Skip to content

Foscam 89xx series - PTZ is flaky

edited February 2018 in Cameras
Hello - I recently discovered SecuritySpy and think it is pretty awesome software. I wanted to ask about Foscam 89xx support. I went through the scan profile process and then tried every profile that SS discovered - all to no avail. The issue is either that PTZ does not work at all OR it works in a flaky manner meaning that when the buttons are pressed, the cam just jiggles for a second and then stops.

Any sights here?

Comments

  • I haven't heard of this problem before, though Foscam are towards the low end of the market, with cheap cameras that maybe aren't as high quality as other brands. What specific camera model do you own, and what profile are you using in SecuritySpy (e.g. "Foscam H.264")?

    Are you able to properly control the camera from its web interface (e.g. using Safari), or is the problem the same from there?
  • edited March 2018
    Hi Ben,

    The specific model is 8918.

    In terms of profile, I tested well over 30 (based on the auto-scan in your application) and they all had one thing in common - JPEG. Also, "Foscam H.264" was not in the auto-scan list while "Foscam JPEG" was. By the way, the video comes through fine - it is only the PTZ that is acting weird.

    Yes, I can control the PTZ with no issue via the web interface as well as other Mac\iPhone applications.

    As an aside, I started with Foscam a few years back mainly due to cost and while there's a little it of inertia there, I am by no means wed to them. I've been checking out the Amcrest line and have a couple more on order. If they turn out to be solid, I will probably start migrating to them.

    Any feedback you care to offer re: Amcrest is appreciated.

    Thanks.
  • edited March 2018
    The Dahua Starlight PTZ's are amazingly good performers in the dark even with IR off. I've been gradually getting more and more of these in my system. These have displaced my Sunbas due to the Dahua's stunning low light performance and sharper optics. A lot of my Dahua Starlights I keep with IR off. They see that well at night.

    At just over $300 price, I strongly recommended these instead of "junk" PTZ's. You'll get a better sensor, longer zoom range, less chromatic aberration, and they work well with Security Spy.

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/DAHUA-2MP-25x-Starlight-IR-PTZ-Network-Camera-IP-High-speed-Dome-Camera-Without-Logo-SD49225T/32786572778.html

    Yes, I have ordered several times from BEC Technology and Empire Technology on Aliexpress. They are actually the same company. DHL delivery is a plus. Toughest part is getting your credit card company and Alipay to cooperate with each other.
  • Hi @aleding - I'm not immediately sure what could be going wrong here. As we don't have one of these cameras ourselves here to test, I think the best way forward if you want us to investigate this would be for you to put your camera online for us to test remotely - would this be possible? To do this you will have to set up the port forwarding settings on your router to forward incoming connections to the camera on ports 80 and 554, and email usyour public IP address (or DDNS name, which can be set up in SecuritySpy's Web Server Setup window) and the camera's login details. Let me know if you need more information about how to set this up.

    As for Amcrest - these are good, reliable and inexpensive entry-level cameras that work well with SecuritySpy.
Sign In or Register to comment.