IP2m-866EW PTZ Locked Status Disabled Tour

[eamundson]

I have an IP2M-866EW camera that has worked great for just under a year. The camera has been setup with a PTZ tour that has run without fail for that time. However, just recently, the camera will not run the tour anymore. I have logged into it, and it will go the PTZ presets just fine. However, when I attempt to run the tour, the live video feed displays "Locked Status", and then "TourDisabled".

I reached out to support, and they told me to factory reset and to ensure I'm on newest firmware. I am on newest firmware, so I did a factory reset, and re-setup the camera. I still have the issue, however. I have asked support for an update but now they have gone silent...

Some googling around shows me that many Dahua cameras (of which Amcrest uses a bunch of their hardware/firmware) had a firmware bug where they counted the number of PTZ 'actions' incorrectly, and disabled themselves. As stupid as it sounds, I guess these cameras just commit suicide when they've done some ammount of PTZ moving - even though the PTZ function works perfectly still. It seems it was an attempt at 'planned obsolescence' which is a steaming pile of bullshit (if you ask me). https://dahuatech.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/ ... atus-issue.

Anyways, the fix from Dahua on their cameras was a firmware update that either fixed the PTZ counting, or disabled it all together (we can only hope).

AMCREST! I need a fix for this! This camera is fully functional and working great, but your crappy firmware is killing it. Please give me a fix!!!

Has anybody else hit this problem?

[Revo2Maxx]

My guess is that you might be better off making a Ticket on your Camera. My guess is that you said it was under a 1 year old and maybe if they don't have a corrective Firmware yet for the issue as another Forum member pointed out about this camera after only owning it for about 4 to 6 months. That the action would be to RMA it and you would end up with a new camera.. Then until a Solution of a NEW FW if one was to ever come about. Don't use Tour for a full time function of the camera.. Remember while this is a PTZ camera it isn't at the same cost or with the same Higher quality hardware that is found in a camera like other full sized PTZ from Amcrest..

Picture of like kind camera. Because of the size have to use compact DC motor

20240723_224443.jpg (1.25 MiB) Viewed 78481 times

Picture of a Real Stepper motor used in full sized PTZ cameras dating back many years. Even the same type used in my 1995 PTZ from years past..

PTZStep.jpg (18.77 KiB) Viewed 78481 times

[eamundson]

I understand this particular camera is inexpensive version of PTZ. HOWEVER - I paid for the hardware, I want to use it. If the thing runs a tour until it physically dies, fine - but that's its function. Limiting it in some firmware counter method is just not allowing me to use the hardware I paid for. I purchased this camera to do PTZ tour - 24/7/365 - until it physically dies. That's its job. It can still do this, the PTZ function works perfectly, with the exception of this firmware limitation (BUG).

[check6]

If you haven't already done so since this problem arose, I would re-install the firmware.

[Revo2Maxx]

I do understand what you're saying. I have some costly PTZ from years past that I still use, will admit only 1 motor replacement in all of then, I have replaced the belts. When I contacted the company asking if they sold the belts I was told the camera was past it's life expectations to buy something newer. 1400usd for the camera, I want to use until I don't. Found belt on ebay, made repair myself. Hearing of a limitation in that mini ptz has kept me from buying one. Would be nice to hear installing fw resets it, if limit was in place, a warning would be nice to give user option not to use in tour mode. Dying before warranty is up sounds like bad business decisions.having one at all is bad altogether. Hope you get it sorted, let us know what the cure is please

[Pogo]

If it's still under warranty demand a replacement. And be ready for a ton of bullshit from Amcrest getting an RMA, including them not replacing the camera with a new one if they deem it repairable otherwise..., at the expense of your time having to sit and wait for them to make the determination while you're without a camera and them maybe actually fixing it. Demand a replacement.

I second the re-installation of the firmware after a hard factory reset. If there's an EOL component built into the firmware (which is unlikely) the new firmware may re-establish whatever the TTL happens to be. Problem with that theory is Amcrest being stupid enough to set it for less time than the warranty period. But nobody has ever accused them of being on the upper end of development either, let alone very smart, so who knows.

Another remote possibility is converting to Dahua firmware. Could be risky, but could also breath a whole new level of life into the camera if actually possible. You'd need to hit up the IPCT crowd for advice and possible personal experience there. If everything else works except the tour, it's probably not worth the risk..., at least until you find out what kind of runaround you may experience with a warranty claim with Amcrest.

Good luck.

[Revo2Maxx]

My guess is that if there was a Warranty time left, There is no repair it would be Replaced. Amcrest don't have in house repair and contract to destroy any camera replaced with RMA.. So my guess it would either have the End User update to a new Firmware that corrects it like the OP says Dahua has done for like kind cameras. Or new camera. I am sure if within the RMA time, Amcrest would have no issue replacing the device.

When I talked with my Contact at the time, No longer with Amcrest about this issue, I was told they were not even aware of any Disable portion of the FW in the camera.

[Pogo]

There is no repair it would be Replaced. Amcrest don't have in house repair...

That's what one would think, but it is not what I was told after going through all of the below just to GET to the RMA group.

Amcrest RMA Process.jpg (102.16 KiB) Viewed 78414 times

I was told that if the camera could not be repaired it would then be replaced. Shipping on my dime both ways -- for a $29.00 analog HDCVI camera. How absolutely ridiculous. Anyone else would have just replaced the camera after the first or second email and been done with it on a customer relations basis alone. Not Amcrest.

Needless to say I blew them off and haven't bought another Amcrest product since.

[Revo2Maxx]

What camera are you having issues with? IS it on your 8m8 DVR?

Sorry to hear you had issues with your hardware.. I still have my 7108-AI DVR that I can't run 2 of my Amcrest cameras on.. They have since EOL my DVR and released a new one that is better and cheaper that is not really better seeing it don't have all the features that my 7108-AI does..

[Pogo]

Apologies for the late response to your question. The camera is a AMC1080BC36. Very nice little camera for its purpose. And yes, it's on the DV8M8 which has been flawless loaded with 12 total cameras, five of which are IP. (Easy when you know how..., and learned the hard way.)

And to derail this thread even further, the 4108 has been revived as well. The determination ended up being overheating. I still don't know how that could have affected its ethernet connection to the extent of shutting down my entire network. Still scratching my head about that.

But back to the topic at hand, I hope the OP reports back on his support experience. It will be interesting to learn how Amcrest responds

(Sorry to hear of your recent woes. Hope all is smoothing out a bit.)