TipoFloe

Now that I am reading the manual, this looks like the old Argus H.264 unit. Have you contacted the manufacturer for support? If the power out for camera at those RJ11 ports are reading 9V then you should get a replacement.

Hello, keep in mind that 90% of all "manufacturers" or brands are nothing more than private labelers that import from overseas. There's only a handful of real manufacturers, especially in the US. At the same time, these "manufacturers" often invest and work with the true manufacturer overseas for their own face plate, GUI, and etc. Rarely these "manufacturers" will design anything, or invest to develop a new product. They just buy what's available and slap their name on it. Rather than concentrating on the brand, see if the selection is available domestically. You will need support and assistance with installation questions and then warranty service. Now that can be difficult because many "manufacturers" will brush you off and send you off to a local distributor or an installer, and they do not sell direct to end users to protect the marketing channel and the profit that all middlemen need to make - importer - distributor - installer - to you. I'm sure you'll read in many posts here that trying to get support from Ebay sellers, Amazon sellers and Oversea sellers is close to impossible. So now you face the overwhelming challenge of weeding through countless products that you don't know what to make of.... Rather than posting a vague question, do some research and pick out some models and post them here and ask for opinions. You may want to post brand reputation, product performance and such - you will get a whole lot more replies. Good luck to your IP CAM hunting!

How's your wiring? Is it daisy chained or star chained? Does the PTZ controller have a junction box with multiple connections or does it only offer 1 RS-485 port? How are you connecting the PTZs from your DVR?

Actually, this is a good point for another reason: lots of times these "package" systems DON'T operate on a standard 12VDC - the cameras may be looking for 12V but the system is only providing 9V or less. Or the cameras may be looking for a lower voltage while the system is providing a higher voltage, which could kill the cameras, even IF the wiring is right. While many "12V" cameras WILL handle anything between 9-15V, in my experience, there's a number that won't, including some models from some bigger-name brands that have gone up in smoke with even 10% over-voltage. The spec says that the camera requires 12 to 15 volts. If you are only reading 9 volts from the power source (DVR, whatever), then you have a problem... Also, how much juice are you getting from the power source? Combined with the DVR and these 4 cameras, it should be pumping at least 5 amps. These 12/24 LED cameras don't require much current, but if it's not getting 500mA, then it will not function properly either...

It looks like your camera is caught right at the brightness level where it can't decide to go B/W or stay in color. What you're seeing is camera noise from low color viewing. The intensifier should have an option to adjust the day/night switch trigger brightness level. It looks like your DNR is not turned on either. Make sure that your DNR is turned on, your DSS set to less than 32x (anything above will be useless) and see what happens. Good luck.

You should be able to use a passive balun (no power) and get about 1200 feet in color and 2000 feet in B/W. If you use an active balun receiver, then you can improve the picture quality. Keep in mind that the words "picture quality" is rarely used with baluns.

Hello, you may want to consider a couple of things. 1. What is the distance from the DVR to the camera? It should be sufficient and voltage drop should not be a concern. 2. Get a volt meter and splice the RJ-11 or get a tip that's small enough to touch the metal connectors. If you have 3 pairs, video, audio and power, one pair should read 12v, video should read 1 volt and audio.... should have almost no voltage. If the power source (DVR) is putting out 12V DC but at the camera end you're not receiving 12VDC, then my guess is that the gauge on the wire on the RJ11 cable is not big enough...? The camera should operate anywhere between 9 to 15 volts. As for the video signal, you should get at least something even if you're below 1 volt... Good luck.

Stick with the 840nm IR LEDs. 940nm are available, but it will reduce the night vision range (IR range) to about 1/3 or 1/4 of 840nm.

???????? If you replace like-for-like camera modules, it is simple as pie - same mounting holes, same firmware, etc. Also, most brand-for-brand replacement modules utilize the same mounting; just swap a couple of brackets. And if you decide to get a different model of camera module, we've found that Time Lapse Supply will tell you which modules are compatible and, if firmware updates are required, can supply them too. Except for the oddball PTZs, repair is a snap for anyone with a few technical skills. Other than replacing cameras, most of the rest of the repairs are even simpler. PC Boards are typically easy to change, mechanical parts not too difficult, etc. and the savings can be substantial. For instance, a Pelco Spectra IV SL 23x in-ceiling mount indoor dome will set you back $1,100.00 or more. The cost to repair a Spectra III dome drive is rarely more than 1/3 of that. Big difference! Read the original post. He wants to upgrade his module. Not replace it with the same module. If swapping a PTZ module was that simple, I'd be assembling these and selling them myself.

As odd as this post looks as one other user commented, it sounds like the ICR malfunction. If the shift of focus happens after the day/night switch, then that's the only thing I can think of. Contact the manufacturer or the place where you bought it from.

