Wireless LANC Bridge?

[Richard Holmberg]

Is there such a thing as a wireless bridge for LANC remote controls? I have seen some solutions aimed at the radio control aircraft hobbyist – not quite what I need.

Several months ago I had a need for a product that would allow me to use a LANC remote to control a DV camera from a long distance (50 to 100 meters). Running a cable was not practical, so I went looking for a wireless solution, but could not find one.

Not to be deterred I decided to try to build one. Now I have the thing almost working. It’s a pair of very small 2.4GHz radios. One is connected to (and powered by) the camera’s LANC port, and the other provides a 2.5mm jack that any LANC controller can be attached to. The radio link forms a virtual extension cable between the LANC remote and the camera.

Is this a useful gadget that would be worth making into something that others could use? It could be neatly packaged into two units each being deck of cards size.

[Allan Black]

What camera and LANC are you working with?

Why not get it finished and report back. Test it in all areas, see how RF interference might affect it and make sure you're not contravening any FCC laws.

And how do you plan to monitor the cams LCD from 100 meters away?

Cheers.

[Chris Soucy]

Nice toy, Richard...................

but I can't see you making a fortune out of it, simply not enough people who would need such a device ( as an "add on/ replacement" to an existing Lanc controller/ cable system).

I've seen this myself with usefull stuff that people could use, but there simply isn't the market for it.

Build your own Lanc controllers, have the wireless built in and develope an SMD version of the reciever that is the size of a 2.5mm plug, so no "deck of cards" size, hey, you're onto something.

Try selling it to any of the big Lanc controller vendors, they have the controllers, the developement people, the market and know who can build miniature circuitry to enable this sort of link.

I was staggered when I bought my replacement wireless mouse a couple of months ago, the USB reciever was smaller than an aspirin and is invisible in one of my USB slots.

Do that with Lanc and you've got a new base standard, won't happen with "deck of cards" stuff.

Just my PO.

Good luck.


CS

[Allan Black]

For his first post on the forum, Richard has stated he needs a wireless LANC and he's trying to build one as a DIY, he wouldn't consider it as a toy
and I don't either.

Let's know how you go Richard, let's know any hassles, other members will chime in to help.

If she flies, post it up here as a DIY. This is how businesses get started.

Cheers.

[Richard Holmberg]

Thanks for the expert advice. I am a novice / amateur photographer, but I have 25 years experience developing products. I'm trying to assess if it's worth my time to bring this up to production level.

Allan asked: "And how do you plan to monitor the cams LCD from 100 meters away?"
The remote side (attached to the LANC controller) has a 1.5" LCD that displays camera mode, state, counters, etc.

Chris commented about the size of the unit that is attached to the camera.
I agree, it has to be small. With some work, I could shrink the camera side unit to the size of a USB flash drive, maybe 1.5"x0.5". It would be great if it was just a bubble on the end of a 2.5mm plug. Right now I'm using a 1" antenna also.

Some questions:
- The camera unit can be powered from the camera. Should the remote unit be battery powered or use an AC adapter? Is there a size / type of battery that is preferable.
- Is 2.5mm LANC common, or is that considered consumer grade and pro cameras use something else?

[Ben Lynn]

It sounds like you're making an amazing product Richard! It's great to hear about people making stuff to fit their needs when something isn't available on the market. Great job!

The 2.5mm plug is standard for consumer gear and some of the prosumer cameras. For cameras that use a full manual lens they don't have any lanc controls. When it gets to that point they simply put the camera on a full robotic system that can control pan, tilt, zoom, and focus. So if you're considering making a marketable model of this it would probably need to be aimed at the consumer market.

There's no doubt that you could make the camera side unit smaller but I don't see any problem with the first working model being the size of a deck of cards. Once you get all your R+D ironed out then you can easily work on size reduction.

With batteries I've been partial to AA batteries because they're a lot more affordable than 9v batteries. I've also seen a lot of video gear moving away from 9v over the years so for a consumer product you might want to think about the AA's.

Great work!

[Richard Davidson]

As far as market thing about every high school and college that uses an end zone camera setup. Once a wireless setup becomes practical then more will move to that over having someone sitting at the base running the camera.

[Allan Black]

Originally Posted by Richard Holmberg

Is 2.5mm LANC common, or is that considered consumer grade and pro cameras use something else?

It's worth studying this .. you might need to offer a few LANC adaptors.

Sony LANC Adapter Cable - AV/R Pro LANC 10 pin Adapter Cable 2.5 mm to D connector Video Audio

Cheers.

[Mike Pritchard]

Interesting thread. I've just bought a Sony HDR-CX260V, and wondering how to control it remotely. After a little research, it looks like LANC is useful, but the lack of wireless is a problem for me. It was easy with my very old Sony camcorder's supplied remote, but options don't seem to be as simple these days. What happened to wireless remotes?

So, I'd love to see a wireless LANC bridge. There were questions earlier in the thread about whether there's a market. I'm a market researcher, and this is the kind of thing I test all the time. It might not be a huge market, but it looks to me that a market would exist at the right price.

Mike