Tag: dome camera

VCL Orbiter gold. DIY repair.

The VCL orbiter gold PTZ cameras can be seen across all areas of the UK. One of the most popular dome cameras of their time they sold thousands of units. Now however they are no longer manufactured and maintaining them has become difficult , if not impossible. There are some fixes however that can be made by the end user and this may solve or prolong the life of your dome camera. Below we list the most common faults and how to fix them without the need to call out an engineer.

1) Camera out of focus: this is caused by the lens motor sticking. You can rectify this by powering down the camera. Go to the power supply probably situated at the bottom of the pole or in the building just behind the dome. There will be a fused spur powering this, remove the fuse, leave for a minute or two then power up again. This will enable the camera to restart and should cause the camera to refocus. This fix is never permanent but you should get a good two weeks out of it before having to repeat the power up/down process. The Sony camera blocks are no longer made so a permanent fix will need a new dome inner.

2) Camera picture flicking and losing tour.: this will be caused by the slip rings, these slip rings allow the dome to spin but still provide power to the camera and motors. The solution is quite simple, you need to reprogram the tour so that it does not pass over the worn area of the slip ring. This is done by moving the offending preset to a new position. Sometimes a marginal change will allow the dome to carry on working for many further months. Once however the slip ring is so worn this process fails to work a new inner will be required.

3)  No camera picture at all: two things to check here. Do you have power at the dome? You need to check mains is present at the fused spur and if it is check the fuse in the PSU. Often moisture inside the VCL dome housing can blow the fuse .You may be advised to see how the water has ingressed into the housing to prevent a repeat, sometimes you will find it has been hit or damaged or the acrylic has not been replaced properly at some point. The second reason could again be the slip rings, if there is no picture you will need to remove the fuse in the spur adjacent to the PSU and initiate a re boot. This should restore the image .Then you need to find the weak spot in the slip ring and carry out the process outlined in point 2 to avoid this worn part of the slip ring, you may get a few more months out of your VCL dome camera.

4) Intermittent control over the dome camera:This is the camera losing its connection with the Maxcom gold matrix. This could be a poor connection on the back of the  Maxcom matrix or a damaged cable. Remake the connections or rejoin the cable. This if it is the case then you will be provided with a permanent fix.

5)  Picture is white: The auto iris lens has been put onto manual and opened fully letting too much light into the lens. Adjust the lens manually with auto focus button on the control and the picture will return . Lock the keypad so the buttons cannot be accidentally touched again.

6)  Picture is Black: Same as above but the iris has been closed right down letting no light into the camera.

Of course there are many other faults that can manefest themselves and we are happy to advise if you wish to contact us. There are also ways of replacing the inner for a fraction of the cost of a new external dome camera. So always investigate this option before spending thousands on a new system, including having to replace the  keyboard controls and the Honeywell  Maxcom gold matrix.

CCTV and Electronic Security repair.

CCTV repairs.

This week is being dominated by IFSEC and and all the new product releases. This creates much excitement within the security industry especially for manufacturers and installers. End users certainly take an interest but these tend to be from large organisations , those that can afford to upgrade their equipment on a regular basis.

The forgotten majority.

What about those end users who find themselves in a position whereby they have a desperate need for their security arrangements especially CCTV cameras but due to current economic conditions cannot afford to upgrade or renew kit?

CCTV Repair.

In the CCTV and security industry, repairs seem to be a forgotten option. Sales push new equipment all the time and sometimes forget that end users need to believe they are getting a good service as well as advice about new equipment that may be available. Repairing kit must be part of the service we supply.

Who does it?

From experience we find manufacturers seem to charge a fixed rate, often far more than they should and this often leaves installers with little option but to say to their customers that they are better off buying new. A double edged sword . Firstly there is a chance of an upgrade when kit goes wrong but more likely the customer feels let down and is likely to seek an alternative supplier as a result.

Is there a solution?

There are several repair centres popping up around the country looking for a share of an ever increasing repair market. The increase is mainly due to to the reasons i have listed above and of course the huge volume of  CCTV equipment out there .

Maxey Moverley.

Maxey Moverley are one of these centres that currently offer a CCTV and security repair service . They claim to be the largest repair facility in the country and offer a one stop shop for all security equipment repairs.

Domes.

Their repair service covers most makes of PTZ dome cameras and DVRs they offer a rapid turn around and live tracking so the customer can be assured that the repair is in their system and progressing.

Sony.

They are able to repair Sony blocks to component level, have state of the art test equipment and soak test to ensure all repairs have been effective.

Conclusion.

In an industry that seems to have forgotten the importance of being able to repair equipment rather than just replace it,  we see this as a welcome option for installers and end users alike.