How to Troubleshoot Missed Recordings on Your Comelit System
Discovering that your Comelit security system has failed to record a crucial event can be deeply concerning. Missed recordings undermine the very purpose of a surveillance system. This guide will help you systematically troubleshoot the common causes of this problem and ensure your system is recording reliably.
### Why Recordings Get Missed
The problem usually stems from one of three areas:
- Detection Settings: The system did not detect the event in the first place.
- Recording Schedule: The system was not scheduled to record when the event occurred.
- Storage Issues: The system was unable to save the recording due to a storage problem.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Comelit Recording Gaps
Let's investigate each of these areas to find the solution.
### 1. Optimise Your Motion Detection Settings
This is the most frequent cause of missed events. If the motion isn't detected, a recording is never triggered.
- Adjust Sensitivity: The sensitivity level determines how much movement is required to trigger a recording. If it's too low, it may ignore subtle or distant events. Access your NVR or camera settings and gradually increase the motion sensitivity.
- Configure Detection Zones: Most systems allow you to draw a grid over the camera's view, selecting specific zones to monitor for motion. Ensure that these zones cover the entire area of interest, such as doorways, paths, and driveways. An incorrectly drawn zone is a common oversight.
- Test in Real-Time: After making adjustments, walk through the detection area yourself to see if you trigger a recording. This is the best way to confirm your settings are effective.
### 2. Verify the Recording Schedule
Your system might be working perfectly but is simply programmed not to record at certain times.
- Check the Schedule: Log in to your Comelit NVR/DVR's main menu and find the 'Recording Schedule' settings.
- Review the Timetable: You will typically see a 24/7 grid for each camera. Ensure that the hours during which events were missed are set to record (often indicated by a green or blue colour). For continuous protection, set all cameras to record motion 24/7.
- Holiday Settings: Check for any 'Holiday' or special event schedules that might be overriding your normal settings.
### 3. Investigate Storage and Hard Drive Health
If detection and scheduling are correct, the problem may be with the storage device itself.
- Enable Overwrite: The single most important storage setting is 'Overwrite' (or 'Recycle'). This must be enabled. When the hard drive (HDD) is full, this feature allows the system to automatically delete the oldest footage to make space for new recordings. If it's disabled, recording will stop once the drive is full.
- Check HDD Status: In the system's storage menu, look for the HDD status. It should show a status of 'Normal' or 'Healthy'. If it shows 'Error', 'Unformatted', or is not visible at all, the hard drive may have failed and needs to be reformatted or replaced.
By carefully reviewing these three key areas, you can identify and correct the reason for missed recordings and restore your confidence in your Comelit security system.