Hack 92. See Through Walls

A portable wireless video camera, combined with a portable TV, provides remote viewing for times when you really could use an extra set of eyes.

X10 Corporation's XCam2 (http://www.x10.com/products/vk45a_how.htm, $70) is a wireless color video camera that works by broadcasting its signal to a base station that's connected to a TV, VCR, or PC video digitizer. It's a handy device, but I've discovered a practical use that makes it almost indispensable for the home handyman.

I received an XCam2 battery pack for free (http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ zb10a.htm; $20) when I bought the camera, but I hadn't put it to much use. The battery pack connects to the camera and turns it into a portable broadcaster because you don't have to find a power outlet for the transformer the camera normally requires.

The XCam2's broadcast range is about 100 feet, but the frequency it uses (2.4GHz) is the same as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and WiFi equipment, and interference can reduce its range. Be prepared to do some channel-juggling (the XCam2 provides two channels to choose from) until you find the best selection for cohabitation with the rest of your gadgets.

I use the battery-powered XCam2 when I'm working alone and running wires for automation, such as a sensor wire for an alarm system, and I can't see what's happening on the other side of the wall or I don't know if my fish wire is going where I want it to. Sometimes, I mount the camera on a small tripod for easier positioning (http://www.x10.com/products/x10_zt10a.htm; $17).

At the receiving end, the XCam2 receiver is connected to a DC-powered, five-inch color LCD TV that I purchased online for about $130. The receiver and TV are in a large plastic project box in which I've drilled a hole to allow the television's antenna to protrude so that I can adjust it easily for best reception. A metal hanger on the box lets me hang it from a rafter for hands-free viewing.

Now, I have an extra pair of eyes that I use to view anything in the house, from anywhere I want. It's the greatest tool I've ever had. When you need to adjust the dampers from your HVAC system, tape some strips of tissue paper over the air vents in your house. To adjust a particular room, place the camera so that it can see the vents, and then watch the tissue to judge the amount of air that's coming through, all without having to leave the furnace area to check your work.

The same technique also is useful to identify circuit breakers and outlets. Put a lamp on the circuit you want to turn off, and then place the camera so that it's pointing at the lamp. Take the monitor with you to the breaker box and you will know when you have turned off the correct breaker.

In addition, I use the XCam2 when I need advice about how to best tackle a project or solve a problem. Instead of describing the situation, I just take my camera and transmit the images to my father, via the Internet, using X10's free XRay Vision software (http://www.x10.com/products/xrayvision_software5. htm) and a video-to-USB adapter (http://www.x10.com/products/x10_va11a.htm; $70). Now, I have both an expert available and a remote set of eyes!

Arthur J. Dustman IV