reasons should have a way to program a security code for the internal wifi network your setting up that or if its not it could be ad hoc type of internal network in which only hardware will connect to the dvr but not internet type of capability is available for use by a laptop or desktop. In which case I can see that being the case because there would be really no setup or anything necessary. People would see the network but connecting to it would not provide an internet address because the dvr is not a router and does not do dhcp.

This is all speculation on my part but I am just telling you that with most home systems or anything wireless that this is the way its going to work or has to work.

reply to post by dainoyfb


thanks again, dainoyfb,

i have pulled one of them apart,
and yes, there are seperate boards,one seemingly for the camera,
and the other for the transmitter....

trouble is it is so small,
this is the best pic so far...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3df7b2691ed8.jpg[/atsimg]

the transmitter aerial is at the top,
and the 4 wires running into the bottom come from the camera...


more tomoro,,
thanks again

seeya

this is the reverse side...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/eacce36e5b72.jpg[/atsimg]


seeya

reply to post by survivalstation


hi survivalstation,

just posted pics (above)...

any help?

thanks again...

seeya

reply to post by Old77


hi Old77,

i just posted some pics (above)...

+ wondered if that helps at all???

thanks again...

seeya

reply to post by shaneR


If you can get the second picture as clear as the first then I can probably locate the proper jumpers for you. It looks like they may be at top right on the second image but I can't quite be sure with this image being a bit blurry.

FYI, the leads between the camera board and tx board are color coded in case you want to use the tx board on any other camera or hook up the camera directly to a monitor without the tx board.

Red = Power
Black = Ground
Yellow = video
White = Audio

The power lead may be stealing regulated 3.3 volts or more likely 5 volts from the camera board. Or it might just be jumped to the battery lead so check it with a meter before plugging it into something else. If it is using regulated power you can get a regulator and a couple filter caps for about a dollar online.

Alright...Ill be the one to ask. Whom do you find a need to "spy" on? I hope its not illegal!

reply to post by LazloFarnsworth


I find it impossible to comprehend how you would think it is any business of yours or how you think your post is on topic at all. You wouldn't be a government agent, paid to demonize those who would wish to learn about technology and it's uses outside the mainstream would you? I didn't thinks so, so let's all work to keep this thread on topic.

reply to post by LazloFarnsworth


home security,

also i have my car "wired" for the next time cops assault me...

ok?

reply to post by dainoyfb


hi dainoyfb,
thanks again and appreciate your interest in this,,,

i will take some more snaps tonite when i get home...

and hope to catch up again soon...

cheers...

+ seeya