1000 meter wireless target cam - Need your help!

[rifleshooter 0]

Hey kids!

 

I'm a target shooter (hence the name) who's tired of peering through expensive optics to see a mirage-filled, wobbly target that only shows visible bullet holes when the sun hits just right.

 

I've been looking for a target cam - using wireless video. Now before all you old hands tell me the horrors of wireless video, please understand that I can't exactly unspool 1000 m of wire every time I run out to the range - it just isn't a viable solution for the way we shoot out there.

 

I have found some 2 and 3 watt 2.4 gHz 4-channel TX/RCVRs on eBay. I am planning on buying patch antennas to force some directionality/discipline on the solution. I will purchase a small camera and fit it with as long a lens as possible (some are available with as much as a 25 mm lens), and fashion a V-shaped housing made of AR-500 steel to protect the transmitter, camera, and lithium ion power supply. This assembly will be mounted on a tripod; I will use a light extensible mast on which I will mount the patch antenna (probably 3 m high), fastening that assembly to the tripod - this keeps the antenna out of the line of fire. The tripod/camera/transmitter/antenna unit will be placed 3-6 m in front of the target and left or right of line of fire.

 

Back at the firing line (anywhere from 100 m to 600 m) I will place the antenna, receiver, and a cheap 7"- 10" LCD monitor or DVD with aux in, powered by another Li-ion battery; alternatively I could go Red-Yellow-White into USB to port into my laptop to record and review each bullet hit.

 

Some notes:

• I've been reading this forum since yesterday and have detected that wireless analog is as popular as Richard Nixon in 1975.
  
• My range is in Eastern Colorado. The nearest structure is over 2 miles away. There is an oil tank between shooting lanes that has a Yagi-type antenna which is probably TX/RCVing data, but I couldn't guess the band. Hopefully it's not 2.4 gHz! The Yagi is pointed up-range at a 45-degree angle away from the line.
  
• I'm budget limited - $450 US TOPS.
  
• I'm aware that the FedGov will become unhappy with me if I don't license this solution.
  
• I'm pretty handy with tools and electronic stuff.
  
• I won't be manufacturing this solution for anyone else but me, and I only need one camera, but wouldn't mind another if this system works out.

 

So what am I missing here? How can I avoid painful and expensive screwups?

[bpzle 0]

yes, don't buy chinese crap you find on ebay or anywhere else on line

[SEANHAWG 1]

Why not get a super long range spotting scope?

[bryceb 0]

Why not get a super long range spotting scope?

 

I agree. Wireless isn't always effective, although its improving. You are also going to need a power source down range to hook all of these electronics to. It may just be a better solution to buy a spotting scope instead. Simple, Effective, and proven.

[rifleshooter 0]

Why not get a super long range spotting scope?

 

I agree. Wireless isn't always effective, although its improving. You are also going to need a power source down range to hook all of these electronics to. It may just be a better solution to buy a spotting scope instead. Simple, Effective, and proven.

 

The power source downrange is the least of my worries - I can power the lot with a 4800 mAh Li-ion battery combo for hours.

 

The thing is, if the image is ****e, then I will have blown $450 on a non-viable solution instead of a scope, which at least works most days. I guess the best solution would be some sort of an IP-based deal, with PTZ cam. Unfortunately, there's no internet service deliverable via cell at the range, so there'd be no way to control the solution.

[Securame 0]

The longer the range, the bigger/more powerful the transmitter you need. If you do build this, I really doubt you can powerful anything that will give you a 1000m wireless range with a 4800mAh Li-ion battery "for hours"...

[thewireguys 3]

You can do this with IP cameras and PTP link on battery it just how much do you want to spend to do it.

 

If you have to run on battery then this will drive up the price. A Mobotix camera and a Mikrotek PTP link will work.

Edited January 12, 2011 by Guest

[hardwired 0]

I'd take a look at something like a pair of the Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M5 radios ($79 ea MSRP, so $160 a pair to make an IP wireless bridge, maybe an Acti ACM-4201 with a better lens for the cam ($265 MSRP, but you can get it for less), or something similar, and run Milestone Xprotect GO (free) for recording/viewing on the laptop.

 

With a 4.8 AH, 12 Volt battery (57.6 Watt-Hours), that should run the remote end for a little under seven hours (2.88 Watt cam, 5.5 watt radio).

 

As far as licensing, the Ubiquiti radios are already FCC approved, no license necessary (the Ebay radios you mention are not, and with a high gain antenna will far exceed FCC maximum power limits, as well as usually really under performing (that was my polite way of saying they suck).

[multinova 0]

OK

 

Guys, i can only talk in my experience as a prof wi-fi integrator, so here i go.

 

If you need to reach far away regions u need to have a look at Ubiquiti stuff.

 

If your talking about 1000M and plus i'd advice you to have a look at the nanobridge M5 solution.

http://ubnt.com/nanobridge

They go about 60$ each .. so you'd have 120$

 

As for an iP cam i'm sure the rest of the guys here can help you out. (i'd opt for Axis).

 

For permanent powering you can have a look at solar pane (1,5m * 60 cm) will do the trick.

 

[SEANHAWG 1]

I got to thinking about this today and I am not even sure if you are still reading this or not, but why dont you just ask your gun club if you can run some underground cat 5 to the target. And while your at it, why not have an electrician run some power out there as well so you can hook up a power supply to the camera and power an active balun to send video transmission back to the monitor. Have all the gun club members pitch in and everyone will be happy. The weather protected camera could be somewhere on the ground right below the target zoomed right in on it, and of course you would have to have the camera shielded with some kind of metal object that could deflect bullets for those wild shots.