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Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9307
Posted: 04:51am 20 Jan 2022
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This camera flatly refuses to record anything. Regardless of if someone walks by it or not. It will not record to the uSD card on the camera, nor will it store any videos via the app to the tablet, and when you try to look at any recordings, the app just reports there are NO clips to look at.
This is a brand new camera, and clean-install of the Swann app. I've never had a Swann camera before. This one is model SWIFI-TRACKCM32GB, and came with a 32GB uSD card.
- Both the camera and the pad are on the same 2.4GHz WiFi network. - The setup app connected to the camera fine, and it can talk to it in settings. - The LiveView works just fine on the pad. - Manual recording via the LiveView on the app records nothing on either the uSD card or to the pad.
NOTHING I do will result in any recording either on the uSD card on the camera itself, or via the app and saved on the pad locally. Regardless of if I get my chums to walk up and down in front of it. The LiveView tracks the movement well, and follows my test subjects great, but no video is EVER produced.
Have reformatted the uSD card using the camera and the app on the pad, but made no difference. When I take the card out of the camera and put it in reader, there are ZERO files on the uSD card.
A look around on the Swann website shows other people also having issues with their ones not recording either since the latest app update.
I'm stumped. Anyone else see this?Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 458
Posted: 07:43am 20 Jan 2022
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Hi Grogster, it may be worth trying to write information to the SD card to make sure it is not a dud. I have a security camera system at home, it was wireless. The wireless signal would drop in and out a lot, even from short distances. My solution was to wire the cameras to a network video recorder and record the pictures on a hard drive. Works all the time now. I do have a camera like yours that is a different brand, but I find it really painful that it has to have an internet connection to work and also find it incredibly slow to review footage. Our internet here is slow, mobile broadband and trying to see what the camera has recorded on the SD card without taking the card out is too slow and time consuming. Pete
Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9307
Posted: 02:17am 21 Jan 2022
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Thanks for the reply. Can write files fine to the SD card on a computer. At this point, I think I will just return the damn thing and choose another brand.
You're telling me.
I was thinking it would work just like a dashcam - it will record onto the uSD card whenever it detected movement, but no - had to register an account with Swann, download and install the app, and connect the damn camera to the WiFi just to get it working at all, and even then, it won't record.
All of that is relatively painless to do, but it takes up a whole heap of time where a dash-cam type unit would just work out of the box.
In fact, I'm tempted to actually buy a dashcam as a replacement, and just use that after all this mucking around.Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 458
Posted: 03:28am 21 Jan 2022
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Using a dashcam could be a good way to go, as long as the SD card is big enough to hold a few days of video. Or you use a movement detector to trigger the camera. One thing that bugs me about my camera that needs internet connection is that if I set it to notify me when there is movement, it sometimes does and othertimes it just keeps on beeping the phone telling me of movement. When I tell the software not to use "push notifications" it requires me to turn the phone off and re start it before it will listen.
To me is is another one of those devices that just annoy me with far more functions than I really want.
I tried to buy new wired cameras from Zosi where the original cameras and NVR came from, they said "Oh we don't sell the cameras separately. So when one of their cameras die you are supposed to buy a whole new setup, or get stupid internet connected things that, make toast, act as a doorbell, teach the dog to sit up and do everything but just be a camera. Rave over cheers Pete
wiseguy Guru Joined: 21/06/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1156
Posted: 10:23am 21 Jan 2022
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My experience with Zosi - I bought an 8 camera system but only needed 6, so I had 2 spares. The IR night view stopped working on 2 cameras within weeks of each other (after ~ 12 months) so no more spares now.
I put in a warranty claim - sorry we only have a 1 year warranty but you can buy 2 more cameras (different rules for different people....). So I force fed them the original listing with the 2 year warranty clearly showing in it and suddenly there was an about face. We will send you 2 cameras if you leave a good review with Amazon - where I purchased it originally - (blackmail?). They also wanted me to rewire the faulty cameras back in and take a video of the blank screen to send them to prove they dont work !! I'm not expecting a long life from the rest of the cameras. Zosi isnt amongst my favourite suppliers.......If at first you dont succeed, I suggest you avoid sky diving.... Cheers Mike
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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