Birdhouse Spy Cam, West Linn, OR 97068US
troubleshooting tips
We're proud of the quality control we have with our Hawk Eye and Red Robin Nature Cams. But, sometimes things can go wrong. More often than not "fixing" the camera is as simple as plugging it in, or turning to the right television channel. We welcome your calls if there is a problem, but save yourself some time by trying these suggestions. They've all been reported by past customers.
1) If the TV screen is blank or you get a "no signal" message, you are not getting electricity out to the Nature Cam, or have the wrong channel input selected. Check and double check that you have the right channel input selected. If that doesn't work, start at the electrical outlet; is the power adapter plugged into a working power outlet? Is the little light on the adapter lit? If not, try another outlet, or call us for a new adapter. A power surge -- particularly during nearby lightening storms -- may have knocked it out.
2) Make certain the white (audio) and yellow (video) RCA plugs at the end of the camera cable are plugged into the correct corresponding plugs on the TV. Make certain the red plug from the power adapter is plugged into the red plug at the end of the cable.
3) Check the entire length of the cable to see if it is chewed or broken. Squirrels and wayward husbands pushing lawnmowers or wielding weed whackers can take their toll.
4) If you are running the Nature Cam through a DVD or VCR player, cable or satellite box, read the instructions that come with the camera carefully. It's easy to have the settings wrong. When you scroll through the Auxillary channels, do so slowly, giving the TV time to find the signal coming from the camera. Test out to make certain the camera is working by plugging it into a simple TV with only one set of inputs. And, don't forget to give the cable a giggle or two where it plugs into the TV. More than a few customers have found they weren't getting reception because of a short in the TV's RCA port.
5) If you are getting some kind of signal; garbled, rolling video or audio, unplug the camera; wait 15 seconds and plug it back in. You may have to do this several times until the TV and Nature Cam synchronize with one other.
