Swann Pro MWADCAM150514T Instruction Manual

Super Wide-Angle
Dome Camera

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

EN

MWADCAM150514T

2

ENGLISH

Congratulations on your purchase of this PRO-CAM from Swann! You’ve chosen well; we
think this is one of the finest CCTV video cameras available. The PRO-CAM is great for
monitoring a wide open space whilst maintaining a high level of detail, even in low-light
situations.

Placement Guide

The PRO-CAM has a 3.6mm wide-angle lens built-in which allows it to see almost 75
degrees horizontally. What does this mean for you when placing it?

• You will be able to see a really wide area. If it’s mounted
high up in a square corner, you’ll probably be able to see
along both walls. You’ll be able to monitor a large area
with only one camera.

• Things may look further away than they really are.
Anything further than a few meters (ten feet or so) from
the camera may appear to be too small for the level of
detail you require.

• Vertical and horizontal lines might appear curved when
they near the edge of the camera’s view. This is normal, and it’s the side effect of
cramming so much viewing area onto one screen.

The PRO-CAM is great for monitoring rooms or areas as wide as, or wider than, they are
long. For really wide areas, you may need a second camera.

Typically, it is best mounted in a corner looking across and down into the room, so that it
can look over intervening obstacles. The higher the ceiling the camera is mounted on, the
more it will be able to see and the harder it’ll be for an intruder to access the camera or
interfere with it.

Tips & Tricks

• Try to aim the camera at an area which is evenly lit, as objects or people in shadows
near brightly lit objects are very hard to see.

• It’s better to have the camera in the shade looking into the light than vice-versa.

• Avoid having bright light sources in your image. This includes the obvious (such as the
sun or an artificial light source) but also things such as reflections. Cars are notorious
for reflected light sources, as are buildings with a lot of windows, mirrors and so forth.

Some information on “Low Light” situations

Under artificial lights, the average room is illuminated to somewhere in the vicinity of 40 ~
60lx. If you’ve got bright lights and white walls, it may push over 100, whereas dim lights (or

energy saving lamps) and dark walls might put the value below 20lx. The PRO-CAM should
work in these conditions, but there’s really no substitute for actually shining a light on
what you want to see, so position your camera or lights carefully to obtain the best lighting
conditions for the subject area of your camera’s scene.

About the Camera

75°

10m

33ft

15.3m
51ft

3

ENGLISH

Mounting and Installing

The camera mounts onto the underside of a flat, vertical or horizontal surface using
screws. The surface must have sufficient strength to hold the camera. Materials such as
hardwood, brick or masonry are good options, and we’ve included all the gear you’ll need to
mount it there (except the tools - sorry, you’ll still need your own drill). You can mount the
camera onto a metal surface, but you’ll need to supply your own mounting hardware.

To mount the camera:

• Using the small hex key (supplied), undo the two locking screws on the sides of the
PRO-CAM dome.

• Remove the top of the dome.

• Attach the base plate of the dome to the
wall/ceiling in the position you’d like
using the supplied screws. If mounting
to brickwork, concrete or other masonry
surface, use the included wall plugs.

• Aim the camera in the direction you’d
like. It can help to move a monitor or
television out to the camera’s location to
ensure you get it aimed and positioned
properly.

• Once the camera is aimed, re-attach
the dome cover. Ensure that the black,
protective plastic isn’t obscuring the camera’s vision.

Positioning your Cables

• When running your cable, try to avoid bending it at sharp angles.

• Don’t put your cable near live electrical wiring. AC electricity generates radio “noise”
which can interfere with the signal from your camera.

Weatherproofing

• The PRO-CAM is built to be weather resistant. It’ll stand up to getting wet occasionally,
but it’s not intended to be underwater all the time. When mounting the camera, ensure
that it’s not in a location where water is likely to pool or build up over time.

• Long term exposure to direct sunlight will adversely affect the camera. Over time,
the infrared and ultraviolet radiation will eventually begin to degrade the integrity of
the plastic cover, reducing transparency and making it brittle (and, therefore, more
vulerable to vandalism or accidental damage). Basically, put it in the shade!

