Swann Home Security System SW242 WDV User Manual

Advanced security made easy™  
TM  
RedAlert  
Single Channel Security  
Monitoring Kit  
Operating Instructions  
SW242-WDV / SW242-WRA  
SW244-WDS / SW244-WDW  
SR242-WDV-10006-060809  
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Before You Begin  
FCC Verification:  
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for  
Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are de-  
signed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residen-  
tial installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency  
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may  
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be deter-  
mined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to cor-  
rect the interference by one or more of the following measures:  
· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna  
· Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver  
· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which  
the receiver is connected  
· Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help  
IMPORTANT NOTE: Prohibition against eavesdropping  
Except for the operations of law enforcement officers conducted under lawful  
authority, no person shall use, either directly or indirectly, a device operated pursu-  
ant to the provisions of this Part for the purpose of overhearing or recording the  
private conversations of others unless such use is authorized by all of the parties  
engaging in the conversation.  
WARNING: Modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance  
could void users authority to operate the equipment.  
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:  
· Make sure product is fixed correctly and stable if fastened in place  
· Do not operate if wires and terminals are exposed  
WARNING: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CORRECT USE OF POWER ADAPTOR  
The correct orientation for the enclosed power adaptor is a vertical or floor mount  
position. Orienting the power adaptor in any other way will jeopardize the per-  
formance of the unit and/or create a high risk of malfunction and damage to sur-  
rounding environment.  
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Overview  
Congratulations on your purchase of the RedAlert! This single channel video  
recorder is a terrific value for money security solution, as well as being easy to  
install, use and transport from location to location. Practically fitting into the palm  
of your hand is a neat feature as well!  
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of learning how to install, configure and use the  
RedAlert, lets just take a moment to discuss its features, strengths and limitations,  
so you can get the most out of your RedAlert.  
How it Works  
The RedAlert will record video or still images directly to an SD card, and it can be  
configured to do this whenever it detects motion in the view of its camera.  
It is an ideal monitoring solution for guarding specific security vulnerabilities  
around the home or small office. Some suggested applications include monitoring  
the front or back door, a main hallway, or a courtyard or balcony. If there is a single,  
specific location that you wish to safeguard, the RedAlert is the perfect solution.  
By correctly configuring the motion detection settings, and using a 1GB – 2GB SD  
card (available separately) you can get the RedAlert to function autonomously for  
up to months at a time!  
A few key points to remember:  
The RedAlert can use SD cards up to 2GB in capacity. It will not work with  
larger SD cards, as these conform to the SDHC standard, which is incompatible  
with the RedAlert. This is not much of a limitation, really. A 2GB SD card will  
record over 3, 500 ten second videos, or more than 60, 000 still images.  
The RedAlert can monitor a maximum of two cameras at once (one of  
which must be wired, the other one wireless) but can record only one.  
Savvy users might have already noticed that the RedAlert has four wireless channels  
– the RedAlert is not recommended for multiple wireless cameras! See page 11 for  
more information about why we’ve included multiple camera channels.  
Though it is remarkably efficient hardware for its size and cost, the RedAlert is a  
miniature, self contained, entry-level video recording unit. It will (unfortunately)  
not operate like the mythical technology shown on television shows like CSI  
or 24 (we really wanted it to, but it turns out that sort of technology costs  
millions of dollars and doesn’t really work that well in real life, anyway). Bear  
this is mind when placing your camera(s): the closer the camera is to the  
action you want to capture, the more detail you’re going to get. For  
example, if you want to capture a vehicle registration tag, you’ll have to have  
the camera within about a dozen feet (about 4 meters) from the vehicle to  
capture the required detail.  
The RedAlert is a single channel recorder. It will only record one video/  
image at a time. It can display two cameras at once, but, due to the limitations  
of the speed at which it can process images and write them to an SD card, it  
can only record one channel at a time.  
If you’re using your RedAlert with a wireless camera, be sure to read the section  
on page 11 on interference and how you can avoid it when you configure your  
system.  
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Layout of the RedAlert  
Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 LEDs: Displays which wireless channel the RedAlert is configured  
to receive. This is in no way automated, and the RedAlert will only receive images  
from one wireless camera at a time. To change the channel that the RedAlert is  
monitoring, press the SET button.  
SET: Changes the wireless channel that the RedAlert will monitor. This is the only  
way to change the wireless channel – there is no function to cycle automatically, as  
the RedAlert was, simply, not designed for use with multiple wireless cameras.  
