Playmobil wireless spy camera

idlemarvel said:
Agreed it is good fun, although the resolution is not that great, but as you say the problem - if you wish to connect it to a PC to collect the video feed - is that it does not work on anything beyond Windows XP. I spent several hours over many days with Windows 7, 8 and 10, trying all manner of things even running XP under VMware but to no avail. If anyone does find a way to connect it to Windows 10 please post the solution here, I would love to know.
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Will it work with Windows 98 all that I have, or a Mac? Never upgraded my Portable (bought year 2000) beyond 98 as I went down he Mac route.
JonD
 
Well, I've got one but still can't find out if I've paid for three! Still appeared to be in stock elsewhere earlier so thought I'd buy another one and have it sent to the Great Yarmouth store to collect later in the week. "Sorry you can't do that" was the reply from the customer 'service?' assistant. Must be collected from the store where it's physically located. Big words from someone who is so obviously short on logic. She suggested I had a day out and drove to either Ely or Cambridge. Funny how they can accept parcels anywhere in the country and deliver them to any store for eBay customers to collect but are unable to move a stock item between two of their own outlets. As they are not scheduled to ever be restocked looks like this is the only one I will have. Best of luck John with your hoped-for purchase but as you're miles from Cambridgeshire looks like you may have to go without.
Mike.
Further to trainman 864's post number 15 the item number 4679 is not recognised on the play Mobil direct website.
 
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Well I called by my local Argos today and it turned out I had been misinformed by Argos HQ. They can transfer items internally - but only between one regional warehouse and their satelite stores - not from other warehouses and their stores. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that their entire inventory control system is still running on XP.

Anyway - they checked around as far as they could and everywhere was out of stock - Oh well....

Thanks to those suggesting alternatives - but the reason I wanted to get the Playmobil one is that it's made to fit the docking clamp in their yellow diesel shunter.
 
Trainman 864 said:
Well I called by my local Argos today and it turned out I had been misinformed by Argos HQ. They can transfer items internally - but only between one regional warehouse and their satelite stores - not from other warehouses and their stores. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that their entire inventory control system is still running on XP.

Anyway - they checked around as far as they could and everywhere was out of stock - Oh well....

Thanks to those suggesting alternatives - but the reason I wanted to get the Playmobil one is that it's made to fit the docking clamp in their yellow diesel shunter.
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http://www.ebay.ie/itm/like/182379387402?clk_rvr_id=1135653560049&rmvSB=true

A lot dearer than 17 quid though! But if you go to ebayuk there are more competitive prices for 4879
 
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ebay mike said:
Well, I've got one but still can't find out if I've paid for three! Still appeared to be in stock elsewhere earlier so thought I'd buy another one and have it sent to the Great Yarmouth store to collect later in the week. "Sorry you can't do that" was the reply from the customer 'service?' assistant. Must be collected from the store where it's physically located. Big words from someone who is so obviously short on logic. She suggested I had a day out and drove to either Ely or Cambridge. Funny how they can accept parcels anywhere in the country and deliver them to any store for eBay customers to collect but are unable to move a stock item between two of their own outlets. As they are not scheduled to ever be restocked looks like this is the only one I will have. Best of luck John with your hoped-for purchase but as you're miles from Cambridgeshire looks like you may have to go without.
Mike.
Further to trainman 864's post number 15 the item number 4679 is not recognised on the play Mobil direct website.
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No wonder I could not find it (that's a Santa and a sack of toys!). Right number is 4879.
 
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All being well will be visiting Cambridge this afternoon to pick up th last one in stock. Reserved and paid for, plus a Text to say it is waiting for me! We shall see if their Information comes up trumps! If not will have to visit my friend Doug. Little friend in a Pub in Cambridge.
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JonD
 
If anyone wants the Playmobil spy camera set I have one working and boxed that I will sell for £17 plus P&P to UK send me a PM if interested.

SOLD
 
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idlemarvel said:
If anyone wants the Playmobil spy camera set I have one working and boxed that I will sell for £17 plus P&P to UK send me a PM if interested.
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PM sent....
 
dunnyrail said:
All being well will be visiting Cambridge this afternoon to pick up th last one in stock. Reserved and paid for, plus a Text to say it is waiting for me! We shall see if their Information comes up trumps! If not will have to visit my friend Doug. Little friend in a Pub in Cambridge.
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JonD
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And which pub would that be JD?

I know a certain lady who would love to meet Doug the dog....
 
trammayo said:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/like/182379387402?clk_rvr_id=1135653560049&rmvSB=true

A lot dearer than 17 quid though! But if you go to ebayuk there are more competitive prices for 4879
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After my wasted trip to my local Argos yesterday, where I was told there was no sign of anymore of these in the country, as far as they could tell, I thought I would just plug in the number again last night, just to see what happened.

Well blow me down if it didn't show one on the shelf at that very same Argos store!

The reservation process went smoothly, complete with e-mail notification, and I picked it up this morning for just £16.99. Although I wasn't going to believe it till I had it in my hot little hand .... :)

Just one question to the experts on these things - the specification claims a 'frames per second' rate of 23 fps, but it looks to me to be nearer 10 fps - is this the best I should expect from a toy like this? .... Thanks.
 
