Understanding the Lack of 24/7 Recording on Friedland Cameras
If you've recently installed a Friedland security camera and are looking for the option to enable 24/7 continuous recording, you may have discovered that the feature is not available. This is not a fault or a limitation of your specific device but rather a fundamental design choice related to how these cameras operate. This guide will explain why Friedland cameras do not offer 24/7 recording and how to get the most out of their event-based system.
Understanding the technology will help you appreciate the benefits of the existing design and optimise it for maximum security and performance.
The Core Reason: Battery Conservation
The vast majority of Friedland's popular security cameras are wire-free and battery-powered. This is their key selling point, offering incredible flexibility in where you can place them without needing to run power cables. This reliance on battery power dictates the entire operational design of the camera.
- High Power Drain: Continuously recording, processing, and uploading video is an incredibly power-intensive task. If a battery-powered camera were to record 24/7, its battery would be completely depleted in a matter of hours, not weeks or months. This would make it highly impractical for real-world security purposes.
- Low-Power Standby: To achieve long battery life, Friedland cameras spend most of their time in a very low-power standby mode. They are essentially "asleep," consuming minimal energy.
- PIR Motion Detection: They use a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor, which is extremely energy-efficient, to monitor for movement. When the PIR sensor detects the heat signature of a person or large animal, it triggers the camera to "wake up."
- Event-Based Recording: Only when triggered does the camera power up its main processor and image sensor to record a short clip of the event. After the event is over and a short cool-down period has passed, it goes back to sleep.
This "wake, record, sleep" cycle is the fundamental reason why 24/7 recording is not possible on these devices.
Making the Most of Event-Based Recording
While you can't record everything, you can take steps to ensure your camera records everything that matters. The key is to fine-tune the settings to match your environment.
1. Optimise Motion Detection Settings
This is the most critical area for adjustment.
- Sensitivity: In the Friedland app, navigate to your camera's settings and find the Motion Sensitivity control. If you feel the camera is missing events, increase the sensitivity. If you are getting too many false alerts (e.g., from swaying trees), decrease it.
- Activity Zones: Use the Activity Zones feature to define specific areas within the camera's view where you want it to look for motion. For example, draw a zone around your walkway and garden gate, while excluding the public footpath beyond it. This drastically reduces irrelevant notifications and recordings.
2. Adjust the Recording Length and Cool-down Period
- Clip Length: Some models allow you to set the duration of the recorded clip once motion is detected. A longer clip may capture more of the event.
- Re-trigger Time / Cool-down: This setting determines how long the camera waits after a recording ends before it will arm the motion sensor again. A shorter re-trigger time (e.g., 10-15 seconds) means you are less likely to miss a second event that happens soon after the first, but it will use more battery.
3. Ensure a Strong Wi-Fi Connection
A weak Wi-Fi signal can delay how quickly the camera wakes up and starts transmitting video to the cloud. Ensure your camera has a strong and stable connection to your router for the best performance.
By understanding that your Friedland camera is a specialised, power-saving device, you can configure it to be an extremely effective security tool, capturing the important moments without the need for constant recording.