Camera not recording

[dsealer]

I’ve got a camera that doesn’t seem to record. As far as I can tell it views ok and goes “Live” ok but it doesn’t record. And this morning I realized it probably hasn’t recorded (or at least not consistently) since I bought it.
I bought the 3 camera and base system about 3 months ago. I placed this camera on my front porch. I mounted it about 12’ to the right of my door and about 10’ off the ground. When I positioned the camera it looked like it would capture everything from my front yard, the walkway to my front door and my front door. However I can only think of one time it recorded. It never recorded my mailman though he walks there every day. I thought it might be the positioning of the camera to the right side of my door. So 2 days ago I moved the camera and mounted it directly over my door, no side view. It still captures the same things in the view only from a straight on position. However it still doesn’t record.
I’ve had the sensitivity at 80% but recently turned it up to 100%, but still no recordings. This morning I was looking at a “Live” view when all of a sudden a woman walked up my sidewalk and delivered a paper to my front porch. She was within 10’ of the camera. I could see her very clearly but still nothing recorded.
I’m looking for help to understand what’s wrong or what to do to fix the problem.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Don……

[jguerdat]

2 things:

1) When using live view, recordings are automatically disabled, by design.

2) Best motion detection is for motion across the FOV, not directly at the camera.

[dsealer]

I understand both points, 1 & 2.  But still doesn't explain why the camera doesn't record.  My mailman comes in view of this camera, within 10' every day but he's never been recorded.  The camera isn't picking up the motion so it can record it.

Thanks for your reply and interest,

Don.....

[manfredz]

Is the mailman walking into the camera or across the camera?

[dsealer]

Usually he walks across.  But the mailman is only an example to help describe the situation.  Yesterday I walked straight up to the camera and it didnt record.

[dsealer]

Now that I've got the sensitivity turned up to 100% the camera is recording often.  However not people.  I have a flag that is hanging in the front of the house.  Could that be causing problems?  I understand when the flag blows motion is created and it might record that motion.  But the same should happen when a human being walks within 10' of the camera, shouldn't it?  Actually human beings get closer to the camera than does the flag.

[manfredz]

that it didn't record when yu walked toward it is not surprising.   The PIR motion detection system used by battery operated cams is not very good with objects walking into the camera but should work with movement across the cam unless its very brief.

Battery operated cams have their advantages but also have their disadvantages, but with careful camera placement, can sometimes be minimized

[dsealer]

So I might be better off if the camera was off to one side or the other of my front door?

[manfredz]

experimenting with various positions is part of the optimization game.

keep in mind though a PIR system does not work through glass if that is applicable to your situation

[dsealer]

I know about glass.  Over the next couple of days I'll try some different positions.

Thanks,

Don.....

[manfredz]

another thing you might want to look into, something i found useful for my situation, is to create a rule that if camera A detects motion, beside it starting to record, it also starts cam B recording

[Johnnyspc]

I have the same problem. All day long getting false recordings frontg driveway. Possibly from wind. When I walk out at night time the camera in non functional. Attempted to reset, reposition, called support, no help. Now the camera shows pink toned image. Called customer support and after only having this camera 4 days I was told camera is defective. Today the backyard camera was not working. I had to reposition and raise the sensitivity.

Presently working but I am not confident in these cameras working every time. I just bought these and have been woking like a mad man trying to get them to operate normally.

Should this continue I will be returning them.

Very frustrating!!

[dsealer]

Sorry to hear that although I find some consolation knowing I'm not the only person experiencing this problem.  I wonder if there are others.

Customer Support doesn't have an answer other than to turn off, pull batteries, disconnect and reconnect.  They don't seem to understand that the camera functions it just doesn't record what's in its view.

I know of what you speak.  My camera doesnt seem to capture people movement but it records dozens of times a day with nothing in it.  I suppose it records air.  I've moved, repositioned,  disconnected and reconnected the cameras many times.  I've increased and decreased the sensitivity many times as well. I've  been in contact with support, but bottom line is I have a camera system that is questionable when it comes to capturing movement of people who might be around my house.

I'm disappointed and out about $400.  This system is not as good as it leads you to believe. I asked support, "what good is a camera recording system that doesn't record what's in its view"?

I hope you can return yours.  I have mine about 2 months and I'm sure I can't return it.  I've been playing around with it that long.

If I discover a way to make these things work as "expected" I'll post here.

Don.....

[scruffy123]

I have been experiencing the same problems recently.  I've had my system in place for a little over a year now.  A few months ago the color started going bad in one camera.  Recently I replaced the batteries in my cameras and shortly afterwards they all went off line.  I popped the batteries in and out,  rebooted the base statiion and deleted one camera and re-added it.  Finally I replaced all of the nearly new batteries and all of the cameras started working.  I left town a few days later and checked the cameras with my phone and two had gone offline and one stayed online but stopped recording.  That was two weeks ago.  I finally started looking at them again today. I restarted the base station but the two cameras stayed offline and I went outside to test the one that is online and it did not record.  I walked toward it and across it from about 5 feet and it didn't record. I did notice several dim red lights behind the cover plate of the camera. 

Regarding the recording of air, I've noticed mine recording the movement of shadows as the sun crosses over my house as well as headlight movement at night.  This was before they started going offline.  My recording sensitivity is set at the factory default level.

[JamesC]

scruffy123,

What does the signal strength indicator show for the cameras in question? It sounds like an interference or poor signal strength issue could be causing what you describe. Try (temporarily) bringing the problem camera(s) closer to the base station and test to see if you still experience the same behavior.

JamesC

[scruffy123]

Hello James,

After I posted my problem I continued to troubleshoot and brought the cameras inside close to the base station. The blue light was blinking faintly on both of the cameras that went offline.  I replaced the batteries and that fixed the problem.  The reason that I didn't do this basic troubleshooting step in the beginning was because I had just replaced the batteries in all three of my cameras and the two  cameras went offline in about a week, the third kept it's charge and stayed online but wouldn't record.  I never suspected that the batteries had discharged because they were new. 

Before I replaced the batteries this time, I rebooted the base station and tried to re-add each camera. Of course the two with the bad batteries couldn't be added.

So I guess the offline problem is solved but it's still a mystery why the batteries discharged so quickly.  Is it possible that the magnet in the camera affects the batteries?  I've had these cameras in place for over a year and this is the first time that the batteries have discharged so quickly.

Anyway, thanks for your quick reply.

scruffy123

[jguerdat]

The magnet has no effect on the batteries (other than to suck them in when trying to load them). There have been reports of new but dead batteries here before. Also, make sure when installing the batteries to NOT push them down - let the battery door do the work.  Sometimes one or more batteries gets stuck down with no connection to the contacts on the door.

Check the "dead" batteries with a voltmeter and compare to known good ones. Maybe you can save some of them.