MODE: Switches between RECORDING MODE and PLAYBACK MODE.  
SNAP: Commands the RedAlert to capture a still image or video immediately,  
using the current recording mode and quality settings.  
DISP (Display): Changes the viewing mode from wired to wireless camera, or vice  
versa.  
MENU: Opens the MAIN MENU. The functions of the MAIN MENU are covered in  
much more detail later in this manual (the whole second half, actually!).  
ARROWS: Used to navigate when in the MENU, and as SHORTCUT buttons at  
other times.  
OK: Used to select items whilst in the MENU.  
SD CARD SLOT: Where you put the SD cards you want to record to. The RedAlert  
can record to SD cards up to 2GB in capacity. Be sure that the write protection tab  
on the SD card is set to off.  
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About the Wired PNP-50  
Your RedAlert may have come with the wired PNP-  
50TM. If so, read on to learn about your camera  
and how best to install it!  
The PNP-50TM captures color images during the  
day, and switches to black & white at night. It can  
see up to 16ft (5m) in the dark using its built-in  
infrared LEDs.  
Of course, if your RedAlert did not come with the  
PNP-50TM, and you don’t have a wired camera  
attached to the RedAlert already, theres no reason  
you can’t purchase one and add it to your security  
system. The PNP-50TM makes a great partner to  
the RedAlert - and its stylish!  
Installing the Wired PNP-50  
1. Select the position for your camera  
Its a great idea to plug the YELLOW RCA connector into  
a TV and hook the BLACK connector up to the power  
supply whilst deciding your cameras position, as you can  
see exactly what the camera sees as you experiment.  
2. Attach the camera  
Use the screw holes on the base, and use appropriate type of screw for the surface  
you’re mounting the camera on. Be sure to mount the camera so that the lens is  
upright - otherwise your images will be upside down! If attaching the camera to  
the ceiling or mounting it high on a wall, align the lens upright (as shown above).  
3. Attach the power supply (12V)  
The power attaches to the BLACK  
connector. The YELLOW connector  
attaches to the VIDEO IN lead on the  
RedAlert.  
Note: The PNP-50 is for indoor use only,  
and is not weather resistant. Moisture, dust  
and fluctuations in temperature will cause  
undesirable results.  
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About the Wireless Camera  
Your RedAlert may have come with the Wireless  
Camera. If so, you’ll want to read this section on  
how to install and use the Camera. Also, see the  
section on page 11 on how to get the best results  
from it.  
The Camera is a weather resistant, analog wireless  
camera. It captures color images by day and black  
& white at night using its built-in infrared LEDs.  
Remember: the Wireless Camera needs to be  
connected to power via the supplied power adaptor.  
The term ‘wireless’ refers to there being no cable  
between the Camera and the RedAlert.  
Installing Wireless Camera  
1. Select the position for your camera  
You can attach the camera to power and, if the RedAlert has already been attached  
to a TV, check both the cameras view and the level of interference at the same time  
(see page 11 for more information on wireless interference).  
2. Mount the camera  
Use an appropriate screw type for the surface your mounting the camera to. Make  
sure the lens is upright relative to your subject - you can tell easily as the antenna  
should be relatively upright.  
3. Connect the camera to power via the supplied power adaptor  
4. Set the camera’s channel  
The Wireless Camera can transmit its images on one of four channels. To set the  
channel:  
Dip Switches  
Channel 1  
Channel 2  
Channel 3  
1. Unscrew the front of the camera  
case.  
2. Locate the 2 dip switches near the  
lens - they are located  
3. Usingatoothpickorsimilar, ipthedip  
switches to the desired configuration,  
as listed.  
Channel 4  
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Connecting Power and Cameras  
The RedAlert is capable of receiving images from one wired camera and one  
wireless camera at a time (though it can not record both simultaneously).  
To attach a camera:  
1. Plug the camera into power using the supplied power adaptor (12V).  
2. If your camera is the wired PNP-50, connect the Video In cable to the AV input  
on the back of the RedAlert. Attach the RCA connector from the PNP-50 to  
the RCA connector on the Video In cable.  
3. If your camera is the Wireless Camera, set the camera channel as appropriate.  
See the cameras manual for details on how to do this. Using the SET button,  
select the camera channel on the RedAlert.  
