looking for a camera...
 

I'm thinking of buying a good, yet affordable camera system. The most I might spend is $50. I looked at ebay, and they're either to expensive, or somebody already bid on one, which they will bid more than my budget. I would like to know of some websites besides ebay in which I could get cheap cameras.
Thanks

RE: looking for a camera...
 

50 bucks? Good luck, sir!

My advice, stay away from ebay!

RE: looking for a camera...
 

$50.00? .... Invest that money and when it grows to $500.00.... then buy a system!!! but you can window shop here...

http://www.hamtv.com

and get your accessories here....

http://www.aesham.com


And while waiting for that investment to grow, get an FCC license!!!

KG6QQG

RE: looking for a camera...
 

I don't need The best of all of the products out there, I just want a cheap system that would get the job done.

RE: looking for a camera...
 

I found one on eb@y, item number 3070382428 I don't see how the camera plugs into the transmitter. I don't care if it's on illegal frequencies, or do I just need a ham liscence? I'm trying to avoid the camera/transmitter all in one, type thing. I'd prefer one with a small seperate transmitter for easier mounting. Do you think that this will work? Is it worth it?
Heres another not ending for a while:
3070769878

RE: looking for a camera...
 

www.tinywireless.com

Check out some of the videos.

RE: looking for a camera...
 

This will be on 1.2ghz and most probably not be in the legal, Ham or otherwise, frequency range. There should be another piece of wiring that is not shown in the picture which will have RCA connectors on one end and a plug on the other that matches the one on the tx. This system is similar to the Spylinker systems. You may have seen the videos I shot using a similar system. If not, look to my site if you have broadband and check out the Grass Wired videos. Those used an 800mw Ebay (Spylinker) system.

RE: looking for a camera...
 

reznikvova-RCU,

Do you own tinywireless.com?

Do you have the new transmitters on legal frequencies in stock?

RE: looking for a camera...
 

Skypilot_one
Yes, I am the owner. All the transmitters I stock are now on the legal 1.2ghz frequencies, but you will need a HAM licsense.

RE: looking for a camera...
 

How much would one of those frequency identifiers cost?
I don't really care if it's on an illegal frequency, but it would be good to know.
Are the Hong Kong cameras worth it? I don't really care about the durability, but a little on the quality, so I'm probably going to get one of the 800Mw versions. Again, I don't have that much money, and even less willing to spend, so is it really worth it?

RE: looking for a camera...
 

I just recently bought a $50 or so wireless camera from someone on this web site. Lets just say your get what you pay for. Rich Zaggia

RE: looking for a camera...
 

With all this talk about "ILLEGAL" wireless cameras, where can one find a camera that is "NOT" illegal, and that a HAM license is not required?

How does one get a "HAM" license?

I'm like Billiam411 in that, I am new to this video stuff, and would like to give it a try, but if it takes all this red tape, and jumping through hoops, I just might have to reconsider! I really don't want to invest a lot of cash, just to find out that it just isn't for me!

Help Us, Thanks!

RE: looking for a camera...
 

I bought the Hong Kong type 800mw system. The receiver quit after 10 uses. It is not worth the shipping to return one under warranty. I wised up and put a few bucks into a www.balckwidowav.com system. Cost more than you guys want to spend but works great and is legal with an easy to get Ham license. If you get a cheap system and find out you really like doing this you will end up putting the cheap one aside and spending more for quality.
Just one guys experience. Others have been more successful with the Hong Kong stuff.
Good Luck,
Doug

RE: looking for a camera...
 

Reznikvova,

The transmitters on your site look like four channel. Are they? You say they are now legal in the USA for hams. What are the exact frequencies of the modules? (each channel please)

Thanks,
RBP

RE: looking for a camera...
 

Do a Google search for ( "Part 15" +video sender ).

You’re either going to hate it or love it and wish you had gone ahead and put the money you spent into a better system. Getting a HAM license is very easy, one night of studying and find a place to take the exam for around $12.00, then you can legally use high power light weight equipment suited to the purpose.

Like quite a few people here, I got my feet wet with the import 1.2GHz stuff, probably on illegal frequencies (I don’t have a frequency counter). Then I switched to a Part 15 video sender because the quality and range blew the import system away, even though the power output was far less.
The biggest advantage (to you) for getting a system on a legal channel is there isn’t going to be as much interference on your channel. If you could buy a cheap RC transmitter / receiver on the same channel as a local TV station would you? I wouldn’t, the range would be terrible and the people watching TV close to where you fly could complain.

I have a video downlink built on a Part 15 Radio Shack video sender, and it works great!
http://www.rcsites.net/ia-flyer/

Mr. RC-Cam has done lots of work with the Part 15 X10 equipment.
http://www.rc-cam.com/rc-cam3.htm

My latest system came from here. Much smaller and lighter than the Part 15 senders and far more power! But it does require a HAM license to be legal.
http://www.blackwidowav.com/

It sounds like the new tinywireless systems are on legal frequencies so that’s another inexpensive option.

Even if you don’t get your ham license for a while, get a system that is HAM legal, at least you are half way there! Good luck, if you think you’ll like it you probably will!;)

RE: looking for a camera...
 

I would recommend that for your first camera. I have one from ebay and pretty sure it came from Hong Kong. While you can't read the print on someone's shirt flying over, it's pretty clear.

Another FCC guy I talked to said that the regulations/enforcement has REALLY been relaxed on this stuff. He said it's an area that if you ask 3 different FCC people you will get 3 different answers. However, if you make an enemy, they (the enemy) can call the fcc and complain. I believe the term he used was "Let sleeping dogs lie".

Nikko makes a radio controlled Hummer with a spy cam like we are using with an lcd screen on the Tx. I am 100% sure ALL of the purchasers aren't evenly REMOTELY SUGGESTED to obtain a ham license.

IMHO
Spanky

RE: looking for a camera...
 

Thanks Spanky, I'm with you. Considering where I will be using it, in a rural area in the mountains, I don't think that the FCC would even give me a second look if I didn't have a ham license, or if it were illegal. It's not like I would be using it in a metro area. I'm sure the weak signal wouldn't make it over the hill. I am considering one from tinywireless.