Troubleshooting your QUBIcam is really easy. Common problems are classified and listed below.
Photo quality seem poor
The camera has been designed to capture high and low resolution images based on the quality of the network. If the quality of your images are good but the resolution is low (small 800px X 600px sized images) you are experiencing network connectivity problems. The only resolution to this problem unfortunately is to wait for the network state to improve or alternatively move your camera to an area with better signal.
In addition to image resolution, please remember, the quality of images rely very heavily on the correct placement of the camera. Cameras that are for example installed in fixed position could be strongly influenced by the sun during different times throughout the day. This could deliver images that are over exposed, creating the appearance of low quality imagery.
Intervals seem completely wrong
During times where network signal is lost or the state of the network is very poor, the camera will store the captured images on the internal SD Card and no transmission will be possible. Thus, even though the camera was activated at the programmed interval of 15 minutes, no images will be transmitetd and it may appear as if the intervals do not work correctly. As soon as network state improves to acceptable level, stored images will be transmitted with every new image captured. Also remember that if the network status is acceptable, the connection could be slow and cause images to take much longer to transmit which also impacts the timing between successfully received imagery.
** For every image captured and transmitted, 4 locally stored images (if available), saved during previous network failure, will also be transmitted until all locally stored images have been successfully sent.
Software versions on your cameras could also have an impact. Remember that each individual camera can be setup to run different versions of the software and if your device is running custom software, intervals between images could be shorter or extended.
Essentially, the timer circuit within the device provides a constant interval and the network state as well as the active software version impacts the timing between images.
I receive no images and do not know what is wrong
The reasons for images not being sent from the camera includes:
- Power source problems
- Hardware and software issues
- Network registration or no airtime/data
Power source problems
This is probably the most common problem and before troubleshooting any further, lets confirm whether your camera is powered properly. The QUBIcam power source has been designed to be external to the camera and it is crucial that your power source supply a quality 5V @ 2Amp. Over voltage will permanently damage your camera and under voltage will cause the resetting of your camera at random intervals.
Also consider:
- If the cable from your power source to the camera is too long, the resistance of the cable could drastically impact the voltage available to the camera. Try to keep the cable length to anything less than 1 meter.
- Unplug the cable from the camera (whilst still plugged in to the power source) and test the voltage – this could help determine whether the cable might be damaged.
- When you are drawing power from a powerbank, make sure it is charged. Often the powerbank has enough capacity left to turn on your camera but will shut down after a few minutes worth of running.
Hardware and software related issues
To confirm whether your camera is working correctly in terms of the hardware and software component, lets look into the LED indicators made available on the front of the camera. We can confirm three important things by looking at the LED indicators:
- The camera is switching on and running through the respective stages of the current interval. The exact timing depends on your network quality but the following can be noted as a guideline:
- When the camera is first powered, the first RED LED from the left immediately turns on and stays on indicating that the camera is busy.
- At around 30 seconds after switching the camera on, the second RED LED turns on and stays on whilst the camera tries to connect to the server for the latest software updates. At around 2 minutes the update/install process will be complete.
- At around 2 minutes the following will happen.
- A – if no network is available, the GREEN LED (on the RIGHT) will flash 4 times and pause 1 second. This is repeated 3 times. This also indicates that the images that will be captured would be stored locally and not transmitted. The second RED LED (from the LEFT) will now switch off.
- B – the second RED LED (from the LEFT) will now be off. The GREEN LED (on the RIGHT) will flash once, pause 1 second, and then flash again, pausing two seconds – this will be done until the camera has completed capturing images.
- At around 3 minutes the capturing and transmission of images should be complete. The second RED LED and GREEN LED will now both be off. The first RED LED (from the LEFT) will now be the only LED that is lit.
- At around 4 and a half minutes ALL LED’s will switch off. The first RED LED (from the LEFT) will now start to flash once every 8 seconds showing that the camera is back in IDLE mode. It is at this point where the power can be safely disconnected from the camera (if you wish to do so) without the risk of corrupting the internal SD Card.
- The camera is not able to connect to the network
- At around 2 minutes the second GREEN LED (from the LEFT) will flash 4 times and pause 1 second. This is repeated 3 times.
- The camera is taking pictures
- At around 2 minutes (or immediately after the NO NETWORK indicator) the GREEN LED (on the RIGHT) will flash once, pause 1 second, and then flash again, pausing two seconds. This is repeated until the capturing of images completed.
- The camera is in idle state until the triggering of the next interval
- At around 4 and a half minutes ALL LED’s will switch off. The first RED LED (from the LEFT) will now start to flash once every 8 seconds.
Network registration or airtime/data problem
If you have noted from the hardware and software test that network connectivity is failing please consider the following:
- Use for example a cellphone with a similar SIM card (Vodacom, MTN, CellC) to determine if the respective network service provider is experiencing any connectivity problems in your area. You can do this by simply looking at the amount of signal available on the phone. Even though the phone could have a stronger or weaker antenna than the QUBIcam it would provide you with a good indication of the current signal level.
- If the signal level on your phone looks acceptable, consider the fact that your SIM card might be out of data or airtime. To confirm whether this is not the case, use the respective service provider portal to confirm your balances or remove the SIM card and check the balances manually from another device like for example a cell phone.
- If you have inserted your own SIM Card, ensure that the Card was RICA’d – if not your SIM Card will not register on the respective service providers network.
Next steps
If the above information did not help you solve the problem you are experiencing, please feel free to visit or send us your camera so that we can have a look at it for you. For general support related issues (like the above) a hourly support rate will be billed. Please note that the client is liable for the time spent on problem solving damage caused by misuse or abuse, separate to the cost for repair or replacement.