Attaching the RedAlert to a Television  
To connect the RedAlert to a television:  
1. Be sure you’ve already connected the RedAlert to power using the supplied  
power adaptor (5V).  
2. Using the supplied RCA video out cable, attach the AV OUT on the back of the  
RedAlert to an AV INPUT on the back of your television.  
Tips and Tricks: Be sure to plug the RCA connector into a VIDEO INPUT on the  
back of your TV (or front, if your TV has them there). The video input (as opposed  
to audio) is usually color-coded yellow. Also, watch out for VIDEO OUTPUTS, which  
many TVs come with.  
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Motion Detection  
If the RedAlert recorded everything it saw all the time, you’d wind up with hundreds  
of images (or hours of video) where nothing is happening! Thats not very useful  
for anyone, as it would fill up the SD card too fast, and leave you searching through  
hundreds (or more) files to try and find the incident you are after!  
Thus, to save storage space – not to mention your time and sanity – the RedAlert  
is designed to record short videos (10 seconds in length) or take a series of still  
images whenever something happens in view of the camera. We call this MOTION  
DETECTION.  
To turn MOTION DETECTION ON or OFF:  
1. Press MENU.  
2. Use LEFT and RIGHT to navigate to the  
MOTION DETECTION icon.  
3. Press OK to toggle MOTION DETECTION  
to ON or OFF, depending on your  
preference.  
4. The MOTION DETECTION icon will be  
displayed in the top left of the screen  
whilst enabled.  
Viewing Live Images  
By default, the RedAlert will boot up straight into LIVE VIEWING MODE. The DISP  
button will cycle between displaying a WIRED and a WIRELESS camera connected  
to the RedAlert.  
The RedAlert is capable of displaying images from two cameras at a time. To  
achieve this, one of the cameras must be wired, the other wireless. As the picture  
from one camera is displayed in miniature within the other cameras picture, this is  
referred to as Picture In Picture mode (PIP MODE) .  
1. Press DISP once to switch between the WIRED and WIRELESS camera.  
2. Press DISP again to activate PIP MODE.  
3. Press DISP a third time if you wish to swap the positions of the main and  
miniature images.  
4. Note that whilst the RedAlert can display two images at once, it can only  
record one at a time.  
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Capture Format  
The RedAlert can record in one of two formats: it can either record still images (in  
JPEG format) or 10 second video recordings (as AVI files).  
To change the CAPTURE FORMAT:  
1. Press MENU, and using the LEFT/RIGHT  
buttons, navigate to CAPTURE FORMAT.  
2. Press OK to toggle between PHOTO (still  
image) and AVI (video) formats.  
3. Press MENU again to exit, saving your  
changes.  
About these file types:  
JPEG (often just JPG) is a very standard compression format, retaining most perceivable detail in an  
image, whilst vastly reducing file size. It is the most common type of compression used for images  
distributed via the Internet. The high compression ratio allows many hundreds of images to be stored  
on the supplied SD card. Any recent computer of any type will be able to read .JPG files. (The name  
JPEG comes from the Joint Photographic Experts Group who developed the standard.)  
AVI is a popular video format, which is highly compatible with most computers and computer-like  
devices (such as recent mobile phones and even video game consoles). AVI is an acronym for Audio  
Video Interleave, and has been a popular video ‘container’ for many years. The term ‘container’ means  
that it is a type of file which holds video data, rather than specifying exactly what kind of video data  
it should hold.  
Quality Settings  
The RedAlert has selectable quality settings. You can record images/video in HIGH  
QUALITY or LOW QUALITY.  
HIGH QUALITY is delivers the maximum quality the RedAlert is capable of  
producing, and is useful for situations where details in your images are desirable.  
HIGH QUALITY images/videos take up more space on your SD card than LOW  
QUALITY.  
LOW QUALITY conserves space on your SD card  
at the expense of image quality. The upside  
of LOW QUALITY is that you can store many  
more images/videos on your SD card – though  
these recordings will not look as clear as those  
recorded in HIGH QUALITY.  
To change your QUALITY setting:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Press MENU, and using the LEFT/RIGHT buttons, navigate to QUALITY.  
Press OK to toggle between LOW QUALITY and HIGH QUALITY.  
Press MENU to exit, saving your changes.  
