HC20X Series: Light Control Feature Troubleshooting

Similar Issues

• Spotlight was working but stopped
• Spotlight never worked
• False Alarms
• Light won’t work from Night Owl Connect App

 

Spotlight Has Stopped Working

If the camera’s spotlight feature is not working, it is likely due to a configuration error. However, there is no icon in the live view to indicate if the spotlight is on. Instead, both the motion and human detection icons will appear and if the light is enabled the spotlight will come on when these features are triggered. If the light does not come on and the icons shown below, are in the live view, then the configuration could be wrong.

Motion Detection	Human Detection

 

  

1. Right-Click on the Live View Screen to open the Main Menu options 

2. Click on the Light Menu which is the last option with the light bulb icon  

3. The Light submenu will open and provide the option to manually turn on or off the spotlight for each spotlight enabled camera. The spotlight can be set to be on for 10 seconds up to 300 seconds. 

4. Select the On bubble for the camera being tested and the light should come on. Please note that there may be a delay of a few seconds before the light comes on. This delay may increase if there are more cameras connected that offer the spotlight. 

If the spotlight turns on for the other cameras that are not being tested, the issue is with the camera itself. Please contact our Technical Support Team for additional assistance. 

 

Automated Spotlight Configuration

If the camera spotlights can be turned on manually and both icons appear, then the configuration for the spotlight should be re-configured. 

1. Right-Click on the Live View screen and click on the first icon - General Menu 

2. Select Camera from the Main Menu and Motion from the side menu. 

3. Locate Post Record to set the minimum or maximum time for the light to run when triggered. 

4. Please ensure that Motion Detection, Light, and Human Detection are all checked 

5. Click Apply to save the settings. 

6. Test to see if the spotlight is now working for the selected channel. 

 

Firmware Upgrade Check 

If the spotlight still does not work, a firmware upgrade may already be in place to resolve this issue. Please follow the steps below to check for a firmware upgrade. 

1. Right-Click on the Live View screen and click on the first icon - General Menu 

2. Select the Advanced section to the top right 

3. Go to the Auto Upgrade option on the left hand side 

4. Select Check next to Check for Updates 

5. If an update is available, please update the firmware and then retest the spotlight on your camera. 

Make sure the DVR is connected to the internet via the Ethernet cord to check for any firmware updates. 

 

How to turn the Spotlight on from Night Owl Connect.

1. Open the Night Owl Connect application with the DVR already added.

2. Select a channel that has the Light Control Function and enter the live view.

3. In the live view there will be a lightbulb button at the bottom if the spotlight is supported by the camera. Please select it to turn the camera's spotlight on. There is an expected 1-2 second delay.

*Note: If the camera has a spotlight the light and motion icons as shown below will not be greyed out.

 

4. Selecting the Motion Icon will do something slightly different. This icon will enable/disable the light setting within the DVR Menu, under Camera Settings. This allows the spotlight to turn on when human motion is detected if those settings are also enabled.

 

Spotlight Not Working from Night Owl Connect Application

If you’ve added the system to the Night Owl Connect Application, then the spotlight function can be controlled from the application if the connected DVR and Camera’s are compatible. Please refer to the steps below to enable this feature via the application. 

1. Make sure the ethernet cable and local area network are connected to the DVR and mobile application.

2. If the DVR and mobile device are connected to the internet and the camera spotlight won’t work from the application, then from the main page of Night Owl Connect App, delete the DVR.

3. Once the DVR is deleted from the app, please re-add the DVR to the mobile application.

4. Once complete, select one of the DVRs channels and try to turn on the spotlight from within the application.

• If the spotlight is not working, please refer to the top of this article to verify that the settings on the DVR are correct.

5. Check the mobile phone’s Wi-Fi settings and make sure a connection is established and active.

6. If the issue still persists, verify that the light controls work from within the DVR. 

7. If none of the above work, delete the application, reinstall it, and retry steps 1-6.

8. If you are still experiencing issues with the spotlight working, please contact our Technical Support Team for further assistance.