Hello, The Camera resolution and the what the DVR "can" support are two separate things. Most DVRs made with MPEG4 video compression and thereafter (H.264) record in three resolutions in standard definition DVRs: D1: 720x480 Half D1 (2CIF): 720x240 CIF: 360x240 and if you look at your camera's resolution (pixel) it should show you what it can capture. Anyhow, it doesn't matter what resolution camera you install if you're recording at CIF. It's like filling a 1 litter jug with a 4 liter jug and expect the 1 liter jug to hold 4 liters of water. See if you can change the recording resolution (at the expense of losing frame rate). On another note on camera resolutions - think of it like a pissing contest. Without a governing body, manufacturers claim whatever they want to from whatever testing method they've employed. They've been doing it for as long as I can remember and companies that use the REAL TV lines for cameras are losing its market share because of that and they are forced to "overspec" like everyone else in the industry. That's why the night vision distance, WDR performance, etc etc are never up to what the manufacturers claim, and there's only a handful of field proven product out there. I am sorry to say that Swann is not one of them. Here's another fact: the coax cable will transmit at most 525 TV lines. So from your supposedly 700TVL camera through the coax and the DVR only capturing what it was capturing with the previous camera = no change in recorded resolution.

Hello, I don't know if you want to replace the zoom module yourself. That's like replacing a car engine. Besides the physical differences (mounting holes, module size, etc), there's a whole lot of tuning and programming involved to use the zoom module properly from the camera's control board. The protocol may be different, if the protocol is the same, then the mechanics are completely different from one zoom module to another (zoom ratio, voltage, etc). By the time you're done researching, replacing and reprogramming and updating the camera's firmware - that is if you are able to change the source codes around - wouldn't it be cheaper to get a good PTZ camera? Don't be fooled by anyone who claims to have the Sony module. Any module can have a Sony CCD and people just call that a Sony module. Request for the authentic sony module part number. Also, the warranty from Sony for these zoom module is ONLY 3 months. Here's a list of few manufacturers that you may want to consider if you're still willing to venture : Sony - first choice Hitachi - first choice Sanyo - second choice Samsung - second choice LG - second choice CNB - third choice and then many others from China and Taiwan - I wouldn't touch these. Lastly... Do you really want to do this? Even if you are able to replace the module and have it work flawlessly, there are still many other factors involved - preset accuracy & consistency, compatibility, reliability... that will eventually wear and tear and break down on you - something a budget PTZ camera will definitely fail over time... Anyways, good luck to you.

Have you tried just "enter" with no password?

Do you have a preference regarding what platform you get to use? Since I am more familiar with the embedded (stand-alone) units, I'll elaborate on those. Currently, the selection of hybrid NVRs is quite limited for embedded devices. I know of one 4 analog/12 IP hardware hybrid NVR, but it only does 480 CIF. In other words, you will get your D1 4 channel real-time recording, and it stops there. If you need to upgrade to megapixel (how many megapixels?) later, you WILL HAVE to remove the 4 analog cameras and STILL NOT GET REAL-TIME for megapixel recording. You will probably get 10 to 15 PPS at 720P at best. Also, what is your budget? Why are you upgrading to a 4 Channel D1 and THEN to Megapixel? Why not just upgrade to Megapixel from start? You will have to re-run all the network cable because IP cameras won't be able to use existing coax cable. There are megapixel cameras and DVRs that will work off of existing coax cable - as long as the existing cable is true 95% copper braid cable - all you need to do is remove your old cameras and DVR, replace with new ones, power them up, connect to the same coax cable, and then you're done. If you post your budget, then perhaps I could recommend you specific brands and models.

Hello, the DVR probably uses some type of an H.264 video compression variant, which is usually "proprietary" and claimed not to be able to use a third party video editing software... Try the following: 1. Run the program in compatibility mode (e.g. Windows XP) and then try to convert the video (does it have a built-in converter?) 2. Request a codec from the manufacturer, install it onto your computer and then use any video editing software to see if you can import it. 3. Request the manufacturer for a converter (they should be able to manifest one, it's a simple programming really) 4. Use a capturing device when you playback the video on your PC and capture it - e.g. Camtasia Good Luck!

If your current DVR has an RS-485 or RS-232 port, then it's possible to integrate any keyboard controller to your DVR. You may want to contact the manufacturer and see if they sell or can recommend you a keyboard controller. If you find a keyboard you like, then you can request Swann for the DVR control protocol and have the keyboard manufacturer integrate it. One of the common problems with controlling the DVR with the keyboard controller AND the PTZ at the same time on a single twisted pair, is that not many manufacturers are able to control both correctly. I've seen many systems that do both, but often times the controller was not fully taking advantage of the incremental movement of the PTZ cameras. So the alternative, is to wire two pairs, one to the DVR and another to the PTZ. You may want to look for a keyboard controller that has multiple ports or a junction box, like PTZ1, PTZ2, DVR, and so forth, but this will also depend on the manufacturer. This way, you can test both single pair or go two pair route if the single pair fails. Don't go wireless unless you absolutely must and have no other choice. Wireless is simply unreliable. We're dealing with video SECURITY here. Good luck!