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Wireless Cameras and Interference  
If the image coming from your wireless Camera is distorted, you’ve probably  
discovered the bane of analog wireless technologies: interference. To help you  
get as much out of your RedAlert system as its capable of delivering, heres a brief  
rundown of what interference is, and how you can try to minimise it.  
The Wireless Camera transmits its images on a radio frequency of 2.4GHz. This is  
way over the range of the average radio, but there are some (in fact, many) devices  
out there that transmit data on this frequency.  
Things such as wireless computer networks, cordless phones, baby monitors, car  
alarms and Bluetooth enabled devices communicate at and around a frequency of  
2.4GHz. Other devices, such as microwaves, create radio “noise” at this frequency  
as well.  
Placing your cameras or RedAlert near these devices, or having any of these devices  
in between your cameras and receiver, can cause interference and affect picture  
quality. This happens because the signals are so similar, that they get mixed up with  
one another, and your receiver will have trouble figuring out which is which.  
If you want to visualize how interference occurs, imagine playing two games of  
football simultaneously on only one field. The players will continually collide with  
one another, and occasionally forget which ball is which! Naturally, when two  
games are played at the same time on the same field, both games suffer, take  
longer to play and neither team will score as often as they should.  
This is exactly what happens when two wireless devices used too close together!  
To discover what might be causing your interference, we suggest disconnecting all  
other wireless devices one at a time to find out which one is causing the problem,  
and adjusting your setup accordingly.  
Bear in mind that a wireless device from nearby homes or businesses could be the  
culprit, and other than asking neighbors politely to turn it off, theres little that can  
be done about this problem.  
If you are experiencing interference or poor image quality try the following steps:  
Try moving the camera to a different location, or, if it really is exactly where  
you want it, changing the orientation of the antenna on the camera and the  
RedAlert.  
Adjust or aim the receiver antenna - a single inch can make all the difference.  
Limit the number of walls, floors between the camera and receiver as this can  
dramatically alter picture quality.  
Dense materials such as concrete or metal will impede the wireless signal; try  
moving the camera and/or receiver away from dense materials.  
If possible, keep the camera and receiver away from or move conflicting  
devices such as wireless routers, microwaves, cordless phones.  
Some environments are simply not suitable for analog wireless systems.  
If this is the case in your environment, consider changing to a wired system or to  
a digital wireless system, as these are not subject to interference in the same way  
as analog wireless systems.  
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Advanced Motion Detection Settings  
Say you’re monitoring your yard, and right next to the gate you want to watch  
theres a tree blowing in the wind, which constantly triggers the motion detection.  
Perhaps your watching a hallway, and your pet cat continually sets off the motion  
detection, and you only want to record humans. What can you do?  
You can fine tune your ADVANCED MOTION DETECTION SETTINGS to only trigger  
the RedAlert to record when it should! There are several settings you can configure,  
and we’ll go through them one at a time…  
Motion Detection Area  
Motion Detect Count  
Motion Detect Interval  
Motion Detect Sensitivity  
The Setup Menu  
Motion Detection Area  
You can define only part of the cameras view to trigger the MOTION DETECTION.  
1. Press MENU, and use the LEFT/RIGHT buttons to navigate to the SETUP  
SUBMENU. Press OK.  
2. In the SETUP SUBMENU, use LEFT/RIGHT to select MOTION DETECT AREA (M),  
and press OK.  
3. Choose the size of the area that you would like to detect motion by using the  
LEFT/RIGHT buttons. When you’re satisfied, press OK.  
4. Now, you can place the motion detection area in whichever part of the image  
you want by using the UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT buttons. When you’ve placed it  
in the appropriate place, press OK.  
Motion Detect Count  
When the RedAlert is in STILL IMAGE MODE, you can select how many images it  
captures when triggered by a motion event. You can select between 1, 3 and 5  
images captured per event.  
1. Press MENU, and use the LEFT/RIGHT buttons to navigate to the SETUP  
SUBMENU. Press OK.  
2. In the SETUP SUBMENU, highlight MOTION DETECT COUNT.  
3. Press OK to toggle the value between 1, 3 or 5.  
Motion Detect Interval  
You can tell the RedAlert how long to pause after detecting a motion event before  
it will be triggered by motion to record again.  
1. Press MENU, and use the LEFT/RIGHT buttons to navigate to the SETUP  
SUBMENU. Press OK.  
