frebaln

Sorry for being so lengthy

Recently picked up a wireless spy cam and a DSB-V100 USB Video Capture Device off ebay for my RC plane and/or heli. The cam of course for the platform and the DSB-V100 for the laptop at the field to video my flights. I do not own a camcorder so the laptop was the next best thing. By connecting the wireless reciever to the USB-V100 then previewing and recording using windows movie maker.

I of course have tested the cam in the house on my home TV and attached to a rc truck and drove it down the block and back, over 200'. from the living room TV the reception was great, sat on the couch the whole time as a FPV. Tuned in the freq no problem and I was off.
Now the problem: Connected it up to the DSB-V100 and laptop onto window movie maker, the reception was very difficult to tune in, then the line of site was only a couple of feet and very jumpy and wouldn't stay clear more than a few seconds. Is the laptop putting of too much freq through the cables or am I missing more hardware somewhere.

Thanks for all your help and knowledge []

HoboDog

My Feedback: (1)

Hello.
I'm doing the same thing. USB video capture device into a lap top. Works fine. I suggest you go back to your TV hookup that worked inside your house. Get it working and then just start up your lap top near your receiver. If things quit working your lap top might be putting out RF interference.
Another test would be to hook up your USB video capture device to the lap top and provide it a different video source. VCR, Cable converter, satellite dish, borrow a video camera,... That way you will know if that half of the devices work together.
Good Luck

frebaln

I had the camera hooked up directly to my home tv and it worked like a champ, once it hooked up the cam through the dsb to laptop and opened windows movie maker and viewed the preview that is when the imagaing went out. Once everything is hooked to laptop the image seems very unstable and if able to get a good pic then move the cam away then the image is lost, only talking like a few feet. Like you mentioned RF interference, Im believing that may be my problem. I haven't tried hooking up to my vcr through the dsb and seeing the image on laptop, try that tonight. Another thread mentioned usb1 versus a usb2 or firewire, not to up to speed on them but my laptop is only 1 1/2 yrs old.

jjmav

I am in the preliminary stages of working on a similar set up for my laptop. I understand that as you mentioned, usb1 will not be able to handle the load. I hear usb2 should work good, but since you and I don't have usb2, firewire and your pcmcia slot will be much better. I have pcmcia and not firewire. I am hoping it works well. Let me know how windows moviemaker works when you get it working.

frebaln

Well I picked up a pcmcia? card off ebay for $20 that has usb 2.0. Haven't had a chance to sit and do any testing yet. but Im crossing my fingers, getting frusterated.

HoboDog

My Feedback: (1)

I quit using the laptop. It worked fine now and then. Some time the video would break up. Some time the software would lock up. Some time it worked. It is a 675mhz with 128 meg ram. I put the same USB video capture device on a desktop with a 1.6 giga hertz processor with 500+ meg of ram and now everything is perfect. I'm recording the video to an old SVHS recorder then digitizing it from the tape. Much better.

frebaln

My laptop is a 1ghz, 512mb ram, but it still isn't coming in with a clear picture. Once I seem to get the freq tuned in, which takes forever then move the camera everything is real jumpy and go out. I have a desktop cp and am thinkinh about puting the dsb-v100 through it and seeing if that does anything different. Unfortunately I don't have a video cam, pretty sure the wife would laugh if I told her I needed one for my flying insted of everyday family stuff. Next and final solution would be my tv/vcr combo seing if I would be able to record to vhs then maybe compying onto cp.
So what were you going to use ?

