Blinkies

I suspect this might be feedback due to the IR lights desensing the camera when they come on. The bright flare when they come on causes the electronic iris to tighten, reducing the brightness, variances in the time constant can cause this iris to fluctuate?

I know a camera guy, I will ask him and see if my speculation is correct.

i put tape over obnoxious blinking but a fuse change could be one solution.ds

I usally blink when going from a dark area to a bright area

Cheers

Joe

Hi TonCab, Make sure the cameras can't "see" the IR light source (s) directly. Also, some reflective surfaces - wind-blown vegetation for example - may be reflecting more IR than the dynamic range of the camera can handle - look for flaring on the display, and change the direction / pisition of the light source accordingly. Good luck!

My guess is that the power supply or Battery is a high (relatively) impedance source and the current jump of the IR switching on causes a voltage drop that gives you that problem of blinking.

Looking at the DC on a 'scope would also help to understand the problem better.

A further quick way to check this out would be to place a 10 MFd Electrolytic Capacitor as close to the camera as possible across the DC in.

If the problem happens under battery power a cap would help, but it is probably far too complicated to install.....

If its a mains power supply, it has maybe a very slow correction for extra current (it may not be a SMPS......then a cap might improve things. It would at least tell you if you are heading in the right direction....

Assuming the cap helped, I would get a new power supply with a much higher current capability, but of the correct voltage, also make the DC lead short and heavy duty.......

Thanks Guys,

I can't go back to the thread so I will try to comment about all suggestions from memory.

I tried the tape trick over the cover glass and that didn't work leading me to wonder if I should open the cover and apply tape directly on the damn IR sensor and just leave the IR bugger "always on"?

I also suspected the auto iris and IR are competing maybe because the lux rating is 1.0 so both IR and AI switching on and off???

1 set up is inside an office with flourescent lights and the other is on a roof top. There are lights about but never thought they would cause this given they're some distance away and not directly "into" the cam, however bouncing or refracted light has not been throughly investigated.

Repositioning the cam has helped but by the time I get the ideal feed, I'm too damn far from what I want to cover.... UGH!

I'm also using a common power supply and the other IR cams on the grid are fine. Even isolating did not solve the problem so it can't be the power.

Looks like I've tried every suggestion except the scientific (Cap) one but I'm afraid space limitations will not allow it even if it does work.

Anything else you can offer is welcome. Getting pretty desperate here and very close to voiding the warranty by doing open heart surgery just to stick a few cents of black tape over the sensor.

Cheers all, Happy Easter

You wrote:-

I'm also using a common power supply and the other IR cams on the grid are fine. Even isolating did not solve the problem so it can't be the power.

Don't take this at face value, it could even be still the pointer to a connection somewhere with 0.5 Ohms of resistance or more.....just on that one camera!!

In fact, assuming that you have swapped everything possible with a camera that works, wiring and connectors is all you have left!!!

Does this camera have longer leads, even 10% can make a difference.

Does this camera have thinner leads?

You should try the cap as a temporary method to see if it helps, the results will help us to help you further.

I do feel that you have isolated the problem pretty much and now comes the "fine" detective work!!

Best of luck. Keep us informed please.

Hi all,

Problem solved. Camera with .5 Lux overly sensitive to light. Switched to a 1.0 lux rated camera and presto, no more "blinkies".

The sensitivity of the auto iris, IR sensor and related "auto" functions were competing with each other.

Thanks all and for those awaiting the results... hope you get this.

Cheers