Video Doorbell AD110 Losing connection at night

[Airey001]

Yeah i really wish i could shut the IR off at night. Like i can in all mo other Amcrest Cameras. I will pick up a new multi-meter today when i do the direct test in the Basement. I Missed that max 2am on the box. I definitely have it setup per the manually with the wires for 16v mode. I also found this video of someone using this same one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEM1iTG3n_A

[Revo2Maxx]

Well that is great Video showing someone that is using this transformer... Mr. Hardware I guess missed the Fact that it only will offer 2amps output on any secondary and so in a since the person that bought this and was able to use it on 24vac it still won't matter because both 16vac or 24vac is going to offer the 2 amps max so the box says... That under 16vac is 32va and as he said V times Amps is watts so it would be V divided by Watts is Amps.. So yes 32va / 16 is 2amps... So sadly this transformer is misleading as a lot of other things in the world... If it was true what I thought it was like the one I gave my Friend I would have picked it up... I do like how easy it is for people that have never used one and 2 wires for input and the 2 for out with no funny taps and such to have to mess with... However unless there is a Project that needs lower AC voltage then I already have power now I guess this Transformer isn't going to work for me at this time.. I have a lot of Electronic have loads of Transformers and when you mentioned this one I was like yay a new one I can add to my collection sadly it fails to provide my needs...

[bjohnson]

I just went through the same issues. Installed my AD110 and it worked great until it got dark enough to trigger the ir illuminators, then it would kick off and on all night. I purchased a 16v 30va transformer and installed it, but the problems persisted. The doorbell wiring was very old and not in the best shape so I replaced it next, but the problem persisted. Finally I purchased a higher power transformer and it solved the problem. I went with a "Jameco Reliapro MGT2450P" from Amazon ($18.00 at time of purchase) 24vac, 50va. I think they might want to revise their minimum power recommendation to save their customers some troubleshooting time.

TL:DR - Ignore the 16vac 30va recommendation and buy a more powerful transformer.

[Revo2Maxx]

@bjohnson Hello and Welcome to the Fourm

Glad you found a Transformer that works for you... While there is kind of an odd thing really not much in a way for it to say what power you need in manual and Min floating around is on the Internet and That is for a Min and I am guessing that it should state if the Doorbell was working off 10va or something but I can confirm that the doorbell camera can and does work with a 30va 16vac power supply that is what I have had mine on after first installing it on a 24vac 100va supply that I knew was just to much but didn't want any issues.. Bought a 16vac 30va transformer and been using that ever since without no issue The other night for testing I turn off my porch light and IR turned on and ran all night but Like my porch lit so it is back on and color all night... For me my on and off issue at night wasn't to do with low power but lights that would turn on and off color when car would come down road color would come on then no more extra light IR would come on... So I didn't like the on and off of color all night so I put in larger LED porch light to 9watt or maybe it is 13 either way IR stays off now at night and that is fine I have loads of light at night...

Remember it is a MIN Recommendation if someone has a Doorbell that takes 20va or 30va to run then sure a 30va transformer will not be enough... I too also say that people should buy more it is easier to have more power then not enough and the camera only will use what it needs...

By the way so you know your 24vac 50va is only a little more then 200ma more then a 16vac 30va seeing that is running at 1.875 amps and a 24vac 50va is 2.08 amps.. But I am glad to hear that was all it took to get your system working the way it should... For others that want MORE... 16vac 50va is 3.125amps

[tgfarrell]

I don't have any power issues but have you all felt how warm that little box gets? I was amazed how warm it felt but it does have a cpu and memory chugging away 24/7 so wasn't surprised. I wonder if it will ever get too hot down here in the heat of summer. Seems like some extra venting in the right spots could help it out and keep it cooler.

Sorry to thread jack but I just wanted to mention it while I was in here.