2. In the SETUP SUBMENU, highlight MOTION DETECT INTERVAL.  
3. Press OK to toggle the value between 1, 3 or 5.  
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Advanced Motion Detection Settings  
Motion Detect Sensitivity  
The RedAlerts MOTION DETECTION threshold can be configured. This means that  
you can choose exactly how much motion the RedAlert needs to detect before  
it will start capturing images. This is a setting that should be defined carefully,  
as if the setting is too low insignificant events (such as a passing bird or a minor  
interference event) may trigger the RedAlert to record. If the setting is too high,  
the RedAlert might not record when you really need it to!  
The best way to configure the MOTION DETECT SENSITIVITY is to have an assistant  
to play the part of pretend security risk. This way we can observe how the RedAlert  
reacts to your unique environmental conditions, and configure it to deliver the best  
result.  
Target and  
Current Values  
Motion Detect  
Area  
To set the MOTION DETECT SENSITIVITY optimally:  
1. In the SETUP SUBMENU, use LEFT/RIGHT to navigate to MOTION DETECT  
SENSITIVITY. Press OK.  
2. This will take you to the MOTION DETECT SENSITIVITY setup screen. You’ll see  
the area of the screen you’ve configured to be sensitive to motion, and two  
values: the TARGET VALUE, and the CURRENT VALUE.  
3. When the CURRENT VALUE exceeds the TARGET VALUE, the RedAlert will be  
triggered to record an image/video.  
4. With the help of your able assistant, we need to determine the correct value  
for the TARGET VALUE. Have your assistant play the part of the security risk,  
and slowly walk through the area covered by the RedAlert.  
5. Whilst they do this, watch the CURRENT VALUE. It will fluctuate up and down,  
but what we’re looking for is the level it seems to average at.  
6. Set the TARGET VALUE to a level determined by watching the CURRENT  
VALUE.  
7. Once its set, test it by having your assistant repeat their performance, and  
checking to see if a motion event is triggered (the RedAlert will tell you on the  
screen when this happens).  
8. If the RedAlert is not triggered when it should be, lower the TARGET VALUE.  
Alternately, if the RedAlert captures images when nothing is happening, raise  
the TARGET VALUE.  
9. When you’ve configured the system to your satisfaction, exit the MOTION  
DETECT SENSITIVITY screen by pressing OK.  
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Playing Back Images and Videos  
There are two ways to view images and videos captured by the RedAlert. One way  
is to view them through the RedAlert (and the TV that the RedAlert is connected  
to) and the other is to simply take the SD card out of the RedAlert, and insert it into  
an SD card reader attached to your computer.  
To Playback images/videos using the RedAlert:  
1. Whilst in the live monitoring screen, press MODE to change to PLAYBACK  
MODE.  
2. Whilst in PLAYBACK MODE, use the LEFT/RIGHT buttons to cycle between  
images in the current dated folder.  
3. To play a video, select it and press the DOWN arrow to begin playback.  
To Change Folders:  
Whilst in PLAYBACK MODE, press DISP to bring  
up a list of folders.  
Use the UP/DOWN arrows to select the dated  
folder you wish to see, and press OK to select.  
Note: Some dates might have multiple folders.  
To DELETE unwanted images/videos:  
Whilst in PLAYBACK MODE, select the image/  
video that you wish to delete.  
Press MENU to open the PLAYBACK MENU. The  
PLAYBACK MENU has the following options:  
Delete One: Deletes the selected image.  
Delete All: Deletes all stored images.  
Format: Deletes all information from the  
RedAlert, and repairs the file structure of  
the SD card.  
When you select one of these options, you will  
be asked to confirm your choice. Highlight the  
GREEN TICK to proceed, or highlight the RED  
‘X’ to cancel your choice.  
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Accessing Images/Videos via a Computer  
One of the most convenient aspects of recording to an SD card is that, if you have  
an SD card reader for your computer, you can simply pop the SD card into it and  
open the RedAlerts images/videos directly.  
To playback, copy and delete images using a computer:  
1. Place the SD card into your computer via an internal or external card reader.  
2. Open the SD card in your computers le browser. You’ll see a folder dedicated  
to each day that the RedAlert was operating.  
3. All recorded images and videos are stored as separate files numbered in  
chronological order of when they were captured.  
4. You can cut and paste the RedAlerts images/videos in the same manner as  
any other file.  
5. To delete files, drag them to the Trash/Recycle Bin (depending on your operating  
system) or highlight them and press your computers delete key. A popup box  
will ask you to confirm.  
