"Turning off" the IR lights or defeating them...

[wildbill999]

I am in need of a way to turn off the IR illuminators on my ZModo IP cam, a ZP-IBI13-W model.

Since there is no independent cut-off switch can this be done through any software
or perhaps cover them with black felt so only the camera lens records?

Or clip the wires inside, etc.

I no longer need this cam for security at night and want to use it for skygazing at night.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[fenderman]

You can try just putting it in day mode...otherwise if there if there is no method in the firmware then you need to cut the wires..black tape will just cause the ir to reflect back and ruin your image.

 

[wildbill999]

Thanks fenderman:

The settings are very few with the default app. I was thinking of a tiny black-coated fiber optic light shining into the night sensor...
Perhaps I can pop off the front lens and paint each IR light with heat resistant black paint.

But then again the smaller plain 720 IP cams like the TOP 201 may work okay also for basic night viewing.

PS: I'm going to update the posting about that Zmodo cam with some key information.

Take care!!

 

[mrgto26]

If you are going to open the camera housing I believe the is a wire (red) going from the camera board to the IR light board, you just need to unplug it; but the camera may still turn to night mode on a dark environment ; if it gives you a descent picture you may still need to create a light filter (window tint might do the trick, just figure out how dark) so that the images will look better by blocking some of the light from let's say the moon. Just my two cents here, since I don't own that specific camera model this might not be the solution.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[wildbill999]

Mrgto26: Thanks for the tip. I got inside the cam and disconnected 2 wires inside which seemed to work
in daylight but now at night only the camera view totally breaks up into a pixelated mess.

How can the camera know it is dark out without the night IR sensor in use?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[alastairstevenson]

Sounds like you've disconnected the sensor wires instead of the power wires to the IR LEDs.
I had a similar requirement on a Vanxse camera - the first wires I disconnected stopped the camera going into night mode as well as stopping the IR LEDs.
So the IR cut was still active as was day mode.
The next wires were just power to the IR LEDs - all was OK after that.

 

[wildbill999]

Okay,

I will check into that. Thanks for this post to me I appreciate it!!

Bill