# Mobile Camera Car [Now Complete]



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Decided to a simple 'nanny cam' install into an old boxcar .. 
The camera I intend to use is a very simple one, camera with battery and seperate receiver with audio / video out ..
It will fit into HO and larger scales easily ..

I will add photos along with build updates


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have a camera installed in a PRR snowplow that I push around, it broadcasts to a receiver hooked to a monitor.


----------



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

looking forward to the track level vids Warren. i've watched all your other vids.:thumbsup:


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Turned out well, hooked up now to TV, personal rail fanning 

This is what I had before, but I wanted DCC track power, didn't want to play with batteries or swtiches, and less obvious...








The bulky / clumsy 9V adapter harness will go as well ..








This is the separate remote receiver, video and audio out jacks, it will stick to the side of the TV








And a donor boxcar, with no idea of brand other than 'Made in Hong Kong', but it's shortest one that I could find, ugly Talgo trucks got pulled out first ..








First piece of tubing glued in ..








And the second, perfect fit for 2-56 screws








Then a new set of trucks with metal wheels for power pickup..








And some phosphor bronze wire for getting power off the axles, and lead wires up into the inside of the boxcar








Trucks complete, pickup wires trimmed, and installed, wires run through metal weight plate plastic mounts, easy drilling








Inside boxcar wiring, 470u / 25V smoothening cap, small 1A bridge rectifier, and LM7809 to feed power to camera itself








Boxcar painted a dusty flat dark gray, camera hot glued inside boxcar, works nicely, will add Kadee couplers yet ..I had to lighten the image quite a bit as the camera blends in very well 








I didn't consider this to be 'technically advanced', but wasn't sure where else to put it.. good for HO scale and larger, this camera won't fit into a N scale boxcar, maybe on a flatcar, and won't work well on standard DC or AC variable transformers as it needs around 10 Volts minimum to work , but is fine on DCC..
The 'nanny cam' was under $20 on eBay a few years ago ...


----------



## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Warren, how did you fasten the power pickups to the trucks? And what is phosphor bronze wire?


----------



## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Very nice work:thumbsup:

I enjoyed the step by step photos, Where's the video?


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Bwells said:


> Warren, how did you fasten the power pickups to the trucks? And what is phosphor bronze wire?



I just used CA to glue the wire to the truck ..
Phosphor Bronze wire is a pretty hard alloy, and very stiff.. commonly sold by Tichy in short lengths, but I got mine in a 200ft spool, sold as model train overhead caternary wire


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I like the blending in with the boxcar, nice work.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

rkenney said:


> Very nice work:thumbsup:
> 
> I enjoyed the step by step photos, Where's the video?



I just plugged the video out into a old TV in the same room ..my current computer in that area doesn't have a video in port ..well, not yet anyways


----------



## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Why did you chose a 7809 to feed the camera when it needs 10 volts? I suppose 9 is good enough?


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Bwells said:


> Why did you chose a 7809 to feed the camera when it needs 10 volts? I suppose 9 is good enough?



You need a little over ten volts on the track for the camera to get nine... there is a loss through the bridge ..


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

This is the camera I use. It required 5V, and I feed it with a little switching supply.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> This is the camera I use. It required 5V, and I feed it with a little switching supply.


That's a nice small camera, and might fit for N scale as well .
I just used an old camera that I had already ..


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I don't suppose you have a link for that camera? I also found an interesting one on ebay -- http://www.ebay.com/itm/371765851658
For $17 it transmits over wifi, and the camera itself is on the end of a ribbon which would allow a lot of flexibility in the mounting.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have that one you found on eBay, it kinda' sucks and trying to get it to connect to WiFi is a nightmare!

Here's the CM200 for $25: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fre...2007440465.html?spm=2114.40010308.4.14.O8aVWV

On eBay for a similar price, comes with a battery pack here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/wireless-2-...914660?hash=item4ad0198a64:g:iIMAAOxygPtS9ssL

You need the receiver as well, I bought a few different camera and receiver combos on eBay, so I have several compatible receivers.


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Eesh, for that price it doesn't even come with the receiver?

Considering how small they're making these units with transmitters, I can't believe it is so hard to find a basic low-res camera that can output a jpeg stream to an arduino. The smallest one I've found so far has two rather large chips on it, making the whole board about 25x35mm. Sure it will fit inside a boxcar nicely, but I'd rather see the view from the loco.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

Shdwdrgn said:


> I don't suppose you have a link for that camera? I also found an interesting one on ebay -- http://www.ebay.com/itm/371765851658
> For $17 it transmits over wifi, and the camera itself is on the end of a ribbon which would allow a lot of flexibility in the mounting.


I have had the [I think] same camera for about a month now..
The internal battery will supply power for less than a minute ,,
I can get it to record to the TF card, but cannot get it to communicate with my PC at all, my iPhone recognizes it, but will not display a video


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

If it matters to anyone, the camera car draws 110ma ... and might be better with a little bit larger capacitor, no power drop out, but if I hold my ear close, there is a bit of a 'whine'


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I have that one you found on eBay, it kinda' sucks and trying to get it to connect to WiFi is a nightmare!


GRJ, what software and switch configuration did you use to get that WiFi stalk camera to work?? 
I'm stumped with mine, can't get my PC to communicate with the camera??


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have the switches ON-OFF-ON-OFF on both the camera and receiver and the receiver is the RC302.


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

GRJ, I guess I misunderstood which WiFi camera that you had ...
This is the type that I am having trouble with


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have a similar one of those as well, actually two different types. One I didn't get to do much of anything, the other one I finally got to talk to an Android phone, but I can't get it to connect to a network, which is what I wanted it for. I think they're a buggy piece of crap if you ask me.


----------