6. Most current systems will have no problem opening the file types that the  
RedAlert creates. If you encounter problems, update your video player or  
image viewing software.  
If you’re having trouble playing back the videos created by the RedAlert, consider  
downloading VLC Media Player. There are versions of VLC available for Windows,  
Mac OS and just about every other operating system you can imagine.  
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Troubleshooting  
Problem: I can only record images/video from one camera!  
Solution: The RedAlert can only record one camera at a time. While it is possible  
to monitor two cameras at once (one wired, one wireless) it is not possible to  
record both at once. If using PIP (Picture in Picture) MODE, the RedAlert will record  
images/video from the primary selected camera only.  
Problem: The RedAlert will only pick up one of my wireless cameras.  
Solution: Whilst the RedAlert can be tuned to four wireless channels, it can only  
monitor one of them at a time. There is no automatic switching function: if you  
want to change the wireless channel that the RedAlert is monitoring, you need to  
do this manually by pressing the SET button. For this reason, we do not recommend  
using multiple wireless cameras with the RedAlert.  
Problem: The picture quality is poor when I use a wireless camera, or so distorted  
as to not qualify as a picture.  
Solution: Your cameras signal is probably suffering from signal blockage or  
interference. Try realigning the antennas (sometimes an inch can make all the  
difference) or moving the RedAlert itself. You may need to try moving the camera,  
as well. If this does not help, you may need to shut down other wireless equipment  
operating nearby to the RedAlert. Check page 11 for more information on  
interference, and how it might be overcome.  
Problem: There seems to be a red haze in picture.  
Solution: This is most likely caused by a strong light source (such as the sun)  
shining directly into the lens of the camera. This is simple to remedy: face your  
camera away from light sources, or use a lens hood for the camera to stop light  
entering the lens directly.  
Problem: The foreground is too dark, whilst the background is too bright.  
Solution: The RedAlert uses automatic exposure adjustment to keep the majority  
of the image correctly lit up, without you having to adjust anything. However, this  
means that if what you want to see is in shadow when theres something else in  
full sun in frame, the shadowy areas might black-out altogether. The best solution  
is to make sure that the majority of the cameras view (particularly the centre) is  
taken up with the lighting conditions you want to see detail in. The automatic  
exposure will do the rest!  
Problem: All I see at night is black!  
Solution: Whilst both the cameras that optionally come with the RedAlert have  
limited night vision, it is just that: limited. The cameras use infrared LEDs to “see”  
in the dark (infrared is a type of light that human eyes cannot see) the range is  
limited to approximately 16ft/5m. If there is nothing within that range, the cameras  
will see nothing! Also, darkly colored objects (such as a black car) may not reflect  
enough infrared light for the camera to see them clearly. The best solution is to  
simply move the camera closer to what you want to see.  
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Troubleshooting  
Problem: The camera is looking out a window, and at night all I can see is white!  
Solution: The camera uses infrared LEDs to see at night. However, infrared light  
will reflect off a glass surface, and bounce-back into the lens of the camera,  
washing out the image. It is not possible to use an infrared night vision camera to  
look out of a window. If you want to see outside, the camera has to be outside as  
well. Note that the PNP-50 is recommended for indoor use only.  
Problem: The RedAlert is not capturing pictures/videos when it should, or it  
captures pictures/videos too often!  
Solution: Your ADVANCED MOTION DETECT SETTINGS need adjusting. Basically,  
you can define how the RedAlert will look for motion, and how much motion it  
must detect before it initiates recording. Follow the steps on pages 12 and 13 to  
configure the motion detection settings. If you’re using a wireless camera and the  
RedAlert is capturing pictures/video too often, it might be the case that there is  
enough interference in the video signal to count as motion. Follow the steps listed  
on page 11 to try to reduce the interference in your system.  
Problem: All I see is a blank screen.  
Solution: Check the connections between the RedAlert and your TV - in particular,  
check which RCA connection on the TV has the VIDEO OUT cable attached to  
it. Many TVs have A/V INPUT channels and A/V OUTPUT channels. Plugging the  
VIDEO OUT cable into an A/V OUTPUT will produce undesired results.  
Problem: The RedAlert isn’t showing images from my camera.  
