IR camera conks ?

[DKtucson 0]

Hi folks,

In a multi-cam setup an indoor bullet cam seems to be having a premature failure

Symptoms:

With adequate room light --shades open during the day or ceiling fan lights on at night--we have normal picture.

When the IR kick in (30 leds) we had passable function for a few weeks and last night it took on a magenta/blue hue at dusk and was very dim. The client states that all IR leds are illuminating. As a test I parked another camera in there with it pugged in just to an ac adaptor to give extra illumination but still seems just as dark...Possibly an issue with the auto-iris or other circuit failure?

[thewireguys 3]

What is the make and model of the camera?

[DKtucson 0]

Hecho en China generic camera with the following specs:

1/4-inch Sharp CCD image sensor

PAL/NTSC Video system

NTSC Resolution: 512 x 492 resolution / PAL Resolution: 512 x 582

Horizontal Definition: 420 TV Line

Video output: 75 Ohms / 1.0 Vp-p

Signal to Noise Ratio: > 48 dB

White Balance: > 0.45

Shutter speed: 1/50(1/60) - 1/100,000 sec

Automatic Backlight Compensation

Minimum illumination: 0 Lux

30 LEDs

Composite audio/video connectors

[thewireguys 3]

Does it have a IR Cut filter?

[DKtucson 0]

not that I can discern--it's a cheapie

[rory 0]

Hecho en China generic camera with the following specs:

1/4-inch Sharp CCD image sensor

PAL/NTSC Video system

NTSC Resolution: 512 x 492 resolution / PAL Resolution: 512 x 582

Horizontal Definition: 420 TV Line

Video output: 75 Ohms / 1.0 Vp-p

Signal to Noise Ratio: > 48 dB

White Balance: > 0.45

Shutter speed: 1/50(1/60) - 1/100,000 sec

Automatic Backlight Compensation

Minimum illumination: 0 Lux

30 LEDs

Composite audio/video connectors

 

That would be the bottom of the barrel camera, Sharp 1/4" and low res.

But it should at least see someone standing in front of it in a small room, at best.

 

However, if it was okay before and then suddenly went bad, and you tried another camera and still bad, replace the power supply and see if that helps.

[DKtucson 0]

Hi Rory and thanks for the response. What I did was leave the original questionable camera mounted in place so it is still "the camera"--it is wired into a central 5amp power distribution box- I took another camera and supplied it with power only from a seperate plug in ac adapter and am using the 2nd cameras IR emitters as a "booster" to see if additional IR is the issue--like was it a failure of the IR circuit on the mounted cam.

(I would have used a "puck" IR emitter but am awaiting a shipment so using a 2nd cam as a IR emitter was my alternative at the moment).

I think I will swap the camera out entirely--attached is a jpg of the scene--notice the magenta hue--this was not apparent in earlier views--also, we now have 60 IR leds illuminating a 15sq ft room. The 2nd "emitter" is sitting on the shelf of the desk on the left edge of the jpg and is pointed at the cardboard boxes stacked on the opposing wall..the partially opened door is acting as a foreground reflector but it should still be better than that

[rory 0]

Ok then sounds like a problem with that camera itself. I noticed similar with a colleague here who had a cheap IR dome and the image in pitch dark was green ... other cameras of the same kind were fine. Doubt it is anything to do with the electronic iris, but perhaps the chip or other circuitry.