AD410 - Broken

[weapons777]

Hi.
I just got my AD410 from Amazon. Connected it directly to an 18 V DC power supply (no mechanical doorbell). AD410 stopped working after pressing the doorbell button for the first time. Interestingly the device still works fine if powered via the micro USB port.
I am returning it to Amazon. I really like the device. Human detection works great without enabling motion detection and picture quality is good enough for my needs. Home Assistant integration is great. I will be getting a replacement but I am thinking about connecting it via micro USB using a 90 degree angled cable (normal cable would not fit in the tiny enclosure). At this stage, I am afraid to connect it directly to the power supply as there have been too many reported cases of them blowing.

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum

So here is my Guess..

With the Ad410 still working on USB this tells me that the camera is still working on the normal connection as well and the 18v power supply that was used is the issue...

Please note that when you use a 18v power supply or 16, 24 and or even 12vdc without connection to a Doorbell in the house at the time when you setup the AD410 and asked what type of doorbell you would like to use, the OPTION IS Skip If you don't skip this option when the Doorbell button is Pressed if the option isn't skipped what happens is the Doorbell will use a Internal Relay to cause a Closed connection (Like when you turn on the light with a Light switch) when this happens if the Power supply the camera is connected if it don't have Protection a few things can happen (Most times just damage to the Power supply) however other things can happen like damage to the Chime Kit if it was used as well. The Chime Kit has a few different Circuits within the box and it can either destroy the Fuse in the unit or worse yet take out one or more of the on board chips. These are SMD and can be hard to repair if someone don't have a good enough soldering setup to work on SMD circuit boards...

So here is what I would do if it was me, I would get a 12v DC power supply if your going to use your Camera as a Stand Alone setup. Press the Reset button on the camera so you can setup again, While the camera is Resetting open the Smart Home App, Click on the Camera and click the COG, Then Delete the camera from your Smart Home app. Once the camera has Reset setup the camera and this time when the option for the Doorbell type you will use at the bottom of that is SKIP click Skip. and then finish the setup.. Then you will be golden.

This camera can work on 12vdc, 16-24vac and the Micro USB.. Just please Remember if not using a Doorbell just skip the OPTION and the Chime Kit will not be needed either...

I got mine a Week ago and installed it on 12vdc that is Fuse Protected and have not killed a fuse and camera works as expected.. Chime Kit is still in the box..

[ludwigald]

I have the same issue as weapons777.

@Revo2Maxx, I can't be 100% certain but I thought I had picked the skip option. I have 24vac supplied to the doorbell and no chime kit or bell between them. Doorbell will not power on with 24vac, but does work with USB. I've done a factory reset and this time I'm 100% confident I picked the skip option. No luck getting the device to power on. I have verified that I'm still getting 24vac from my transformer.

[Revo2Maxx]

@ludwigald Hello and Welcome to the forum..

Personally I am not sure.. What size 24vac transformer are you trying to use? I have them I would be willing to try, I just don't want to blow mine up to be honest lol.. I am running mine on a 12vDC power supply.. I have had it on a 16.5vac power supply and my 12v dc power supply with no issues. The current supply is a 1.5amp wall supply from 1995..

[elvisimprsntr]

BACKGROUND

I purchased three Lorex B451AJD, which is a rebranded AD410. I have one mechanical chime with a front a rear solenoid, powered off a 16VAC/30VA transformer. Each doorbell only draws 0.25 amps AC and the solenoid another 0.25 to 0.5 amps peek, so I am well below the ratings of the transformer. I installed the chime kit across the terminals of the mechanical chime. When I connected the third doorbell, I connected in series with the rear chime solenoid, parallel with the other rear doorbell. All three doorbells worked without issue, but I noticed a buzzing sound emitting from the rear solenoid, so I also attempted to connect my third doorbell directly to the transformer. It worked until I pressed the button on the doorbell. It will power off the USB power connected, but not the transformer terminals. I reached out to Lorex tech support, who opened a case and determine the doorbell was defective and are sending me a replacement. Thinking the same thing, I mistakenly relocated one of my working doorbells connected to mechanical chime, to the same location. Now I have two video doorbells that do not function. Lorex basically said that they don't recommend connecting three doorbells to the same transformer. I silently disagreed with them, but agreed that I would connect the third doorbell to a separate transformer in order to get the second replacement.