Solution: The RedAlert might be monitoring the wrong input. Press the DISP  
button. If this does not work, and the camera is wireless, change the wireless  
channel of the RedAlert by pressing the SET button. If this does not locate the  
camera, check that the camera is supplied with power. If a wired camera, check  
the connections to the RedAlert. Finally, be sure that the camera can see an image:  
if the camera sees only black (see other Troubleshooting tips) it might appear that  
the RedAlert is not getting a signal at all.  
Problem: I can’t find right channel for the RedAlert on my television.  
Solution: This can be a little tricky. First, make sure you’ve got the RedAlert  
plugged into an INPUT on the television. The plug should be color coded yellow,  
the same as the connector from the RedAlert. If this is the case, look for a button  
on the TV or remote called AV, TV/AV, AUX, Auxilary, Channel 0, Video, DVD or  
something similar. Some TVs have multiple AV channels. If in doubt, speak with the  
manufacturer of your TV - they’ll know what plugs connect to which channel. If all  
else fails, try using a different TV. (Please, don’t call and ask us about this one - we  
don’t know what your TV looks like, nor how to make it do anything useful!)  
17  
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Tips and Tricks  
Placing your Security Stickers  
One of the most effective aspects of having a security system is the deterring of  
would be thieves or intruders. Many potential threats will think twice when they  
see that your home is protected by one of the most respected names in security  
systems.  
To this end, we’ve included a few Swann Security Stickers in your box. They’ll let  
any potential problem know before it happens that you’re already on to them! To  
get the best results, we suggest placing the stickers somewhere very obvious, a  
couple of suggestions being:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
On your front windows  
On your side windows  
Near entrance points, such as doors and gates  
Next to an obvious camera  
On the front counter  
Cable Placement  
If you are installing the PNP-50TM cables directly into your walls or ceiling, beware  
of placing them too close to electrical cabling. AC power operates at a certain  
frequency (50 or 60 hertz, depending on your locale) and this frequency generates  
a rather intense electromagnetic field. Running cables too close to a AC cable will  
cause noticeable distortion of your images.  
Extending Cable Length  
It may be the case that you want to connect a camera farther away from the  
monitor than the supplied cables allow. Whilst it is possible to do this, please  
consider the following:  
1. The longer the cable running from the camera to the RedAlert is, the more  
signal loss will occur during image transit. Signal loss will show up first as  
fuzziness in the image, followed by image noise and finally static (like that on  
an un-tuned television screen).  
2. Signal loss becomes a real problem when dealing with longer cables than  
those supplied. If you want to use a cable longer than 50m/150ft, be sure that  
it is a shielded cable.  
3. Joining cables together is, generally, not recommended. Whilst it is possible to  
do this, it usually causes more signal loss than using a longer cable. Of course,  
if you are a few feet short with the supplied cable, and just happen to have  
your own cables lying around, theres no harm in trying cables joined together  
and seeing what results you get. We do, however, recommend purchasing a  
longer cable.  
18  
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Technical Specifications  
RedAlert  
Wireless Camera  
Video  
Video  
Video Format  
Video Inputs  
NTSC or PAL  
Image Sensor  
Video Quality  
1/3” CMOS  
330 TV Lines  
1 Composite Input  
1 Composite Output  
640 x 480  
Video Outputs  
Display Resolution  
Display Frame Rate  
Minimum Illumination 0 Lux (IR on)  
Day/Night Mode  
Color during day /  
NTSC: 30fps  
PAL: 25fps  
switches to B&W at night  
Automatic  
White Balance  
Signal / Noise Ratio  
Electronic Shutter  
Audio  
Audio Input  
Audio Output  
Recording  
Compression Format  
> 48dB  
1
1
1/60 - 1/15,000 NTSC  
1/50 - 1/15,000 PAL  
Automatic  
Gain Control  
Video: MPEG  
Photo: JPEG  
Backlight Compensation Yes  
Wide Dynamic Range No  