The three screw holes, as seen from above.

4

ENGLISH

Connection Guide

3

1

2

4

5

6

1. Connect the camera’s DC and BNC cables to the extension cable, twist the BNC
connector to lock it together securely.

2. (Optional) If you intend to use the OSD controller, connect the camera’s green RS485
plug to the extension cable. You may first need to attach the RS485 plug to the wires
on the cables as shown in the diagram above.

3. Connect the the other end of the BNC extension cable to an unused channel on the
back of your DVR and twist the connector to lock it on securely.

4. Connect the extension cable’s DC socket to one end of the power splitter cable.

5. (Optional) To use the OSD controller, plug the extension cable’s RS485 plug (note red
connector to A/+ and black connector to B/- on the controller socket) and the other end
of the power splitter to the OSD controller’s RS485 port and DC in power jack.

6. Connect the power splitter cable to the power adapter, and plug the power adapter into
a wall outlet.

Note: Once the camera is set up and working well it is a good idea to wrap some electrical

tape around the connections between the camera cable and the BNC extension cable
to keep moisture out and preserve the electrical integrity of the connection.

5

ENGLISH

Troubleshooting

Problem: At night, all I see is white.
Solution: The camera is most likely looking through a window. At night, the light from

inside the room can ‘bounce back’ off a reflective surface (such as glass, water, spider
webs, some ceramics and so on) and effectively blind the camera. If you want to see
outside, mount the camera outside - we made it weather resistant for a reason!

Problem: I see only a blank screen where my image should be.
Solution: Check the wiring to the camera, and ensure the camera is being supplied power

from the included power adapter. Try using a different video lead, or connecting the camera
to a different television or monitor. Be sure there are no devices interrupting your signal,
such as a DVR or VCR that isn’t outputting the signal correctly.

Problem: I can’t see anything at night.
Solution: The PRO-CAM dome has great low-light vision (it’ll see better in the near dark

than you do) but it’s just that - low light vision. It does need some light to see!
Security light sets (essentially spotlights triggered by a passive infrared sensor [PIR]) are a

good solution if you need targeted light - they’re available from most good hardware stores.

Some additional, technical remarks: Low Light Vision

• At 0.01lx, you’ll get an image (enough to see something moving, for example) but it will
be very difficult or impossible to see any useful details.

• At 0.1lx the quality will be significantly improved (enough to see an outline of WHAT is
moving).

• However, you’ll probably want to increase the amount of light significantly (to 1lx or
more) before you’ll be able to tell who is moving about!

Advanced Feature: On Screen Display (OSD)

The OSD is an optional use, advanced feature that allows you to change settings for:

Wide Dynamic Range (reduces the difference between light and dark areas of a scene)
3D Noise Reduction (reduces digital image “noise” in low light images)
Back Light Compensation (adjusts the image if strong light source is in the scene

background)
Auto White Balance (another way of adjusting the image to compensate for different lighting

and colour conditions in a camera scene)
Numerous other image tuning and camera setting options.

The camera will work perfectly well if you never attach the OSD controller - it will regulate
all its settings automatically and will suit most applications.

The OSD controls are many and varied so if you would like to make some changes or have a
particular need for your camera that requires some fine tuning, simply read the OSD guide
included in your pack or you can download the guide to the OSD from our website:

www.swann.com/osdpro

© Swann Communications 2014

Limited Warranty Terms & Conditions

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.
For Australia: Our goods come with guarantees which cannot be excluded under Australian
Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation
for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods
repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to
major failure.

FCC Verification

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 designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential 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 determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
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

WARNING: Modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void user’s authority to
operate the equipment.

USA toll free

1-800-627-2799

USA Exchange & Repairs

1-800-627-2799 (Option 1)

(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)

AUSTRALIA toll free

1300 138 324

NEW ZEALAND toll free

0800 479 266

UK

0203 027 0979

Helpdesk / Technical Support Details

Swann Technical Support

All Countries E-mail: [e-mail]

Telephone Helpdesk