HoboDog

My Feedback: (1)

I turned my jeep into a recording studio. I secured a 100Ah lead acid battery in the back. I put a 300 watt inverter on it. Makes 110 volt AC out of 12 volt DC. Into that I plug in a SVHS VCR. With DVD taking over you can get VCRs cheap. It draws 45 watts. I plug in a color 13 inch TV. 69 watts. It also powers the receiver. A few watts. I just set the receiver on the roof when I'm recording. When I'm done I take the VCR into the house and plug in the SVHS port of an Adaptec USB video media center. I then digitize the tape at 720 X 480 broadcast resolution. MPEG2.
Its my first set up that seems to work well. I never did get results these good with the laptop.
I see you're at Travis. I flew from there to Vietnam in 1969. Long flight!
Doug

xvwdvw01

Hey guys. I may be way off here but I believe it is possible that the processor of your laptop is causing the interference you are describing. I don't know if a 1.2 ghz laptop would directly translate to interference with a 1.2 gig receiver but I do know that as processors have gotten faster rf interference has become a problem. I believe that is why they make you turn off laptops when taking off and landing on an airliner. The fact that your setup works when not using the laptop, and even when attached to a desktop, I assume with a different processor speed, kind of supports this theory. Also, it is possible that your laptop is adjusting its cpu speed to conserve power, creating intermittent interference. If that is the case you may be able to manually set the processor in a "power save" mode at a slower mhz that does not interfere. At a lower speed you might loose the ability to record or view quality video though.
Any of you RF people have any input on this?
Thanks,
Max

Mluvara

My Feedback: (10)

A 1.2GHz processor does put out a fundamental RF frequency of 1.2GHz and that is a possibility of interfering with the camera. There will also be harmonics at 3x 1.2GHz, 5x 1.2GHz, etc with a smaller amplitude for each harmonic as you go further out. For example, a 400MHz processor would have a harmonic at 1.2GHz also.

Laptops are a challenge to calm EMI on, since there is a lack of space and generally a non-metallic structure (plastic, etc) to shield everything. You'll find that most computers are challenged when it comes to being "quiet" on EMI. Profit margins are so low that once the emission limits are met, the product line is shipped out the door. Most EMI problems occur when you connect cables (inherently antennas) to a device. Depending on shielding/grounding, they often act like great transmitters

Michael

frebaln

So are you saying that using my laptop in the field to record right off of the rx,might be a bad idea. Bet option is to pull out the tv/vcr every fly day ???

Mluvara

My Feedback: (10)

It could be a problem, or not a problem to use the laptop. Your laptop may be causing interference that won't let the receiver do its job properly. In that case, you'll need an alternate solution.

Michael

Rj-TailSpin

Interference can be isolated simply by eliminating one potential source at a time. If you believe it is your laptop, operate the laptop directly on top of your VCR, or even share grounds etc... Try to simulate the exact conditions, but with one item removed and/or shielded from the others. If it is off-air interference... use long cables to separate the devices from one another and the interference should decrease substantially. I posted somewhere in here... where I went round and round isolating an interference issue that only occurred while I was flying. Turned out to be vibrations and not RF at all. In my case it was a couple of input pots which got dirty with flow fuel and induced an AM signal onto the video input lead of the transmitter. I had to jump through hoops to find this one. It wasn't easy, but it can be done with patience and common sense. You might find the interference issue is easily remedied after you isolate the cause. Good luck.

Rob

frebaln

The laptop isn't connected to a vcr, the rx is connected to the dsb-v100 which is a device input allowing me to have a/v input. The cable from the rx to the dsb-v100 is only 3 ft. Using microsoft movie maker, I could record the images from the tx. So potentially lenghthen the cable from rx and dsb-v100 ????

Delori

Frebaln,

I think what everyone is saying here is connect the cam to the TV like you did in the begining. Make sure all is well. Then just yurn on the laptop, don't change anything else. With the laptop on and close the Rx, is your video still good on the tv???? It not the laptop is the cause of your bad vieo. You'll have to find another way to record.


Hope this helps,


Delorian

frebaln

ok, i attached the cameta set-up through the tv like originaly, everything is working fine. I turned on the laptop and brought it over to the rx and tx of the camera and there was no difference. Another thread mentioned the distance from the rx and the dsb-v100, I swing by and pick up a longer rca cable and try to seperate them maybe it is the interference from being connected to the laptop ??

accipiterbadass

how did that go? I'm interested because i wanted to try this option of using my laptop

accipiterbadass

so can anyone confirm that this setup can work? what if i got a 2.4gz set up would that stiil have interference/? help!