Target Camera

Rifle scopes, iron sights and optics. Spotting scopes and target acquisition devices.

Target Camera

Post by perentie » 02 Sep 2022, 3:25 pm

Has anyone had anything to do with Target Cameras.
A few years ago I bought an Aussi made one but stopped using it because I could not see anything on the screen of my laptop because of glare.
Now I decided to get it out and try again. Its the Long Range model and I want to use it at 600 and 700 yds for Black Powder Target shooting. I tried to get in touch with the manufacturers by email and phone on their web site but no reply to the email and the phone number seems to belong to someone else. I wanted to know if there was a better way to view it, perhaps tablet with a non reflective screen if there is such a thing. I dont have a Smartphone.
Are there any other long range cameras that get a good report?
Any ideas?
Keith
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 02 Sep 2022, 4:27 pm

Just delving into it.
I wanted one a while ago but prices.... :wtf: . I did find one in oz that was "up to" a mile for $350 but has shown nil stock issues since the Rona started. I don't need to go that far but I rationalise that it will definitely work well up to 2-3-500m. I can't see the value in spending $1000+ on other systems. I only want to see the target and don't need any fancy software to tell me how bad I am.
Sooo re-envigorated by a recent spotting scope thread I decided to get enthusiastic about it again. My theory is to utilise a drone First Person View system. Drones transmit video for miles these days and components are cheap enough to source. In a compulsive frenzy I've ordered:
7" display with built in reciever, battery, dvr, etc,
Transmitter
Camera
18650 battery box (for transmitter and cam to run off)
Better antenna's.
My theory is to put the cam, transmitter, battery into an enclosure of some description so I have 1x "piece" at each end. May need a little fan for the transmitter box if it gets hot????
If my uneducated theory is correct it should cost around $200 all done and work for farther than I can shoot.
#anyone with drone experience please feel free to confirm or criticise#
Once parts arrive from the wuhan province I'll post up some progress and report yay or nay. It may turn out I've gone overboard and an even cheaper components could suffice. Most of the money is in the display which could be substituted by a simple reciever and a tablet/phone screen. Might also be another one of my "learning" experiences. :crazy:
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Re: Target Camera

Post by Larry » 02 Sep 2022, 5:40 pm

The computers made for the third world every child has a computer program are very good in daylight use. Green and white devices nicknamed frogs by users in Aus.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by perentie » 03 Sep 2022, 7:12 am

Larry wrote:The computers made for the third world every child has a computer program are very good in daylight use. Green and white devices nicknamed frogs by users in Aus.


Any idea where I can get one?
I tried my local shops for a tablet with a non reflective screen but they were no help at all.

Its OK. I put "Green Frog Tablet " into ebay and found some.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by perentie » 03 Sep 2022, 9:23 am

Scoot.
That $350 one was the one I bought. I see no stock etc but They wont reply to my emails.
I got another laptop to try it on but now it wont set up. It says the program has expired.
I have this as new system and cant use it.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 03 Sep 2022, 10:35 am

I did wonder if yours was that same one. I vaguely remember seeing somewhere on their website, in one of the many check ins, that there is a yearly subscription fee to their program. This I think was their business model for making money longer term. Sell cheap setup, sting a yearly fee for guaranteed income. Of course all this means squat if they've dropped the idea.
I assume their system is of the same principal as what I'm trying albeit run through proprietary software. There would have to be a way to just delete their operating system and just "tap in" to the reciever for the video image???
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Re: Target Camera

Post by perentie » 05 Sep 2022, 3:36 pm

scoot wrote:I did wonder if yours was that same one. I vaguely remember seeing somewhere on their website, in one of the many check ins, that there is a yearly subscription fee to their program. This I think was their business model for making money longer term. Sell cheap setup, sting a yearly fee for guaranteed income. Of course all this means squat if they've dropped the idea.
I assume their system is of the same principal as what I'm trying albeit run through proprietary software. There would have to be a way to just delete their operating system and just "tap in" to the reciever for the video image???


If you think its any use to you. You can have it.
Its as new still with the original batteries.

Keith
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 29 Oct 2022, 5:46 pm

As a late update some of my stuff rolled in that I ordered. Long range antennaes haven't even left yet but I have enough to start.
Screenshot_20221029-180141_Gallery.jpg
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After twitching a few wires I checked it was all going to work. Left the camera and transmitter on the kitchen table and wandered off around 150+ meters before the picture looked like dropping quality. A good sign but transmitter was getting hot so I postponed a build until I got a little fan to include.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 29 Oct 2022, 5:53 pm

Today I finally had a chance to start an actual build of the camera "unit". With a bit of skulduggery I made a frame that would hold all the components and have mounts for adjustable legs or tripod.
Screenshot_20221029-180404_Gallery.jpg
Screenshot_20221029-180404_Gallery.jpg (285.66 KiB) Viewed 1272 times

Please don't judge, it's definitely not my finest work but a few tack welds and some hot glue produced the above in a couple hours.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 29 Oct 2022, 6:04 pm

Finished prototype 1.0
Screenshot_20221029-180353_Gallery.jpg
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Screenshot_20221029-180358_Gallery.jpg
Screenshot_20221029-180358_Gallery.jpg (289.95 KiB) Viewed 1267 times

Hopefully I get a chance to check range, image, battery, heat dissipation, etc tomorrow. Should work easily enough to 200m even without long range antennaes. As long as the target image is good and it doesn't melt down after running for a while should be a winner.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by on_one_wheel » 29 Oct 2022, 6:11 pm

Making it happen 8-)
Would make for a great littke side hustle if you get it all sorted, refined and on the market.
No reliance on connectivity and no need to cover the cost of a second SIM card plan, it's definitely a very useful set up :thumbsup:
Gun control requires concentration and a steady hand
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Re: Target Camera

Post by deye243 » 29 Oct 2022, 9:53 pm

Scoot just remember while testing , have both antennas vertical or both antennas horizontal as a cross polarisation will give you a 20 DB deficit on reception and each 3db loss will half your signal strength.
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Re: Target Camera

Post by scoot » 30 Oct 2022, 1:21 pm

Good tip. The reciever screen I got has "diversity " for 2 antenna. Part of why I ordered some different ones to try. Should be 2x circular polarised and 1x long distance high gain linear coming.
Became very wet around here again this morning so I won't be able to get to the spot i had in mind for range tests. Probably be at least a week now, weather depending.
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