My pan cam sounds like a woodpecker when it pans. anyone else?
I have not experienced that, but your post makes me think of this:
Is this sound a recent development? What additional detail can you share (like is the camera outside and exposed to the elements, the camera’s age, etc.)?
Yes mines been doing it for months. Have another one that is quiet. They say it’s normal but fail to explain why one does it and another does not. It’s not normal and needs to be replaced but seems it’s not going to happen so I may just cancel all my subscriptions along with the Condo complex that uses these as well and try something else. Don’t say there’s a warranty if you’re not going to honor it.
I doubt you’ll find a section in the warranty where it says it covers noises on an otherwise functional cam. Now if it doesn’t pan smoothly or binds up, etc, then you have a case. One possibility is that dirt/sand got in the gears (more common when they’re mounted upside down) which doesn’t usually affect anything other than having some clicking noises (mostly only noticeable on the audio from the cam, not all that loud at the cam itself). Other is that the gears are slipping, which would be louder at the cam and probably result in non-smooth motion. If the gears are slipping, you’ll notice that when you try to return it to a waypoint (or when it tracks motion then returns back to the original position), it is off by quite a bit and gets way off over time, and that arguably is grounds for a warranty claim. Same if the cam doesn’t pan smoothly or binds up.
If you want a warranty replacement, don’t focus on noise, focus on functionality. Anything that doesn’t work properly is what you need to relay to support.
Noise that doesn’t show up until months after the camera was installed is not normal and will eventually lead to failure as I’ve already found post across the web about. It actually has a small judder when turning but isn’t picked up on video. I can’t afford to have a non working camera 2000 miles away from my location when nothing can be done about it then, when it will also be out of “warranty”. It’s a sealed camera. If dirt or sand can ingress it needs to be recertified and not recommended for outdoor use, although that hasn’t happened here. It’s about 15ft in the air under a overhand, protected from the elements.
Wyze products are disposable like Bic Lighters…
They’re not designed to last much beyond warranty.
They sell a cheaply priced cam that’s hobbled without a subscription, because their profits are made from the subscription services
I don’t disagree that it is abnormal, I’m just saying that from a warranty perspective, it is doubtful they’re going to consider the noise enough to warrant replacement if it isn’t impacting the core functionality, even if it might in the future. Now if you can show that the camera is not moving smoothly or is binding (however you might want to go about showing or proving that) then you may have more luck. I won’t be any more specific than that.
The IP rating does not mean it is waterproof/dust proof or 100% sealed. It means it has a certain resistance to those things. I had one mounted upside down under an eave, well protected, with a drip loop in the wire, and after a windy rainstorm, water managed to get in. I’ve changed that one to right side up but others have gotten or built covers for their upside down cameras and that seems to help.
The 6 in the IP rating means it’s as dustproof as it can be. So in all essence, yes it’s dust proof. Like I said if it’s not meant to be outside, especially in a semi protected enviroment without issues caused by splashes of water or what little dust is in the air, the IP rating seems totally bogus and they need to do some more homework. I have a feeling that the cheap ball bearing installed in the base is probably to blame. Sounds just like a bearing that is on it’s way to failure. A video I watched showed the disassembly of one. I doubt, even though it looked like a sealed bearing, that it’s of very high quality. If the grease, if any, is not moisture resistant and the temperature change causes any condensation inside the cage or the rollers this would explain the noise. I dare to say the bearing probably doesn’t even have any identifiable markings.
However the “5” denotes something along the lines of “very water resistant” and not fully water proof. On top of that, I suspect when upside down, it is no longer IP65 from my experience. It is the water that causes dust and dirt to track into the camera through the rotating base, especially when upside down. My one that has always been right side up has never made any excess noise or had any problems with water infiltration, but upside down for 6 months, even under an eave, water and dirt got inside around the rotating circle.
I believe the bearing in the bottom is a sleeve bearing from what someone posted here at one point, but may not be remembering correctly. People have taken them apart and cleaned them out. Not saying I recommend you do that, but it is possible. It is more likely dirt in the gears than in the bearing itself, but hard to say without taking it apart.
Unfortunately nobody in this forum can get you a warranty replacement, just giving insight and possible things to try. If you want to argue the warranty, you’ll need to keep working with Wyze on that. Maybe they’ll give you 1/2 the price as a gift card to help with the cost of a replacement. If you do mount the replacement upside down, I’d recommend looking at the covers that are available on amazon or fashioning something up yourself to help protect it. Also make sure you have a drip loop in the power cord.
It doesn’t matter what the position the camera is in to receive the IP rating. That’s not how that works. Shouldn’t matter how it’s mounted. If it does it needs to state that somewhere and, like previously said, the IP rating needs to be reevaluated. I’m not looking for anyone in the forum to do anything. It just needs to be said. It’s not the first time this clicking noise with these particular cameras has been brought up, here and in other forums on the web, and whatever the issue is, it needs to be resolved by Wyze and not ignored.
Definitely not the Same IP65 rating other manufacturers follow,
By definition of IP65 look it up, Wyze cams are not IP65 but those who drink too much Wyze Kool aid think Wyze is the best And will make up exceptions for the camera, Sorry but exceptions are not part of IP ratings.
Never said that it officially isn’t IP rated when upside down. Just said I suspect it, and shared my experience with the cam. What you do with that information is up to you. Maybe they’ll improve it with the next version Pan cam. Like I said though, griping and getting upset here is pointless, keep working with support and see what you can work out.
Strange, reminds me of someone and another camera brand. At least Wyze users don’t troll other camera forums constantly.
Mmmmm Kool Aid…
You do realize I am a Wyze user?
So you do go Reolink boards, or…?
I kid. This comment (and the reply) still makes me grin:
No Problems = No Posts
It’s a forum…for Wyze cameras. Why wouldn’t I post my experience here? Because is not rainbows and sugar? I have/manage about 12 other cameras, including another pan cam, a thermostat, and garage door controller/cam. All Wyze. All with no issues but this one. If the products have issues a forum is the perfect place to talk about them. Sorry it bothers you.
Doesn’t bother me, I’m just saying you’re wasting your time, as the goal here is primarily for users to help other users, which is what some of us were trying to do. People don’t come here before buying the cams, they read reviews on sites like Amazon, so if your goal is to warn others, you’d be better served posting some reviews with your experience. Who knows, maybe it will also help ensure the v4 addresses some of the issues.
If you read between the lines of one of my previous posts, you probably can get a warranty replacement.