DILEMMA

Without true root cause, my dilemma is do I risk damaging another doorbell? So I disassembled the video doorbell and the chime kit to try and assess what might be going on.

DIAGNOSIS

In order to for the video doorbell to actuate the mechanical chime, it must have a solid state relay briefly shorts across the transformer input. There is a huge capacitor inside the doorbell that will continue to power the doorbell for some number of seconds so that it continues to function. The chime kit has a differential comparator that monitors the AC signal and also has a solid state relay to locally energize the solenoid long enough for it to actuate. That is how the doorbell and the chime kit work together to work with your existing mechanical to electronic chime.

CONCLUSION

My conclusion is that because the video doorbell shorts the AC transformer input, when connected directly to an AC transformer, it results in a dead short, which likely destroys the solid state relay or the AC rectifier in the doorbell.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION

I think the solution is we need to add a 25 ohm, 50 watt resistor in series when powering the doorbell directly off the transformer, which will add an additional ~10 watts (VA) of load to the transformer. Not sure if the chime kit is would also be required. There are a number of other video doorbell manufacturers models that require a 25 ohm, 50 watt resister.

[elvisimprsntr]

Here is a link to the internal pictures of the Amcrest AD410 and Lorex B451AJ. There is actually s small LiOn battery in the device.

https://fccid.io/ZZ2-AD410/Internal-Pho ... 033149.pdf

https://fccid.io/UCZ-B451AJ-Z/Internal- ... to-4934870

[GaryOkie]

Hey @elvisimprsntr - thanks for this detailed analysis! We've seen quite a few users in this forum report killing their AD410 AC input circuit (but not USB input) in various ways. I can't answer if your possible solution to add a resistor along with (or without?) the chime kit will solve this problem. Maybe Revo can offer some advice.

BTW - Lorex is now a fully owned subsidiary of Dahua. This B451AJD is a rebranded Dahua DB6I doorbell but in white. The Amcrest AD410 has the same Dahua hardware, but with a different case and significantly modified firmware and separate mobile app. The Lorex also has the Dahua HTTP CGI API blocked but is accessible through IMOULife cloud API.

[Revo2Maxx]

POSSIBLE SOLUTION

I think the solution is we need to add a 25 ohm, 50 watt resistor in series when powering the doorbell directly off the transformer, which will add an additional ~10 watts (VA) of load to the transformer. Not sure if the chime kit is would also be required. There are a number of other video doorbell manufacturers models that require a 25 ohm, 50 watt resister.

I don't know about Lorex, However if your looking to power a 3rd off any Transformer be it AC or DC and there is no chime connected then there is no need to setup a Chime in the App and no need to use a Chime Kit. When the AD410 is setup right using the Smart Home app one will need to turn on the Chime either Mech, or Digital. At this time and only at this time does that Doorbell camera use the micro relay in the system and the large Cap at the bottom of the body.

To be Clear! Without a Chime being connected to the Doorbell camera, there is no need for a Chime Kit and the 2 pins at the back of the camera doesn't short out. (On a Ad110 or Ad410 I personally can't say about the Dahua and or Lorex branded ones) my guess is the other 2 would be the same.

So in theory there is no need to use a Resistor

[elvisimprsntr]

@Revo2Maxx Then how do you explain how the video doorbell (Amcrest AD410 or Lorex B451AJD) exhibit the exact same symptoms. Works on 16-24 VAC transformer until the doorbell button is pressed and will no longer power up off the AC input, only the USB power?

[elvisimprsntr]

Lorex B451AJD powered directly off transformer, but will not power up after first button press.

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