I've got a few POE cameras that I bought but never got around to installing, and now they don't work. There are two Amcrest cameras, which I think are worth around $60 and $100 each, but I procrastinated so much that they've been knocked about and are past their warranty. On top of that, I have three cheaper cameras (Zosi, SV3C, and an unbranded one) that I got from an Amazon retail returns auction. I'm trying to figure out if there's any chance of getting these cameras to work again or if I should just strip them for parts. Is there anything valuable inside them for other projects? I'm hesitant to toss them but I also don't want to waste a ton of time if they're beyond help.
2 Answers
Firstly, you'll need to diagnose what's broken. I had a camera where the PoE connector melted, which I managed to replace successfully. Another camera of mine had a corrupted OS that I fixed by installing OpenIPC. But, I also faced cameras that had faults I couldn't identify, so it’s really a mixed bag. Just dive in and see what you find!
The odds of getting your cameras to work again depend on what's wrong with them. If they're completely dead and show no signs of life, the problem might be simple, like a burnt-out component. But if they make faint noises and get warm, there could be a chance they just need a firmware update or some tinkering. Make sure to open them up and inspect; sometimes a little DIY magic goes a long way! Just keep in mind, if it's major hardware issues, you might be better off salvaging parts instead.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll start by checking for any obvious damage and see if I can figure out what's wrong.