Customer Reviews

Defender PHOENIX1 Wireless Video Security System with Portable LCD Monitor and Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Surveillance Camera (Black)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I really wanted this system to work. I read all of the reviews and everything seemed great accept for the wireless range. After setting up the system (w/additions camera), all looked great. Setup was easy and directions were clear. The night viewing range was good and the reception range was better than I expected. Initially I was very happy, but after a few days of use I noticed issues with the picture. One camera showed a clear picture while the over was almost completely washed out and at night showed very blurry. And a day after rain or snow, both camera were fogged for a few days. No big deal I thought, I just have a defective camera(s). Unfortunately after replacing the one bad camera, the second camera was now washed out and barely visible. So I figure lets give it one last try and replace the second camera and LCD receiver. Again, same issues. Bad picture on one camera and perfect picture on the other. I finally gave up and returned everything to amazon. Now I'm back to square one.

So far everything works well. I opened up the box and plugged in the camera. I then walked all the way around my house and it worked well. Yes there was a little fuz and static but nothing major. My main concerns were that my existing wireless devices would interfear. (Wireless internet, Wireless phones 6.0 Panasonic, and a wireless video transmiter 5.8) So far nothing seems to be interfearing with this camera. The picture quality is good and it seems to be well built.

I read the reviws for the other SVAT camera system that says you have to plug in the monitor behind the batteries and that it uses AAA Batteries. I thought I would try this camera because it has a rechargable batery and a base that you can set the monitor in while it charges.

I am very happy with my purchase. My expectations were really high but this thing does work well. So that is why I am taking the time to type this review so others can rest assured that this camera is,in my opnion a great deal.

Update: March 2011 - This was a great product while it lasted. 16 months after purchase, the Camera went dead. It was great while we had it, but the camera seems to be sensitive to humidity and outside temperatures.


We bought this for one specific purpose. To see who is at the front door. Our porch is situated such that you can not see who is at the door from any window.

Our other Electronic Devices: Wireless Internet and Cordless Phones. No issues with the camera/monitor or our other devices. Both the wireless and phones are 5.8Mhz which may be the reason we had no issue.

Setup: I had the camera on a nail above the door in 5 minutes. Briefly skimmed the manual and we were off. We tested for a couple of weeks both in daylight and night to get the placement right. Note: If you are buying strictly for night vision...don't. It doesn't work more than a couple of feet. Our porch has a motion detection light in the ceiling so this works perfectly with the camera. We have tried the monitor sitting in the cradle, walking around the house and connected to the tv.

Results: On our first test, my wife loved it. She was able to clearly see who was knocking. The range is pretty small and it does degrade rapidly with walls and doors between. Our setup is basically 20 feet from the camera through the front door and outside wall. Moving to a back room with 2 inside walls produced quite a bit of interference...we could see but the image would flake out every few seconds. We also do not use the sound activation since the camera is outside it picks up any noise on the lowest settings...

For the price and ease of use...it fits our needs perfectly. It really depends on how you plan to use it, if it will work for you or not. If you need long range or strict night vision...this is definately not the system for you.

I bought this camera because it stated you can use a 9 volt battery. After installing it and being excited with good range and good quality picture, I was diappointed that the battery died in 4 hours. I replaced the battery thinking I had an old 9 volt and it died again! I emailed the company and they stated that it was functioning as designed and the battery life was only for a maximum of four hours. Because I did not want to drill a hole through my brick exterior to have the AC adaptor plugged inside (I was using this as a front entrance camera), I had to return the camera. If you have an easy means to plug in the AC adaptor, I would recommend the camera. It was small and discreet and the picture quality was fairly good.

I selected this system as it operates at 900 mhz frequency to avoid interference with the WiFi internet at the house and the wireless alarm sensors. After charging the monitor for a few hours, I powered up the camera and it works fine. Good wall penetration with this system - I have walked around 90 feet from the camera with the monitor and the picture is still viewable. The audio is pretty sensitive as well. The night vision is adequate for a short distance, probably 10 - 15 feet in total darkness maximum - fine if you have the camera mounted near the door and want to see who is there. The night vision range could be further extended with the use of an additional infrared illuminator, however the resolution of the camera is not really adequate for a distance shot. The camera is housed in a metal enclosure and seems high quality. The handheld monitor unit is plastic and acceptable quality. The built in lithium battery does not seem to be user-replaceable. I have not opened the device to see if it is soldered into place, but I suspect that it could be changed with a little tech savvy. The unit will probably operate from the supplied ac adaptor even after the battery fails. Overall, the system is a bargain and I recommend it.

We use the product with 2 cameras. We needed something that would allow us to have some visibility of the front door and driveway when we were in a location of the house without front windows. This product allows us to quickly and easily view without going to the front of the house. If exterior lights are on the night view is pretty good, otherwise it is about 8 to 10 feet from the camera with the night vision. We have the monitor set up to the TV to enlarge the view. Based on weather and other external factors the picture may be fuzzy at times...but definately clear enough for what view is needed. We are very pleased with the purchase and would recomend.

Color image only if you are next to the camera. Lots of static even 20 feet away. All that Clear Signal Technology seems to be marketing puffery. Sound is non-existent. Placing the monitor next to the camera should create a screeching feedback loop -- nothing.

Also, I bought the product to be able to leave it active and recording 24/7. The instructions say that it is bad to leave the monitor unit plugged in and running for extended periods. Sort of defeats the purpose of getting it. Trying to get clarification from the company gave me conflicting answers from the different people with whom I spoke. Bottom line is that if you keep it running 24/7 you will cause your unit to run hot and will shorten the life of your battery. (Assuming those answers were correct...)

Warranty return policy for suspected bad merchandise is very constrictive and if they claim the device is good you have to pay $50 (on top of your shipping costs) if you want to get your hardware back. It is almost better to buy another camera to see if the camera is bad but then maybe the monitor is bad and you've put more money into a system that still does not work. I've switched to another product and am much happier.

i will post pics later but my god...the clarity is amazing and its wireless...how i really saw the clarity was i plugged it into a tv set on the kitchen counter and the pic was like a camcorder recording...im dead serious, i truly cant believe the reception...buy buy buy this camera instead of that summer brand from T... we have that one and this blows it away...real person real nieces and nephews real wireless monitor...

I am reviewing this as a baby video monitor - the price point is just higher than the junk you can buy at any "Babies" store and this blows those away. Range is fine - I can ride the mower and see upstairs. We have used this for 10 months every night and it is still working fine. The second camera is useful when traveling as we can clip it anywhere (we bought digital camera clip from Wolf Camera). This is the best "baby" purchase so far. If you are trying to use this as a security camera and are unsatisfied, invest in a real security system.

This product is great. I am using it for security in my hair salon. It works great to keep an eye on the front while I am in a different area. It was easy to set up and it does exactly what I needed it to do.