[rd988]

Yeah i really wish i could shut the IR off at night. Like i can in all mo other Amcrest Cameras. I will pick up a new multi-meter today when i do the direct test in the Basement. I Missed that max 2am on the box. I definitely have it setup per the manually with the wires for 16v mode. I also found this video of someone using this same one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEM1iTG3n_A

Can't you do this with the new firmware?
That said, the new firmware has bricked the thing's connectivity twice and Amcrest support is so far quiet about it. So, I can't login and try it.. But, I thought there was a setting to disable IR all the time now.
I would def NOT upgrade the firmware until its fixed (might follow this thread https://amcrest.com/forum/amcrest-smart ... -s210.html).

[ElwoodBlues]

Is there a fix for this yet? I have the same problem. I'm using RTSP stream to Blue Iris, and when night vision kicks in, it runs for a little while but then drops out (presumably rebooting?). Eventually the camera image returns, then in a few seconds it decides to switch to infrared, and then it craps out again. Over and over. Only thing that stops it is forcing the night vision setting to OFF.

I updated the transformer to a new 16V 30VA model, but it is still doing it. Now, on top of that, apparently even though you can switch off the night vision, it eventually goes back to the auto setting on its own.

I like my other Amcrest cameras, but I wish I'd sent this one back before the Amazon return window closed.

[amcrest168]

hi @ElwoodBlues and welcome to the forum. i would suggest removing the doorbell from blueiris when you're trying to troubleshoot and validate the doorbell resets on its own. perform a hard reset on your doorbell and observe if it is still auto resetting on its own. try setting night vision to auto for a few nights and observe how it behaves. try setting night vision to off for a few nights and observe how it behaves. i'm sorry testing could take several scenarios but you can sure appreciate testing has to be methodical. add the doorbell back to blueiris once you have established a clear baseline.

for my own setting, i left my night vision setting to auto and i've not experience any unexpected reboots other than the weekly reboots. it's currently on 20200702 firmware. hope this helped.

[Revo2Maxx]

@ElwoodBlues Hello and Welcome to the Forum

Sorry your having some isuses... So yeah in a new FW I am going to guess they will address the Auto to off being left off I would hope anyway..

About your issue with the IR on the system going off.. Can you please double check a few things on your setup.. Remember 16vac and 30va is a General Guideline of Minimum needed... However this don't take into account the Wiring of your home, The distance of the Wiring in your home and or the Doorbell that you have installed..

What I would check is that the Doorbell isn't on a system that is asking for 20va Transformer to start with.. Well I am going to have to get a Yard Sell Doorbell to do more testing because all of the testing that I have done in the past I didn't Record and I am not taking my doorbell off the wall again.. I will just buy one for testing before long..

However as I was saying if your Doorbell it self needs a 20va Transformer a 30va won't be enough.. Second and most common issue and sadly people like to get all up in arms over it and that is Wire Distance.. I am not only talking from your Trans to the Camera because that isn't the total in use wiring there is also the wiring that goes to the doorbell inside and that needs to be measured as well.. Also Type of wiring mattes if it is 24awg wiring it is to small and will fail 20awg and length will be to small and fail I am going to guess a good base line wire would be 18awg just like you would wire a normal CCTV camera.. Back when it was only a Doorbell switch only time power passed though it was when the switch was pushed and that is for a very short time so size didn't matter hwoever now a Camera is working there that requires at least 1.24amps of constant current then when IR turns on the power requirements goes up and with small wire or long runs of wires that is not going to give the power needed for the camera to stay happy

Sadly if you have been keeping things going with the IR off.. Just remember at 2amp Every Tue the camera Resets also anytime that the Camera is reboot either by you or camera power fail the Auto resets so keep that in mind to help keep the IR under your Control.. .

[ElwoodBlues]

@amcrest168 , @Revo2Maxx

Thanks for the additional troubleshooting advice.

Sounds like I need to try the following:
1. Check with BlueIris TRSP stream disabled (i.e. BlueIris not talking to camera), and check purely with the Amcrest phone app.
2. Do a device hard reset and re-test.
3. Test with just camera and transformer and original wiring. (Temporarily wire around physical chime load.)
4. Test with alternate (thicker gauge) wiring. (Camera, transformer, & chime.)

Once I find time to check 3 & 4, and go to all the trouble of opening everything up, I might as well drop the Fluke into the circuit too and try to take some current measurements.