11
Wireless Cameras and Interference
If the image coming from a wireless camera is distorted, you’ve probably discovered
the bane of analog wireless technologies:
interference
. To help you get as much
out of your
RedAlert2
system as it’s capable of delivering, here’s a brief rundown
of what interference is, and how you can try to minimise it.
Wireless Cameras transmit their images on a radio frequency of 2.4GHz. This is
way over the range of the average radio, but there are some (in fact, many) devices
out there that transmit data on this frequency.
Things such as wireless computer networks, cordless phones, baby monitors, car
alarms and
Bluetooth
enabled devices communicate at and around a frequency of
2.4GHz. Other devices, such as microwaves, create radio “noise” at this frequency
as well.
Placing your cameras or
RedAlert2
near these devices, or having any of these
devices in between your cameras and receiver, can cause interference and affect
picture quality. This happens because the signals are so similar, that they get mixed
up with one another, and your receiver will have trouble figuring out which is
which.
If you want to visualize how interference occurs, imagine playing two games of
football simultaneously on only one field. The players will continually collide with
one another, and occasionally forget which ball is which! Naturally, when two
games are played at the same time on the same field, both games suffer, take
longer to play and neither team will score as often as they should.
This is exactly what happens when two wireless devices used too close together!
To discover what might be causing your interference, we suggest disconnecting all
other wireless devices one at a time to find out which one is causing the problem,
and adjusting your setup accordingly.
Bear in mind that a wireless device from nearby homes or businesses could be the
culprit, and other than asking neighbors politely to turn it off, there’s little that can
be done about this problem.
If you are experiencing interference or poor image quality try the following steps:
Try moving the camera to a different location, or, if it really is exactly where
•
you want it, changing the orientation of the antenna on the camera and the
RedAlert2
.
Adjust or aim the receiver antenna - a single inch can make all the difference.
•
Limit the number of walls, floors between the camera and receiver as this can
•
dramatically alter picture quality.
Dense materials such as concrete or metal will impede the wireless signal; try
•
moving the camera and/or receiver away from dense materials.
If possible, keep the camera and receiver away from or move conflicting
•
devices such as wireless routers, microwaves, cordless phones.
Some environments are simply not suitable for analog wireless systems.
If this is the case in your environment, consider changing to a wired system or to
a digital wireless system, as these are not subject to interference in the same way
as analog wireless systems.
