Something Strange Happening...Can anyone help

edndana · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:32 am

Hi. We have 2 HCO SG550 Camera's.
1 is about a yr old, and the other we just bought a month ago.
We have them both on the "Same" settings. We hook the New Cam up, and evening, and early morning videos play Fine, But all the IR Night time videos don't. They start to play, and go completely black. When we hook the year old camera up in the same place, same way, getting about the same amount of videos....ALL the videos play fine...even the IR ones. None black out.

We're hooking them up to a 6V External battery source, and the battery is ready 100% charged.
Could I need this firmware update??? I ordered it June 1st, but it was on back order, so I didn't get it til the middle of June.
We are also using the same brand SD Card in both camera.

Anthony · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:16 am

I have seen your problem but only when my batteries are almost dead. I would determine if this is a battery issue. also, try the camera with 8 AA's to verify it functions normally this way first.

edndana · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:21 am

We have tried it with 8 AA's...it does the same thing.
Trying the firmware but I dont understand it.
I have the image.bin copied, and the SD Card in the reader, but I dont know where to paste it to.
I don't understand this...... ‘Root directory' means the top level of your SD card.

Anthony · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:39 am

yes "root" means not inside any folders. In fact delete everything from your card then copy the file onto it. then it will be in the root.

Anthony · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:40 am

Are you saying that the videos are illuminated for a few seconds then go black ? If so, this sounds like the battery issue I had.

edndana · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 11:56 am

Yes they are illuminated for only a cpl seconds, and go black, BUT ONLY on the New Camera...doesn't do it on the year old one.

There is nothing on my SD Card.
I have the SD Card in the Reader...I go to Start, My Computer, then it shows MPIX Pics (E:)...I double click on that, and there is a folder that says DCIM, then if you double click on that one, there is a folder that says 100EK113, and if you double click on that one..Nothing is there.
I have Winrar..I have the image.bin copied...just not uderstanding how or where to paste it to, or how to know if it took.

Jiggy · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:02 am

If I read your original post correctly.... you are trying to do a firmware update on a brand new camera just recently purchased mid June 2009 ?
It is my understanding that ANY cameras purchased after July 2008 should already have the latest firmware, and trying the "update" is not a good idea. You may be trying to go "backwards" from Ver 3.0 to Ver 2.0 ?

I just purchased 4 SG550 cameras in June 2009 and they have firmware Ver 3.00.
See screen shot below:

From the HCO website:
downloads
ATTENTION: ONLY CAMERAS PURCHSED BEFORE JULY 2008 NEED THIS UPDATE. CAMERAS PURCHASED AFTER JULY 2008 ARE ALREADY EQUIPPED WITH FIRMWARE V2.0. MULTIPLE UPDATES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.

However, if the new camera you purchased in June of 2009 (and was backordered) actually came with the old software version (used prior to July 2008) I would be wondering what kind of scam the seller was trying to pull :?:

Good luck and please let us know if you figure out the problem.

edndana · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:11 am

HI, where do you find the info about the camera as you have in the screenshot?

edndana · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:42 am

We have it on an external power source. 6V with a solar charger...Right now we have it on 10 amps....probably not enough, or we're thinking anyway. We're gonna up it to 20 amps tonight, and see how the videos are tomorrow morning. We're thinking that maybe the new cam uses more amps because the IR on the new one is much brighter then the older one. Can you or anyone tell me....IF the firmware IS already on the new cam

1) should I put it on the older one?
2) if's on the new one already would the date/time be right in the center of the video? or is there any way at all to know if the firmware is on the new one already?
We only use both cams for video only.

bone collector · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:11 pm **Posts:** 27

send it back to hco there is no reason for u to have to play with it they will replace it!

edndana · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:15 am

Jiggy-
You posted

You may be trying to go "backwards" from Ver 3.0 to Ver 2.0 ?
I just purchased 4 SG550 cameras in June 2009 and they have firmware Ver 3.00.

The card that came in the box with my new camera bought June 2009 says it has the new update V2.0, but you speak of 3.0 so I am confused....nowhere can I find a update to a V3.0, only V2.0.

edndana · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:55 am

Ok I did take some pictures with the NEW Camera, and it says Firmware Ver is 3.0
So we're gonna go back to looking into the battery amps, and see if that solves the problem. Thanks for all the help, and we'll let ya know.

Jiggy · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:04 pm

Glad you got that squared away!

I've been gone all day.

2 of my cameras came with the same card in the box - about the cams already having the latest software, Ver 2.00 installed so do not update. They actually have Ver 3.00 per the photos.

I'd be considering the return to HCO on that problem cam. No way should it be sucking down batteries that fast. ( I read your other post)

Good Luck :!:

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