Gizzy said:
And which pub would that be JD?

I know a certain lady who would love to meet Doug the dog....
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Gizzy, Clarendon Arms Clarendon St near Drummer St Bus Station, in fact between there and where the X5 Starts from. He is not always present though, there appears to be 2 Landlords/Managers so it is a bit hit n miss. He was not present yesterday but the Chefs Youngish Puppy was! So a good Dog Friendly Pub. Beers pretty good too and Nosh looks great. Good to meet up yesterday and many thanks for the lift into Cambridge.
JonD
 
Trainman 864 said:
After my wasted trip to my local Argos yesterday, where I was told there was no sign of anymore of these in the country, as far as they could tell, I thought I would just plug in the number again last night, just to see what happened.

Well blow me down if it didn't show one on the shelf at that very same Argos store!

The reservation process went smoothly, complete with e-mail notification, and I picked it up this morning for just £16.99. Although I wasn't going to believe it till I had it in my hot little hand .... :)

Just one question to the experts on these things - the specification claims a 'frames per second' rate of 23 fps, but it looks to me to be nearer 10 fps - is this the best I should expect from a toy like this? .... Thanks.
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I got mine yesterday in Argos Cambridge. Reservation system worked perfectly like you though, I was unsure till I got it in the palm of my Sweaty Hand. Wanted to try it last night, but only had Rechargeable AAA which the Camera did not appear to like. So will be getting some today to go with the AA that I bought specially yesterday.

Resolution would not surprise me, as you say it is a Toy. At the original price I would not be happy, but at the £16.99 I paid I will not be complaining.
JonD
 
So after collecting my Camera on Wednesday I finally sourced the requisite number and size of Batteries to test it out yesterday. I placed it into the Cab of My PM Diesel, fortunately the Driver has only taken one of Mounting Points in the Cab, so the Trip Down the Garden from the House can be done OK.

The run from the side of the House to the Shed is roughly 80ft and the Camera worked fine to around Half this distance. At this point the Picture Froze on the Screen. However as I walked Down the Garden to roughly where the Picture Froze the Camera Connected with the Screen again and we were away. So in my Garden the Range was around 40ft. How do other members ones manage in this respect?

Have to say it is somewhat surreal Driving in Real Time from the Cab. Though I have plenty of Vids taken from the Fromt of a Train of my line, it is not the same as watching the Line for Signals and obstacles as a real Driver would do. Great fun and very satisfying.

I think this is a great item, I rather not refer to it in the Toy Vernacular even though it is and a very good one at that for around £17.00 at current Argis Price if you can get one. I can thouroughly recommend it, Battery Life eccepted. But this is something that I doubt that you would use all the time. Though I will be making good use of it for a severly limited mobility friend of mine who will just love being able to use it to drive on my line.
JonD
 
dunnyrail said:
......Wanted to try it last night, but only had Rechargeable AAA which the Camera did not appear to like.........
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See below .....


Arthur Aardvark said:
As for batteries in the camera, it is power intensive, rechargeable batteries are 1.2v, Alkaline are 1.5v and above, two rechargeable batteries combined will only give 2.4v, not enough to drive the camera.
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I'm not sure where you got that information - but the accopanying manual specifically recomends on page #5, high quality rechargeable batteries.

I think the problem might be that you are trying to use something like the Poundland 'Fusion Max' AAA and AA rechargeable batteries, which only have a capacity of 350 and 800 mAH respectively.

I've been using Varta rechargeable batteries which have a capacity of 800 and 2100 mAH respectively - and also Tronic 'professional' rechargeable batteries which have capacities of 900 and 2500 mAH respectively.

With the latter I've been getting in excess of two hours camera life - (don't forget it shuts down automatically after 15 minutes or so to conserve the batteries) - and in excess of four hours monitor life.
 
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Trainman 864 said:
See below .....





I'm not sure where you got that information - but the accopanying manual specifically recomends on page #5, high quality rechargeable batteries.

I think the problem might be that you are trying to use something like the Poundland 'Fusion Max' AAA and AA rechargeable batteries, which only have a capacity of 350 and 800 mAH respectively.

I've been using Varta rechargeable batteries which have a capacity of 800 and 2100 mAH respectively - and also Tronic 'professional' rechargeable batteries which have capacities of 900 and 2500 mAH respectively.

With the latter I've been getting in excess of two hours camera life - (don't forget it shuts down automatically after 15 minutes or so to conserve the batteries) - and in excess of four hours monitor life.
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Batteries, aha so High MaH does the trick. Will invest as AAA mine are only 900 Mah Lidl Rechargeables. Another trip to Maplin or Ebay required me thinks.
JonD
 
Hi Jon - If your AAAs are 900 mAH they are the same as mine and that should be OK.

Two things I've found is that probably help is that the batteries should be fairly new and that they are fully charged. I have a Tronic charger for my Tronic batteries, but when I put discharged batteries in it - the green 'charged' light and the 'full' graphical display on the screen come up suspiciously quickly - sometimes less than one hour.

Whereas the charge time quoted on the battery itself is 7 hours at 180 mA. - so after I get the full indication I usually leave them on charge for another 3 hours or so.

I really need to find the charger charging profile to be sure I'm doing the right thing.
 
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