Troubleshooting Scout Camera Night Vision Problems
Clear video footage at night is a fundamental requirement for any security camera. Your Scout camera uses infrared (IR) technology to see in the dark, providing you with black and white video even in complete darkness. When this feature fails, your security is significantly compromised.
This troubleshooting guide will help you identify and solve the most common issues related to Scout camera night vision not working correctly.
### Is Night Vision Activated? First Checks
Before assuming a hardware fault, let's ensure the feature is enabled and the conditions are right for it to work.
- Check In-App Settings: The most common reason for night vision not working is that it has been disabled in the software.
- Open the Scout app and navigate to the settings for the specific camera you're troubleshooting.
- Look for a 'Night Vision' or 'Infrared' setting.
- Ensure this setting is toggled to 'On' or 'Auto'. The 'Auto' setting is usually recommended, as it allows the camera to switch automatically based on ambient light.
- Test the Light Sensor: The camera uses a light sensor to know when to switch to night mode. You can test this easily.
- In a well-lit room, look at the camera feed on your phone (it should be in colour).
- Completely cover the front of the camera with your hand to block all light.
- You should hear a small, audible 'click' sound from the camera. This is the IR cut filter moving.
- The video feed should turn to black and white.
- If you look closely at the camera lens, you should now see a number of small LEDs glowing with a faint red light. These are the IR illuminators.
- If you hear the click and see the red lights, the hardware is likely working.
Improving Poor Night Vision Quality
Sometimes, night vision is technically working, but the image quality is so poor that it's useless. Here’s how to fix common quality problems.
### Blurry, Foggy, or Washed-Out Images
This is almost always caused by dirt on the lens or IR reflection.
- Clean the Lens: The camera's lens dome can accumulate dust, fingerprints, and grime. This might not be noticeable during the day, but at night, the powerful IR light reflects off this dirt, creating a foggy or hazy image. Wipe the lens gently with a clean, soft microfibre cloth.
- Check for Obstructions: Ensure there are no nearby surfaces that could be reflecting the IR light back into the lens. This includes things like a windowsill, a nearby wall, the eaves of a roof, or even a spider's web built directly in front of the camera. This reflection can create a bright white glare or halo effect, making the rest of the image dark. You may need to slightly reposition the camera to avoid this.
- Remove Protective Film: Double-check that you have removed the thin, clear plastic film that often covers the lens for protection during shipping.
### The Camera is Stuck in Black and White
If your camera's feed is black and white during the daytime, it means the IR cut filter is stuck in the 'night' position.
- Power Cycle the Camera: The simplest fix is to perform a hard reboot. Unplug the camera from its power source, wait for a full 60 seconds, and then plug it back in. The camera's boot-up sequence often forces the filter to reset to its correct position.
- Give it a Gentle Tap: In some rare cases, the filter can be physically stuck. A very gentle tap on the side of the camera housing can sometimes be enough to free it. Do this with caution, as you do not want to damage the device.
By working through these checks, you can solve the majority of night vision issues and ensure your Scout camera provides a clear picture, day or night.