I do have some relevant data but providing it goes against my policy of not feeding trolls.
Camera reliability?
- Thread starter JohnKol
- Start date
My three 4431-RZs all failed within a year or two. Maybe this is one case where warmer temps helped? Too bad because they were a killer deal for how well they work (before they die of course).
To bring this conversation back on point, if we can set aside for a moment a device isn't a piece of shit from the get go. The vast majority of premature failures is due to improper installation (Best Practices) or methods and also ignores the environmentals. There are literally millions of examples of poor installation that span automotive, aircraft, sea, air conditioner, generator, lawn mower!
Poor installation methods have impacted more devices in history than can be counted . . .
As was noted by another forum member if this guy is truly an engineer. Why would you not take the time to take the device apart to determine what the failure mode was??? I mean its broken and you gain more than you lose from the shear fact you'll know The Why something failed.
A real engineer or anyone with an ounce or glint in their skull would be curious to open it up and say I found it.
But, nope . . . Nothing but endless horse shit and double speak.
Poor installation methods have impacted more devices in history than can be counted . . .
As was noted by another forum member if this guy is truly an engineer. Why would you not take the time to take the device apart to determine what the failure mode was??? I mean its broken and you gain more than you lose from the shear fact you'll know The Why something failed.
A real engineer or anyone with an ounce or glint in their skull would be curious to open it up and say I found it.
But, nope . . . Nothing but endless horse shit and double speak.
tibimakai
Known around here
That would require effort . . . That would presume this person (So called Engineer) has a spark . . . It never ceases to amaze me the one consistent profession that goes out of their way to call out What I do / Who I am is a engineer???
Why???
Ball sack too small???
You don't see the same consistent boasting from other trades or industries unless its for context. Are there examples of other trades that go out of their way to call out Im X vs Y sure. But, the vast majority are from so called engineer's from what ever field / industry.
When I see and read the feedback from a farmer, welder, or well rounded person that has Belt Time with actual hands on in what ever topic - I listen!
You are bringing back some painful memories for me. One organization I worked for required everybody from every job position to work the customer support line for at least a few weeks, to understand what the end user base was like. I couldn't stand it! Instead of "exciting" things like working with little details, nanosecond timings, hundred+ channel logic analyzers, it came down to (1) Are you sure it's plugged in?, (2) Are you sure it's turned on?, and so forth. The large majority of products returned as defective (PC boards and peripherals at this time) had zero defects.
Another time I was assigned to a highly escalated out of town customer problem. I specifically asked on the phone if the write protect on their Diablo disk drive was turned off. They assured me it was turned off. After driving a few hours I walked in, turned off the write protect, and went back home.
That sounds like a good company and this is exactly what I did for all the companies I managed. In large part to insure back up / fail over and critical tribal knowledge wasn't lost.
There's a reason someone coined the phrase Walk in another man's shoes for just a day
tibimakai
Known around here
A SURGE may not come FROM the NVR or switch. If you have extra cable on a run to your camera, and you have the excess neatly looped along the way somewhere, that LOOP of ethernet can actually GENERATE a surge if there is lightning nearby. The EMP from the lightning can generate current in looped wire. I lost 3 cameras to that over a 10 year period. Other identical cameras connected to the same switch and using cable from the same 1,000 ft box did not have damage.
IAmATeaf
Known around here
The Engineer field must be special? I work in IT and never ever mention it as frankly I find it embarrassing 
and the instant I mention it people want their old clapped out PCs fixed
and the instant I mention it people want their old clapped out PCs fixed 
Flintstone61
Known around here
I think probably me..."Also?"
Who's the other one?
Merry Christmas to you as well and a happy, prosperous and healthy 2024!
Lightning strikes may be a problem in South Dakota, but they are a non-issue in the SF Bay Area.
You also missed the point where I said that the failures are not catastrophic but gradual, occurring over a period of a few months.
IAmATeaf
Known around here
Don’t think I can be bothered to read the entire thread but what config did you or do you use in your cams and the cams that failed?
There are too many configuration settings to start listing all of them; is there a specific one that you believe adversely affects reliability?
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,892
- 21,408
There's no setting that affects reliability..... Reliability on these cams is fantastic.... It's your refusal to use basic surge protection on your network or just bad luck on your end.... 6 years out of a camera is not terrible.... How long did you expect them to last 20-30 years? These cameras have a low failure rate. You don't have a sample size to make any conclusions.... And you don't have the skill set to open them up and determine what is wrong with them... Hell I wouldn't be surprised if they're not even damaged....
If they are it's probably just the POE module and they will power up and work just fine with 12 volts.... But you're an "engineer" so you probably tested that....not ...
Not being properly waterproofed can cause cameras to die over time. Dielectric grease is a must. The "waterproof" connectors and being in a junction box don't address atmospheric changes inducing water vapor.
Using inferior power supplies - the cheap no names as an example can cause them to die over time.
Using CCA wiring instead of pure copper can cause them to die over time.
Not being on UPS surge protection can cause them to die over time.
Lots of factors other than the camera itself can cause failure.
Usually power surges or what not can cause the POE component to go out, but the camera can still be ran with the 12VDC supply and a cheap adapter can get the camera in operation again.
Most failures are a result of the install instead of the camera.
But sure, like everything, there can be a few lemons. But your failure rate is not typical of what we see here.
Using inferior power supplies - the cheap no names as an example can cause them to die over time.
Using CCA wiring instead of pure copper can cause them to die over time.
Not being on UPS surge protection can cause them to die over time.
Lots of factors other than the camera itself can cause failure.
Usually power surges or what not can cause the POE component to go out, but the camera can still be ran with the 12VDC supply and a cheap adapter can get the camera in operation again.
Most failures are a result of the install instead of the camera.
But sure, like everything, there can be a few lemons. But your failure rate is not typical of what we see here.
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,892
- 21,408
I feel the cosmos has decided to bring every so called Engineer to this forum as seen here: Is reddit right about copper cables between buildings?
I don't pretend to know the Why but it sure is fun making them all look stupid.
I mean you ask these so called Engineer's the simplest questions and they reply back with another question or double speak??? 
At some point you wonder should people continue to humor them or just ignore them??I mean the vast majority of people come here to either learn, or offer insight / guidance.
Then, you have a small minority that go out of their way to just inject endless bull shit!