Recording Resolution Video:320 x 240  
Photo: 640 x 480  
Lens  
6mm  
48 degrees  
Viewing Angle  
Recording Frame Rate NTSC: 15fps  
PAL: 15fps  
Audio  
Microphone  
Audio Range  
Recording Modes  
Manual / Motion  
Simplex  
Yes  
9ft / 3m  
Multiplex Operation  
HDD Interface/Memory SD Card  
Hard Drive Support  
General  
Up to 2GB SD  
Night Vision  
Night Vision Distance Up to 16ft / 5m  
Operating Power  
Dimensions  
DC 5V  
IR Cut Filter  
No  
5.25” x 3.33” x 0.75”  
133mm x 85mm x 20mm  
5.25oz / 148g  
SD Card  
Number of Infra-Red LEDs 10  
Infra-Red Wavelength 850nm  
Weight  
Backup Method  
Infra-Red LED Life  
10,000 hours  
General  
PNP-50™  
Operating Power  
DC 12V  
Video  
Image Sensor  
Video Quality  
Operating Temperature 0°C ~ 50°C 32°F ~ 122°F  
1/3” CMOS  
400 TV Lines  
Body Construction  
Dimensions -  
Aluminum  
Number of Effective Pixels NTSC: 510 x 492  
PAL: 628 x 582  
Camera & Stand  
5.1” x 2.0” x 2.0”  
130mm x 50mm x 50mm  
Minimum Illumination 0 Lux (IR on)  
Weight –  
Camera & Stand  
Day / Night Mode  
Color during day /  
switches to B&W at night  
Automatic  
4.8oz / 136g  
White Balance  
Signal / Noise Ratio  
Wireless  
> 50dB  
Digital or Analog  
Analog  
Max.Transmission Range Up to 165ft / 50m  
Electronic Shutter  
Gain Control  
1/60 - 1/15,000 NTSC  
1/50 - 1/15,000 PAL  
Automatic  
Typical Range  
65ft / 20m  
2.4 GHz  
4
Frequency  
Transmission Channels  
Backlight Compensation Yes  
Wide Dynamic Range No  
Battery Power Option No  
Lens  
4mm  
Viewing Angle  
90 degrees  
Audio  
No  
Night Vision  
Night Vision Distance Up to 16ft / 5m  
IR Cut Filter  
No  
Number of Infra-Red LEDs 8  
Infra-Red Wavelength 850nm  
Infra-Red LED Life  
10,000 hours  
General  
Indoor / Outdoor  
Operating Power  
Indoor  
DC 12V  
Operating Temperature 32°F ~ 113°F 0°C ~ 45°C  
Body Construction  
Dimensions -  
Heavy Duty Plastic  
Camera & Stand  
4.25” x 2.75” x 1.75”  
108mm x 69mm x 44mm  
Weight –  
Camera & Stand  
Cable Length  
4.23oz / 125g  
60ft / 18m  
19  
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Helpdesk / Technical Support Details  
Swann Technical Support  
All Countries E-mail: [email protected]  
Telephone Helpdesk  
USA toll free  
1-800-627-2799  
AUSTRALIA toll free  
1300 138 324  
(Su, 2pm-10pm US PT)  
(M-Th, 6am-10pm US PT)  
(F 6am-2pm US PT)  
(M 9am-5pm AUS ET)  
(Tu-F 1am-5pm AUS ET)  
(Sa 1am-9am AUS ET)  
NEW ZEALAND toll free  
0800 479 266  
USA Exchange & Repairs  
1-800-627-2799 (Option 1)  
(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)  
INTERNATIONAL  
+61 3 8412 4610  
current time in Melbourne, Australia compared to your local time.  
Warranty Information  
Swann Communications USA Inc.  
12636 Clark Street  
Swann Communications PTY. LTD.  
Building 4, 650 Church Street,  
Richmond, Victoria 3121  
Australia  
Santa Fe Springs CA 90670  
USA  
Swann Communications warrants this product against defects in workmanship and material  
for a period of one (1) year from it’s original purchase date. You must present your receipt  
as proof of date of purchase for warranty validation. Any unit which proves defective during  
the stated period will be repaired without charge for parts or labour or replaced at the sole  
discretion of Swann. The end user is responsible for all freight charges incurred to send the  
product to Swann’s repair centres. The end user is responsible for all shipping costs incurred  
when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.  
The warranty does not cover any incidental, accidental or consequential damages arising  
from the use of or the inability to use this product. Any costs associated with the fitting or  
removal of this product by a tradesman or other person or any other costs associated with  
its use are the responsibility of the end user. This warranty applies to the original purchaser  
of the product only and is not transferable to any third party. Unauthorized end user or  
third party modifications to any component or evidence of misuse or abuse of the device will  
render all warranties void.  
By law some countries do not allow limitations on certain exclusions in this warranty. Where  
applicable by local laws, regulations and legal rights will take precedence.  
© Swann Communications 2009  
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