UMDRanger 0 Posted August 31, 2006 My company almost always uses Dedicated Micros Digital Sprite II DVRs, and with great success. However, today while working on a project I encountered a problem. First of all, the client wants it in time lapse mode, so I've got it set to variable recording the single camera at once every 90,000 milliseconds. He really wanted it once an hour, but I couldn't find a way to do that. Anyways I got that set. A contractor is time lapse recording the progress on a pretty wild project at a nice house. But my problem is that while I am in the Installer menu, the unit keeps rebooting. Kinda hard to program the damn thing when it's rebooting from disk every time I open a menu or try to change a setting. My off the top of my head guesses: 1. unit is defective, or has curupt software. 2. power spikes in the outlet. 3. power spikes caused by the camera transformer (used) on the same 4 outlet recepticle. 4. static discharge generated by me being on the carpet with no shoes (really nice house) Any thoughts? I'm kinda stuck out here on this one, the rest of the tech/installer side of the company is gone on a company vacation for a week, and hard to get a hold of. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Flannel 0 Posted September 1, 2006 Does it only reboot during programming? Or does it constantly reboot? If it's only during programming, is it at the same point in programming? If so, what point? Has DM tech had any thoughts on the matter? I doubt it's static electricity, unless it was one heck of a pop! I've had units constantly reboot, and the problem has always been a bad drive. Have you checked the outlet the unit is on? Is there a UPS on the unit? Sorry I had more questions than answers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSG 0 Posted September 1, 2006 Never seen this problem before, but it sounds like an internal problem that you will need to send the unit back to DM for service. Their turnaround is very fast, if you next day air it to them they will next day air back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UMDRanger 0 Posted September 1, 2006 Does it only reboot during programming? Or does it constantly reboot? If it's only during programming, is it at the same point in programming? If so, what point? It seems to vary. I had no problems on the user menu, but once I got into the installer menu and started setting the static IP, it started to reboot. This rebooting continued on recording and quality setup menus as well. The unit was not plugged into the ethernet port on the wall yet. However, my helper for the day, a new guy, unpacked the unit while I was mounting the camera. He found the RS485 cable that is included with the DVR and he figured it was the cat5 patch cord and drove it into the ethernet jack on the DVR. I got it out... eventually. And put an actual cat5 patch cord in, but like I said, it wasn't plugged in. Has DM tech had any thoughts on the matter? Haven't called them yet. They are on my todo list for tomarrow morning when I troubleshoot and try to program it at our shop. I doubt it's static electricity, unless it was one heck of a pop! I've had units constantly reboot, and the problem has always been a bad drive. humm. Have you checked the outlet the unit is on? Is there a UPS on the unit? Sorry I had more questions than answers. I have not checked the outlet, and there is no UPS. Not sure how I'd check the outlet as I rarely touch 110. I doubt the homeowner would like me tearing apart the outlet to meter it though. Basically the DVR is for the concret contractor to use to watch (and record for advertisment) the progress on a swiming pool being made on the side of a steep hill overlooking a river. It is a temp installation, and the homeowner and contractor didn't like my idea of running the wire nicely. They insisted on running it their way, accross the floors and dangling So there is no UPS, the internet access is controlled by the household's computer wiz. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UMDRanger 0 Posted September 2, 2006 This morning at our shop the condition reoccured. I called tech support and apparently we had gotten an older unit (yet we ordered it less than a month ago), with an old software that was buggy. I updated the software, which solved the problem... until I powered down the unit and went to install it. Had it all programed at the shop, unplugged it, brought it to the site... and it just kept rebooting itself, even when in just viewing live. New software shows up in the properties though. So it is going to be exchanged. End of story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted September 2, 2006 Was it on a voltage regulator? Sounds like a hardware issue .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kensplace 0 Posted September 2, 2006 Wonder if DM had sent out a reconditioned unit, that had been in for repairs, by mistake. Would explain how you got a 'old' one even though its a new order, and also why its playing up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted September 2, 2006 Isnt DM's OS on the HDD? If so then thats probably the issue, or a power supply ... the one i tested felt too much like a PC which is why i never went DM back then ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Flannel 0 Posted September 2, 2006 Isnt DM's OS on the HDD? If so then thats probably the issue, or a power supply ... the one i tested felt too much like a PC which is why i never went DM back then ... Yes, the OS is on the master hard drive. That is the complaint I have about DM, for the amount of money they charge, there ought to be a better setup. Even the BX2, which has removable drives... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UMDRanger 0 Posted September 2, 2006 I had OS 4.0 (067) which was "old and buggy", so I downloaded the update off the website for 4.3 (007), but the DVR never read the disk. Turns out my boss had a update disk in his office. It took him 4 times to create a disk the DVR would read he said. So I installed it 4.3 (005), and like I said it worked fine at the shop. DM tech support said they first thought it was software, but after updating that, mostly likely culprit was the power supply. Thanks for all your help and suggestions team! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSG 0 Posted September 2, 2006 I think on the newer DS2's some of the OS is embedded, but still not a true embedded DVR. But by and large a very reliable DVR, many are in the field for 5 years still going (maybe thats a bad thing for my business). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UMDRanger 0 Posted September 7, 2006 We got a new one in today. I got it programed... and then it started doing the same thing as the old one. Needless to say we were not happy. I again called tech support, dealt with the usual "it's your power supply" and "it's not our fault" mentality. The rep had me reset to the default settings, and no problems. We then went into programming, and when I got to the recording rate. "Oh, well thats your problem!" the rep tells me. While the instruction manual says I can set the recording level as low as once every 90,000 milliseconds (as the customer wants only once an hour, he had to settle with once every 1:30min), apparently tech supports in house tests a few weeks ago found that anything above 6,000 milliseconds causes the unit to become unstable due to the low recording rate, and reboot. And after 5 reboots an hour, it goes into a protective mode where it sits and waits to be manually rebooted. Known problem, but who knows when it will be resolved (manual updated, or units made stable). Nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