It sounds like you're connecting to the router rather than the DVR. They may be fighting for the same web port 80. The router's default interface port is 80, and if your DVR's is the same, then it's probably what's happening. In your DVR manual, you should find the following (but not exactly the same wording): web port: 80 data port: xxxx admin port: xxxx and so on and so forth. If you are typing in the local IP address (192.168.0.101 or something like this) and then you're able to connect to the DVR, then you are connecting via the DVR's web port, port 80. So you need to either change the router's web interface port to 8080 or 8000 or something like that so that it does not conflict with the DVR. Or you can change the DVR's port to something else. Then ensure that the ports are forwarded correctly for the DVR. If the DVR's IP address is 192.168.0.101, then make sure that all the ports related to the DVR are forwarded. If you have not changed the DVR's web port (and changed the router's web port), then use the external IP address and it should connect you to your DVR. If you have changed your DVR's web port to, for example, 8080, then it's the external IP then the port. So if your external IP is 84.29.101.14, then you need to type the following full address, including the http://: http://84.29.101.14:8080 and you should connect to your DVR.

D1 8 channel DVRs are rare. In fact, they are more rare than 16 CH D1 DVRs. The HD-SDI and megapixel IP products led us to believe that we'd pretty much skip over D1 products, but who knew the world would crash? LOL. Since I can't post directly here, I'll PM you the only 8 Channel D1 DVR I know.

It looks like Dahua is big here. I don't know much about Dahua products, but whoever may be importing these from Dahua and private label them should offer similar lines of products. Make sure that you compare apple to apple when you compare pricing, because each importer may have different versions and features from another. But if you find these importers, compare their warranty term and their service reputation.

Your best option is the contact the manufacturer Eclipse for repair. I don't know if they honor warranty for incomplete firmware upgrade. The manufacturer should have some type of a serial device where they can re-install the system files and make it new again, and your recorded data should stay untouched. The whole process should take no more than 3 mins, and they should not charge for it. Let me know if they are not able to help. I may have a few alternative repair solutions for you.

As many mentioned here, you will get a full 16 channel real-time 480 pps DVRs for under $1,000.00. Many of these DVRs should be able to give you smart devices accessibility as well. For a little more, you should be able to get a D1 480PPS DVR for under $1,500.00. If you need to take advantage of your sharp cameras, you should be recording at D1 30 PPS per channel, but then again, you were only getting about 6 PPS per channel with your Eco9. So if you were to get a lesser expensive DVR (CIF 480), you will still be able to get at least 60 PPS at D1 resolution, so get about 6 PPS per channel with your 9 existing cameras. If you want to keep it with the same resolution as your old Eco 9, it will give you 120 PPS at Half D1, or 2CIF. As far as the record fluidity, you should not notice any difference, but then the picture quality on recorded and transmitted data will be dramatically be better, especially because I know what these old Eco 9's look like. Dedicated Micros were the top of the line back in the days. Eco 9, unfortunately was just a bad response to all the Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese DVRs that were being pumped out like crazy. If you're not brand savvy, then look for any manufacturers with local support and with at least 3 years of warranty, which seems to be the standard with security products these days.

How's the stability on this product? Does it run 24/7 without any problems? There are a lot of "older" 4 channel DVRs that are on sale these days. I guess the cost would depend on what bells and whistles you may want, like browsing on your 3G/LTE smart devices. How about upgrading to an embedded system? I'll PM you a list of options.

It sounds like your 4 channel DVR is recording at CIF or perhaps even lower. Think of your setup like this: You have a jug with 4 containers that is 1 cup size each (360(V)x240(H)). But you're trying to pour water into these 4 containers with 4 times higher size cups (720(V)x480(H)). In other words, even if your camera is capable of sending 540TV lines across to the DVR, if your DVR is only recording at 240 TV lines, then you're really wasting all your camera resources. See if your DVR can change its recording resolution from 360x240 (CIF) to 720x240 (Half D1) or 720x480 (D1). It WILL make a HUGE difference as you're recording 4 times sharper. Of course, your storage will eat up 4 times faster also. If you tell me the make and model, I should be able to suggest a few alternative models or simply look up how to increase the recording resolution on your DVR.

Hello, is your car going to be within 15 meters at all time without any obstruction from the camera you're going to be installing in your home? It sounds like if you can't secure the same parking spot every time, you may have to get a PTZ camera to adjust the direction and zoom level each time. Have you thought about the other way around? There are mobile DVRs out there that can be on stand-by mode until it senses some sort of a shock and then turns itself on instantly to start recording. Not only it will protect you while you're driving (in case you get into an accident), but while your car is parked also... But then again, what kind of vandalism on your car? Break-in? Graffiti? Scratches?

Hello, I sent you a PM with some information.