RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I need some advice on the Monitor. I've got the same camera and 15 channel audio video transmitter/receiver (the transmitter/receiver is on it's way from Hong Kong). The advice I need is can I hook up the receiver to say a Portable DVD Player...you see I want this to be portable with everything running on batteries including the monitor...to take to our club's battledays (www.desertarmor.com). It doesn't appear that the video cable going out from the receiver is an rca cable but just an AV cable....is that correct? I'd like also a bigger monitor if possible (the bigger the better for my eyes), I'd like to use a portable dvd player like this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... escription    which uses a 1 x composite video input. Is that possible?


Thank you,
Duane

Pzjgr wrote: I'd like to use a portable dvd player like this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... escription    which uses a 1 x composite video input. Is that possible?

Hi Duane

Yes, the Walmart example should work without any problems. You may need to buy an adapter with two (or three) phono plugs at one end (1 X Video, 2x Audio) and a jack plug (for the DVD/Monitor) at the other.

Hope this helps.
Cheers
Chris

Well well. I have finally found someone who is doing the same thing I am, BUT!  I have done the simple wireless jobby and the picture isnt so good at any distance. heres what I need to know, heres were you get some nice goodies....
first. the built in camera rf unit sux. I used that first (see video on my website) it was awefull qaulity. then I did get a transmitter simaliar to the one show here. (the blue one) with a decent reiever, BUT they were only 25 mw versions. so distnce and line of site is a great factor. also. I havent found a really small enough camera to fit in the loacation i want it to fit. nice fit on the camera in the plastic guy. wish i new what the exact size of that camera is... other problems i have run across are the cameras are either black and whit or color. the color are nice but sux in dusk or dawn and at night, but, the black and white do ok, and better yet, with some infared leds mounted on the front of the tank with the camera, it works nice for night seeing....(distance not so good though)....
Now for the details......what is the voltage of the camera you were using, and how did you power up all the stuff in the tank. This is my biggest problem. I have used a voltage regulator before, but it gets extremely hot and weres the regular tank battery down a great deal!!!!  also there is a ton of interfearance in the video system when you run the tank..... and thats real close distance.

I will post some links to what I have and used....

now for the better part.... I am going to be getting my tanks, (i have 3) put back together this weak. so I will keep everyone updated here only, ah and my site, as to what i find. I am ordering a new camera today as well. its kinda big but i have an idea on how to fit it.....

Oh forgot. distance.... I bet you get no distance at all. do you????  you have only a 25 mw transmitter reciever for the tank, as well as the video system..... I have purchased a 1 watt video system to put in. But i think i should have picked a different frequency, 2.4  has alot of interference in local neighborhoods..... as well. I have upgraded the rf of the tank by adding some dbu boosters. Now all i need to do is connect it all to 1 battery using voltage regulators...wish me luck. and get clean picture....figures crossed.....

Ideally I want to site in my living room, with my 42 inch flat screen and drive my tank from there, the tank would be outside of course, cruising the neighborhood to atttack or defend anyone or anything(cats dogs etc) it comes across, day or night!!!!

if we dont dream big, things can never get accomplished.
always go for all , never settle for less.
if i rambled on , I am sorry....hope someone here can help me finish this, or i can help someone.....

links
hobby wireless is a great place to start....they have fpv, its used for airplanes..... check it out
http://hobbywireless.com/

my website
web.me.com/noall666

some dbu rf boosters for the rc tank transmitter reciever
http://www.rfbayinc.com/

http://intelligentflight.com.au/


hope to hear from you guys soon......

Just an update on this topic. If you just want to record video, rather than watch it live on a screen, the Chinese are now marketing camera's in chewing gum packets and watches, as well as pens. Loads on Ebay, and not expensive either.

Drilling a hole and mounting one of the pen cams would be a doddle, and you can simply pull it out and upload the video to your pc to view it. Alternatively, stripping the internals out would allow you to mount it anywhere you like.

I have been flying FPV (first person veiw) for quite a while and have found a few cool and cheap things. You can purchase video sets Tx/Rx w/camera for as little as $50 from HobbyKing.com

You need to be certain that you are using Tx power outputs/frequincies that are legal (most places you need a liscense to operate above 10mw). Which means you need an amature radio operators liscense to use the Tx. Leagal frequincies here in the States are 900Mhz, 1.3Ghz, 2.4Ghz, and 5.8Ghz. Be aware that 2.4G RC Txs WILL interfere with your 2.4G video feed i.e. garbled video and the lower the frequincy the more easily it will penetrate objects and it's more nessessary to have a clear L.O.S.(line of sight) with higher freq.

You need to be sure you are buying the proper format for your monitor. There is NTSC which is used here in the North America and there is PAL which is used in Europe and Asia. I personally found a video google set for an Xbox 360 which is no longer produced. I purchased my googles for a mere $50. Most video googles are $250~$500. These googles give you a very imersive experiance and when used with head Traking systems you can look around simply by turning your head.

Here are some photos of my system I just installed in my newly refitted HL Tiger I. I have the Tx inside the chassis with a fan cooling the Tx. The Tx is 900Mhz 100mw channel 1 (ch1 is the only leagal 900mhz channel in the US). This will give you 1000' crystal clear video easily.


I opened up the battery bay to make room for my 3s video system battery



Here are a couple of pics of the camera mounted on the commanders coupola. note I didn't use a pan or tilt mechanism on thisapplication I felt that the turret rotation was sufficent.



And here are a couple of shots of my Tiger I in action using the FPV gear Thats me in the second photo sitting on my tailgate this past Sunday with my video goggles on and my tank is on our cobblestone 'town square'



And finally a video shanksow took of me driving FPV taken the same time the stills were